Are we on the cusp of a world changing event?

I will begin by saying that I put this in Skunk Works because it is what it is... speculation. It could fit in several other forums, but I have no concrete proof... just a bad feeling...

I was in the military for a long time, and one thing I learned during my tenure is to trust my intuition... and my "spidey-senses" have been tingling, so to speak.

This is what really got me started this morning:

The so-called “chatter” about a terror plot that led the Obama administration to close 22 U.S. embassies and consulates Sunday across the Muslim world goes beyond anything heard before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and Fox News sources.

Source

This administration has a very poor record when it comes to transparency... so why now? The government also has a long standing policy of keeping the populace in the dark. Conspiracy theories aside, I think we can all agree that they knew prior to 9/11 that a terrorist attack was in the works... yet no alerts were issued, no "heightened" states of security... The article goes on to say:

Sources told Fox News the chatter picked up by U.S. intelligence agents over the past two weeks exceeds anything in the last decade. And it included Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri demanding that key leaders of the terror network in the Arabian Peninsula step up their activities in the wake of recent killings of top terrorists.

All of this comes on the tail end of the multiple terrorist prison breaks in the region, as covered here.

Now, here is something else to consider...

Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard and regular commentator at Fox news, has said the closing of U.S. embassies in 21 countries is a sign of weakness on the part of the U.S. and suggests capitulation to al-Qaeda. He may be partly right, but chances are that the closing of the embassies auger something far more ominous. The shutdowns may be a sign of an increased conflagration in the Middle East and Northern Africa. We may be looking at the onset of World War III.

Source

Meanwhile, two chief players, Iran and Russia, are in a deadly chess game designed to ensure hegemony in the area -- a hegemony that will almost certainly be successful if Iran already has the nuclear bomb. But another chief player may already have signaled the U.S. that she is about to do a pre-emptive strike. While the world is focused in the utterly useless Middle East "peace talks," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, knowing beforehand that the talks will be absolutely fruitless, could have already made the decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. It may be that he has already sent word to President Obama, who, with the Benghazi fires still burning in the minds of the conservative media as well as in the hearts of some congressmen, is now committed to retreat. The administration does not want a dozen Benghazi-type incidents to occur before the elections of 2014 and 2016. It would be more politically expedient to close the embassies and warn Americans not to travel rather than to risk protecting either the diplomatic outposts or American citizens. When embassies are closed, it is usually because war is imminent. The lines of the Versailles Treaty are dissolving as nations disintegrate and new entities take shape. What those new lines will look like is anyone's guess, but it could be that Iran allied with Russia will be the biggest power-broker in the Middle East, but not without a dreadful struggle.

It is chilling to think about... have we closed the embassies to err on the side of caution, or is this a possible pretext for war? Are they getting ready to "wag the dog"? Sadly, it makes sense, in a twisted government mindset kind of way.

Look at it from this perspective:

The economy is a mess. The administration has been embroiled in criminal conspiracy upon criminal conspiracy; Benghazi, the IRS, the NSA... government approval ratings are at all time lows, and those pesky citizens keep demanding answers from their elected officials about what the hell they have been up to...

The time is ripe for a "reset"... Americans have a long standing tradition of reacting to attacks on America, or American interests with overwhelming and obliterating shows of force. Panama, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom... the list goes on. We never ask the big questions as to what has happened... the government and media get on the same page with regard to reason, it is sold to us as truth and we blindly comply... it is a business model that has served them well...

Need an economic boost? Go to war. Need the American people to forget about a scandal or three? Put on a really big show... then go to war. Put on a big enough show, and we will quickly forgive and forget in the name of patriotism...

I really only see two ways that this can play out. The first option is to thwart a major terrorist attack and credit the NSA's timely intelligence gathering... now programs like Prism are vital and must remain in place.

Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia on Sunday said the controversial National Security Agency's surveillance program helped to detect a potential terrorist plot that lead to the shuttering of over 20 U.S. embassies around the world. Had it not been for the government-surveillance program, the intercepts could have been missed, Chambliss, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on NBC's "Meet the Press," "There's been an awful lot of chatter out there," Chambliss said, referring to the term used for intelligence intercepts. "Very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11. We didn't take heed on 9/11 in the way that we should, but here, I think, it's very important that we do take the right kind of planning as we come to the close of Ramadan."

Source

The second option is far scarier... an attack occurs (doesn't even have to happen here... any attack on an ally will suffice), and the dog is effectively "wagged"....

We certainly live in interesting times...

I definitely think closing the embassies is all part of a plan. They KNOW that war is about to erupt, because they (West+Israel) are the ones about to provoke and/or all out initiate it!

I agree that closing the embassies is an ominous sign. I think we all can agree on that, and it doesnt take too much looking and thinking to figure out what is in the works underneath the PR bull#.

Much like chess, a successful gambit requires timing and sacrifice. Let a few pieces fall as a distraction while setting the other pieces in place for a strategic coup de grace... I think we are going to see that gambit play out pretty soon...

Perhaps we will look back in 5 years & see that this was the beginning. Perhaps not.

It is an opportune time considering the scandals that have plagued the administration, the NSA & Snowden spying debacle & the public slowly recognizing that the "recovery" we're in is not a recovery of the America of old
The recovery we're in is primarily being driven by debt & low paying jobs. Most people in the working class are starting to realize that the good ol' days are never coming back...time for a shiny new distraction.

