chicago tribune blog says this:<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/10/nfl_dirtybomb_t.html" target="top"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>NFL dirty-bomb threat defused</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br><br>Originally posted: October 18, 2006<br>NFL dirty-bomb threat defused<br>Posted by Frank James at 4:20 pm CDT<br><br>So what are we to make of this news that the Homeland Security Department has shared with National Football League teams information about a web site threat to explode dirty bombs outside seven stadiums this weekend?<br><br>Not much, based on how quickly DHS is moving to play down the information. <br><br>William Knocke, DHS¡¦s press secretary, told me the threat was <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>¡§not credible. Matter of fact, it¡¦s a web site posting we view with strong skepticism. One, there¡¦s no credible intelligence and that¡¦s the consensus of the entire intelligence community as well as or law enforcement partners to suggest such attacks. Another reason why we view it with strong skepticism is the spectacular nature of the threat that was in this web site posting. The fact is there¡¦s simply no credible intelligence to support these claims.¡¨</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Knocke called the sharing of the information routine. Last year, DHS issued about 1,500 ¡§products¡¨ according to Knocke. Those would be alerts and other informational memos sent to state, local and private sector security officials. So the sharing of such information is very routine.<br><br>The timing of the alert however, less than three weeks before the mid-term elections, will be met with a lot of skepticism, especially by Bush Administration critics. <br><br>Just a few minutes ago on CNN, Paul Begala, the former Clinton White House aide who¡¦s a political analyst for the cable news channel said, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>¡§It is interesting these things always seem to spike right before an election.. A lot of people are going to be deeply skeptical.¡¨</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>I asked Knocke about the timing of the DHS alert given the level of cynicism that¡¦s out there as reflected by Begala's comment. In recent years, there've been allegations that the Bush administration has used threat information for political purposes and those suspicions obviously are very strong.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>¡§It¡¦s one thing for people to make those claims, those claims are certainly basis. But it would be another if the department took the opposite approach and the department chose not to share specific information. And then later that story gets out. That would be irresponsible on the part of the department.<br><br>We have a very clear mission. We have a very serious responsibility¡K Anytime there¡¦s specific information we¡¦re going to provide that to our state and local partners and private sector officials¡K¡¨</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>It does seem like this would be a lame approach to an October surprise. If the point were to raise voter fears and cause them to stampede to the polls to vote for Republicans, then why immediately pour cold water on the threat if you're DHS? <br><br>Anyway, when there¡¦s something based on real intelligence reporting or law-enforcement information, DHS usually sends out joint bulletins with the FBI that are often classified. <br><br>But this was considered so low on the credibility scale, that wasn¡¦t done. ¡§It went out even as an unclassified document. It¡¦s just simply relaying the specific information out there. It would be irresponsible for us to do anything other. <br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>¡§The department strongly recommends that the American public continues to go about their plans, to not alter their daily lives, to go to large public gatherings, go to football games¡K Absolutely, the public should go to football games, this weekend, and other weekends.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Below, is the text from a document about the ¡§threat¡¨ from the U.S. government¡¦s Open Source Center web site which is restricted to federal employees. <br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Terrorism: 'The Friend Society' Website Posting Claims 22 October 'Dirty' Bomb Plot Targeting Football Stadiums in Seven US Cities<br><br>On 16 October 2006, a posting on an English-language website located at
www.thefriendsociety.com said that "dirty" bombs, delivered in trucks, will be detonated outside stadiums at NFL games in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland, and Cleveland on 22 October. The content of the website, which requires registration to post, is sometimes crude and contains none of the hallmarks of jihadist websites.<br><br>The threat appeared as part of a thread entitled "New Attack on America Be Afraid" that included a rambling conversation on a variety of topics. The thread began on 18 September at 3:22 AM. when a participant called "ALEX" posted the following comment:<br><br>„h "
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/...iams091606.htm an interview w/ Abu Dawood, the newly appointed commander of the al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan Abu says: "He is an American and a friend of Muhammad Atta, who led 9/11 attacks five years ago. We call him "Jaffer al Tayyar" ["Jafer the Pilot"]; he is very brave and intelligent. Bush is aware that brother Adnan has smuggled deadly materials inside America from the Mexican border. Bush is silent about him, because he doesn't want to panic his people. Sheikh Osama bin Laden has completed his cycle of warnings." <br><br>On 12 October at 9:31 PM, a participant called "javness" posted comment #36 which contained the threat. The text of the posting follows:<br><br>„h "On Sunday, October 22nd, 2006, there will be seven 'dirty' explosive devices detonated in seven different U.S. cities; Miami, New York City, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland. The death toll will approach 100,000 from the initial blasts and countless other fatalities will later occur as result from radioactive fallout. The bombs themselves will be delivered via trucks. These trucks will pull up to stadiums hosting NFL games in each respective city. All stadiums to be targeted are open air arenas, excluding Atlanta's Georgia Dome, the only enclosed stadium to be hit. Due to the open air, the radiological fallout will destroy those not killed in the initial explosion. The explosions will be near simultaneous, with the cities specifically chosen in different time zones to allow for multiple attacks at the same time.<br><br>The 22nd of October will mark the final day of Ramadan as it would fall in Mecca. Al-Qaida will automatically be blamed for the attacks. 'Later, through Al-Jazeera, Osama bin Laden will issue a video message claiming responsibility for what he dubbed "America's Hiroshima."<br><br>In the aftermath civil wars will erupt across the world, both in the Middle East and within the United States. Global economies will screech to a halt. General chaos will rule." <br>The posting prompted the following comments. No subsequent comments were posted on this discussion string as of 1620 EDT on 16 October 2006.<br><br>„h On 12 October at 9:55 PM, "ALEX" posted comment #37: "did you make that up or is there like a source for that."<br><br>„h On 12 October at 10:47 PM, "radicum" posted comment #38: "Football arenas are an unlikely target. They seem to go for things that are strictly government / global capitalism related."<br><br>„h On 12 October at 11:01 PM, "radicum" posted comment #39: "and whose to say oakland blowing up isnt a good thing"<br><br>„h On 12 October at 11:17 PM, "Kim Possible" posted comment #40:[quote of "javness" quote #36, followed by the comment:] "This isn't something you should joke about, if you are srs about this may I see your sources Unless you're a psychic"<br><br>„h On 13 October at 2:09 PM, "javness" posted comment #41: [quote of "ALEX" quote #37, followed by the comment:] "you already know too much"<br><br>„h On 13 October at 7:14 PM, "Pseudonym" posted comment #42: "Yeah it better be a joke, I work near one of those stadiums."<br><br>„h On 13 October at 8:08 PM, "Moo the Magic Cow" posted comment #43<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :lol --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> cia watch list</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <br><br>in 2006 Mid-Term Elections, Homeland Security <br>------------------------------------------------------------ <p>___________________________________________<br>"Fascism finds root best in unreality, dysfunction and irresponsibility." - Me<br><br>"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act" -George Orwell<br><br>"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it - always." -Mahatma Gandhi</p><i></i>
by Rigorous Intuition » Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:07 pm 
