A threat advisory stuck on yellow

January 20, 2006

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the current threat level is still “elevated,” aka “yellow.” Yesterday’s bin Laden tape isn’t going to change that.

The United States has no plans to raise the security threat level because of a new tape of Osama bin Laden saying al-Qaida is planning attacks, counterterrorism officials said Thursday. […]

The Homeland Security Department said it would not raise the national threat alert at this time. But the tape prompted increased security at Los Angeles International Airport and other precautions at the city’s port and water and power facilities.

“At this time, we lack corroborating information suggesting that al-Qaida is prepared to attack the United States in the near term,” said Homeland Security spokeswoman Michelle Petrovich.

I’m glad the bin Laden video is not causing the government to overreact, but this reminds me: does anyone remember the last time we went to “orange”? After the attack in London, the threat level for the mass transit sector was raised temporarily, but that’s it.

In 2004, the terror-alert warnings to the country dominated public discussion. Remind me, was there some kind of presidential election or something going on at the time? Something about the need for people to be motivated by fear?

The DHS spokesperson said the government lacks actionable intelligence on an al Qaeda attack “in the near term.” Of course, that hasn’t always been much of a standard.

The Bush administration periodically put the USA on high alert for terrorist attacks even though then-Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge argued there was only flimsy evidence to justify raising the threat level, Ridge now says.

I hate to be cynical about it, but there is another election 10 months away….

Well, they don’t want us to get too used to hard orange. Then they’ll have nothing to scare us with but red.

  • Only when Scotty’s stonewall is breached will the terror alert level rise.
    It’s interesting to reflect on WHOSE terror is being measured.
    Red terror level is being reserved for loss of congressional control tto the Dems.
    Clearly the security alert levels reflect the political security of the G.W. Bush.

  • “The United States has no plans to raise the security threat level because of a new tape of Osama bin Laden saying al-Qaida is planning attacks, counterterrorism officials said Thursday. […]”

    PDB August 2001 – “bin Laden determined to attack US”

    Now I feel safer. Thank god we have this huge and expensive bureaucratic agency looking out for our well being.

  • It seems to me that we need to use this cynicism to our advantage. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence that the terror alerts were used to manipulate public opinion during the 2004 election. The more people are made aware of this, the less chance for success this tactic will have in the future.

  • Terror alerts are a clearly a poll stimulating mechanism given the fact that throughout 2004 we were elevated every time the (political) wind changed direction. But yesterday a tape is release w/ Bin Laden stating “any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked” – which means we’re f*cked because that’s all Bush spends our taxes and Chinese loans on…and they don’t touch the threat level. What a joke. Of course, with all the Abramoff stuff going on, I’m shocked the terror alert wasn’t raised 2 weeks ago.

  • Not sure if this is correct or not, but here goes…….
    Is it true that if the alert status goes up that the feds then have to expense all kinds of $$$. Presumably certain actions or precautions must take place setting into motion some expensive measures.
    They don’t want to manipulate the public too much just yet. Yesterday was the bin Laden teaser, something big is in reserve for closer to the election.

  • Raising the terror threat level gives bin Laden credibility. So there’ll be no running around with their hair on fire this time, it’s more advantageous politically to just ignore him.

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