Officials: Financial targets face no immediate threat

[Khephra]

By Kevin Johnson and Mimi Hall, USA TODAY

Posted 8/3/2004 4:38 PM Updated 8/3/2004 4:47 PM

WASHINGTON — The major U.S. financial institutions identified in a recently disclosed al-Qaeda surveillance operation are not believed to be at imminent risk of attack, two federal law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation said Tuesday.

Although U.S. authorities continue to analyze a raft of detailed information outlining terrorist reconnaissance work at five financial centers in New York, Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C., the material does not point to an existing plan of attack, said the law enforcement officials, who asked not to be identified because the matter remains under investigation.

The comments come as authorities in New York, New Jersey and Washington are intensifying security measures and restricting traffic in response to the warnings.

The alerts also have touched off an election-year debate over the handling of sensitive threat information.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-08-03-ridge-usat_x.htm

[ewagner]

1. "No Immediate threat"!!!?????

Then wtf is all this raise the terror level crap about?????

BTW: Where is Mueller (FBI Director) in all of this? Why hasn't he added his two cents worth?

I swear, these guys are so crooked they have to screw their socks on.

[wildeyed]

10. 'screw their socks on'

heehee. I had never heard that before.

[displacedtexan]

2. Oh, Never Mind!

What a crock!

[kskiska]

3. Well, if they sent Laura Bush & the twins

to NYC, and they're re-opening the Statue of Liberty, I would guess there's not much to worry about.

[Princess Turandot]

9. I was amazed that they thought that would be viewed

as a sign of confidence in our anti-terrorism tactics, sending the collective Ms. Bushes to the NY Stock Exchange a day after the warning. Any logical person would assume there was no danger at all,
especially from an administration that scatters to a zillion 'undisclosed locations' whenever they are actually afraid.

[Rose Siding]

4. Do you think these two "unidentified" officials are whistle blowers?

It's hard to tell from the writing if these were sanctioned remarks or if these two have gone out on a limb.

[Jacobin]

5. Oh?

Then shouldn't Ridge resign RIGHT NOW for incompetence and freaking out gullible Murkins for no reason at all and playing politics with security?

:mad:

[TrogL]

6. So what page will this appear on?

The alerts were front-page news. This will probably end up in the real estate section.

[Triana]

7. Talk about yer fuggin flip-flopping...

...this sh*t is rediculousanus, innit?

[DoktorGreg]

8. Bwhahahaha!!!!

Im sorry, I know people are still in shock and all, but this is just so funny.

[saigon68]

12. THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

[davekriss]

11. Rovian Objective Accomplished...

...which was to knock Kerry-Edwards off the front pages. It worked. Pathetic the way the American people allow themselves to be so thoroughly played.

(No different than the old news about Sandy Berger which was released to knock the release of the 9-11 commission findings, tame as they were, off the front page. An interesting exposition on how the Rovian Wurlitzer is played can be found here: Put a sock in it.)

Those of us that express confidence that Kerry will win forget how corrupt and thoroughly immoral the current regime is. There's o so very much fun to come.

(I'm sick to my stomach already, and it's only August!)

[natrat]

13. these criminals must

rank up there with the most crooked politicians ever. And these sheeple must rank up there with the softest and easily misled ever. Wake up America, please . Just open one eye. You can do it.

[w4rma]

14. Its not regular American People who control big media. (nt)

[davekriss]

15. Agreed

It's the board rooms of AOL/Time Warner, Disney, General Electric, News Corporation, Viacom, and Vivendi Universal. Throw in the rabid Sinclair Communications or Clear Channel to round things out. They, their board rooms, frame the permissible agenda -- and thus rarely a progressive meme gets heard.

My remarks were not a dis at us, the American people, but at the truly tragic circumstances we've seen birthed twenty+ years ago and reach dizzying heights with the coup of December 12 2000. And its only gotten worse.

I do not think power siezed so ruthlessly will be easily relinquished. Thus "more fun to come".

Or to put it another way, there's that Confuscian curse, "may you live in interesting times!" Unfortunately, we do; all too interesting times indeed!

The illusion of freedom in America will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way, and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theatre.
--Frank Zappa

I think we watched the curtains drawn back over the last few years and we'll see the brick wall this fall. Be ready.

[struggle4progress]

16. kick for fright-mongers

:kick:

[AndyTiedye]

17. Mission Accomplished - Nobody's Talking About The Convention Anymore

Kerry's great acceptance speech -- ALL the great speeches at the Democratic Convention
have been forgotten
lost down the memory hole.