Summer terrorists

Al Qaeda Cell May Be Loose in U.S., British Plot Hints

More recently, the commander for Northern Command, the American military operational region that includes North America, Air Force General Victor Renuart told the Associated Press in an interview on July 25, "I believe there are cells in the United States, or at least people who aspire to create cells in the United States." He added, "To assume that there are not those cells is naive and so we have to take that threat seriously."

Duh. Of course there are al-Qaeda cells in the United States. What were you expecting them to do, terrorize us by conference call?

That's why we're fighting them over THERE, so we won't have to fight them HERE, right? Because if we fought them over HERE, we'd catch some, seeing as this is where they are, thus proving that fighting them THERE isn't stopping us having to fight them HERE, and then we wouldn't get to stay over THERE.

They're summer terrorists. Summer over here, and summer over there.

An executive order to be NICER?

Bush Alters Rules for Interrogations

The White House declined to say whether the CIA currently has a detention and interrogation program, but said if it did, it must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the executive order.

"If it did"...didn't O.J. Simpson say something like that?

The Supreme Court had ruled in June 2006 that trying detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law, so Bush urged Congress to change the law. He also insisted that the law authorize CIA agents to use tough methods to interrogate suspected terrorists.

The legislation said the president can "interpret the meaning and application" of international standards for prisoner treatment, a provision intended to allow him to authorize aggressive interrogation methods that might otherwise be seen as illegal by international courts.

Okay, I remember that. So now he's apparently advocating the opposite. Maybe I'm misunderstanding it...

Cirque du Terreur

A most intriguing choice of adjectives:

Secret Document: U.S. Fears Terror 'Spectacular' Planned

We've gotten "secret", "fear", "terror" -- all triggers -- along with the jarringly incongruous "spectacular", all in one headline! Cue "Entrance of the Gladiators"!

(Yes, you know "Entrance of the Gladiators." Think "circus". Hear that music? That's it.)

One question: Why has it always got to be about US?

US, the pronoun. Perhaps it's no accident that "United States" is abbreviated that way. When you go to the article (yes, I do suggest you RTFA), look at the some of the Related Articles: "U.S. Told About Glasgow Threat 2 Weeks Ago." "Heavy Weapons Teams at U.S. Airports." "U.S. Reacts to London Bombs."

You know what the U.S. is reacting to London bombs with? Jealousy. The United States thinks it is the most important thing in the universe. How dare the terrorists concentrate on Britain? It can't be because Britain is, like, important or anything. It's got to be a warm-up for attacking US. You guys might have a few exploding cars, but we're going to have a Spectacular Event! One wasn't enough! We need ATTENTION!

Our exploding cars will be full of CLOWNS!

He asked for it, we got it...allegedly

The chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, Dennis Milligan, thinks we could use a few more terrorist attacks.

“At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001], and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country.”

Because another terrorist attack on his watch would inspire my confidence, wouldn't it yours?

Summary article

The entire Arkansas Democrat-Gazette interview

The most interesting part is that he did not say the naysayers "would" come around. He said they "will" come around.

A slip of the tongue? Probably not; he is new to his post and They^TM haven't had time to let him in on the Grand Plan -- the latest installment of which, by the way, may be the "alleged" plot to blow up JFK Airport.

The press is being careful to use the word "alleged". Why? Since when has the press, in this post-2001 world, been so careful about trial-by-media? It's not just in the articles; it's in nearly every headline about the JFK plot. Enough so that it's drawn my attention more than the plot itself has.

And now this Milligan says "will come around" instead of "would come around".

I don't know why the two things are resonating in my mind. Any ideas? I mean, other than the plot's having been under investigation for almost a year and a half before the FBI pounced just in time for the first few presidential candidate debates?

Convenient Shocking terrorist plot foiled

There's not much I can say about this one that isn't being said all over the place right now. But as a blogger, especially a new one, I have to at least toss it up here.

4 charged with terror plot at JFK airport

I'll just encapsulate: Bush's approval ratings low, distraction needed, plot supposedly 16 months under investigation finally acted upon. There ya go.

On the other hand...

...there are some points to be made about all the things happening right now, wham wham wham, school shooting, deadly germs, terrorist attack.

In fact, I could write all day.

While you wait on the edge of your seat for me to do so, read the article below.

Ground Zero articles of interest:

Okay, okay, we'll negotiate with SOME terrorists. But not the really naughty ones

US may negotiate with Iraqi insurgents

"One element of the plan is to try to identify groups of people -- including possibly Sunni extremists and militia groups -- with whom U.S. officials feel they can do business, such as negotiating power-sharing and cease-fire agreements and granting economic aid, the sources said."

Maybe this will work because, essentially, the hawks and the insurgents are on the same side. They each want to abolish the status quo of America.

Ground Zero articles of interest: