Do U.S. Politicians Exploit Terrrorism?

Governments throughout history have given in to the temptation to scare the people they are supposed to be looking out for. Our leaders can't seem to avoid the temptation to scare us. National security is fine and well, but national fear is just wrong. Unfortunately, we've been at peace for so long that we've lost track of the lessons learned by past generations. We've had it so good for so long that we've lost our way.

I couldnt agree with you more Justin... As for instance, I was born in 1977. My generation was brought up with video games, and music at the forefront. MTV was just getting big, and people where no longer looking at the big picture. My generation was overloaded with '___', dope and meth. The whole time I belive drugs to be a big step in a terrorist movement. YOu get a nation filled with druggies, they then create the methodone clinics and spread their vile Meth even further to our youths.
It truely is sad to see a state that we have let ourselfs slide into..
I for one am just as guilty as the next guy.. I was asleep untill 2005!
It wasnt until I found ATS that I started opening my eyes for the first time.
I really have to Thanks the Colbert report for finding this place..
If it wasnt for Mr. Colbert, I would have never started opening my eyes..

That's how it happens for most of us. One day, out of the blue, we encounter something that We're just not able to ignore. I owe my own 'awakening' to a selfish petty little man who forced my hand. Now, ehre I am. I could still go back to work for Uncle Sam. My skills are still in demand, even after all these years. Would I? Yes, because I would be a bad citizen if I turned down another chance to serve my country.

My chosen career path hasn't paid off financially, but I am very much a better person than I was. Some things you just can't put a dollar value on. No matter how we got here, it's up to each of us to find our own way to express and then act upon the things that concern us the most. In this respect, ATS is mroe than just a hangout for the kook fringe. It's an alternative news and views community that isn't afraid to ask the hard questions.

I started a thread a while back that might be relevant to this discussion.

Terrorism Becomes Political Capital

I'm not sure this is where you are going with this topic, Justin, but it certainly shows the potential for the government to use terrorist activity for public manipulation. This tactic may be one early experiment in the federal government's efforts to utilize the terrorist threat to exert control over public opinion.

Hello Icarus. Good to see you again. That's a good thread you ahve there. thanks for sharing it with us here. Unfortunately, your thesis is correct. I made the case in my own published work that our leaders can't resist the temptation to use terror as a means of generating infuence.

As a society, we have to make it clear to our ledaers that fear-mongering won't be tolerated. We can do this by taking exception to things they say and do whenever we encounter moment of base pandering. As you know, many people don't realize that they are being manipulated until they experience a moment of contradiction.

Liars inevitably contradict themselves. People who weave deceptive policy eventually go back on something they said earlier. that's why our Dounding Fathers insisted on due dillegence. It's our responsibility as good citizens to keep our eyes and ears open to what our leaders are saying and doing. When they say one thing and do another....we'll know that we caught 'em in another lie. It's worth remembering that the best conspirators try very hard to make sure that whatever they say has a grain of truth to it. "it's not a lie if some of it is true."

Yeah Justin, so good that nobody wants to read or respond to it. Looks like the same thing is happening to this thread.

This kind of callous disregard for truth and integrity, the sacrifice of the fundamental responsibilities of elected government at the altar of political expediency, may be too much for most people to bear contemplating or commenting on.

That doesn't mean it isn't happening every day right under our noses, though.

I hear what you're saying, Icarus. I would like to say one thing about my expereince on ATS so far. I've noticed that the threads in this forum can be dead for weeks at a time. Then, for no real reason, you'll see 50 posts in one week. I'm not discouraged. My job is to be here,and to be ready to add new material as it crops up. As you may know, I con't cram everything in to this forum. I add stuff when it fits the pattern that I talk about. Once, there was just one thread. Now, there are sixteen. Some day, there will be seventy.

My experience on other political boards has been the same. Tumbleweeds roll through until something happens to make people do a Google search, and then...wham! Suddenly, you're in demand. If you asked, I'm sure that you'd find that the other CM's experience the same thing. Our job is not to be splashy. Our job is to be here for the people who need us, when they care to find us. In its own way, what I do here is a form of slow-motion activism.

I don't have as many threads as the other CM's, but I do try to keep my material dense. No fluff for me. As important as all of this is, the simple truth is that this isn't one of the more popular conspiracies. Government conspiracy is complicated, and its just not as cool as flying saucers or most of the other conspiracies you'll see talked about on ATS. Even so, I'm going to present the "stuff" that makes my point, and I'm just going to be "me" while I'm doing it.

Well said.

I admire your fortitude.

As the old Cherokee said to Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) in "The Outlaw Josey Wales," quoting advice from Abraham Lincoln, "I will endeavor to persevere."

Josie Wales just happens to be one of my favorite movies. I'm all about that fortitude and perserverence. It's what I do. We have to remember that what we do in our blogs, videos, and on ATS doesn't get seen by a lot of people...until...they look for it. I'm just rock-headed enough that I live for the fight. As I struggle to carry this torhc, I also struggle to be published. both of these batles have similar meaning for me. In my own case, the real challenge will come when I do achieve my goals. Then what? We know what this fight is, and we know how to wage it. We need to have enough spine to stay in the fight so that others can find us and learn what we already know. "I'm just a bad man trying to do the right thing."

I'd like to bring the following article to your attention.

July 11, 2007

The Senate: Chamber of Shame

By Tony Blankley

The Senate is emitting an embarrassing level of emotional policy twitching on the topic of Iraq. Sen. Harry Reid can't take the war anymore. He "knows" it is lost. Sen. Olympia Snowe has just about had it with the Iraqi government. If they don't meet her benchmarks -- that's it. Sen. Mitch McConnell thinks "that the handwriting is on the wall that we are going in a different direction in the fall, and I expect the president to lead it." Who authored that wall graffiti, he doesn't say. After talking with grieving family members of one of our fallen warriors, Sen. Pete Domenici "wants a new strategy for Iraq."

I haven't seen such uncritical thinking since I hid under my bedsheets to get away from the monsters back when I was 3 years old.

Whether they are talking about war weariness, grief over casualties, fear of their upcoming elections, disappointment with the current Iraqi government or general irritation with the incumbent president: What in the world do such misgivings of U.S. senators have to do with whether we should continue to advance our vital national security interests?

None of these senators have even addressed the question of whether the United States is safer if we leave Iraq than if we stay. Isn't that the key question? The question is not whether the Iraqi government deserves American sacrifice on their behalf. Our sons and daughters are not fighting, being grievously wounded and dying for Iraq -- but for American vital interests. If this were just about Iraqi democracy, I might join the screaming for a quick exit.

But if al Qaeda can plausibly claim they drove America out of Iraq (just as they drove the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan), they will gain literally millions of new adherents in their struggle to destroy America and the West. We will then pay in blood, treasure and future wars vastly more than we are paying today to manage and eventually win our struggle in Iraq.

Our staying power, unflinching persistence in the face of adversity, muscular capacity to impose order on chaos and eventual slaughtering of terrorists who are trying to drive us out will do more to win the "hearts and minds" of potentially radical Islamists around the world than all the little sermons about our belief in Islam as the religion of peace. As bin Laden once famously observed -- people follow the strong horse.

We have two choices: Use our vast resources to prove we are the strong horse or get ready to be taken to the glue factory.

Even Bush's war critics who specialize in Middle East affairs (such as the Brookings Institute) believe that the immediate chaos in the Middle East that will follow our premature departure would likely involve not only regional war there, a new base for al Qaeda, but also a nuclear arms race that would quickly result in the world's most unstable region -- which possesses the world's oil supply -- armed with nuclear weapons on a hair trigger.

But the debate today in Washington is about none of these strategic concerns. It is exclusively about Washington's political timetable and when the president will bend to such political necessity. For self-admitted politics -- rather than national security -- to be driving decision making in wartime Washington is not only an unpatriotic disgrace -- it is a national menace.

Imagine the following fanciful discussion in April 1943:

FDR: "Ike, you're going to have to get the Normandy Invasion completed by June this year."

Ike: "But I need at least another year to assemble troops and materiel, establish logistics and strategy and train the men for the battle."

FDR: "Sorry. Several senators are feeling very uncomfortable with the war. Frankly, they have just had it. And several of them are worried about their re-election."

Ike: "My men are fighting and dying for yards in Italy right now -- and even so, they can't wait to take the war to Hitler next year in France. Tell those pantywaisted senators to unloosen their girdles, take an aspirin and go to bed -- and leave the fighting to my men."

