Thanks for clearing up the confusion. Didn't realize there were two separate incidents.
Sure looks to me like some 'testing' is going on.
I would tend to agree that these are "tests". Perhaps, (at least in CA and OK) they are witnessing what our response will be.
Yes. They are playing little games with us, and they are also watching what the response is and how these events are handled, by both the authorities and the media.
That's why I don't believe the NYC subway threat was a hoax. Perhaps no actual attack was planned... but it served as an excellent opportunity to see how authorities responded and mobilized.
If the attack was planned after all, our response averted it, and now the informant is claiming hoax to save face.
Of course, there's yet another possibility. Now that everyone thinks it was a hoax, the attack could be carried out as soon as people are no longer vigilant. With Saddam's trial coming up, I don't think anyone should breathe easy just yet.