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- Thread starter Alcibiaties of Athenae
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Chairman Yang
Member
The horror!
Has the alert been raised because theres a greater threat, or because Bush likes exaggerating?
Moderator Action: Trolling under these circunstances is exceptionally unwise, and combined with sticking you tounge out at a moderator who is in the perfomance of his duties makes it easy to decide, 7 days restriction. Lefty
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889
Has the alert been raised because theres a greater threat, or because Bush likes exaggerating?
Moderator Action: Trolling under these circunstances is exceptionally unwise, and combined with sticking you tounge out at a moderator who is in the perfomance of his duties makes it easy to decide, 7 days restriction. Lefty
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889
CurtSibling
ENEMY ACE™
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 29,455
Originally posted by Chairman Yang
The horror!
Has the alert been raised because theres a greater threat, or because Bush likes exaggerating?
Yang, you are one of the most really cool guys ever to stalk this earth!
Alcibiaties of Athenae
Imperator
Moderator Action: Chairmen Yang, one week, spamming and trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889
My original thoughts upon hearing this was, "Ashcroft says we need to give the people a kick in the pants to make them realize the Al quaeda ties with Iraq are, ergm, real." .
Unfortunately it is looking to be much more serious. I'm pretty much out of harms way as I'm so close to the Canadian border
.
Hopefully no harm will come to anyone.
.Unfortunately it is looking to be much more serious. I'm pretty much out of harms way as I'm so close to the Canadian border
.Hopefully no harm will come to anyone.
Switch625
I don't care.
I'm not in much danger, because I live in a podunk place out in the middle of a cornfield. That doesn't mean I'm unconcerned, however. I am hoping they are wrong and nothing happens. Best wishes for everyone's safety.
napoleon526
Emperor
There have been so many of these 'alerts' that I think most Americans don't pay much attention to them. The administration shouldn't cry 'wolf' so often. We need to be prepared in case something really does happen.
This is only the second time they have raised it to this level. They have put out general warnings before, but not raised the level for each of them.
I, for one, will be paying a lot of attention to it.
As will I.
I work at , and live nearby, the US Strategic Command.
During the Cold War, if things had escalated, we would at least get about 30 minutes notice of our impending doom. Now, it could be "out of the blue".
CurtSibling
ENEMY ACE™
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 29,455
Wow!
My post has oddly changed text! More evidence of my divinity!
I did warn that Yang chap, this is no time for political junk, innocent lives might be on the line here!
My post has oddly changed text! More evidence of my divinity!
I did warn that Yang chap, this is no time for political junk, innocent lives might be on the line here!
Ohwell
Deity
Bah, I don't care about any alert. Bring it on, scum, I'm ready for ya.
Best to just live your life and not get worried about death.
Best to just live your life and not get worried about death.
Does the US have some kind of "Rear area headquarters"?
In Israel, after the lessons of 1991 (SCUD's), the army set up a special division called "Rear area headquarters (Pikud ha'oref)", it is meant to take care of any attack on Civilians in Israel during a period of high-alert (such as an attack during the coming second gulf war, by iraqi scuds).
They have special teams on stand by, fully prepared to combat Bio/Chem terrorism and a conventional attack in a public / crowded place.
As a matter of fact, a few months ago they did a near-real exercise in my city. A bank building that was meant for destruction anyway, was filled with dulls, each dull with a written problem on it.
They organized it's destruction in an overnight and then did a SaR on the dulls.
Back to my question... does the US have such a thing?
In Israel, after the lessons of 1991 (SCUD's), the army set up a special division called "Rear area headquarters (Pikud ha'oref)", it is meant to take care of any attack on Civilians in Israel during a period of high-alert (such as an attack during the coming second gulf war, by iraqi scuds).
They have special teams on stand by, fully prepared to combat Bio/Chem terrorism and a conventional attack in a public / crowded place.
As a matter of fact, a few months ago they did a near-real exercise in my city. A bank building that was meant for destruction anyway, was filled with dulls, each dull with a written problem on it.
They organized it's destruction in an overnight and then did a SaR on the dulls.
Back to my question... does the US have such a thing?