FDR: "But we could lose the Senate."

Ike:" Better to lose the Senate than the war."

FDR: "I'm with you, Ike. You beat Hitler, and let me beat the Senate."

Ike:" My men thank you, Mr. President."

Of course, it is an absurdity to imagine such a conversation would have been possible during WWII. And it is a tragedy and disgrace that we are, in fact, having precisely such a conversation today.

But the worm will surely turn. And senators who today proudly call for retreat will then be hiding their faces in shame. And deservedly so. And the public will remember.

It's an interesting article to say of the least. the issue here is for good or bad, it does raise some valid points. I will say one thing for it though. the Global war on terror is truly a multi-front war. I was never one for the Iraq war, but given all of the circumstances, we really can't afford to loose at the moment. The Middle East is now dangerously unstable. Leaving a country that is trying to reestablish itself sitting out there to fend for itself has the potential for terrible consequences.

Starting this might have been a bad move, but jumping ship now would only add fuel to the fire!

Tim

Bad policy is bad policy, no matter which party is responsible for it. My goal here is to show you things like this so that you can make up your own mind.

I'd like to bring the following news item to you with a source link. Here, you see some truth telling but a lot of fear mongering, too.

Natl. Intel Director Worried About Terror Sleeper Cells in U.S.

Believes Small Numbers of al Qaeda Operatives Are in This Country Raising Funds

Officials believe safe havens for al Qaeda in Pakistan are allowing the organization to gain strength. (ABC News)From WN By JOHN HENDREN

July 22, 2007
By John Hendren


Just days ago, a new National Intelligence Estimate found al Qaeda has strengthened its ability to attack the United States. McConnell said al Qaeda is seeking the means to launch chemical, biological and possibly nuclear attacks. But the likeliest threat is harder to detect.

"What we see currently is primarily a focus on explosives -- explosives that can generate a large explosion, but they're put together with commercially available material," he said.

McConnell says small numbers of al Qaeda operatives are in this country raising funds. But he said he knows of no al Qaeda cells in the country that are capable of launching a strike at this time.

"I worry that there are sleeper cells in the U.S.," McConnell said. "I do not know."

Michael Scheuer, who once ran the CIA's al Qaeda desk, says the Bush administration is not merely fear mongering.

"The intelligence community is being very frank about what it knows so it doesn't get Shanghaied or blamed for something that wasn't its fault, as it did after 9/11," Scheuer said.

The main reason for al Qaeda's resurgence, U.S. intelligence officials say, is a safe haven in Pakistan's lawless Waziristan province, where Osama bin Laden and the Taliban are believed to operate outside the control of Pakistan's government.

"I believe he is in the tribal region of Pakistan," McConnell said of bin Laden.

Pakistan's government had made an agreement with local tribal officials that the tribal leaders would be responsible for policing the area and ensuring that extremists had no safe haven. U.S. intelligence officials say that policy has been an abject failure.

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I'd like to point out that an ATS member has started a thread to talk about this article in more detail.

[edit on 22-7-2007 by Justin Oldham]

The following item from ABC News demonstrates one more way in which Federal officials can exploit terrorism to their own advantage.

FBI Proposes Building Network of U.S. Informants

July 25, 2007 1:01 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

The FBI is taking cues from the CIA to recruit thousands of covert informants in the United States as part of a sprawling effort to boost its intelligence capabilities.

According to a recent unclassified report to Congress, the FBI expects its informants to provide secrets about possible terrorists and foreign spies, although some may also be expected to aid with criminal investigations, in the tradition of law enforcement confidential informants. The FBI did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

The FBI said the push was driven by a 2004 directive from President Bush ordering the bureau to improve its counterterrorism efforts by boosting its human intelligence capabilities.

The aggressive push for more secret informants appears to be part of a new effort to grow its intelligence and counterterrorism efforts. Other recent proposals include expanding its collection and analysis of data on U.S. persons, retaining years' worth of Americans' phone records and even increasing so-called "black bag" secret entry operations.

To handle the increase in so-called human sources, the FBI also plans to overhaul its database system, so it can manage records and verify the accuracy of information from "more than 15,000" informants, according to the document. While many of the recruited informants will apparently be U.S. residents, some informants may be overseas, recruited by FBI agents in foreign offices, the report indicates.

