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Ridge: U.S. Must Assume al Qaeda in Country, Waiting to Strike
US Department of Defense ^ | Aug. 3, 2004 | Donna Miles, Air Forces Press Service

Posted on 08/03/2004 12:28:27 PM PDT by QQQQQ

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2004 — The United States must operate under the assumption that al Qaeda terrorists are already in the country, waiting to strike when they believe they can achieve success, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said today in New York City.

Ridge traveled to New York to meet with local and state politicians and financial executives following the Aug. 1 decision to raise the color-coded threat level to orange, or high, for parts of New York City, northern New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

Speaking afterward to reporters at the Citicorp headquarters, one of the financial-service sector buildings specifically named as targets, Ridge said the law enforcement community is keeping its eyes on people they believe are connected or sympathetic to the terrorists' cause.

But with more than 600 million people crossing U.S. borders every year, Ridge said, "we don't have the luxury of waiting to identify somebody coming across the border." Rather, he said, "we just have to accept for our planning and preparation the notion that they are here, they are looking to attack us, and we need to do everything we can every single day to try to detect, deter and prepare for it."

Ridge stressed that there's no way to gauge exactly when terrorists will attack. Intelligence reveals no specific attack plans, he said, but "shows plans to disrupt the democratic process throughout the election year." This could be interpreted as broadly as the election year or as narrowly as Election Day, he acknowledged.

"But we need to understand that we shouldn't be limiting ourselves or expanding ourselves to that timeframe," he said. "We know this is an organization that plans in advance and prepares in its patience. These are serious folks. And they are patient folks. There is a lot of resolve. … And when they are ready to move, they will move."

Ridge insisted that Americans have even more resolve to resist terrorism. "We are more serious, more patient, more highly motivated and more resolved," he said.

The secretary praised employees at the Citicorp headquarters for coming to work despite their concerns about security. "The terrorists wish to make Americans who live in freedom live in fear," he said. "And just by showing up at work, you have made a powerful statement that they will not succeed."

Ridge said many steps already taken by federal, state and local governments since Sept. 11, 2001, "have made it much more difficult for the terrorists to achieve their broad objectives." He pointed to extra layers of security, improved interagency cooperation and information sharing and measures to secure and protect the U.S. economy against terrorism.

He called on the American public to remain a part of this effort, "to do your part, to remain vigilant and ever-watchful for suspicious activity and behavior, and to report that activity."

The secretary called the intelligence that led Homeland Security officials to raise the threat level for specific areas "a solemn and serious reminder that we are a nation at war, and the terrorist enemies we face will not stop until we defeat them."

Ridge called the intelligence "the most significant, detailed pieces of information about any particular region that we have come across in a long, long time — perhaps ever."

"That's why we had to share this publicly," he said.

The secretary dismissed arguments that the information released was too dated to be relevant. Although some reports may be two or three years old, he said, the latest information was gathered in January.

Ridge also refuted claims that the release of the information was politically motivated. "We don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security," Ridge said. "This isn't about politics. It's about confidence in government telling you when they get information."

Releasing this type of information, he acknowledged, "is always a judgment call." But he said "the detail, sophistication and thoroughness" of the intelligence convinces him that the department took the right step in informing the public. "If you had access to it, you'd say we did the right thing," he said. "Government should let the public know about situations like this."

Ridge acknowledged that the information may cause some Americans to feel anxious and fearful, but urged them to "press on with resolve and perhaps a bit of defiance" toward terrorists.

He charged Americans "to say to our enemies: 'We know what you want to do, but we are not going to let you do it. We will not become "Fortress America." We're going to continue to lead our lives and keep moving forward and hold fast to our freedoms. Nothing will ever change that.'"


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaedamexico; jihadinamerica; muslims; orangealert5; tomridge
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I think he is right.
1 posted on 08/03/2004 12:28:27 PM PDT by QQQQQ
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To: QQQQQ
"The United States must operate under the assumption that al Qaeda terrorists are already in the country, waiting to strike when they believe they can achieve success, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said today in New York City.'

That isn't very encouraging. I would have hoped - three years after 9-11 - that by now we'd know who they are and where they are, that we would be well beyond the "assuming" stage.
2 posted on 08/03/2004 12:31:05 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Steve_Seattle

They are needles in a haystack. Very hard to find.


3 posted on 08/03/2004 12:33:37 PM PDT by QQQQQ
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To: Steve_Seattle

Well, I'd hope he is saying WE should "assume".....without saying "I know." I don't think they are going to come out and tell us or Al Quaida what they know....


4 posted on 08/03/2004 12:34:10 PM PDT by goodnesswins (FREEDOM is a terrible thing to waste.....and it AIN'T FREE!!!!!!)
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To: QQQQQ

Fridays they are at the mosque..... the rest of the week at the local strip club.


