[Lady Heron]

Sometimes terrorist organizations use false tips as a "trace element" to test their communications security. This may just have been a test of agent reliablity etc on the part of AQ. If the "tipped" ship is searched, they know they have a leak and plug it, or go to alternate comms for the "real" act of terrorism involving a ship.

Don't we try to do this as quietly as possible, so that we can follow the organization back to the source. It seems we and other countries are being very noisy about this one ship for some reason. I think that it would look very strange if other countries gave this ship attention and we let it waltz in here without pulling out all the stops.

[Travis McGee]

Quietly? Sometimes, but many agencies are involved, and not all are good at "quietly." Plus, if a really ripping hot tip is involved that has high credibility, we'd pull out all the stops and quiet be damned. It's a intell war cat and mouse game.

[piasa]

Well, maybe if everyone is noisy about it, it will be that much more difficult for al Qaeda to figure out which of their operatives squealed.