Practice for the October Surprise? (Ohio mall plot)

This seems to me like Jose Padilla, redux, minus a breathless Ashcroft making his pronouncement from a foreign capital. The accused "bomber" has been in custody since November! Why the announcement now? To keep the spotlight on * and the repugs in the wake of Ronnie's funeral?

Does it seem awfully convenient to anyone else that the "target" was in Ohio, possibly the most important battleground state?

And, finally, I have seen nothing to indicate that--like Padilla--this "terrorist" actually did anything beyond talk. I'm not suggesting that he is not guilty of conspiracy, but his crime certainly does not support the level of "omigod, he was going to blow up a mall" theatrics I've seen. No bomb, no bomb-making materials, no weapons ... just a lot of talk.

To me, the whole thing smacks of manipulation for political gain. It sticks to high hell.

:tinfoilhat:

we can all see through this now, except for the stupid. it stinks.
there are millions however who buy this crap and they are the ones who scare me the most.

there was a thread on Thursday or Friday predicting this very thing.

I think because of the DOJ memo scandel or the Cheney email scandal
(the no bid that Cheney says he had no part in, but now there are
many sources in the Pentagon saying the civilian command, especially
the VPs office, had a huge influence on the award of the contract).

I forget which scandal, but someone speculated that Ashcroft would
announce some terror alert using way old or discredited crap, on
Monday...

and guess what... why there was Ashcroft right on schedule, going on
about a plot to blow up a mall (but the "plot" was uncovered 6
months ago, and the plot was never that specific, and there are a
lot of problems with the group of plotters and what they really
intended...

nothin to see here, move along.

OK folks, here goes as I don my asbestos suit...

I am not sure they are planning an October surprise, or at least, not using terror to do it.

A friend of ours works for an outside organization contracted to DHS for anti-terrorism work. He is a good guy, serious about his job, and is high enough in the system to meet with Ridge on a regular basis. He is going to be working security at both DNC and RNC this year.

He is normally a calm cool and collected professional. He is nervous right now. I can ask him things, and he will either tell me it is nonsense, I am on the right track, or no comment, which means I am dead on and he is not allowed to comment. Suffice it to say I have gotten alot of no comments.

Friday he dropped a big one me. Apparently his group made a significant find sometime in the recent past. When I asked if I could publish the info, has said it was not classified, but he asked that I not, which leads me to believe they are still working on more leads.

These folks are interested in catching people interested in doing harm and preventing harm, at least the career professionals, anyway.

JM

Without a doubt there are good people in DHS, and I'm not suggesting that they are all conspiring together. However, I sincerely worry that this is a "test run" to see how the public will react to increasingly specific "threats."

Remember the flap a couple of weeks ago over Ashcroft's big announcement that no one at DHS had any idea was coming? The mall plot seems to be an elevated version of that--more details, specific plot and individuals, etc. But, again, it is really nothing, just like the last time.

Will we see another announcement this summer of a capture of a "terrorist"--not Usama or anyone else big name--linked to a specific plot with specific means? Say a guy with a suitcase full of explosives or some radioactive material? I'd lay money that when we do, the case won't stand up close scrutiny. It'll be another Padilla--and calling him a "dirty bomber" is like calling me the "great American novelist."

"Remember the flap a couple of weeks ago over Ashcroft's big announcement that no one at DHS had any idea was coming?"

I asked about this. Word I got was Ashcroft decided to be Chicken Little, and was chastised after he made the announcement because there was nothing the public could do with the warning. The issue was we were tailing the people on the list and lost them.

JM

...has been apparent since the outset. First, the Enron operation on California. Then the 911 attack on New York. Then the anthrax attacks in Florida and the Northeast. The obvious political pattern of the anthrax attacks doesn't even need to be repeated.

The attack on the Pentagon and the "attack" on Frist's office were distractors somewhat akin to a murderer shooting himself in the arm with a thirty two after shooting his spouse with a 44 magnum.

The sniper incidents in Oct 2002 were definitely intended to affect the national elections.

These mall attacks are too easy to arrange. Moving new autos for sale in and out of shopping malls should be prohibited. It was widely reported some time ago that Israeli agents were operating low cost concessions in malls. This was about the same time that they were casing federal buildings and other facilities in the US.

What a lame nothing. There are serious questions that will not be answered concerning civil rights. Only the "Art Bell" losers will believe this.
It sticks to high hell? Whatever does that mean?

It should read "stinks" to high hell.

zogby says kerry beats bush in polls on all issues but terra (www.zogby.com). So look forward to thwarted attacks in every swing state.

Link to poll data: http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=829

ON EDIT direct link to poll data

Undoubtedly, both the timing and location of this "indictment" were preplanned and orchestrated.

WWFMD? What Would Ferdinand Marcos Do?