Senior U.S. officials say intelligence "chatter" suggests terrorists plotting major US attack

CNN ^ | 5-20-03

[dogbyte12]

CNN flashing alert. More details to follow. Could be a drudge like siren, or series. CNN thinks this one is serious.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

The Indianapolis 500 is this Sunday. That means 300,000 Americans in the same place at the same time.

Plus two former Presidents -- my worry too.

There is a massive influx of cars into the infield for hours and hours before the race. I find it very hard to believe that any type of effective screening can be done, which means that just about ANYTHING -- chemicals, germs, ordinance, dirty bombs, even nukes -- could be transported right into the middle of the racetrack. They could even leave the car, walk out unnoticed, and then detonate by remote control.

The kicker: one of the first and largests mosques in the US is just a couple dozen miles away.

Then again, maybe everything will go just as it normally does without incident.

[Grampa Dave]

You are exactly right about this being a no win situation for the administration.

[oceanview]

I didn't post this earlier, but something was going on today with the air traffic patterns around NYC airports, especially JFK. Traveling for my job takes me past the standard flight routes for JFK, LAG and NWRK airports. This morning, from 8:30 - 9:15 AM, I saw no planes in the air during that time, none. The Concorde usually takes off right over me every morning, not today. I heard nothing on the radio about flight delays, finally saw a flight heading to Newark around 9:15. I knew something was up this AM, I didn't post for fear of the "tin foil" bashers, but something was up this morning here in NYC metro.

I am wondering if perhaps the "chatter" involves someone traveling into the NYC area, that why the flights were stalled and this fellow was "spotted" on the train into Penn Station. Any NYC metro freepers, please report what you are seeing today.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the info and stay safe!

[not-an-ostrich]

One very dangerous scenario of the Indy 500 is the number of people packed together in the infield.

[BagCamAddict]

If the terrorists really had something planned in the U.S., why would they tip their hand by first bombing places in Saudi Arabia?

Before Sept. 11, intelligence heard lots of "chatter" about pending terrorist attacks, but they assumed it meant in foreign countries, not in the US.

There is currently a ton of "chatter" (on the level of Sept. 11)... So if they do a few bombings in foreign countries, they are hoping the intelligence community will again assume that the chatter is about foreign locations. The terrorists are using those bombings as a diversion - so we will presume America is safe since the chatter was about foreign targets.

Think of it as a crook calling a bomb threat for three shopping centers... and while all the law enforcement in the world is heading towards those shopping centers, the crook goes and robs a bank on the other side of town.

[RepublicanHippy]

"CNN will say anything to get people to think Bush hasn't protected this nation."

CNN or no CNN, this nation is not protected as long as illegals and assorted terrorists are pouring over our borders. It's a joke to think that we are safe.

[RepublicanHippy]

FYI

[deedgirl]

That's a good start,we also need to round up all these racials in the US and ship them out, why are we such a marshmellow country let's do what needs to be done to keep our families safe.If Muslims are the treat get them the hell out of here!

[photogirl]

I just saw this on my homepage. I'm praying nothing happens, and this all blows over. If something does happen you-know-who is not going to get leave in July, or December for that matter. :(

[BagCamAddict]

It only took 8 informed terrorists to carry off September 11... a pilot and co-pilot. All the others could have been just ignorant muscle, told to show up at a certain place and time... and to stand in the aisles of the airplanes and pretend you're carrying a bomb.

So we could have Al Qaeda almost completely dismantled, except for 8 people...

Also, the Anthrax attacks haven't been solved. Where is the motherlode of that stockpile? And who is in control of it?

[oceanview]

ask Saddam, in Belarus.

[motor_racer]

The Indy 500 is an unlikely target. True, there will be at least a half million people there, but the place is MASSIVE, and it's outdoors. Not a concentrated target. Conventional explosives or chemicals would be relatively ineffective there, unless multiple simultaneous detonations were arranged. Panic would be the greatest danger in most attacks.

More likely targets are enclosed spaces, with confined air and limited exit routes.

[touhy]

I wonder if the border being closed for "mad cow disease" is an acurate explanation. Or is there more to this story?

[lawdude]

"I hope they take this hugh warning vey seriesly."

Spelling aside, terrorism is creating panic by doing some terrible act without warning.

What particular harm could befall palo Verde. Plane Crash? Hardly, A plane large enough to do any more than an owie to PV would be shot down before it could get close.

Hijacking a big plane? Damned near impossible.

Attack by hostile forces. Ya, sure.. I can just see 1000 hostiles coming from nowhere in the desert to attack the plant.

Now, of course, the key is unsuspected.

Perhaps the Al-Quaida can get millions of killer ants to sneak in and poison all the workers, thereby leaving it an easy pick.

Could Happen!

Flame suit on and secured!

[snooker]

ummmm decapitation works as well. Take out the mooo-laughs who preach this hate.

[potlatch]

Someone has probabily posted this, but early in the day, Fox News said that messages via the internet telling Muslims to leave certain cities, had been intercepted.
The cities were New York, Washington DC, and Boston! I have not watched the rest of the day, but now see people mentioning some other cities.
The frightening thing was the statement, 'leave the cities'!! If I lived there, I think I'd go out of town on the weekend.

[Dave S]

What I wonder is: Do all these announcements do any good by warding off terrorism (at the last moment)? or... Do they simply desensitize our nation to the very real threat of terrorism, vis a vis "Boy who cried wolf"?

They are not for YOUR benefit and they are not meant to ward off terrorism. They are for law enforcement. Unfortunately in a free and open country, as soon as the alert goes out to law enforcement, it immediately becomes public. For that reason, the government doesnt attempt to hide it. But again, they dont do it to scare you, its so law enforcement can make sure they have the resources they need available and so that additional steps are taken above and beyond what is done daily.

[Dave S]

If something major does go down, we can thank our splendid leaders, GOP and Democratic, at national, state and local levels, for being wonderfully politically correct and unoffensive to the terrorists in our midst and oh so helpful all these days.

How did you get that big chip you carry around on your shoulder?

[maestro]

UR#117

Someone has probabily posted this, but early in the day, Fox News said that messages via the internet telling Muslims to leave certain cities, had been intercepted. The cities were New York, Washington DC, and Boston! I have not watched the rest of the day, but now see people mentioning some other cities.

This may be a diversion,.....or,...the activation of 'those' cells.

The PRIME TARGET cities are/were New York, Washington DC, and Boston!

Not to forget, The White House,....and ANYWHERE in Texas!

I'd be watching trains, railroad yards, railroad/airline warehouses,...old (domestic and foreign) boxcars (classic stuff)....museums and historical sites.

Prayers!