Imminent Threat
In the past 48 hours, there has been an increase in terrorist threats to a number of cities in the U.S., including New York City, Los Angeles and Washington D.C., ABCNEWS has learned.
Threat information is coming from intelligence intercepts, interrogation of recent detainees and other methods of intelligence sources say. Intelligence and law enforcement officials are currently evaluating the threat information and will determine how to respond within the next few days.
Sources say the threat to New York City involves a suicide bomber, possibly a female, but no specific target has been identified. Intelligence sources are still evaluating the credibility of this threat.
Via Kathy.
December 19th, 2003 at 3:30 pm
Hopefully if this is true, and the terrorists are not prevented from carrying it out, it won’t be of the WMD variety.
I think the American psyche is resigned to suicide bombings being an eventual inevitability on U.S. soil (not that they want it to happen), but if WMD are used that changes everything.
We will likely go back into paranoia mode like the first couple months after 9/11.
However, that said – and I may be wrong, and hope I am – this latest alert doesn’t strike me as being much different than other recent “increased chatter” warnings…
December 19th, 2003 at 4:53 pm
What caught my eye was this: “Mitigating against raising the level to orange are fiscal considerations. State officials say the cost of raising the threat level is too high unless there is a specific threat.” So, what, this is now called the National Cost/Benefit Threat Level?” Disgusting.
December 19th, 2003 at 8:04 pm
I’m seeing it as an ‘increased chatter’ warning too. It’s hard to say with intelligence. Could be real, could be psyops. Since Sept 11, 2001 I’ve been in the ‘better safe than sorry’ crowd. I’ll willingly pay the price of increased stress if just one person pays attention at the right moment as a result.