No attack in US since 911. Why?

[Disturbed]

The main point that Right Wingers make is that w and the Neo Fascists have kept Amerika safe and the proof is no attack in US since 911.

Anyone have ideas why there have been none?

[Burma Jones]

1. The Saudis want Bush.............

They are our Lords and Masters.

[benburch]

2. Because the terrorists don't need to!!!

As long as Bush and Ridge are beating the terror drums and fiddling with the threat level, Americans are still terrorized. Bush is doing Osama's work for him!

[DrWeird]

3. anthrax...

mail bombings...

[RoundRockD]

4. My guess is that it takes Al Qaeda years to plan a major attack.

That's just a guess, of course.

[KurtNYC]

5. I guess if you don't count the anthrax attacks

and Flight 587 and some suspicious refinery fires. But why should facts ever intrude on freeper fantasy?

Alternate answer: Because of the fine work done under the Clinton administration!

[nyhuskyfan]

12. There was also...

A gunman at LAX on July 4, 2002, who killed a half-dozen or so.

[DebJ]

6. the assumption that Osama wants to take over the USA is a

false one, at least that is what I gather from reading his speeches.
But if you ask any Repub, they will say this is precisely what Osama wants.
I read two or three of his speeches, and he says:
"Leave us alone"
"you kill our people, so we rightfully kill yours in return"
His words say he is seeking retribution and the freedom of self-determination, which is NOT democracy according to Osama, for the way his sect interprets the Koran, to have a separate law of government from the law of Allah is sin.

That's about as much as I can add.
Except to say that Dubya is the best recruiter Osama could have ever hoped for, so I think Osama likes the way things are going.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

13. You are correct

Osama's program is internal to today's Muslim world. He does not want to engage the west militarily as "Al Qaeda", he wants to unite all Muslims against the west. Bush is doing a plum job of helping him.

In response to another post above, yes, I also think it takes years to plan out a 9/11 type attack. They've been actively attacking other countries, though.

Americans prefer being "hunkered down" to thinking through a difficult situation. The war metaphor makes it easier to digest something much more difficult than war. IT IS WAR WE GOT KILT GOSHDURNIT. No, it was done to make you feel that way. No one is going to "take out" the US one skyscraper at a time.

[vetwife]

28. We did not know if there wre 10 ,20,100 panes or how many targets

Why? Why was the media running the country that fateful day and been running it ever since? Lot of questions here folks. Not only that why was a MAYOR and no federal person or even a state person running the show. NO Speaker, No nothing, such a mayor. WHY?
No beep beep beep.We are under attack. We did not know but somebody did !

[crickets]

58. You know, I've heard only one 'public' person riff on that point

It was a comedienne, and she pointed out a glaring governmental error: Where was the Emergency Broadcast System that day?

Granted, it was originally intended as *snerkle* warning for nuclear attacks, but it should apply to a national emergency the likes of September 11th. Where was it? We practiced the drill by listening, just in case, right? I've heard that damned message all my life and wondered what good it was. I've worked at a radio station, and we plugged in the tape like clockwork. Why?

Obviously, the EBS is an annoying interruption that means absolutely nothing. It will get your attention and scare the hell out of you when a practice run interrupts Buffy twice on the day Ivan is due to hit... especially since it was the first time I'd heard the EBS interrupt a show in DECADES. Funny how I could have used a little "it's okay, we'll let you know if all hell is really about to break loose" from the EBS when Frances was HERE the week before, but whatever.

Yes, I think EBS should have kicked in on September 11th, but obviously the program consists of canned practice messages required by law and that's it, huzzah.

Everybody, sing! "Duck, and cover!"

:eyes:

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

7. Perhaps because Bush's popularity

has not been as low as it was on 9/10/01

:wow:

[nofurylike]

19. yup. yet. n/t

[UdoKier]

8. Why, because we murdered Iraq, of course!

The blood and entrails of our 1000+ dead soldiers form a mystical talisman that protects us from terror attacks in spite of Bush's not protecting the homeland and not looking for Al Qaeda.

Oh, and of course there is the protective power of Bush's enormous BALLS.