Do these warnings do any good? I am all for being informed but since 9/11 we have been warned 10+ times that terrorists could strike at any moment but nothing has happened yet. Seems more like a CYA type warning than really effective.
GenMarshall
High Elven ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
I also live by the Naval Sub Base in Groton and also by Electric Boat (where the first Nuclear sub was constructed) And also what makes me nervous is that I am closer to the Millstone Nuclear Power Station o_o
amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
If you believe that is what it's for, then you obviously don't know what it is.
jiml_63
Transportation Guru
WASHINGTON The Bush administration raised the national terror threat level from yellow to orange Friday, meaning the country is at "high risk" of a terrorist attack.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said there was an "increased likelihood" that Al Qaeda terrorists would attack American targets, either at home or abroad, in mid-February.
He said "specific" intelligence has been received that Al Qaeda may be planning attacks on hotels, apartment buildings and other "lightly secured targets."
The attorney general also said terrorists might seek "economic targets, including the transportation and energy sectors, as well as symbolic targets and symbols of American power."
Fox News learned that the decision to raise the alert level was based on three factors:
An increase in intelligence pointing to a possible Al Qaeda attack timed to coincide with the hajj, the annual three-day Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that begins on Saturday.
An increase in the "sheer volume" of terrorist activity or "chatter." An official said this "chatter" was rivaling that seen before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
U.S. preparation for a possible war with Iraq.
Senior White House, Justice and Homeland Security Department officials had considered raising the level for several days, and President Bush approved the decision in a meeting early Friday.
Ashcroft announced the decision at an afternoon press conference. He was accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and FBI Director Robert Mueller.
"We are not recommending that events be canceled," nor should individuals change their travel, work or recreational plans, Ashcroft said.
Even so, Ridge urged Americans "in the days ahead, take some time to prepare for emergencies." As an example, he suggested that families devise plans for contacting one another if separated by an emergency.
"Terrorist attacks can really take many forms," he said.
"This decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence community. This information has been corroborated by multiple intelligence sources," Ashcroft said.
"Since September the 11th, the U.S. intelligence community has indicated that the Al Qaeda terrorist network is still determined to attack innocent Americans, both here and abroad," Ashcroft said.
He said that recent intelligence reports had indicated that "Al Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States."
Ashcroft said the recent bombings of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, and of a resort hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, "demonstrate the continued willingness of Al Qaeda to strike at peaceful, innocent civilians."
He also said the global terror network could even try to mount a chemical, biological or radiological attack.
Ridge said that local and state law enforcement agencies, the nation's governors, many mayors and Congress had been informed of the change in the alert status.
Ridge also plans to talk to congressional leaders and to several dozen business leaders who control critical infrastructure, which could include electric power grids, dams or nuclear plants.
"We're asking all these leaders to increase their security and vigilance wherever necessary," he said.
The public will likely see some changes, such as delays at some facilities and events, and increased security at some buildings. Other precautions, however, will be secret and go largely unnoticed by the general public.
The alert level has been at yellow, or "elevated," which is the middle of a five-point scale of risk developed after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. It was last raised to orange, the second level, on Sept. 10, the day before the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and it stayed at that level for two weeks.
The highest alert level is red, a "severe" risk of terrorist attack.
The State Department on Thursday issued a "reminder" to Americans at home and abroad to be on alert for terrorist activity.
Officials are increasingly worried that Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups might try to use chemical, biological or radiological weapons such as a "dirty bomb" that spews radiation into the atmosphere over a relatively confined area. There is no evidence, they say, that Al Qaeda has acquired nuclear weapons, but there is ample proof that it was working with a variety of harmful substances.
There is also concern that individual Al Qaeda members or sympathizers could attempt small-scale attacks, such as a shooting or homicide bombing.
Although Al Qaeda has been largely driven from its former refuge in Afghanistan, the FBI cites the October nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, that killed nearly 200 and November attacks on an Israeli resort and airliner in Kenya as evidence the network can still inflict great damage.
As in the past, officials said they had no information regarding specific terrorist threats and no indication of a time, place or manner of any attack. The FBI, however, is preparing to tell Congress that Al Qaeda remains the greatest threat for carrying out a terror attack on U.S. soil.
