Ridge to raise Terror Alert, news conf. 1:30 pm Eastern

Fox News-TV

[putupon]

announcement, nothing furthur

[hummingbird]

Someone posted something about Vegas and a cable channel getting tipped to an event. Does anyone know anything about this?

I think (I'm tired) someone said it was on that other thread...http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1013726/posts?page=1,50.

(I don't think I formatted that right..hope it works. Can anyone tell me how to post a direct link thingy?)

[FairOpinion]

I think the current threat is by far the highest probability since 9-11-01.

Here is some key info:

"In September, the government raised the bar for changing the threat level, saying it would only elevate the status if there was specific and credible information about an attack."

If they raised the bar, that means that now they do have strong specific information, maybe based on the old definition we would be at red alert.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/12/22/TERROR.TMP

[oceanview]

I agree, but also consider that the motivation of the enemy to pump false "chatter" into the intel stream is at its highest now given the recent successes for the US. so it cuts both ways. let's see what kind of stories surface over the next couple of days.

[cardinal4]

Thanks. The lefties here at work were accusing me of belonging to a "fake" news site, after I read aloud Justpipers post! One even went as far to suggest the elevation of the alert was political!

[hummingbird]

Forgot to mention that the world traveling TV correspondent in WRONG IS RIGHT is Sean Connery, which alone makes the movie worth the price of admission. He takes his toupee off at the end, too, which led to some gasps in the theater where I saw it. Remember, this was 1981-82...don't think he had gone public with the toupee yet. *g*

[hummingbird]

The lefties here at work were accusing me of belonging to a "fake" news site...

Ah, whadya gonna' do...they're lefties! Shower off and keep researching so you can help open their eyes! *g*

[relee]

If anyone is still awake, and sober, MSNBC has a live show on about it now - Scarborough Country.

[oceanview]

yes, they have steve emerson on. so far, mostly a rehash. let's see if someone talks about the Libya connection.

[hummingbird]

If anyone is still awake, and sober, MSNBC has a live show on about it now - Scarborough Country.

Thanks, relee...still awake, still sober - I'll check it out!

[Yaelle]

I only meant that if terrorists stand up and announce they've got a bomb and everyone should please stay in their seats, etc., it is NOT going to work on the post 9/11 American people. We will fight to the death not to give control of the planes to the highjackers. Nor would the pilots let anyone in the cockpit even upon threat of death to the passengers.

9/11 has changed us. Now we know that they intend to die in their acts of terror, so there is no reason to "obey" them. Previously, people fell in line with the terrorists because they only wanted to divert planes, not explode them with all aboard.

To get control of a plane would be very difficult now, IMHO, but perhaps blowing one up would not. Perhaps all that is left to the terrorists is to blow up a plane from within when over a city. I can't see how they would get control of passenger planes and actually get to fly them into buildings. I repeat that I think it cannot be done today.

[Yaelle]

Wouldn't code red be once an attack had started? Or if for some reason someone got ahold of proof that something was about to happen in a couple minutes/hours?

[oceanview]

the terrorists know all this stuff too. that's why you see them moving onto cargo planes, other forms of weapons that they can sneak onto planes, etc.

I would say this (I might get flamed for this, but so be it), if sometime in the next week, cargo planes are hijacked and flown into buildings here in the US, given that warnings and information on this exact type of attack has been available and well known for a long time, it will be a clear signal that behind the scenes, not alot is being done with regards to effective homeland security. we better be ready to react to any cargo planes that stray off course on FAA radar.

[Semper Paratus]

Wouldn't code red be once an attack had started?

Code red would trigger a nationwide shutdown of ports airports, most transportation, meaning a terrorist attack was in motion.

[Dont Mention the War]

Wouldn't code red be once an attack had started? Or if for some reason someone got ahold of proof that something was about to happen in a couple minutes/hours?

I would say the alloted time from would be a bit longer, allowing for attacks that appear imminent within days, not just minutes or hours, but you've got the gist as far as I can tell. They do appear, though, to intentionally keep the criteria for each threat level somewhat open-ended. Here's the official line:

4. High Condition (Orange). A High Condition is declared when there is a high risk of terrorist attacks. In addition to the Protective Measures taken in the previous Threat Conditions, Federal departments and agencies should consider the following general measures in addition to the agency-specific Protective Measures that they will develop and implement:

• Coordinating necessary security efforts with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies or any National Guard or other appropriate armed forces organizations;
• Taking additional precautions at public events and possibly considering alternative venues or even cancellation;
• Preparing to execute contingency procedures, such as moving to an alternate site or dispersing their workforce; and
• Restricting threatened facility access to essential personnel only.

5. Severe Condition (Red). A Severe Condition reflects a severe risk of terrorist attacks. Under most circumstances, the Protective Measures for a Severe Condition are not intended to be sustained for substantial periods of time. In addition to the Protective Measures in the previous Threat Conditions, Federal departments and agencies also should consider the following general measures in addition to the agency-specific Protective Measures that they will develop and implement:

• Increasing or redirecting personnel to address critical emergency needs;
• Assigning emergency response personnel and pre-positioning and mobilizing specially trained teams or resources;
• Monitoring, redirecting, or constraining transportation systems; and
• Closing public and government facilities.

As you can see, the color code system is set up more as a directive as to what various government agencies and those working in industries that would serve as potential targets should do at each level, than as a guide for the public. Here's a sentence from the original March 2002 announcement of the color codes:

The assignment of a Threat Condition shall prompt the implementation of an appropriate set of Protective Measures. Protective Measures are the specific steps an organization shall take to reduce its vulnerability or increase its ability to respond during a period of heightened alert.

So in the end, every color can be whatever the DHS decides it is.

[Dont Mention the War]

Also from that March 2002 document:

A decision on which Threat Condition to assign shall integrate a variety of considerations. This integration will rely on qualitative assessment, not quantitative calculation. Higher Threat Conditions indicate greater risk of a terrorist act, with risk including both probability and gravity. Despite best efforts, there can be no guarantee that, at any given Threat Condition, a terrorist attack will not occur. An initial and important factor is the quality of the threat information itself. The evaluation of this threat information shall include, but not be limited to, the following factors:

1. To what degree is the threat information credible?
2. To what degree is the threat information corroborated?
3. To what degree is the threat specific and/or imminent?
4. How grave are the potential consequences of the threat?

(Emphasis mine.)

[oceanperch]

Amen

[GOPJ]

What "chilling observation about Libya" are you referring to?

[Capitalist Eric]

They've made so much of these stupid "terror alerts" on so many occasions, that they've basically lost what little credibility they had with me...

The Islam-fascists are constantly trying to find some new means of attack- after all, they're true-blue believers in their pathetic cause (just like liberals), so they never tire of this...

I think this should fall under an alert called

Just YAWN...

[Yup!!]

Where did you get this info?? I live in Vegas and would like to know.

[cajungirl]

Thanks to everyone for kind words. I do understand gallows humor and think it is valuable. What I object to is the refusal to see that others aren't amused at times and the disrespect for all govt agencies, etc, cops, and the just cynicism.