Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is expected to announce today the raising of the U.S. security level from yellow (elevated) to orange (high), an official told CNN. Ridge is expected to discuss concerns about continued al Qaeda threats to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security announced.

More follows

Edit: *upgrades story status to BREAKING NEWS*



[Edited on 23-12-2003 by Nerdling]

"Test the masses of sheeple, see how they react." - G.W.B.

"Ok Mr. President." - Ridge

"Good, maybe on Christmas, when everyones looking for a terrorist attack, well raise it to red." - G.W.B.

"The government will goto Mount Weather, and there we'll force congress to pass the so-called "PATRIOT Act 2"." - G.W.B.

"Excellent idea, Sir." - Ashcroft

"So it's set then." - G.W.B.

"We get what we what, and the sheeple, get what they need." :evil laugh: - G.W.B.

Ashcroft joins in, :evil laugh:

Ridge looks confused, "What are you guys talking about?"



Watch, this is what happens. Ain't that the truth! Hahaha

I really hope nothing happens.

Boy this place is starting to get to me.... here goes..

Is it possible that this precedes an event meant to distract us from the possible Saddam/Kurd debacle?

People hear these announcements of the security level and pretty much ignore them anymore. Too much "little boy who cried wolf" has made us complacent.
Could this be something planned to incite the American people and be a boost in the arm of the troubled current administration?

Peace,
BG

Originally posted by Nerdling
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is expected to announce today the raising of the U.S. security level from yellow (elevated) to orange (high), an official told CNN.

I wonder which thread of yours and Banshee's will grow and prosper.

The above really says it all. Terrorist attacks can happen anytime anywhere, and are meant to be be shocking, unpreventable, so you need to be in constant fear of imminent danger. But there is time for an official to tell CNN that a more senior official will maybe announce that maybe the color of the fear that you should be showing should maybe lift in its intensity, maybe.



[Edited on 21-12-2003 by MaskedAvatar]

yes it can happen at anytime anywhere


but rwaly do hope they have a reason to put this warning out.....

a *good* reason not just becouse its xmas and everyones out and about

they've cried wolf too many times, the logical step is for something to happen now , it also whips up the christian majority public against those sand eating camel jockey arabs letting bush pass anything he wants. We can blame it on Saddams capture, it being christmas or generally bin laden still being out there.

Could this be because of the suspected leak of information of Saddams arrival to the US? I heard that he may have been brought here and if thats the truth and there was a leak then they may be worried about that.


Nightwalker

Updating you all....

US raises terror alert level
The US Government has

The colour-coded alert system was introduced after 11 September attacks
raised the nation's terror alert level from "elevated" to "high".

Announcing the move, Tom Ridge, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said they had received credible reports of a substantial increase in threats.

These reports indicated that extremists were planning attacks to exceed or rival those of 11 September, he said.

The State Department has also issued a worldwide alert of an al-Qaeda attack, the French news agency reports.

"Your government is at the ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week to stop terrorist attacks in the holiday season and beyond," Mr Ridge said.

Speaking earlier on Sunday, General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told US television it was likely that the alert would be increased.


US STATES OF ALERT

red (severe)
orange (high)
yellow (elevated)
blue (guarded)
green (low)
He said security experts were trying to determine the extent of the threat.

ABC television reported on Friday that US intelligence intercepts had suggested an increase in terrorist threats to a number of US cities.

On the same day, the Arabic satellite channel al-Jazeera broadcast a tape said to be of Osama Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, in which he taunted the US.

General Myers did not comment on those reports but said: "We take all these intelligence tips very, very seriously."

The five-level colour-coded alert system has been at yellow since 30 May. The last time it was raised to orange was on 5 May.

It has never been at the top red alert.


an article by the BBC.

All I can say is, here we go again. We have been at orange 5 times. Will the 6th be it? Stay tuned.....lol
"near-term attacks that could either rival or exceed what we experienced on September 11." --cnn, Tom Ridge. Is it just me, or does this time it feel real, like something might actually happen?
P.S. Think it is a conincidence that with Libya?

Now we just sit and wait. Soemthing could happen before Im done typing, or nothing could happen. Who knows. All we can do is be prepared. If something does happen report asap. Be prepared. God Bless.


Nightwalker

If something happens(which is quite realistic when you give out "specific" warnings for every country/place in the world for every time ) they will tell you : look, we told ya all!!!!! - and the lemmings will follow and believe it was great work of "intelligence" that they were warned. Soooo funny.

[Edited on 21-12-2003 by shoo]

GWB: I want Apple damnitt
Rumsfeld: I think that Orange is great, just in time for Xmas
Rice: Whats wrong with Banana?
GWB: I make the decisions around here
Rumsfeld: Orange it is

Originally posted by dexxy
GWB: I want Apple damnitt
Rumsfeld: I think that Orange is great, just in time for Xmas
Rice: Whats wrong with Banana?
GWB: I make the decisions around here
Rumsfeld: Orange it is

I'm still waiting on the computer rendering of "Mr Rogers explains terror warnings at christmas" to be shown.

Originally posted by dexxy
GWB: I want Apple damnitt
Rumsfeld: I think that Orange is great, just in time for Xmas
Rice: Whats wrong with Banana?
GWB: I make the decisions around here
Rumsfeld: Orange it is

Skipper: I want Apple damnitt
Gilligan: I think that Orange is great, just in time for Xmas
Mrs. Howell: Whats wrong with Banana?
Skipper: I make the decisions around here
Gilligan: Orange it is

I make light of the situation, but it does feel different this time for me also...

Being prepared,
BG

Instead of something terrible happening i think it could be nothing more than a DHS/DOJ stunt so they can pretend like they've captured terrorists about to do something terrrrrrible, that way patriot 2 could be justified in the eyes of the media and it would pass easily.

Originally posted by Nerdling
Instead of something terrible happening i think it could be nothing more than a DHS/DOJ stunt so they can pretend like they've captured terrorists about to do something terrrrrrible, that way patriot 2 could be justified in the eyes of the media and it would pass easily.

uhhhhh....what did i say above, ya know, the second post in the tread, buddy?
just teasing. Yeah, that's what i think will happen, they will try to convince everyone, between now and a week inta jan. so when congress meets on the 7th, they pass it ASAP

[Edited on 12-21-2003 by BeingWatchedByThem]

When something blows..



Seriously..

Was there a rise of the level before 911?

Or even after the first tower was hit?

Originally posted by FULCRUM
When something blows..



Seriously..

Was there a rise of the level before 911?

Or even after the first tower was hit?

WTF are you on? There was no "Candy color" levels back then.

After 9|11 they convinced ya that ya needed these wonderful color coded crap. Now they can manipulate ya on it., Wonderful aint it.

Originally posted by FULCRUM
Was there a rise of the level before 911?

The U.S. didn't have a "level rating" before 911. That came after. It's a joke...know one really pays much attention to it.

Originally posted by BeingWatchedByThem

WTF are you on? There was no "Candy color" levels back then.

After 9|11 they convinced ya that ya needed these wonderful color coded crap. Now they can manipulate ya on it., Wonderful aint it.

There was..

Just not separate colors for terror threats only..