Terror Alert Elevated- Page 2

[shesings]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:40pm

There are specific building listed as potential targets. And 3/4 of NYC is not the financial center. There are very few areas that would actually count. I think the "financial district" does qualify however. If you don't live down here I would get all stressed out about it. And its not crap by any means. There probably won't be an attack, hopefully not, but atleast we're getting on top of this stuff now, instead of ignoring threats leading to real disasters like with 9/11. I do think that sometimes the heightened terror level is just a tactic to scare people (convienient how the democratic convention just ended!) but still it's nice to know people are keeping their eyes open.

[shesings]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:41pm

Go to cnn.com - its the top story - and it also names specific buildings. I'm not always on the same page as papa, but he's right in this case. Updated On: 8/1/04 at 06:41 PM

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:41pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/01/politics/01CND-THRE.html?hp

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0471.xml

a lot of the specifics, i've been getting from the tv interviews, which will hit papers as things go on. as usual, the best article about it comes from the la times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-080104terror_wr,1,2289457.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:43pm

It was the inclusion of the Prudential Center in downtown Newark, NJ (not New York) that made this seem different to me. Hardly a place that just randomly comes to mind.

[Zola Q. LaPlaya]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:47pm

Jeeeeeez, shesings, quaalude time, baby. Take it down.

Thanks Pops and Flits; sounds bad.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:48pm

Now I'm getting a little scared. I just had a nauseating nightmare last week about the WTC. It was weird how specific it was.

[shesings]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:49pm

zola .. take it down? I'm not upset or anything. I don't think all of Manhattan counts as financial centers and I don't want people to be freaking out unnecesarily. And as for the other stuff ... just an opinion.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:51pm

I'm not sure what they want the public's reaction to this to be. I would think if they felt it dangerous enough, they would close the institutions - and if it wasn't, they wouldn't want all this detail to be leaked for security reasons. It seems as if the public - especially in those areas - is being asked to evaluate and make decisions. I just understand what they want people to think.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:51pm

I don't think that's relevant. I see all of Manhattan as being at risk. If something happens, you have no idea how far the damage would reach.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:53pm

No matter what, it's not like they're asking people to stay out of the city, and if someone was so scared to go to work in the city, it's not like that'd be a logical excuse to the head bosses to stay home. You still have to go on doing the same things you normally would. It's not like you can really do anything with this terror alert.

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:54pm

When you work in one of the buildings that are mentioned being targeted (as I do)...it just makes you more aware of what's going on around you.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:54pm

I refuse to live in fear.

Furthermore, I refuse to vote in fear.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:57pm

Boobs - I knew you kept mentioning working on Wall Street, and wondered how this might affect you. It would give me pause for thought, that's sure, but I'm just not sure what can be done with this info.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:59pm

Matt - I have to tell you that saying that Republicans are terrorists is an extreme statement.

As someone who ran for my life on 9/11, I can tell you that the terrorists were not Americans - of any political party!

As someone who works in buildings that are and have been targeted (Anthrax, etc), I'm happy to get any information I can - and then decide what to do with it.

Updated On: 8/3/04 at 06:59 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:01pm

I have a brother who works in Wall Street and a sister who works not far from there. I'm not too worried about myself, but more of family and friends. Updated On: 8/1/04 at 07:01 PM

[Mattio98]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:02pm

Actually, some Republicans being like terrorists is kind of an interesting comparison. Keyword being some. Terrorists don't like the freedoms and liberties that our nation grants to all citizens. Smells like a Republican to me...