The total cost of the effort tops $22 million, according to the document.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
The bureau has arranged to use elements of CIA training to teach FBI agents about "Source Targeting and Development," the report states. The courses will train FBI special agents on the "comprehensive tradecraft" needed to identify, recruit and manage these "confidential human sources." According to January testimony by FBI Deputy Director John S. Pistole, the CIA has been working with the bureau on the course.

The bureau apparently mulled whether to adopt entire training courses from the CIA or from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which like the CIA recruits spies overseas. But the FBI ultimately determined "the courses offered by those agencies would not meet the needs of the FBI's unique law enforcement." The FBI report said it would also give agents "legal and policy" training, noting that its domestic intelligence efforts are "constitutionally sensitive."

"It's probably a good sign they are not adopting CIA recruitment techniques wholesale," said Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists, an expert on classified programs. U.S. intelligence officers abroad can use bribery, extortion, and other patently illegal acts to corral sources into working for them, Aftergood noted. "You're not supposed to do that in the United States," he said.

--------------------------------
Nobody questions the need for effective anti-terrorist measures, but we should all question the motives of our leaders when they take quiet steps to implement unpopular and abuse-prone measures that can transform us in to the very thing we are supposed to be fighting against.

When I look back at the material in this thread, I can't help but feel that this is bigger than I thought it was. I know that this kind of thing is like throwing gasoline on an open fire. All I can do is relate to it in my own current circumstance.

I step on toes every now and then. I know that. I bend the rules a little, and I don't always mean to do that. I appreciate the skeptics who don't see my point of view in this matter. They help to keep me grounded. In this case, I want so very much to be wrong.

I'd like to bring the following news item to your attention. the specifics of this bill (S-1927) will be discussed elsewhere, but I am posting the full text of this article here to further demonstrate how the American anti-terror effort can be used to benefit U.S. politicians.

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House Approves Foreign Wiretap Bill

By CHARLES BABINGTON Sunday, August 05, 2007

WASHINGTON - The House handed President Bush a victory Saturday, voting to expand the government's abilities to eavesdrop without warrants on foreign suspects whose communications pass through the United States.

The 227-183 vote, which followed the Senate's approval Friday, sends the bill to Bush for his signature.

Late Saturday, Bush said, "The Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, has assured me that this bill gives him what he needs to continue to protect the country, and therefore I will sign this legislation as soon as it gets to my desk."

The administration said the measure is needed to speed the National Security Agency's ability to intercept phone calls, e-mails and other communications involving foreign nationals "reasonably believed to be outside the United States." Civil liberties groups and many Democrats said it goes too far, possibly enabling the government to wiretap U.S. residents communicating with overseas parties without adequate oversight from courts or Congress.

The bill updates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. It gives the government leeway to intercept, without warrants, communications between foreigners that are routed through equipment in United States, provided that "foreign intelligence information" is at stake. Bush describes the effort as an anti-terrorist program, but the bill is not limited to terror suspects and could have wider applications, some lawmakers said.

The government long has had substantial powers to intercept purely foreign communications that don't touch U.S. soil.

If a U.S. resident becomes the chief target of surveillance, the government would have to obtain a warrant from the special FISA court.

Congressional Democrats won a few concessions in negotiations earlier in the week. New wiretaps must be approved by the director of national intelligence and the attorney general, not just the attorney general. Congress has battled with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on several issues, and some Democrats have accused him of perjury.

The new law also will expire in six months unless Congress renews it. The administration wanted the changes to be permanent.

Many congressional Democrats wanted tighter restrictions on government surveillance, but yielded in the face of Bush's veto threats and the impending August recess.

"This bill would grant the attorney general the ability to wiretap anybody, any place, any time without court review, without any checks and balances," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., during the debate preceding the vote. "I think this unwarranted, unprecedented measure would simply eviscerate the 4th Amendment," which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.

Republicans disputed her description. "It does nothing to tear up the Constitution," said Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif.

If an American's communications are swept up in surveillance of a foreigner, he said, "we go through a process called minimization" and get rid of the records unless there is reason to suspect the American is a threat.

