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Home Front: WoT
Al Qaeda May Already Be in U.S., Security Officials Warn
2006-01-21
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said police chiefs have been told to review all the intelligence the federal government has given them in the last two years about al Qaeda tactics. Chertoff told ABC News: "We've seen them attack in London, for example. We've seen them attack in Spain. We've seen them attack elsewhere, so I think we have to operate on the assumption that they do have some capability and they certainly have the intent."
Good golly, Mike, ya really think so?
The police chiefs in the nation's two largest cities say they are most worried about commuter trains and airports. "Close to 50 percent of terrorist attacks in the last 15 years have been directed at transportation facilities," New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told ABC News in an exclusive interview. "So, we have to and we are paying additional attention to our transportation system."
TWO masters of the obvious!
Referring to LAX, Los Angeles Police Commissioner William Bratton said, "This airport remains probably the most significant target within the city of Los Angeles."

But police officials say they are not ramping up security across the board because there is no specific intelligence about an al Qaeda plot. "I think you have to react to specific information, to specifics of a threat," said Kelly. "There's no specific information in this message."

Chertoff insisted that the country has made security upgrades since the attacks of 9/11. He admitted though that a number of vulnerabilities remain. "Things we're focused on now very seriously are chemical plants — we're working with Congress on legislation there — rail security, something which I think we want to make sure we make some progress on in the near future," he said.

The FBI is now reviewing all its leads, trying to make sure no clues have been missed.
Bloodhounds, bring in bloodhounds. Sheesh.
Posted by:Steve White

#9  Old Patriot defence doesn't work against terrorism. Only prevention --- killing the terrs on their native soil.
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-01-21 19:53  

#8  OP, I'm sure your training helps, but I'll bet I could figure out 75% of those just by visiting AAA and getting the Colorado Springs city map. They only need 1 in the top 25 metro Areas on the same morning to create some real chaos.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-01-21 14:52  

#7  One of the things the Air Force taught me to do was to identify choke points and targets of opportunity. I don't think Al-Qaida has had that same kind of training, for which I'm extremely grateful. I can look around me at Colorado Springs, and see hundreds of places where a bomb of the right size would cause millions of dollars' damage and tens of millions lost to delays and re-routing.

We haven't had to fight a war on our own soil in a long, long time. We've forgotten how very vulnerable we could be. I doubt seriously that "homeland security" forces look at the US in that perspective. We need to reinstate the old Civil Defense Corps, update the training significantly, and use the American people as a whole for internal defense. We also need to significantly increase border security along ALL our borders, reinstate the Patriot Act, and let NSA continue to listen carefully for that "certain ring". I'd also push hard for a national militia with local units and local control under a national umbrella.

This is a huge country, and needs all the open eyes it can get to protect it.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2006-01-21 14:43  

#6  THE MEXICAN BORDER???????

in related news:

20, 2006 – The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (“MCDC”) announced the release today of video footage of an incursion by a unit of the Mexican army across the U.S. border in Arizona

Link
Posted by: RD   2006-01-21 13:33  

#5  *disagree* Crap!
Posted by: The Angry Fliegerabwehrkanonen   2006-01-21 11:04  

#4  #1 He admitted though that a number of vulnerabilities remain.

You mean like THE MEXICAN BORDER???????
Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2006-01-21 02:14
___________________

Hey Bomba-Osama's-Ass: I love your posts buddy, but I have to disagre here. The real danger comes from our America-hating Leftist pals north of the border, Canada.

Read Richard Miniter's superb book, Disinformation. He argues we've been worrying too much about the wrong "broken border."
Posted by: The Accurate Fliegerabwehrkanonen   2006-01-21 11:03  

#3  Remember all those non-traceable cell phones purchased after the treasonous release of intel collecting by the NYTs? Yeah, I suspect there are still cells out there. Needing those cells and to do it in large numbers and so quickly means there's something afoot. I just hope we have a good size contingent of torte lawyers standing by to sue the NYT out of existence by the families of those killed in the attack which would have been thwarted had the NSA operation not been exposed.
The First Amendment only protects your right to print, but does not protect you from suits brought by those harmed by your willfull action.
Posted by: Oming Sponter6302   2006-01-21 09:32  

#2  Or the US-Canada border which is marked by nothing but a ditch in some places.

Posted by: CaziFarkus   2006-01-21 02:59  

#1  He admitted though that a number of vulnerabilities remain.

You mean like THE MEXICAN BORDER???????
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2006-01-21 02:14  

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