Barracaded
Washington D C is not under siege, it just appears to be. Or maybe it is. It's hard to tell, and its been a week now. I have all this stories from varying press outlets across all of last week and I can't make out whether I'm looking at one evolving story or several. Last Sunday Tom Ridge went in front of the cameras (News cameras - which in DC lay about like pigeons in most cities) and raised the combined integrated non bleaching threat level to orange for five specific area's in Washington, New jersey, and New York City. This was based on new evidence that Al Qaeda was gathering target data on these sites, that was discussed by a combined intelligence panel (the new improved model). Initially they were going to go public with this at a press conference on Monday, but after discussing this with the president they went with it on Sunday. I have no problem with that, you have to figure if Al Qaeda operatives are collecting floor plans, pictures, and security arrangements on a building - they want to blow it up at some point. When they get around to it.
Monday starts with barricades street shutdowns, random searches, and antiterror swat teams with machine guns in the streets buildings, subways. By Monday too the story contains three distinct elements:
- the Intelligence itself and U S Governments response,
- a reaction leaning towards doubt and skepticism
AlterNet: All Orange, All the Time
In DC this grew as people noted the secret service taking the opportunity to shut down streets and pile on more concrete barriers that they had been agitating to do for a while. If it weren't for the museums down on the mall they would go ahead and turn the entire federal core of Washington into 'green zone' behind barricades and concertina wire, safe and off limits to the public.
- Also it emerged of just how old most of this data was.
Old Data, New credibilty Issues for administration
The process by which public came to know data was old were wholesale leaks by the Intelligence community and the administration in a dual for credibility. The Intelligence community who thought wrong policy choices were made, on data which while new to U.S. analysts, was still target casings that predated the attacks of 11 Sept. 2001. Then administration officials leaking further data hinting that this was still a developing situation
New threat of terror not hyped, Ridge maintains (I'm especially fond of this link as the story was written by my niece's soccer coach). Soon in-depth background briefs were rolling through the press
Boston.com Pakistan ambush led to wide terror sweep Turned up suspects and key intelligence
A point everyone seemed aware of (on all sides) was that candidate Kerry got little post convention coverage or bounce in the polls
Not Much Bounce for Kerry After Convention. This story probably did play a role, by occupying the headlines. As much as any one was willing to say was that the reaction looked over-eager and amatuerish particularly to those outside the country. I thought the best observation of the week went not to any professional or official, but the very last caller of the Diane Rehm show Wednesday
Code Orange who stated what was obvious but which was not really being said, by kicking off with an alert and massive reaction all you can hope do is prevent a specific attack - which they had no evidence for, then you have neither disrupted the group that may be planning such attack or prevented a subsequent attack unless you stay. Now they must keep it up at least until the election. With each rush hour, certainly by labor day, this alert will have grown stale, and it all will have to be repeated if new information turns up. I felt that way even before I heard the informationa was years old.
Addendum: The part of all this that still has legs as we move into the new week is that the initial figure in Lahore was arrested nearly a month ago and was aiding Pakistan officials to determine who his contacts were. In the rush to shore up the intelligence behind this alert, people in Pakistan gave his name to reporters, people in Washington confirmed it
Pakistan Source Under Cover When U.S. Confirmed Name, which may not have been part of the plan. The British seemed to have to arrest a number of people sooner than they were prepared to and apparently did not get some. The wheels cmae off what was supposed to be a showcase operation of the war on terror
Al Qaeda mole row reveals disarray. Now a round of finger-pointing is beginning among the principles
Not So Fast, Senor Schumer! - Did a Pakistani blow our double-agent's cover? By Mickey Kaus.
Its like watching Bucky Dent play first base, but less funny.
11:27:18 PM  ;;
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