The administration began pressing for changes to the law after a recent ruling by the FISA court. That decision barred the government from eavesdropping without warrants on foreign suspects whose messages were being routed through U.S. communications carriers, including Internet sites.

-----------------------------------

My one single solitary beef with this new government authority is that is can be carried out with no official oversight. No paper trails, and no warrants. The "accidental" acquisition of non-threat communicaitons is trvialized. It's being suggested that if/when they accidentally capture harmelss communications, they'll just throw that stuff away. Really?

[edit on 5-8-2007 by Justin Oldham]

In an effort to keep you advised of the current trend in U.S. terror scares, I'd like to bring the following article from World Net Daily to your attention. We understand the need to run training excersizes in any country to prevent or lessen the effects of any terrorist threat. What we don't understand is the U.S. government's continued insistence on scaring the jeepers out of us.

-----------------------------------

New nuclear terror drill sparks conspiracy scare
Soros-backed media outlet warns of plot for institution of martial law

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: August 19, 2007
6:49 p.m. Eastern


By Joseph Farah
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


WASHINGTON – A U.S. military drill designed to enhance homeland security in the event of a nuclear terrorist attack has some officials and media outlets funded by billionaire George Soros warning it may be a "false flag" operation leading to the detonation of a real nuclear device to set the stage for martial law.

The exercise, part of the "Noble Resolve" program of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, is set for tomorrow through Friday in Portland, Ore. Like other previous drills, it involves coordination with local officials in a model nuclear attack.






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMELAND INSECURITY
New nuclear terror drill sparks conspiracy scare
Soros-backed media outlet warns of plot for institution of martial law

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: August 19, 2007
6:49 p.m. Eastern


By Joseph Farah
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


WASHINGTON – A U.S. military drill designed to enhance homeland security in the event of a nuclear terrorist attack has some officials and media outlets funded by billionaire George Soros warning it may be a "false flag" operation leading to the detonation of a real nuclear device to set the stage for martial law.

The exercise, part of the "Noble Resolve" program of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, is set for tomorrow through Friday in Portland, Ore. Like other previous drills, it involves coordination with local officials in a model nuclear attack.


Scenic skyline of Portland, Ore.


The series of "Noble Resolve" experiments began April 23 in Suffolk, Va. They represent a follow-up to similar series of drills called Urban Resolve that took place in 2006.

The efforts bring together JFCOM, Northern Command, the Homeland Security Department and state and local officials to model responses to nuclear terrorist attacks.

(Story continues below)


During the experiments, which are largely based on computer modeling, the "bomb" explodes inside the simulation. "Noble Resolve," according to planners, strives to create processes for interactions among local, state, national and international officials.

Last April, a similar "Noble Resolve" exercise took place in Virginia.


George Soros

However, despite the precedent, some officials and the IndyMedia organization supported by Soros are raising red flags – even claiming that in a similar exercise, President Bush ordered the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and blamed it on radical Islamic terrorists.

Writing in NewOrleans.IndyMedia.org, Capt. Eric H. May, the military correspondent for the agency, asked the following question about the Portland drill: "But what if they decide to use a real bomb rather than simulate it?"

"A false flag attack is one in which you attack your own people, then blame it on a group of people you want to attack," wrote May. "It's a radical stratagem for instantly creating hatred, and it's common, historically speaking, all the way from ancient to modern times."

May gave the following examples:


The Roman emperor Nero burned Rome, then blamed it on emerging Christianity.

The German fuhrer Hitler burned the Reichstag, then blamed it on communist Jewry.

The American president Bush demolished the World Trade Center, then blamed it on radical Islam.
The jitters in Portland, according to May, caused Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., to grill the Bush administration about National Security Presidential Directive 51, first reported in WND, which authorizes the executive branch to assume extraordinary powers in the event of a national emergency.

"Maybe the people who think there's a conspiracy out there are right," DeFazio told the Portland Oregonian.

DeFazio, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he was denied an opportunity to examine classified documents related to Directive 51.

"At this stage of the Bush regime and its terror-driven global war, there's no shame in conspiracy theory, since it's the only theory that offers consistent, coherent answers to our growing secret government and its terror policies," wrote May.

Meanwhile, Portland's version of IndyMedia, raises even more concerns about the impending exercises.

