"...just be orange about it", he continued.
That bears repeating. Pitiful, ain't it?
I trust Ridge and his ilk about as far as I can throw a lead-lined safe.
Posted on 09/10/2002 1:02:04 PM PDT by ppaul
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 — The government announced a heightened alert today against possible terror attacks timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Sept. 11 assault. Attorney General John Ashcroft said the latest alert, to a level higher than any declared before, was based on specific and credible information from a senior Qaeda operative who has been under interrogation. Mr. Ashcroft said President Bush had approved the change in alert status.
Mr. Bush latyer said, after a visit to Afghanistan's Embassy: "We take every threat seriously. The threats that we have heard recently remind us of the pattern of threats that we heard prior to Sept. 11."
The White House said that despite the heightened alert Mr. Bush's schedule for Wednesday, the anniversary of the attacks, had not been changed and that he would proceed with a speech at the Pentagon and a visit to the World Trade Center site.
Mr. Ashcroft said the new information, obtained "within the last 24 hours," indicated that the main threat was to United States interests overseas, including Southeast Asia and the Middle East. But there should be no complacency within American borders, they said.
As they have several times before, when earlier public warnings were followed by nothing out of the ordinary, officials tried to walk a tightrope, urging people to be vigilant but not to overreact.
The attorney general and Tom Ridge, the director of domestic security, said at a Justice Department news conference that Americans should go about their lives while taking "common sense precautionary measures," in Mr. Ridge's words.
"Continue to be America," Mr. Ridge said.
With its announcement today, the Bush administration raised the alert level from yellow to its second-highest, orange, meaning a "high risk" of attack. (Yellow is in the middle of the five-color code, while the highest level, red, signals a "severe risk.")
Mr. Ashcroft said recent intelligence indicated that Al Qaeda cells had been accumulating explosives since January, possibly for use in cars during suicide attacks.
Mr. Ashcroft said likely targets included United States military installations, embassies and national monuments — "symbols of American power and authority."
The government was temporarily closing about two dozen diplomatic posts worldwide. Officials cited specific threats against embassies in southeast Asia, including embassies in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Mr. Ashcroft said American interests having to do with transportation and energy might also be in danger because they are both essential and symbolic to the American way of life.
Nor is the only threat from spectacular attacks like those of a year ago that used hijacked airliners, the attorney general continued, emphasizing that the new intelligence also indicated danger from small-scale, "widely dispersed" and "unsophisticated strikes."
Although Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Ridge counseled the country to remain calm, several things were different about today's warning.
It was accompanied by more specifics than previous alert announcements. Mr. Ashcroft said the latest information had been fed into "an analytic structure."
When a reporter noted that previous warnings had not panned out, Mr. Ashcroft said, "We believe this to be credible information."
And even before Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Ridge made their announcement, Vice President Dick Cheney left the White House for a secure, undisclosed location, canceling a speech set for tonight.
Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Ridge said that in addition to the new, specific intelligence from the Qaeda operative, other suspicious communications traffic had been detected in a pattern "very consistent" with what happened just before last year's attacks.
The officials would not say where Al Qaeda operative was. CNN said he was believed to be in the custody of another country.
As if to reinforce their message of alertness without fear, Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Ridge emphasized that no anniversary events had been cancelled, and that there were no plans to do so.
"Each of us has the ability to increase the security that we need," Mr. Ashcroft said.
Link to articleHERE.
"Continue to be America," Mr. Ridge saidHuh?
Much to the chagrin of Sarah Brady and her ilk.
I will be flying the American Flag at half mast on my antenna.
I will be well armed with the Sword of the Spirit.
"...just be orange about it", he continued.
there, ppaul...does that clear it up?
*sigh*....here's hoping nothing happens.
"...just be orange about it", he continued.
That bears repeating. Pitiful, ain't it?
I trust Ridge and his ilk about as far as I can throw a lead-lined safe.
"Continue to be America," Mr. Ridge said.
Huh? LOL!
Ever looked at how our markets are teetering on another swoon? Looks like another ramp-up on Wall Street today, and with all the "orange" stuff being thrown around, mabye when tomorrow comes and goes, there will be the "relief rally" to get some more banks out of trouble with their hedge book.
Nothing gooses stocks like dodging a bullet that isn't there. Glad to hear that GWB is with the "program."
We now return you to your flouridated, non-metallic hat program already in progress...
The Nanny State needs a steady flow of new victums. Sarah and friends would be more than happy to supply them.
| DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER!! |
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