zimv20
Jul 8, 2004, 03:08 PM
link (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&e=1&u=/nm/20040708/ts_nm/security_ridge_dc)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Thursday warned Americans that al Qaeda may try to carry out "a large-scale attack" to disrupt upcoming elections, but offered no details and had no plans to raise the terror threat level.
"Since September 11th, 2001, we have had intelligence that al Qaeda intends to launch more attacks against the homeland," he said.
"Credible reporting now indicates that al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process."
But he said authorities had no specific intelligence about whether al Qaeda was targeting either the Democratic convention later this month in Boston or the Republican convention in New York at the end of August.
The terror alert level will stay at elevated, or yellow -- the third of five levels on the color-coded scale.
i find the timing curious. the day after the Edwards as VP annoucement, news of the Lay indictment was leaked. the next day, Ridge issues another terror warning, but w/ no new information and no change of the alert level.
seems others are wondering the same thing...
When asked about the timing of his announcement -- in a week Democrats have captured attention with announcement of presidential candidate John Kerry's running mate and as the campaign begins to heat up before the Nov. 2 election -- Ridge denied any political motivation.
"We are basically laying out before the general public the kind of information that we've received," he said. "And it's not us -- these are not conjectures or mythical statements we are making. These are pieces of information that we could trace comfortably to sources that we deem to be credible."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Thursday warned Americans that al Qaeda may try to carry out "a large-scale attack" to disrupt upcoming elections, but offered no details and had no plans to raise the terror threat level.
"Since September 11th, 2001, we have had intelligence that al Qaeda intends to launch more attacks against the homeland," he said.
"Credible reporting now indicates that al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process."
But he said authorities had no specific intelligence about whether al Qaeda was targeting either the Democratic convention later this month in Boston or the Republican convention in New York at the end of August.
The terror alert level will stay at elevated, or yellow -- the third of five levels on the color-coded scale.
i find the timing curious. the day after the Edwards as VP annoucement, news of the Lay indictment was leaked. the next day, Ridge issues another terror warning, but w/ no new information and no change of the alert level.
seems others are wondering the same thing...
When asked about the timing of his announcement -- in a week Democrats have captured attention with announcement of presidential candidate John Kerry's running mate and as the campaign begins to heat up before the Nov. 2 election -- Ridge denied any political motivation.
"We are basically laying out before the general public the kind of information that we've received," he said. "And it's not us -- these are not conjectures or mythical statements we are making. These are pieces of information that we could trace comfortably to sources that we deem to be credible."
