Posted on 03/01/2002 6:04:09 AM PST by blam
Shadow Government Ordered After Attacks, Post Says
Fri Mar 1, 1:42 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has set up a "shadow government" to ensure that the government would continue to operate in the event of catastrophic attack on the U.S. capital, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
The newspaper said in the first hours after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush deployed a "shadow government" of about 100 senior civilian managers to live and work outside Washington, in the first-ever activation of a classified "Continuity of Operations Plan."
The report cited three officials with first-hand knowledge of the operation as saying the Cold War era plan was enacted because of heightened fears that the al Qaeda network might somehow obtain a portable nuclear weapon.
The Post said U.S. intelligence has no specific knowledge of such a weapon, but officials thought the risk was great enough to justify the expense and deployment of a shadow government.
One participant told the newspaper that the first deployment came "on the fly" in the first hours of turmoil on Sept. 11 and that the plan has evolved into an indefinite precaution.
Under the plan, high-ranking government officials representing various departments have begun rotating in and out of the assignment at one of two fortified locations along the East Coast, the Post said.
A senior official involved in managing the program said the civilian force present in the underground bunkers usually numbers 70 to 150, and "fluctuates based on intelligence" about terrorist threats.
In the event of an attack, the underground government would try to contain disruptions of the nation's food and water supplies, transportation links, energy and telecommunications networks, public health and civil order, the report said.
The Washington Post said it agreed to a White House request not to name any of those deployed or identify the two principal locations of the shadow government.
100 or so, depending on hiow smart they are.
...usually numbers 70 to 150, and "fluctuates based on intelligence"
{;-)
GREAT question!!
Why not just use those already elected ? Each Governor is responsible for his state until they get their act back together?
But, but, but...if they did that, then we'd have responsible state governments that only used the FedGov as a meeting place and cosolidating point, just like the Constitution wanted, and we can't have that now! Much better to have a small handfull of unelected bureaucrats dictating to us from some underground hideout guarded by men with machine guns to keep "we the people" out, right? That's the "American Way!(tm)", right?
Hey! You're either with us or with the terrorists, buddy!
Well, as conspiracy theories go, at least this one has an interesting theme. [Insert sinister music here.]
That's U effin N, don't forget.
...usually numbers 70 to 150, and "fluctuates based on intelligence"
Ok, I'll splurge and say 150. Can we still fire the other millions of FedGov employees now? See, I can compromise!
Did you forget about all of the "Where's Cheney?" articles already?
Is it just me, or does anyone else just think this means they've suggested the entire East Coast as a target?
And how. Sounds like good sense to me!
hiow smart? Good grief! Open mouth, insert foot!
Dude, don't forget. A truly Constitutional government can be run by a 0 IQ IRC-bot. So even if these droolers had only 70 IQ's each, that's far more than enough to run a Constitutional Government.
Let's see. Being prepared for attack is a bad thing if done by a Republican administration. The lefties and the media are desperate for some issue any issue to diminish Bush. Weak very very weak.
So being prepared can only mean setting up a cabal of unelected officials who will dictate from the bunkers guarded against you and I?
It couldn't possibly mean that we allow states autonomy and try to ferry away most of our *elected officials* to try to maintain a Constitutional FedGov, right? No, much better to set up an oligarchy dictatorship. That's being prepared, right?
Weak, very, very weak.
He wasn't being stupid. He was being treasonous.
The U.S. stands in the way of total U.N. control.
For those of you familiar with the Book of Revelations, does the word "restrainer" ring a bell?
"When the restrainer is taken out of the way" ring another bell?
Does the rise of a world leader because of it ring a bell?
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