The Obfuscation Report

by BarbinMD

According to the White House, their most important job is to protect Americans from terrorism and that:

You can't go overboard when you're trying to protect lives.

But time and again this administration has proven that there is something much more important to them...protecting themselves. And if that means whipping up a little terror of their own in the form of phony alerts and fearmongering, well, their motto seems to be, "bring 'em on."

Tonight on Countdown, in a segment titled, "The Nexus Of Politics and Terror," Keith Olbermann laid out how the timing of these heightened terror alerts always seem to occur when things are going badly for them or well for their opponents. Ian Fleming said that:

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action.

What is eleven times?

Last week, in the wake of Ned Lamont's victory in the Connecticut Democratic primary, there was a concerted effort from the administration and the GOP to paint the results as proof that Democrats were soft on terrorism...from Dick Cheney we got "the al Qaeda types", Tony Snow talked about "a white flag in the war on terror" and RNC Chairman Mehlman said it showed that Democrats were embracing"defeatism". And the next day? As a raid by British authorties that broke up a terrorist plot was announced, our toothpaste was confiscated and the terror alert level was raised to "red." Just another coincidence? As Keith outlined, it wasn't the first time there was an apparent nexus between politics and terror.

May 18, 2002

Details of the infamous August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing titled:

Bin Ladin Determined To Strike In U.S.

...is revealed. And on that same day a memo is released that reveals the F.B.I. knew of men with links to al Qaeda training at an Arizona flight school.

Two days later, then F.B.I. Director Mueller says that another terrorist attack in America is "inevitable." And the day after that the Department of Homeland Security warns of possible attacks on railroads nationwide and against New York City landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.

June 6, 2002

Colleen Rowley, the F.B.I. agent who tried to alert her superiors about the specialized flight training taken by Zacarias Moussaoui, testified before Congress.

Four days later, John Ashcroft announces that:

We have disrupted an unfolding terrorist plot...

The plot of Jose Padilla to unleash a dirty bomb in this country. At that time, Padilla had been in custody for over a month.

February 7, 2003

While worldwide demonstrations against potential action by the United States against Iraq are going on, Tom Ridge cites "credible threats by al Qaeda" and raises the alert level to high. Americans are advised to stock up on plastic sheeting and duct tape to protect themselves from radiological or biological attacks.

July 23, 2003

The White House admits that the CIA had expressed, prior to the State of the Union Address, "strong doubts" about the claims of Iraq seeking uranium from Niger. The next day the Congressional Report on the 9/11 attacks is released, which is critical of the administration at all levels. Two days after that, the first prisoner abuse story in Iraq broke. And three days after that banner week?

Homeland Security issues warnings of further attempts to use airplanes for suicide attacks

December 17, 2003

The 9/11 Commission Co-Chair, Thomas Kean, says that:

...the attacks were preventable.

The next day the federal government said Jose Padilla could not be held indefinitely without charges and the chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq, Dr. David Kay, announces that there are no WMD's in Iraq and that he is resigning his post.

Four days later? Tom Ridge annouces that the United States government raised the national threat level citing "credible threats" (again) of further plots to crash airliners into U.S. cities. It was based on matches with travelers with names on government no-fly lists. They were later identified as:

...an insurance salesman from Wales, another to an elderly Chinese woman, a third to a five year old boy.

March 30, 2004

Charles Duelfer tells Congress that there still has been no WMD found in Iraq. That same day, Condoleezza Rice finally agrees to testify before the 9/11 Commission. On March 31st, the four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah are killed, their mutilated bodies burned and hung from bridges. Two days later?

Homeland Security issues a warning that terrorists may try to blow up buses and trains using fertilizer and fuel, like the kind used in the Oklahoma City bombing.

May 16, 2004

Colin Powell appears on Meet The Press and is asked about his personal credibility given the claims he had made at the U.N. the year before. Powell says the information he was given was:

...inaccurate and wrong and in some cases, deliberately misleading.

Four days later, more photos from Abu Ghraib were released, and four days after that it is learned that U.S. forces mistakenly bombed a wedding party, killing more than 40 people.

And on May 26th, John Ashcroft warned that intelligence from "multiple sources" says that it is:

al Qaeda's specific intention to hit the United States hard.

Oddly, they don't raise the terror alert level and Tom Ridge was not present for the briefing.

July 6, 2004

John Kerry announces that his running mate will be John Edwards.

Two days later, Ridge announces that:

Credible reporting now indicates that al Qaeda is moving forward with its plan to carry out a large scale attack in the United States.

And btw, it was also at this time that the idea of "postponing" the Presidential election was bandied about by an administration official.

July 29, 2004

John Kerry is formally nominated by his Party.

The following Monday, three days later, Ridge announces that:

It is as reliable source, group of sources that we've ever seen before.

...and raises the alert level for financials centers in New York, New Jersey and Washington. The evidence, that reliable evidence, was later revealed to be four years old.

October 6, 2005

Bush claims that his adminstration had broken up 10 terrorist plots since 9/11. Five hours later it is announced that Karl Rove will testify again to the CIA leak Grand Jury and that an indictment is possible. And two hours later? A bomb threat to the New York City subway system is announced based on information from the federal government. The source of the information was later called "doubtful," but more importantly, New York City officials had known of the threat three days earlier and had already stepped up security. A local news station had the story but was asked by "high ranking federal officials...to hold off on its story."

Treason doth never prosper. For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.

You make the call.