Hooray - Al Quaida stopped once again

[Provolution]

Luckily, Al Quaidas plan for attack in Frankfurt 11 September this year failed.

It seems somehow our intelligence services are getting the upper hand on political islam. I think that ideology is the last remnant after the fall of Nazism and Communism, but unfortunately, I can see some conflict brewing up between the fundamentalists and the moderates in the region, comparable to the Reformation Wars.

 

[BirraImperial]

Here is a link to the story:BBC News link

Nice job by the German authorities. Apparently, several U.S. military installations where targeted by this group.

 

[Masquerouge]

This is great news.

A couple of comments though: it's not yet confirmed Al-Quaeda was behind this. The terrorists were part of a cell with links to Al-Quaeda, there's a nuance.

But this is a bit scarier IMO:

The suspects, aged 22, 28 and 29, were alleged to be members of the German cell of a group she named as Islamic Jihad Union.

Two of the men were German nationals who had converted to Islam, while the third was a Turkish man.

Ms Harms said the al-Qaeda-linked group had set up the cell last year.

 

[Leonel]

This is obviously a public relations thing done by Bush and his puppets to try and legitimize this so called "War on Terror!"

 

[drachasor]

Not too surprising to me. 9/11 probably could have been stopped (or almost entirely stopped) if the Bush administration had bothered to listen to all the warnings they were getting from all over. Their hubris prevented them, however.

 

[JollyRoger]

What part of Iraq did they capture them in?

 

[Provolution]

it was in Germany.

 

[JollyRoger]

I thought they weren't going to leave Iraq until the U.S. did. If they would have followed us instead of getting a head start, maybe they wouldn't have taken a wrong turn and ended up in Germany.

 

[BasketCase]

Not too surprising to me. 9/11 probably could have been stopped (or almost entirely stopped) if the Bush administration had bothered to listen to all the warnings they were getting from all over. Their hubris prevented them, however.

Actually, the thing that prevented the U.S. government from spotting 9/11 in advance was the fact that all the pieces of the puzzle were in different government departments. Those departments have rules they gotta follow in order to share information. Stuff involving, for example, the rules for proper search and siezure.

All these roadblocks are in the U.S. government because people like you and me put them there. The Patriot Act tried to take out the roadblocks, and, well, we all know what the public response to that was. Not too friendly.

So, which do ya want? Patriot Act or another 9/11?

Tough choice, ain't it? Most Americans simply dodge that choice and say the government should provide perfect security with no infringement on our freedoms at all.

RING RING RING RING RING

Erk. Just a second, I'll get it.

It's for you. It's your wake-up call.

 

[A1CBOZ]

One of my friends and fellow Airmen works and lives at one of the bases that was on the target list. He actually helped in the investigation I believe.

 

[Elrohir]

Good news!

Especially so since I know someone who lives on Ramstein. (Or at least his family does, I'm not sure if he still lives on the base itself, although I know that he still works there.)

 

[Swiss_Mercenari]

All the Patriot Act did was to permit governmental interference in PRIVATE matters. When you referred to departments I assume you are referring to intra-governmental departments, therefore you can both avoid another terrorist attack upon your nation while still retaining liberties. Also, please at least look like you register the fact that terrorists are still humans and WILL negotiate, if only the leaders.

 

[BasketCase]

Uhhhh.....Swiss, if you were replying to me, please use a quote next time. I tend to go firing on full-auto in several threads at once, and get lost easily.

Anyway: I disagree completely with you on this bit:

therefore you can both avoid another terrorist attack upon your nation while still retaining liberties

Nope. Take a look at all the times terrorist use those liberties to hide behind. On the other side of the planet, terrorists take shelter in churches, schools, and other civilian buildings because they know their opponents will hold their fire.

You can't win at poker if you always fold weak hands and always play strong ones. If you value your liberties, your enemies (not just terrorists, either) will try to force you to choose between security and liberty. You reliably go for the second one, and end up losing the first one.

The old saying goes "those who surrender liberty to gain security deserve neither" blabbity blah, but the real truth is that neither strong freedoms nor strong security are possible. Humans need both to survive.

Also, please at least look like you register the fact that terrorists are still humans and WILL negotiate, if only the leaders.

Huh??? I don't understand.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Also, please at least look like you register the fact that terrorists are still humans and WILL negotiate, if only the leaders.

Sure they will negotiate: Convert to Islam or die; disown Israel completely or die. Those are the terms.

See! Completely reasonable human beings!

 

[Luckymoose]

Sure they will negotiate: Convert to Islam or die; disown Israel completely or die. Those are the terms.

See! Completely reasonable human beings!

Death to America is my favorite.

 

[Provolution]

Almost a shame they are not to be sent to Guantanamo, at least the German bureaucracy can be a hurtful experience to them.

 

[Thorbal]

Almost a shame they are not to be sent to Guantanamo, at least the German bureaucracy can be a hurtful experience to them.

10char

 

[Riffraff]

Nice domination here by the German intelligence - these guys had been monitored for months in advance already and the explosive had been replaced beforehand with a decoy.

Hopefully this will show us, that the security measures are working as they are. Unfortunately, I think this attempt might be used by Mr. Schäuble as another excuse to try and giving even more power to police/secret service.

 

[JollyRoger]

You can't win at poker if you always fold weak hands and always play strong ones. If you value your liberties, your enemies (not just terrorists, either) will try to force you to choose between security and liberty. You reliably go for the second one, and end up losing the first one.

Good news - we've been playing our weak hand since January 2001.

 

[drachasor]

Actually, the thing that prevented the U.S. government from spotting 9/11 in advance was the fact that all the pieces of the puzzle were in different government departments. Those departments have rules they gotta follow in order to share information. Stuff involving, for example, the rules for proper search and siezure.

Actually, when the president is getting reports and warnings from various departments, it is his job to get people to put it all together. He's supposed to have briefings on these things and get filled in and so forth. He's supposed to put people on the job to root out the sources of these problems. His staff is supposed to help with this, because that's why the exist.

Instead you get him and his staff being dismissive of people and warning, including such briefings like "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Within United States" which told that we had terrorist cells IN THE UNITED STATES. What did the White House do about that information? Nothing.

We had an FBI agent who said there was this guy taking flight classes and clearly up to no good. He lived with other Hijackers (providing clear links to 3 of the 4 planes for instance). I am just touching on SOME of the issues here.

President Bush and his staff's willful disregard was nearly criminal. It was definitely completely incompetent. But the fact that somehow it was impossible to stop 9/11 despite all the information we had which the President ignored seems to appeal to you for some reason.

RING RING RING RING RING

Erk. Just a second, I'll get it.

It's for you. It's your wake-up call.

Actually, it's for you.