Terror threat source called into question

[zimv20]

link (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5087301/)


Ashcroft cites al-Qaida plan, but how credible
is the information?
By Lisa Myers
Senior investigative correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 6:57 p.m.*ET May*28, 2004

WASHINGTON - Earlier this week Attorney General John Ashcroft warned of an attack planned on America for sometime in the coming months. That may happen, but NBC News has learned one of Ashcroft’s sources is highly suspect.

In warning Americans to brace for a possible attack, Ashcroft cited what he called “credible intelligence from multiple sources,” saying that “just after New Year's, al-Qaida announced openly that preparations for an attack on the United States were 70 percent complete.… After the March 11 attack in Madrid, Spain, an al-Qaida spokesman announced that 90 percent of the arrangements for an attack in the United States were complete.”

But terrorism experts tell NBC News there's no evidence a credible al-Qaida spokesman ever said that, and the claims actually were made by a largely discredited group, Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, known for putting propaganda on the Internet.

“This particular group is not really taken seriously by Western intelligence,” said terrorism expert M.J. Gohel of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, an international policy assessment group. “It does not appear to have any real field operational capability. But it is certainly part of the global jihad movement — part of its propaganda wing, if you like. It likes to weave a web of lies; it likes to put out disinformation so that the truth is deeply buried. So it is a dangerous group in that sense, but it is not taken seriously in terms of its operational capability.”

The group has claimed responsibility for the power blackout in the Northeast last year, a power outage in London and the Madrid bombing. None of the claims was found to be credible.


A senior U.S. intelligence official previously told NBC News that this group has no known operational capability and may be no more than one man with a fax machine.


Senior intelligence and homeland security officials tell NBC News they were surprised by Ashcroft's claims and know of no credible intelligence that al-Qaida is 90 percent ready to attack.

a little wagging the dog, perhaps?

[mactastic]

Perhaps that's why, despite being '90%' sure of an attack in the works, they declined to actually raise the terror threat level, yet when the wind changed direction during the run-up to Dubya Dubya II the terror threat went up and down like a Vegas hooker.

[skunk]

up and down like a Vegas hooker.
Charming turn of phrase! :)

[blackfox]

I have my duct-tape ready...plus I remember that hiding under my kitchen table will protect me from any nuclear attack...so bring it on, if that is Gods' will...

[Neserk]

On the one hand the idea of a domestic attack this summer scares the hell out of me to the point of nightmares. :rolleyes: I think I'm too old to be having nightmares, but that is another matter.

On the other hand I can't help but wonder if it is a way of pushing people into voting for Bush since his numbers got so high when it came time to go to Iraq to fight terrorism that was based in Afghanistan.

[IJ Reilly]

Did anyone notice that Tom Ridge had no part in this announcement? The DHC didn't raise the terror threat level, either.

[Desertrat]

I grant the problem of the crying "Wolf!" aspect. Trouble is, if something does happen, and nobody had said nuttin' about whatever info was had, there'd be a big hue and cry about the absence of a warning.

Seems to me there's a lot of "Damned if you do, damned if you don't." in all this.

'Rat

[zimv20]

Did anyone notice that Tom Ridge had no part in this announcement? The DHC didn't raise the terror threat level, either.
oh yeah, and peter jennings was pretty quick to point that out. though you'll notice, shortly thereafter, ridge went on record saying there continued to be close cooperation between the Dept. of Home. Def. and the Justice dept.

he didn't say it w/ a lot of conviction, i noticed.

[zimv20]

just saw this....


The F.B.I. issued an urgent bulletin to several cities on Friday that warned of the prospect of an imminent terrorist attack but retracted the alert hours later, after the intelligence proved unfounded, officials said.


i'm not sure if it's the same thing ashcroft was on about earlier this week or not...

link (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/29/politics/29terror.html)

[mactastic]

'Rat, of course this is a CYA manuver. This way no one can accuse the Bush administration of not warning us if there is a terror attack between now and November, nor of too much paranoia leading up to an election. Not that the opposition wouldn't try anyway, but this is an insurance policy for the administration. It's just another reason those stupid alert colors should be stopped.