Take a deep breath, say homeland officials

US News and World Report ^ | February 14, 2003 | Paul Bedard

[ewing]

Indications from government sources are that the already heightened Code Orange security alert Washington D.C. is operating under may be increased to 'Code Red' in the next 24 hours because of a heightened concern about a possible terror attack.

Whispers learns that lawmakers are being encouraged to send their families back to their home states.

Other government sources are freely talking about the increased security alert possbily coming as soon as Friday.

Also, Equipment that can detect chemical and biological weapons has been deployed in Washington.

And some government workers have been warned that if terrorism strikes, agencies might not be able to provide enough food water or clothing.

[cynicom]

Sending them is one thing, sending them because of inside information or fear, not shared with the public is a bit much.

[SJackson]

Fox News was running an announcement of Code Red at the bottom of the screen last night, though I saw no confirmation of it anywhere. Since it wasn't on FR, I figured it wasn't true.

Did anyone else see that?

[AmericanInTokyo]

This is bad both ways.

Either there is an attack as they predict, which will be BAAAD.

Or, there will be no attack, this was all hype and innuendo by disinforming islamists in custody, the American people will say "WTF!?", they will think Homeland Security called 'wolf', there will be scores of jokes on Leno/Letterman about the color codes, and then when the next national alert is announced, everyone will ignore it as groundless, and the terrorists could well sink one of their WMD's into action.

[ewing]

Why shopping malls and not the subway?

[Diana Rose]

Hey you all!

You think Hillary! will be staying in DC this weekend?

[RAT Patrol]

There is no way Bush would play politics with these security alerts. If he did they would never be believed again. Clinton would have done something like that, not Bush.

[ewing]

You mean FOX was running this same report last night, without the information about the Congresscritters heading for the hills?

[44magnum]

I live in the Fairfax area. My kids are scared to death. I'm getting tired of having to reassure them that they aren't going to be killed. This is BS. We shouldn't have to put up with this. We can thank the democRATS and their damn open door immigration policy. If something happens this weekend we need to demand that our government round up ALL muslims and confine them immediately. I don't give a crap if a small fraction of them are innocent. I want them OUT of my country! Islam is evil, PERIOD!!!!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Oh yeah, and the AP/ABC would never mislead, exaggerate, or misrepresent in order to make the administration look bad. Nope, no sirree, would never happen.

Don't be so gullible. The threat assessment wasn't based on a single piece of info.

[Samwise]

This confirms what Greg Garrison was saying on his show yesterday. His sources also told him that the intell was coming in so fast and furious that the Feds didn't know what to concentrate on. I tend to believe this. Of course, some of the intell has turned out to be false. Leave it to ABC to jump on the red herring. Anything that comes from them will be slanted.

[Diddle E. Squat]

see #49

[freebilly]

They should make the Washington press corps wear gas masks. Especially Helen Thomas.

You want her to survive...?

[ewing]

Extremist Wahabbi Islam is a murderous cult just like the Nazis -pure and simple.

[Samwise]

Especially Helen Thomas.

She'll have to take off her Halloween mask to get a good seal.

[arasina]

If you'll recall, they also evaced senior members of the House and Senate on Sept. 11th to that well-known hideout, the "undisclosed location". . .

Uh, excuse me, but they did that AFTER the WTC towers were hit. Sheesh. Kay Bailey Hutchinson said yesterday (saw on FNC) that they are taking extra precautions because the Capitol "hit" by the terrorists was considered a "miss" on 9/11/01. Remember the brave souls who stopped that attempt in a field in Pennsylvania? The terrorists wanted to kill our President and our government in Washington. They wanted to destroy our way of life, for heaven's sake. I certainly don't have a problem with our elected officials taking cover any more than I do the average citizen. Maybe some Americans would be happy to have no leadership, but I am not among them.

Also, the AP article states according to two senior law enforcement officials in Washington and New York and that makes me question the entire article. Please Name the suckers when you print this sort of stuff, ABC News and AP.

[isthisnickcool]

Why shopping malls and not the subway?

Can't say. But it seems to me that there are not a heck of a lot of subways that don't have some protection. Plus, there are not a heck of a lot of subways in the first place.

There are shopping malls all over and the standard protection for them seems to be some rent-a-cop in a golf cart.

[Fred Mertz]

dirtboy, don't tell me you believed the polygraph test failure BS, you should know better. That was to try to calm down the Amurican sheeple.

[YOMO]

I heard from a friend in D.C. who works with someone who's name you would recognize. He said to keep out of populated areas today and this weekend. Especially shopping malls. ...................
I heard from someone who knows somebody who lives next to you know who, in you know where working at an undisclosed location, etc. You realy don't have to panic until you see Teddy Kennedy stocking up on Scotch along with his Duct Tape.

[knak]

thanks, been looking for that name

[arasina]

They should make the Washington press corps wear gas masks. Especially Helen Thomas.

Those AROUND Helen Thomas have needed gas masks for years. :-)