5 posted on 08/03/2004 12:34:53 PM PDT by Rummyfan
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To: QQQQQ
The United States must operate under the assumption that al Qaeda terrorists are already in the country, waiting to strike when they believe they can achieve success, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said today in New York City.

Is that based on three year old information, too?

6 posted on 08/03/2004 12:37:00 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Jefferson Davis - the first 'selected, not elected' president.)
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To: Steve_Seattle
That isn't very encouraging. I would have hoped - three years after 9-11 - that by now we'd know who they are and where they are, that we would be well beyond the "assuming" stage.

I suggest you read the 9/11 report for insights on why this is the case. Certainly, we know who some are and have already picked them up, others are being watched while others remain anonymous.

7 posted on 08/03/2004 12:39:09 PM PDT by fso301
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To: Steve_Seattle

Remember this about terrorist operations and sleeper cells:

WE have to be lucky every time. THEY have to be lucky only once. . .


8 posted on 08/03/2004 12:39:31 PM PDT by Salgak (don't mind me: the orbital mind control lasers are making me write this. . .)
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To: Steve_Seattle

"He called on the American public to remain a part of this effort, "to do your part, to remain vigilant and ever-watchful for suspicious activity and behavior, and to report that activity."


This is one of the important ways of discovering them. The intel services, police, etc. can't be everywhere.


9 posted on 08/03/2004 12:44:09 PM PDT by QQQQQ
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To: Non-Sequitur

SOME of the info may be 2-3 years old, but there have been new updates. It is also coming from many different sources and there is a lot of chatter.

Those who try to focus on the fact that SOME of the info was collected 2-3 years ago, are trying to discredit the Bush administration.

Whether you agree with them or not, they are NOT clowns, like Kerry and Edwards.

They are not raising the terror alert because they found someone's old notebooks.


10 posted on 08/03/2004 12:46:42 PM PDT by QQQQQ
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To: QQQQQ
I've got a little graphical comparison that might help many put the three-year-old intel into perspective at

http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/001474.html

Check it out if interested. There are worse things than too much security.
11 posted on 08/03/2004 12:47:13 PM PDT by murdocj (Murdoc Online - Everyone is entitled to my opinion (http://www.murdoconline.net))
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To: QQQQQ

12 posted on 08/03/2004 12:47:19 PM PDT by martin_fierro (Slipping into consciousness)
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To: QQQQQ

How many of them came in here under your watch, Tom?


13 posted on 08/03/2004 12:47:57 PM PDT by Digger
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To: QQQQQ

As I watched the skies clear of planes on 9/11 I assumed there were others who didn't carry out their attacks.


14 posted on 08/03/2004 12:53:46 PM PDT by cripplecreek (John kerry is unbalanced)
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To: QQQQQ; null and void; appalachian_dweller
The United States must operate under the assumption that al Qaeda terrorists are already in the country, waiting to strike

Well duuuuuuhh!! The borders are wide open and we continue to prosecute a PC "war" against terrorists in the US, so what the hell does he expect?

It's illegal to search multiple ME males since that is profiling and profiling is wrong. We allow ME males who are obviously casing flights to go free, even with expired VISAs. We call the police and report ME males taking pictures of NY bridges and refineries in Texas and the police yaaaawn.

Nothing to see here...move along.

15 posted on 08/03/2004 12:58:51 PM PDT by Indie (Ignorance of the truth is no excuse for stupidity.)
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To: fso301

I'm not claiming we should know where all of them [terrorists or terrorist suspects] are, but Ridge's comment made it sound like we don't have a clue where ANY of them are.


16 posted on 08/03/2004 12:59:32 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Steve_Seattle

"I would have hoped - three years after 9-11 - that by now we'd know who they are and where they are, that we would be well beyond the "assuming" stage."

One would think - however when the same allows thousands of illegals to pour over our borders everyday - kinda throws that theory out the window.


17 posted on 08/03/2004 1:01:49 PM PDT by RepublicanHippy
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To: QQQQQ

In recent years a lot of tobacco shops have opened up in the Seattle area that are owned by Middle Eastern men. There may be an innocent explanation for this, but if I were the FBI I'd be keeping an eye on them. Also, I went into a 7-11 recently, late at night, and the Black and/or Middle Eastern clerk was listening to what sounded like an angry rant in a foreign language on the radio. When he noticed that I was noticing, he turned off the radio.


18 posted on 08/03/2004 1:04:22 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: murdocj; Non-Sequitur

This is excellent. It certainly puts in in perspective.

I highly recomment to Non-Sequitur and everyone else, who would prefer to ignore "dated" intelligence, to go to your link and see for themselves.

http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/001474.html


19 posted on 08/03/2004 1:05:45 PM PDT by QQQQQ
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To: Steve_Seattle

What Ridge is saying, that we can't afford to assume there aren't any here.

We always MUST err on the side of caution, that is all, especially, when the stakes are so high.


20 posted on 08/03/2004 1:08:06 PM PDT by QQQQQ
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