Briton 'could stage another September 11'

The United States fears that the next September 11-style attack on America could be launched by Muslims from Britain or Europe who feel "second-class citizens" and alienated by a "colonial legacy", according to the US Homeland Security chief.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Michael Chertoff, who arrives in Britain tomorrow for talks with John Reid, the Home Secretary, said the US was determined to build extra defences against so-called "clean skin" terrorists from Europe.

"We need to build layers of protection, and I don't think we totally want to rely upon the fact that a foreign government is going to know that one of their citizens is suspicious and is going to be coming here," he said.

Mr Chertoff insisted that the US required additional information, including email addresses and credit card details, to vet European passengers and rejected "the idea that we're going to bargain with the European Union over who's going to come into the United States" under the visa waiver scheme.

src: rawstory.com...

www.nysun.com...

The US is free to do what it likes within its borders and to those entering those same borders. Isolation appears to be the best long term medicine so it seems. Chertoff states that "Our Muslim population is better educated and economically better off than the average American." which is a rather odd admission. Will the US put up more walls ?

brill

[edit on 5-4-2007 by brill]

Originally posted by brill
Chertoff states that "Our Muslim population is better educated and economically better off than the average American." which is a rather odd admission. Will the US put up more walls ?

I don't know that it is true that American Muslims are better educated and better off economically than the average American, but it wouldn't surprise me, so why would that be an odd admission, if it is true.

By the way, your link didn't work for me, so I couldn't read the story.

[edit on 2007/4/5 by GradyPhilpott]

I don't know that it is true that American Muslims are better educated and better off economically than the average American, but it wouldn't surprise me, so why would that be an odd admission, if it is true.

By the way, your link didn't work for me, so I couldn't read the story.

[edit on 2007/4/5 by GradyPhilpott]

Sorry I've added another source link, not sure whats happened to the first.

brill

Mod Edit: Big Quote – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 6/4/2007 by Mirthful Me]

This is the heart of Mr. Chertoff's statement and it in no way implies a position of isolationism:

Mr. Chertoff said, "We can do a good job with the known terrorists, if we have their name, or if we've previously arrested them and have their fingerprint on file" but a more potent threat was the terrorist with no known form. The fear has always been the so-called ‘clean-skin' — that's a person whose documents are completely legitimate — are not forged."

This had led America to require a significant tightening of the rules for passengers traveling under a visa waiver. Among the new requirements is that all passenger information be transmitted to the U.S. before a plane takes off. Soon, passengers will have to give all 10 fingerprints, rather than just two.

"If someone's a terrorist, and they've left their fingerprints at a training camp, or in a safe house where a bomb was built, and those latent fingerprints are collected, we can then, when someone crosses a border, match their real prints against those latent prints... even if we don't know their name," he said.

www.nysun.com...

The US has every reason to suspect that another terrorist attack is inevitable and that if it were not for a heighten level of awareness, another one would have already happened.

America does not desire isolationism. Indeed, this is what Mr. Chertoff had to say about immigration:

"Our Muslim population is better educated and economically better off than the average American. So, from a standpoint of mobility in society, it's a successful immigrant population. To some degree, the whole country is a country of immigrants, and therefore, there's no sense that we have insiders or outsiders. [emphasis mine]

www.nysun.com...

Given the level of the threat, it is imperative that we know who is coming into our country and that is all Mr. Chertoff is saying.

Personally, I don't think we're doing enough in that regard, but that's beside the point.



[edit on 2007/4/5 by GradyPhilpott]

All sounds like more bell ringing to me.

I mean common, the blitz was terrorism, and people died every raid.

This is like the town crier everyday telling you some people may die horribly, 12 o'clock and all's well!

Trying to turn everyone into agoraphobics - oooh can't catch a bus, might have a bomb on it. - Go out (take your camera phone with you if you must)

Ignore a terrorist - go on mess with their heads!

pre elections scares?
i mean what better then get another attack

also can bush extend his term by any amount if another attack should occur?

how on earth did you read the Chertoff interview and come to the conclusion that Briton will 'stage' another 9/11? I am confused.

I never arrived at any conclusion stating your view. That was the label as given by the source.

brill