Or could it be that staging a 9-11-scale attack is HARD, there are many obstacles to doing so? The option of using planes is no longer available - the passengers would kill the hijackers.

I'm not surprised that there has been no attack. We were targets of Al Qaeda since at least 1990, and it took them until 9-11 to pull off 9-11.

[AIJ Alom]

9. Uhm Because 9/11 Happened on Bush's Watch.

1) The bastards couldn't do the same things during the millenium because Bill Clinton, with no department of Homeland Security, no post 9/11 bureaucracy actually read and understood the PDB's he got and stopped the millenium attacks designed to kill thousands in 2000 !!!!

2) Because instead of having to first go to South America and Mexico than sneak across the border as some of their colleagues are doing as we speak (thanks W) to kill Americans. They can do it right in their own backyards. Even better, they can blow up as many innocent Iraqis as they want and fault our soldiers.

Reminds me of Tom Kean commercials..."New Jersey and You, perfect together".... "W and Terror, pefect together."

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

33. Tell me more

I have to admit that I hadn't read much about that, but please tell us how the Clinton crew managed to stop the Millennium Bomber at the border. I was under the (probably mistaken) illusion that this plot was stopped simply by the alertness of a border guard -- without any intelligence warnings from up top. Please fill us in on what really went down. Thanks!

[AIJ Alom]

46. The Clinton Administration stopped the worldwide millenium plot....

By putting the United States, it's domestic security forces and it's citizens abroad on heightened alert. A devoted border guard may have caught Ressam, but a combined government effort caught the rest of the group leading up to and after Ressam's capture. The millenium plot was a world wide attack against Americans. I remember reading about it and following it even though I was at Rutgers and studying for exams.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/12/worldwide.caution.02/index.html
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says there are safety threats to U.S. travelers abroad which prompted an official worldwide warning.

"We believe that it is important for American travelers to be very vigilant when they are abroad and to get in touch with American embassies and consulates there and also to try to avoid large crowds," Albright said.

The department said the advisory was based on "credible information that terrorists are planning attacks specifically targeting American citizens during the period of time leading up to and through the beginning of the New Year and Ramadan events and celebrations."

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/12/worldwide.caution.01/index.html

Tenet: No doubt bin Laden planning attacks

Administration officials told CNN they thought the threat was credible and was primarily related to accused terrorist Osama bin Laden, whom they believe to have been behind the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa last year.

Another source said there were numerous specific threats, but that to issue a warning specific to those areas would "in a sense defeat the purpose of our intelligence network, and they are numerous, so it was decided it was most prudent for both safety and operational reasons to issue a worldwide warning."

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/13/terror.arrests/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials have revealed that about a dozen suspects were arrested by local authorities in the Middle East and accused of plotting to attack Christian targets in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the region over the Christmas and New Year's period.

Officials said Monday that all those arrested have been linked to the organization of Osama bin Laden, the accused terrorist mastermind of the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/15/terror.arrests/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials say at least 13 people linked to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden were arrested in Jordan last week in an alleged plot to stage year-end attacks on Americans visiting other countries.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/16/domestic.terrorism/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- While an expected 1.5 million people watch the ball drop in New York's Time Square and tens of thousands of other New Year's revelers join President Clinton for a concert on the Mall in Washington, law enforcement officers will be soberly keeping their eyes peeled for potential threats of terrorism during the millennium change.

"The big events occurring in Washington, the big events occurring in other cities -- London, New York, Paris -- could be magnets for somebody trying to act out," said Jerry Hauer, director of New York's Office of Emergency Management.

In the nation's capital, the FBI's Jim Rice is helping oversee security during New Year's celebrations.

"Whether it's bomb squads, hostage negotiation teams, civil disturbance units, emergency medical service units, fire departments -- you name it and it's going to be on standby or staged for an event like this," said Rice, a supervisory special agent on the D.C. Domestic Terrorism Task Force.



http://www.cnn.com/1999/WORLD/meast/12/17/jordan.terrorism.02/index.html

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- A senior U.S. official says Khalil al- Deek and other suspected terrorists were planning "several attacks" on Americans in Jordan over the New Year's holiday.