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:03pm

thing is though, it's such a thin line to tread. let me speculate like a rank amateur here for a sec.

this information, while frighteningly specific, one might assume is not immediately actionable intelligence for the enemy. it's more like detailed surveillance that one would see toward the beginning of an operation. so, wihtout knowing how the government obtained this information, one could assume that if they caught it in transit, that such an operation is in the early stages. on the other hand, if they got it as a result of a kicking a door down in yemen or somewhere (it's interesting to note that chuck schumer carefully noted that this intelligence is international in nature), one could reasonably assume that without a time table that the operation could be in flux even as we speak.

so, to announce or not to annouce?

some would argue that the best thing to do would be to say nothing and try to catch the bombers or culprits in the act like one might do with a robbery or domestic crime. however, the nature of the threat, a bomb, mitigates against that. by making the threat public, you do several things, you let them know that you anticipate their plans, which might throw them off. some will say, oh they might just look elsewhere and that's possible, but the level of specificity in their research makes it clear that these sites have been cultivated. maybe it puts off the inevitable, but it still puts it off and gives us more time to prepare and to try to penetrate their organizations (not that i'm holding my breath). you also make ordinary people think twice about something that might have seemed a little odd, but wasn't really something they thought about (of course, it's a double edged sword, but if it helps spare even one life, it's worth it). with the warning in their minds, they might report something that may lead to a break.

i think that if the government has information as specific as this and does not warn the public that they are negligent in their duty and should be held accountable as such.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:05pm

Thank you, Papa - that all made sense - and with that in mind, then I agree.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:31pm

ahhh, but it does help ever so much to have howard dean saying this today:

"the president is basing his political campaign on the notion that he ought to be reelected because terrorism is a danger and his case to the american people is that 'i am the only person who can get us through this.' so of course this is politics. do i believe that this [terror warning] is being fabricated? no, of course i do not believe that. but i do think there is politics in this and the question is: how much of this is politics and how much is a real threat?"

what does that mean? translation, please. i so miss him in the campaign.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:37pm

Honestly after 9/11 I don't know how anyone can say this is political. We need to remember what happened that day,how many people died and how serious this threat is. These terrorists are smart. Who knows they could have done this to distract us from what they are really trying to target. Updated On: 8/1/04 at 07:37 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:40pm

Unfortunately, Papa, that's a pretty good example of why he's not in the campaign any longer.

"But I WANT to have it both ways!"

[shesings]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:42pm

People are saying its political b/c the number of times GW has raised the alert level is numerous, and many people think it was often done to instill fear in the American people. I think this is different b/c instead of putting everyone on alert they have specific places under watch. I think it is a good idea that they are spreading the word, but at the same time what are we supposed to do? I live 2 blocks south of the trade centers (ground zero) - 3 blocks from Wall Street. This is my home. It is obvious to me that the security has been heightened. Walking my dog today I got a bit freaked out about the number of cops. But really what am I supposed to do? Pack up and leave? Call 911 everytime I see something out of the ordinary? This is New York - what isn't strange and unusual?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:47pm

no, she, 311 and ask to be connected to the city's counter terrorism hotline unless it's an emergency, then 911.

so, if you see what seems to be a strange panel van parked in your neighborhood at odd hours, call 311.

if you see people loading 55 gallon drums with wires sticking out of the tops into that same panel van at 3am and looking around nervously as they do, call 911.

Updated On: 8/1/04 at 07:47 PM

[POLisPOL]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:51pm

I don't know if you remember the bomber's of spain 11 March...
2 days after, Aznar, our former president (and a good friend of bush) lost the election...
Aznar and his crew insisted that the bombs came from a spanish terrorist group called eta while everybody knew about the islamic connection.
so...why aznar lost the election? he lost for lying to a whole country during the 2 previous days of the election. And everybody knew that were al qaeda who made the bombs.
( after that, zapatero won the election and we retired our troops from iraq. many of international press said that the new spanish government was afraid of the terrorists and that's what the reason to retire the troops. They are wrong, zapatero -the new president- promised to retire the troops since the first day of the electoral campaign. I planned to vote him for this reason )

The spanish example could be a good example for the usa, if there is a bombing or something similar before the elections.
But please, don't believe fox news

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:55pm

"
if you see people loading 55 gallon drums with wires sticking out of the tops into that same panel van at 3am and looking around nervously as they do, call 911. "

That's great.

But I think that this one is a more credible threat, with many politicians (Republicans and Democrats) taking this seriously, and they have the specific targets...I admit that I'm kind of creeped out now about the whole thing, I can just hope that the announcement will thwart their plans.

I just don't know when everyone will stop screaming that it's just political...but I guess we'll never know unless the attack that they picked up on truly happens.