"There has been a growing concern over the mock or simulation events (nuclear attack and martial law) proposed to take place in Portland, Oregon, by Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other governmental agencies now called Operation Noble Resolve," reports the agency in an article titled "Don't Nuke Portland." "This mock event has been feared by some in the past to set up martial law in Portland during the months of August and September, but newer information has raised concern of graver fears."

The article goes on to speculate that an actual nuclear attack by the U.S. government might take place during the drill. It goes on to assert that the 9/11 attacks were a false flag operation and urges those who have been hired or volunteered to be a part of the exercise to refuse to participate.

"Why participate in a simulation that supposes an external attack on the USA when there seems to be more internal threat by enemies of democracy within?" poses the article.


Teresa Heinz Kerry

Besides grants from Soros, IndyMedia.org has also received support from Teresa Heinz Kerry's Tides Foundation. The Ford Foundation has also offered support. Ralph Nader's Public Citizen organization also assists IndyMedia.org.

When star football player Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, the The Portland, Ore., chapter of Indymedia.org posted the news of Tillman's death accompanied by this headline: "Dumb Jock Killed in Afghanistan."

According to its website, "Indymedia is a collective of independent media organizations and hundreds of journalists offering grass-roots, non-corporate coverage. Indymedia is a democratic media outlet for the creation of radical, accurate and passionate tellings of truth."

It maintains websites in 50 major American markets, five chapters in Africa, 13 in Canada, 39 in Europe, 15 in Latin America, eight in Asia, and nine in Oceania.

In light of the scare stories, the Portland Oregonian editorialized in favor of the drill and many local officials are participating in the exercise because they believe it is necessary to prepare for a worst-case scenario.

One nuclear terror expert said earlier this year the chances of a detonation in the U.S. in the next decade are 50 percent.

Also, about the same time, Vice President Dick Cheney said the threat of nuclear terrorism is very real.

"The fact is that the threat to the United States now of a 9/11 occurring with a group of terrorists armed not with airline tickets and box cutters, but with a nuclear weapon in the middle of one of our own cities is the greatest threat we face," he said. "It's a very real threat. It's something that we have to worry about and defeat every single day."

Meanwhile, the most extensive study of the effects of such an attack concluded the U.S. was woefully under-prepared to respond, particularly if the event took place in a major population center.

The series of "Noble Resolve" experiments began April 23 in Suffolk, Va. They represent a follow-up to similar series of drills called Urban Resolve that took place in 2006.

The efforts bring together JFCOM, Northern Command, the Homeland Security Department and state and local officials to model responses to nuclear terrorist attacks.

During the experiments, which are largely based on computer modeling, the "bomb" explodes inside the simulation. "Noble Resolve," according to planners, strives to create processes for interactions among local, state, national and international officials.

Last April, a similar "Noble Resolve" exercise took place in Virginia.


George Soros

However, despite the precedent, some officials and the IndyMedia organization supported by Soros are raising red flags – even claiming that in a similar exercise, President Bush ordered the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and blamed it on radical Islamic terrorists.

Writing in NewOrleans.IndyMedia.org, Capt. Eric H. May, the military correspondent for the agency, asked the following question about the Portland drill: "But what if they decide to use a real bomb rather than simulate it?"

"A false flag attack is one in which you attack your own people, then blame it on a group of people you want to attack," wrote May. "It's a radical stratagem for instantly creating hatred, and it's common, historically speaking, all the way from ancient to modern times."

May gave the following examples:

The Roman emperor Nero burned Rome, then blamed it on emerging Christianity.

The German fuhrer Hitler burned the Reichstag, then blamed it on communist Jewry.

The American president Bush demolished the World Trade Center, then blamed it on radical Islam.

The jitters in Portland, according to May, caused Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., to grill the Bush administration about National Security Presidential Directive 51, first reported in WND, which authorizes the executive branch to assume extraordinary powers in the event of a national emergency.

"Maybe the people who think there's a conspiracy out there are right," DeFazio told the Portland Oregonian.

DeFazio, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he was denied an opportunity to examine classified documents related to Directive 51.

"At this stage of the Bush regime and its terror-driven global war, there's no shame in conspiracy theory, since it's the only theory that offers consistent, coherent answers to our growing secret government and its terror policies," wrote May.