Al-Deek was arrested earlier this week in Peshawar, Pakistan. He was extradited to Jordan on Thursday.

The U.S. official said al-Deek is directly linked to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden. Authorities also said al-Deek is linked to terrorist threats that led to a travel warning issued to Americans last weekend.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/18/border.arrest.01/index.html

SEATTLE (CNN) -- A man who authorities said had bomb-making materials in his car as he crossed into the United States from Canada was charged with bringing an explosive into the United States.

The FBI, CIA and U.S. law enforcement agencies have launched a major criminal and intelligence investigation concerning Ahmed Ressam, a 32-year-old Algerian citizen, who remains in custody without bail pending arraignment on Wednesday.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/22/us.security.02/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials are trying to urge Americans to be "vigilant" about possible terrorist attacks -- without scaring them so much that they spend the holidays hiding under their beds.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/23/border.arrest.01/index.html

BURLINGTON, Vermont (CNN) -- Cell phone records link a woman arrested at the Vermont-Canadian border to an international terrorist group that is believed to be active in Europe and Algeria, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/24/us.security.01/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Millions of U.S. citizens will be traveling this Christmas weekend amid mounting concerns over possible terrorist activity.

http://www.cnn.com/1999/US/12/28/new.years.wrap.02/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As much of the nation continues with festive New Year's preparations, U.S. officials are taking last-minute precautions at home and abroad to try to prevent any terrorist activity.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/02/cia.terrorism/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. intelligence officials were surprised by the size and connections of international terrorist networks they discovered during the heightened alert just before the millennium celebrations.

"What we learned in the five or six weeks leading up to the New Year's celebrations," CIA Director George Tenet told Congress on Wednesday, is "that there is an infrastructure out there that is perhaps bigger than we anticipated."

As a result, he told the Senate Intelligence Committee, "we essentially have undertaken to systematically develop a strategic plan to attack this infrastructure, and I don't want to say more than that."

[KlatooBNikto]

10. Because Bush has hired OJ to search for Osama in the same places

where his wife's killers are hiding out.

[Mountainman]

11. I haven't heard of any wild elephant stampedes either.

I guess that magic charm dance I do to keep wild elephants away is working.

[theorist]

14. So far al Qaeda has been happy with the results of 9/11.

It would be silly to think that there aren't cells waiting for to be activated, right now. Al Qaeda knew that it would be harder to get its members into the US after 9/11/01, so they most likely tried to get as many in as possible.

I feel that UBL has called for his followers to stand down, thus increasing the chances that bush* gets reelected (by allowing the rw'ers to push the "America is safer" meme). By waiting until after 11/02 to begin active operations, the terrorist groups will have a greater influence on the actions of this country (but only if a bushie is at the helm).

[RobertSeattle]

15. No US attack in over 7 years under Clinton either!

It's a silly argument - if anything these guys are patient. Grudges in the Middle East go for centuries.

[ComerPerro]

59. and, when you point this out, mention how early it happened in Clinton's

Presidency. If it wasn't Bush's fault that we were attacked a full eight months after he took office, and after very specific warnings that he ignored, either through incompetence or sadistic necessity, then how could it be Clinton's fault that we were attacked in the Spring after he took office?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

16. Because they caught that terrorist commie devil-worshiper Cat Stevens?

:shrug:

[Hobarticus]

17. Targets are "softer" overseas....

There's been a slew of bombings worldwide, and none domestically, simply because security as we know it is lax or non-existent in other nations, especially those without the resources we have.

It's easier to plan ten bombings in Malaysia or such than to plan one in the States.

Al-Queda's busier than hell, don't fool yourselves.

[Kenneth ken]

18. my $.02

I read Imperial Hubris over the weekend; the author put in several excerpts from bin Laden speeches/statements and my conclusion based on those (not a conclusion the author made) is that:
a) 9/11 was a sort of symbolic attack to wake us up to our policies (I thought this on 9/11) - the WTC as a symbol of our culture of sucking all the resources out of nations of the world for our own benefit, combined with the Pentagon, as a symbol of our military backing of corrupt governments which allow us to exploit other nations' resources.

b) we have been given time to change our leadership in our national elections.

