Establishment Preparing Public for another Terrorist Attack

Suggestions from the main stream media and the intelligence community that credible but non-specific threats exist as well as suggestions by members of the establishment that a new terrorist attack is basically imminent are a game we have seen before.  Who would benefit?

Breitbart

A US security official on Wednesday said the country was capable of withstanding another terrorist attack and bouncing back, saying Americans needed to put extremist threats in “perspective.”

Michael Leiter, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, said despite recent successes there was no guarantee that intelligence and law enforcement agencies could prevent every attempt by extremists to attack the United States.

“We’re not going to have a perfect batting average and its important that Americans understand that,” Leiter told a conference on intelligence reform.

“It’s important that we approach this with national resilience that in fact shows that this country is not going to be defeated by” extremists, Leiter said.

“We do have to put the threat in perspective,” he said.

His comments came amid heightened US and Western alerts over potential terror attacks against European cities, and after a wave of arrests by France’s anti-terrorism squad.

Leiter said security agencies faced the threat of “low-probability,” large-scale attacks involving possible weapons of mass destruction as well as “high probability”, smaller-scale attacks such as the shooting rampage at Fort Hood last year that left 13 dead.

But terrorist attacks should not be viewed as “cutting into the fabric of our society,” he said.

President Barack Obama made similar remarks in a new book by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, saying the country could handle a potential attack.

“We can absorb a terrorist attack. We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever … we absorbed it and we are stronger.”

Is the Media Fearmongering to sell Establishment’s Agenda?

It appears that the Associated Press is fear-mongering about recently heightened terror threats in Europe. They have turned one vague State Department warning into multiple headline stories, making it appear as though a terror threat is imminent.  But the original report provides very flimsy information about a nonspecific threat apparently obtained from, “a Pakistani intelligence official said (that) eight Germans and two British brothers were at the heart of an al-Qaida-linked terror plot against European cities, but the plan was still in its early stages.”

The AP originally reported on the State Department warning yesterday:

The State Department alerts U.S. citizens to the potential for terrorist attacks in Europe. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks. European governments have taken action to guard against a terrorist attack and some have spoken publicly about the heightened threat conditions.
Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests. U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure. Terrorists have targeted and attacked subway and rail systems, as well as aviation and maritime services.
The language used in this first “breakout” story is not news at all.  What did we learn?  Current information suggests that terror groups continue to plan, therefore there’s a potential for a terrorist attack to public transportation because that has been what they attacked in the past.  The State Department warning follows an allegedly new audio tape by Osama bin Laden.  How long are they going to try to keep this bogeyman alive?  It stands to reason that if bin Laden is in fact alive, and his only form of communication is a recorded audio tape, then he hardly possesses the technical capability to coordinate anything.

Regardless, the Associated Press, along with the US State Department, is keeping up the drumbeat.  This morning, three more warning AP stories appeared using the same flimsy data. The first article says Japan has issued the same Europe travel warning to its citizens:

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites – issuing another blow to Europe’s tourism industry, which is just starting to recover from the global financial crisis.

The next article quotes officials saying that the recent “evidence” shows no threat to the United States, but:

According to an intelligence bulletin obtained Monday by The Associated Press, the FBI and Homeland Security say they do believe that the al-Qaida terrorist network wants to attack the United States. And they warn law enforcement authorities to be on the lookout for suspicious activity, as it’s more difficult to detect terror plots carried out by individuals or small groups.

And finally, probably the most telling article quotes from former DHS chief Michael “buy my naked body scanners” Chertoff:

Chertoff was interviewed in the wake of the Obama administration’s decision to release a travel alert Sunday in response to reports of a possible terrorist threat against Britain, France and Germany. He advises travelers to consider ‘where would you take shelter if something happened.’ And Chertoff also says: ‘Don’t walk around with the American flag on your back.’
It’s worth noting that Chertoff admits Americans are the target and should now be bashful about appearing “American.”  The barrage of headlines of increased “threat” level to “public transport” comes only a week after Janet Napolitano announced trying to force full-body scanners into foreign countries.  Conveniently, the Chertoff Group has a large financial stake in naked-body scanners that are now being proposed for all public transportation hubs, not just airports.  Like any good businessman, Chertoff, with the help of Associated Press releases, is stoking the false demand for his product.

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About Luis Miranda
The Real Agenda is an independent publication. It does not take money from Corporations, Foundations or Non-Governmental Organizations. It provides news reports in three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese to reach a larger group of readers. Our news are not guided by any ideological, political or religious interest, which allows us to keep our integrity towards the readers.