The alert level was raised last September, when a high-level Al Qaeda prisoner warned that an attack was imminent on U.S. embassies in southeast Asia.
Those attacks did not take place and may have been broken up by arrests. U.S. officials say they have thwarted more than 100 terrorist plots around the world, including some planned within the United States, since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said there was an "increased likelihood" that Al Qaeda terrorists would attack American targets, either at home or abroad, in mid-February.
He said "specific" intelligence has been received that Al Qaeda may be planning attacks on hotels, apartment buildings and other "lightly secured targets."
The attorney general also said terrorists might seek "economic targets, including the transportation and energy sectors, as well as symbolic targets and symbols of American power."
Fox News learned that the decision to raise the alert level was based on three factors:
An increase in intelligence pointing to a possible Al Qaeda attack timed to coincide with the hajj, the annual three-day Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that begins on Saturday.
An increase in the "sheer volume" of terrorist activity or "chatter." An official said this "chatter" was rivaling that seen before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
U.S. preparation for a possible war with Iraq.
Senior White House, Justice and Homeland Security Department officials had considered raising the level for several days, and President Bush approved the decision in a meeting early Friday.
Ashcroft announced the decision at an afternoon press conference. He was accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and FBI Director Robert Mueller.
"We are not recommending that events be canceled," nor should individuals change their travel, work or recreational plans, Ashcroft said.
Even so, Ridge urged Americans "in the days ahead, take some time to prepare for emergencies." As an example, he suggested that families devise plans for contacting one another if separated by an emergency.
"Terrorist attacks can really take many forms," he said.
"This decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence community. This information has been corroborated by multiple intelligence sources," Ashcroft said.
"Since September the 11th, the U.S. intelligence community has indicated that the Al Qaeda terrorist network is still determined to attack innocent Americans, both here and abroad," Ashcroft said.
He said that recent intelligence reports had indicated that "Al Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States."
Ashcroft said the recent bombings of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, and of a resort hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, "demonstrate the continued willingness of Al Qaeda to strike at peaceful, innocent civilians."
He also said the global terror network could even try to mount a chemical, biological or radiological attack.
Ridge said that local and state law enforcement agencies, the nation's governors, many mayors and Congress had been informed of the change in the alert status.
Ridge also plans to talk to congressional leaders and to several dozen business leaders who control critical infrastructure, which could include electric power grids, dams or nuclear plants.
"We're asking all these leaders to increase their security and vigilance wherever necessary," he said.
The public will likely see some changes, such as delays at some facilities and events, and increased security at some buildings. Other precautions, however, will be secret and go largely unnoticed by the general public.
The alert level has been at yellow, or "elevated," which is the middle of a five-point scale of risk developed after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. It was last raised to orange, the second level, on Sept. 10, the day before the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and it stayed at that level for two weeks.
The highest alert level is red, a "severe" risk of terrorist attack.
The State Department on Thursday issued a "reminder" to Americans at home and abroad to be on alert for terrorist activity.
Officials are increasingly worried that Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups might try to use chemical, biological or radiological weapons such as a "dirty bomb" that spews radiation into the atmosphere over a relatively confined area. There is no evidence, they say, that Al Qaeda has acquired nuclear weapons, but there is ample proof that it was working with a variety of harmful substances.
There is also concern that individual Al Qaeda members or sympathizers could attempt small-scale attacks, such as a shooting or homicide bombing.
Although Al Qaeda has been largely driven from its former refuge in Afghanistan, the FBI cites the October nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, that killed nearly 200 and November attacks on an Israeli resort and airliner in Kenya as evidence the network can still inflict great damage.
As in the past, officials said they had no information regarding specific terrorist threats and no indication of a time, place or manner of any attack. The FBI, however, is preparing to tell Congress that Al Qaeda remains the greatest threat for carrying out a terror attack on U.S. soil.
The alert level was raised last September, when a high-level Al Qaeda prisoner warned that an attack was imminent on U.S. embassies in southeast Asia.
Those attacks did not take place and may have been broken up by arrests. U.S. officials say they have thwarted more than 100 terrorist plots around the world, including some planned within the United States, since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