So, pre-9/11 attacks didn't succeed in sufficiently getting our attention and get us thinking about how we treat the world; 9/11 was a more emphatic means of getting our attention; now we have a chance to change leadership, and (hopefully) change policies.

My conclusion:
if Bush is declared the winner, by whatever means, we can expect more attacks beginning as soon as November 3 2004.
If Kerry is declared the winner, we may get a reprieve from attacks until, say summer 2005 to see if we will change our policies.

The policies we need to change are specific to Muslim countries for bin Laden's purposes. He doesn't want to take over the world, he just wants Muslims to control their own destiny for their own benefit.

He calls it a defensive jihad; meaning it is meant to free Muslim countries from the oppression imposed, primarily by the US. There have been other attacks, Spain for instance, to drive a wedge between the US and our allies, which leaves the US standing alone.

Additionally, invading Iraq makes it even more clear to MUslims that it is indeed the US who is trying to suppress or annhiliate the Muslim world. That helps bin Laden's cause as it supports his accusations, and draws more Muslims to the defense of Islam against the US.

[dogtag]

20. Because Atta and his nineteen comrades

were the only real 'hit' squad of that magnitude and they already blew their wad. And they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Osama bin Forgotten hasn't exactly been available to make any loans lately nor assist in any planning of massive attacks. (I have doubts as to how instrumental he was in 9/11, but do think he was active in funding) The Saudi/binLaden money has dried up. The attacks have primarily gone 'local' and not on a very grand scale.

I live very close to a huge 'target' and don't spend one minute of any day worrying about it. Frankly, I'm more concerned about disgruntled Bushites, come November.

[leesa]

55. Seven of those nineteen are alive and well you know

We have NO IDEA who did 9-11. It has never been investigated. The only "proof" was a fake video of someone who didn't even look like OBL "admitting" it.

You have been conned by your government.

[democraticinsurgent]

21. because shrubco almost got caught ordering 9/11

everyone is watching now. he couldn't get away with it twice.

[crissy71]

22. He'll try it again

Possibly before the election - in sitting here in NYC and feeling...gulp...a tad vulnerable

[Vickers]

23. Yeah, but the one he *did* let slip by was a DOOZY!!!

:crazy:

24. What about the knowledge of 911 that showed up at Halliburton after 08/06?

See:

[Disturbed]

29. "The Saudi/binLaden money has dried up.'

I don't feel that lack of money is the situation. Osama bin Laden has been reported to have $250 Million. It would not cost more than a few million, if that, to sponsor a few truck bomb or other sorts of incidents.

The reasons for no other attack are deeper than not being able to carry any out, in my view.

[prodigal_green]

25. the terrorists want Bush to win eom

[G_j]

51. agreed n/t

[napi21]

26. Because the terrorists have accomplished what they wanted!

Think about it. They've brought a high country to its knees. Millions of $$ is being spent because the country is afraid! They have everybody looking under their bed, in every corner, and suspecting everybody of trying to hurt them. The aim of a terrorist is to instil fear, and they sure did accomplish that, huh.

[GR]

27. Bush Hasn't Ordered Any More....

http://www.rense.com/general57/aale.htm

[RandomKoolzip]

30. I think the better question would be:

"No attack in US between 12/8/41 and 9/11/01. Why?"

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

35. Oh yea?

Tell that to the six people who died, and tens of thousands who were terrorized, on the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

[neuvocat]

31. The WTC was attacked before 911.

It just wasn't successful until Bush was in the White House.

[mzmolly]

32. It took 8 years to plan the first attack, and the Freeps should also be

aware that Clinton STOPPED NUMEROUS Terrorist attack plans on the US.

[kodi]

34. because its easier to kill americans in iraq?

.

[tinanator]

36. no need for them. yet.

IF there were a global/external terror threat, we would have had dozens of attacks since then. Anyone who thinks we have the situation handled is crazy, we are sitting ducks, but there is no there out there.

[Bullshot]

37. I see three reasons.

One, we have 140,000 of our citizens over there. Why travel overseas and kill Americans, when you have a substantial number of them in your back yard?

