Posted on 10/08/2004 10:50:48 AM PDT by FlyLow
In the midst of the networks leading this week with how Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction and how that undermines the Bush administration's case for the war, Thursday's World News Tonight on ABC gave time to Brian Ross to report how "law enforcement officials tell ABC News that someone described as a captured Iraqi insurgent had downloaded school floor plans...from elementary schools and high schools" in six U.S. states. Ross explained that "the discovery of the school layouts was made in July by the military but did not take on real urgency until after the September attack on the school children in Beslan." CBS's Dan Rather picked up the same story about a warning issued to schools, but held it to a brief item in which he managed to not mention how floor plans were found with the enemy in Iraq.
Rather read this short item on the October 7 CBS Evening News: "The U.S. Education Department is now advising schools across the nation to be aware of anyone who might be casing their buildings. The Department says this heads-up is based on lessons learned from the Russian school massacre. There is no specific terror threat against any U.S. school."
Thursday's NBC Nightly News didn't mention it at all.
Peter Jennings set up the World News Tonight piece, as taken down by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth: "Other news today, the Department of Education has sent a letter to educators across the country which may cause some concern about how they keep their children safe. The letter encourages the educators to learn from the tragedy at a school in Russia a few weeks ago by increasing security and being on the lookout for people who might be conducting surveillance. ABC's Brian Ross is with us tonight and has learned that in some cases they have learned that surveillance was done from someone in Baghdad."
Ross explained: "That's right, Peter. Six schools, schools in six states, in particular, are now being closely watched based on information uncovered by the U.S. military in Baghdad this summer. Law enforcement officials tell ABC News that someone described as a captured Iraqi insurgent had downloaded school floor plans, like these [video of floor plans on paper], from elementary schools and high schools in the six states. [National map] School officials in Fort Meyers, Florida, Salem, Oregon, Jones County, Georgia, two towns in New Jersey, one in Michigan, and two in California have been told to increase security in light of the discovery. And the superintendent of schools in Jones County, Georgia, sent this letter [shot of letter] to parents last week notifying them security was being increased during the election season. The superintendent said the information was not considered a threat. "Law enforcement officials said they had no easy explanation why an insurgent in Baghdad would be gathering such specific information about American schools, some of them in very small towns. The discovery of the school layouts was made in July by the military but did not take on real urgency until after the September attack on the school children in Beslan. Now, officials are hoping to increase awareness at schools without sending parents across the country, Peter, into a panic."
For the posted version of the Ross story: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/US/schools_threat_041007-1.html
For an extensive AP article on the topic, "CD in Iraq Said to Have U.S. Schools Info," go to: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/2004 1008/ap_on_re_us/schools_warnings
Hummmmmmm...aren't these all battleground states for the election?
I just posted to another thread on this topic that just last week, my local paper reported that the police were called to investigate a strange-looking person taking videotapes of a school bus.
Especially given the "polling place" aspect of schools.
Dan Rather? Haven't they fired him yet?
Tell me again how CBS and NBC are impartial media. Hiding this is definitely a pro-Kerry move, and it isn't as if its a minor detail that isn't newsworthy.
Selective reporting is getting a bit old.
BUT, BUT, BUT the war on Iraq is only a DIVERSON from terrorists? THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY BE CONNECTED TO TERRORISTS TRYING TO KILL AMERICANS? (Bush needs to HAMMER this home tonight!) Bush IS saving our children, our schools, our RIGHT and FREEDOM TO VOTE by PREEMPTIVE ACTION -
which two towns in New Jersey?
Not Georgia. We're solid Bush.
WHY IN THE HELL ISN'T PRESIDENT BUSH SHOUTING DOWN FROM THE ROOFTOPS ABOUT THIS??? C'MON ROVE...
How Dare Kerry put a price on the lives of our children...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1211046/posts
besides - the bad guys can better engineer a Bush defeat by attacking in iraq and afghanistan and helping DNC/JFng paint the war as a Bush bad decision. Just like the VC - they know everything about our election and are playing our MSM like a fiddle. (Or Ud).
I found out about Georgia being on the list this morning from another mom at my kids school. I knew about San Diego from Rodger Hedgecock on Rush's show yesterday. I was too interested in baseball to watch the news.
I still don't know where Jones County is in Georgia but I can tell you that if Fulton was on the list I'd be in a panic.
"Well, you's was raised right"!
Jones County is Gray, Georgia, next to Macon and the county adjoining me. We're not happy. I was on the phone with our sheriff (he's a friend, I didn't just grab the phone and call the sheriff) last night. That's Howard Sills, one of the three on the panel that removed Jackie Barrett.
Franklinville and Rumson
Here we are 30 some years later, and the same old crowd is doing the same thing. Undermining the efforts of our government to bring democracy to a region.
In the words of Yogi, "It's deja vue all over again".
And, you know, you need TRUCKLOADS of "helium" to fill all the balloons to celebrate opening those new schools.
Yeah. That's the ticket.
Wanna see this kewl hat I got in Cambodia?
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