Newsstand - US says recent actions likely prevented air attack

Forbes Article (http://www.forbes.com/markets/bonds/newswire/2004/02/04/rtr1242419.html)

"Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said on Wednesday recent flight cancellations have likely thwarted a terror attack, however difficult they may have been for airlines and their passengers."

You using the Force there, Sport, or the Magic 8-ball?

"But he said the flight cancellations over the Christmas holiday likely prevented a terror strike.

"My gut tells me we probably did, but proving an unknown is pretty difficult to do," he said.

You said it, pal. Going to make any other wild claims, such as there being life on Uranus, or that you've been psychically in touch with the spirit of Josef Stalin and that he's been directing you on this course of action?

------------------
"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

You know, I have to be sincere, since that is my department.

I think my Super Bowel movement, and the NFL half-time show probably contributed as much, if not more, than the recent flight cancellations in preventing an air attack.

Sincerely yours,
DHS

[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited Feb 04, 2004).]

He's either wrong, or he's right. I think his "gut" feeling is based on the knowedge he had from various intelligence services, intercepts, informants, and other correlated pieces of information from around the world.

Given that, I'd say there's probably a 70% chance or so he was correct.

Regards,
-Bouncer-

I dunno. It sounds more like BS to me everytime.

Colin Powell had the audacity to stray off the farm this week by saying that if he'd known that no WMDs would be found by now, it might have "changed the equation" in his certitude about going to war. He was immediately reprimanded, put back on message, and sent in front of the cameras to "clarify" his position.

In light of same, can anyone honestly believe Tom Ridge is doing anything other than repeating a script handed to him? The issue of what he or anyone else may believe personally is beside the point.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Bouncer:
He's either wrong, or he's right. I think his "gut" feeling is based on the knowedge he had from various intelligence services, intercepts, informants, and other correlated pieces of information from around the world.

Given that, I'd say there's probably a 70% chance or so he was correct. </font>

I strongly disagree.

Having disrupted the travel plans of of many people during the holidays, of course he has to say that his gut feeling is that he prevented a terror attack.

I have a gut feeling that my magic rock prevented a tiger attack over the holidays. Can you prove it didn't?? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">He's either wrong, or he's right. I think his "gut" feeling is based on the knowedge he had from various intelligence services, intercepts, informants, and other correlated pieces of information from around the world.
Given that, I'd say there's probably a 70% chance or so he was correct.

</font> The same intelligence services were used by the same people to say they had proof that Iraq had large stockpiles of WMD's.
It is also important to note the French stoped the flights for political reasons, not security reasons. The French security people had determined there was no threat but they did not want to create another reason for the Americans to complain about how the French were not playing ball with them.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by InterflugIL62:
I dunno. It sounds more like BS to me everytime.</font>

Me, too.

Bruce

There is no logic in these statements.

Let's assume the bad guys are dumb enough to talk to the wrong people about their plan. And we KNOW which plane they are about to attack. We put all kinds of extra resources on that flight, find nothing and still decided to not let it fly.

BUT - thousands of other flights still fly that day. Maybe they are planning to attack one of those, but we did not HEAR about it.

So, logic says that even with all kinds of extra attention, we can NOT FIND DANGEROUS PEOPLE OR WEAPONS.

So, how safe are all these other planes that fly every day. I think there are around 16000 commercial flights daily. Think about it. Everyone admits that flights with LOTS of extra attention are not safe. So, how safe are the others?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by eric_packer:
Colin Powell had the audacity to stray off the farm this week by saying that if he'd known that no WMDs would be found by now, it might have "changed the equation" in his certitude about going to war. He was immediately reprimanded, put back on message, and sent in front of the cameras to "clarify" his position.

In light of same, can anyone honestly believe Tom Ridge is doing anything other than repeating a script handed to him? The issue of what he or anyone else may believe personally is beside the point.</font>

Does Ridge look like the kind of guy who could read a script and act???

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by FliesWay2Much:
Does Ridge look like the kind of guy who could read a script and act???</font>

No, but he sounds like a liar.

Mr. Ridge appears to be the grand master of double speak.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Spiff:

"My gut tells me we probably did, but proving an unknown is pretty difficult to do," he said.
</font>

That's what happens when your leaders are people of faith. Policy gets driven by any random firing of neurons that makes their gut feel different. Sometimes they call those firings "God", other times they don't.

At first I thought you said "firing of morons," but then I realized it was "firing of neurons." Too bad.

Everymorning, I wish real hard and kiss my left knee. THAT'S what has been protecting us. I know it in my gut. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Can't prove or disprove that either.



[This message has been edited by Teacher49 (edited Feb 08, 2004).]