Another school of thought...the attacks on the WTC were more than eight years apart. It may take that long to conceive, check, and execute such elaborate acts of terrorism on U.S. soil.

The other school of thought...just plain dumb luck. We've avoided a terrorist attack on our soil DESPITE Bush.

[goodboy]

38. luck. eom

[Carla in Ca]

39. Because * only needed one for a reelection platform

n/t

[Pallas180]

56. not exactly, only one prior to invasion of each country is necessary.

[robertpaulsen]

40. Because they're waiting until it's closer to the election.

The PNAC, that is.

[agincourt]

41. Several reasons,

For one there has been a lot of info in regards to the Bush and the bin Laden family that has got out. One just has to look for it. If sleepers cells come in contact with this info, they would be less likely to do something because they would believe their leader is corrupt.
Another reason is how could they top 9-11? The attack was so successful, that to do a disco bombing would only draw hornets, and that would make a larger attack later on impossible.
Finally we have had a lot of foreign governments trying to dry up their funding and those monthly checks from Falwell and Pat Robertson just don't cut it.

[noiretextatique]

42. that's so typical of them...as if 911 was a picnic

it was the worst terrorist attack on US soil, to date...and it happened while W sat reading a story about a goat. given all their failures on that day, and days prior to that day, it's typically orwellian of them to claim their ineptitude actually made the US safer.

[jokerman93]

43. Because the war on terror

is nothing more than a bogus marketing scam for Bush's endless war.

The terrorists are real though, and we'll be hearing from them eventually if Bush has anything to say about it.

[fob]

44. So the fact that bush* was in charge from 1/20/01 to 9/10/01 has no

bearing on his job performance?

Remember all those Americans that were killed in the Millenium Bombing Plots across the country? That was a hideous time, wasn't it? You don't remember? That's right, IT DIDN'T FUCKING HAPPEN!! IT WAS THWARTED BY A COMPETENT GOVERNMENT!!!


(Note above rant is for Your use as rebuttal, not directed AT you)


Edit: Also, because bush* has taken over the mantle as lead terraist and is doing wuite nicely by their plan. Why waste a good holy war that your opponent started?

[LSK]

45. because its not often that they plan one....

Attack in 93

Attack in 01

Not exactly a large sample size. Not even a sample size...

[Andromeda]

47. Don't hold your breath,

it's not time yet. Bush has told the terrorists to hold off until right before the election.

[mountebank]

48. Because there are many fewer "terrorists" than we are led to think.

The number of people willing to come to the U.S. and die in order to kill Americans must be actually quite small, contrary to what we are made to believe. How hard would it be for 5 extremists to get assault weapons and kill 100 people at a mall? Why hasn't it happened? I have to believe it's because there just aren't that many people with the desire, money, and capacity to do it.

[Cleita]

49. Because they belatedly are half assed doing their jobs, which

they weren't doing before 9-11. There is speculation that if they had implemented the Hart-Rudman act that Bill Clinton had strongly recommended they do as a priority, there would have been no 9-11. If Gore had been sworn in as President instead of Dumbya, there would have been no 9-11 because he would have pushed to implement that act. Instead Condaleeza Rice was said to have filed it away unread. Too bad, there hasn't been a "deep throat" in this administration yet to give us the inside dope that we need, or at least an unbiased 9-11 commission to investigate what went wrong.

[HEyHEY]

50. I think there is SOME truth to certain foiled attacks

But the main thing is it probably takes them a long time to pull off big attacks

[LeftyLarry]

52. Bush hasn't needed another one

The media is drooling over him more then ever.

[Joanne98]

53. Bush hasn't given them to go ahead yet.

[leesa]

54. Because BushCo has not ordered one.

[justgamma]

57. Why should there be?

Shrub is doing a better job than Osama. More terror, less freedom and bringing finacial ruin to the states. Continuing American deaths in Iraq. Shrub is better at recruiting for OBL. All Osama has to do is sit back and cackle and save his millions. I think because of Shrub, he's got all he wanted and more.

[eridani]

60. Weren't any for quite a few years since 1993

When the WTC was attacked the first time. Homegrown McVeigh doesn't count. By that logic, expect something major in 2012.