Meanwhile, Portland's version of IndyMedia, raises even more concerns about the impending exercises.

"There has been a growing concern over the mock or simulation events (nuclear attack and martial law) proposed to take place in Portland, Oregon, by Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other governmental agencies now called Operation Noble Resolve," reports the agency in an article titled "Don't Nuke Portland." "This mock event has been feared by some in the past to set up martial law in Portland during the months of August and September, but newer information has raised concern of graver fears."

The article goes on to speculate that an actual nuclear attack by the U.S. government might take place during the drill. It goes on to assert that the 9/11 attacks were a false flag operation and urges those who have been hired or volunteered to be a part of the exercise to refuse to participate.

"Why participate in a simulation that supposes an external attack on the USA when there seems to be more internal threat by enemies of democracy within?" poses the article.


Teresa Heinz Kerry

Besides grants from Soros, IndyMedia.org has also received support from Teresa Heinz Kerry's Tides Foundation. The Ford Foundation has also offered support. Ralph Nader's Public Citizen organization also assists IndyMedia.org.

When star football player Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, the The Portland, Ore., chapter of Indymedia.org posted the news of Tillman's death accompanied by this headline: "Dumb Jock Killed in Afghanistan."

According to its website, "Indymedia is a collective of independent media organizations and hundreds of journalists offering grass-roots, non-corporate coverage. Indymedia is a democratic media outlet for the creation of radical, accurate and passionate tellings of truth."

It maintains websites in 50 major American markets, five chapters in Africa, 13 in Canada, 39 in Europe, 15 in Latin America, eight in Asia, and nine in Oceania.

In light of the scare stories, the Portland Oregonian editorialized in favor of the drill and many local officials are participating in the exercise because they believe it is necessary to prepare for a worst-case scenario.

One nuclear terror expert said earlier this year the chances of a detonation in the U.S. in the next decade are 50 percent.

Also, about the same time, Vice President Dick Cheney said the threat of nuclear terrorism is very real.

"The fact is that the threat to the United States now of a 9/11 occurring with a group of terrorists armed not with airline tickets and box cutters, but with a nuclear weapon in the middle of one of our own cities is the greatest threat we face," he said. "It's a very real threat. It's something that we have to worry about and defeat every single day."

Meanwhile, the most extensive study of the effects of such an attack concluded the U.S. was woefully under-prepared to respond, particularly if the event took place in a major population center.

----------------------------------

There is an ATS discussion thread on this article, if you are interested. I'm well aware of the fact that this article also demonstrates just how culpable the media is when it comes to scaring the American public. As you can see, the author of this piece does a little pandering of their own. The scaring of America for profit continues.

The Republican party has committed itself to an election strategy that is clearly meant to exploit terrorism. Rudy Giuliani seems to be the chief benefactor of this "scare them to the polls" battleplan. I can't help thinking that this fanatical devotion to what is obviously a failed strategy is in and of itself proof tha the GOP is out of touch with reality.

The majority of candidates on the GOP ticket have done a good job of carrying their team'sw ater. Even so, I have to wonder if they realize the futility of their actions. I'd like to be wrong about this, but I just don't see how the likes of Giuliani, Romney, or Thompson--or McCain--can be oblivious to what's happening to their party.

The mistake made by the GOP party bosses is so basic that I've really got to wonder why it was made in the first place. Tying the Iraq war to the larger terrorism issue is like chaining yourself to the Titanic so you don't lose sight of the ship after if sinks. By insisting that the War on Terror is an all or nothing proposition, the Old Guys who run the Republican party have proven just how disconnected they really are.

It's ironic that the party which lit the fuse on the Iraq thing won't be able to make the most of it. Over the next eight years, we'll see the Democrats do more to centralize power and grow the size of the Federal bureaucracy than George W. Bush has done in both of his terms. In the long run, we should expect the Dems to do a better job of exploiting trans-national terrorism, which isn't a good thing.

Reuters is now reporting that Israel has carried out a successful test launch for its Jericho III intermediate range missile. I bring this to your attention because it represents a new option for U.S. politicians who may want to exploit American fears.

In the future, we should expect U.S. leaders to characterize Israel as a "loose cannon." Never mind the fact that U.S. prestige has waned to the point that we couldn't stop an Israeli strike on Iran even if we wanted to.