History does show that in times of economic turmoil or scandal - the US likes to pick fights & God knows the media is great at beating the public into a frenzy about next to nothing...

WW3 would be about the biggest distraction available - as an additional bonus it would provide just enough chaos & destruction to allow the opportunity to test out or begin any new systems or programs that are waiting in the wings to be initiated.

Time will tell...

reply to post by madmac5150


If we could find the nail you would have hit it on the head...

The more I myself ponder on all that is happening and all that I can discern to be true, the more solid I become in the conclusion that The West (which is all I have personal experience with) is truly totally controlled by abject forces of evil, that do not even care if they themselves live or die. Their objective is simple, from what I can surmise: maximize suffering in the most efficient way possible, and destroy or pervert all that is good.

They are going to war with Iran I suspect, which also means more likely than not Russia. And China if not a direct player, will be waiting in the wings for any good opportunity to undermine, or even outright directly attack the US.

Essentially they are going for a total loss and the destruction of whatever is left of America, and they dont care if they kill themselves in the process, because their ideal is to maximize suffering and destroy all that is or once was good, and not about personal satisfaction/gratification/survival. They have the consciousness of evil in them.

The pieces are in place, and the stage is set. The next 20-30+ years is going to be one of the worst times in currently recorded history.

When will humanity learn that evil is only allowed to flourish when good folk sit on their asses for generations and twiddle their thumbs in complacency and arrogance? I think thats how that saying goes....

Maybe its just how the people, in their hearts, really want things to happen. Wont be the first time civilization has come to either an actual, or effective, end. Probably wont be the last, knowing humanities track record and tendency to ignore whats right in front of their faces because its uncomfortable to think about.

Pretty weird that this post would be about the same news i was just reading.

a senior U.S. official is providing new details about the communications intercepted from the terrorists, telling ABC News that al-Qaeda operatives could be heard talking about an upcoming attack. The official described the terrorists as saying the planned attack is "going to be big" and "strategically significant."

After reading that, i'm thinking Then, i got this this

"The part that is alarming is the confidence they showed while communicating and the air of certainty," the official said, adding that the group - Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - appeared to have a media plan for after the attack.

That had me going I love the way they say

"going to be big" and "strategically significant"

but then say

The part that is alarming is the confidence they showed while communicating and the air of certainty

To me the "alarming" part would be this: "going to be big" and "strategically significant". Here's more from the article, which reminds me of the shoe bomber. And we all know the regulations that occurred after that false flag.

Authorities do not know the exact target of the planned attack, according to the official.

"We do not know whether they mean an embassy, an airbase, an aircraft, trains,"

The official said there is concern about devices that could be implanted inside the body of a terrorist.

"We are concerned about surgically implanted devices,"

said.

"These are guys who have developed the techniques to defeat our detection methods."

Does that mean more cavity searches from the NSA? Article

Originally posted by CaticusMaximus

Russia, and China if not a direct player, will be waiting in the wings for any good opportunity to undermine, or even outright directly attack the US.

Or a good opportunity to join hands. Perfect timing.

Originally posted by ValentineWiggin

Originally posted by CaticusMaximus

Russia, and China if not a direct player, will be waiting in the wings for any good opportunity to undermine, or even outright directly attack the US.

Or a good opportunity to join hands. Perfect timing.

I think they are already in bed together...

Russian-Chinese anti-terror drills are in full swing with the latter's tanks and gunships training at a military range in the Urals. It comes less than a month after joint naval drills, the largest of their kind China has participated in to date.

Source

reply to post by madmac5150


It's been my theory from the beginning. All three.

You can also add this as well... more pieces being put into position??

Three Russian warships led by the missile cruiser "Moskva" arrived Saturday in Cuba on a "friendly visit" to the communist-run island, the first such trip in four years. The ships were greeted by an artillery salute, a naval band and a few hundred onlookers as they arrived in the Bay of Havana. Cuba's government has said the ships are here on a "friendly visit" and that tourists will be able to visit the "Moskva" on Monday. The two countries were close allies during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union largely propped up Cuba's state-run economy as the United States maintained a trade embargo on the island. But oil-rich Venezuela has more recently assumed the role of Cuba's main benefactor, particularly during the 14-year reign of leftist leader Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer in March. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev paid a three-day visit to Cuba in February in which he met with Cuban President Raul Castro and his aging brother, the revolutionary icon Fidel.

Russian Warships Dock in Cuba on 'Friendly Visit'

Thanks for the thread madmac5150!

I perfect place to place my own speculation on what I think is going on.


My premise: Al Qaeda seems to keep track of American public opinion on the internet.

My conclusion: They think that because we are scolding the NSA for their sweeping data collection, the moment is ripe to strike.


From the messages I've read,
and the conversations with my Muslim friend,
the impression I get is that Al Qaeda wants to punish
western commerce by striking it "in the joints" hence things
like bombing a military vessel while refueling, and approving of
the collapse of World Trade center towers in New York.

What was it Osama Bin Laden had said? That he loved it when ever
they would replay the clip on TV, that it was like making Americans
watch the knife being plunged into their mother over and over again?

But they don't like to strike the average American,
I believe they intend to keep us around,
that they just hate our rulers, owners, and megacorps.

So to find the public in an uproar of Snowden,
and the NSA, to them, is the same thing as
permission to strike again.

/my two cents


Mike

Also,
if any Al Qaeda are reading this,
I would like to remind them that they are totally wrong in their estimation
of what our anger means, when we are talking about our own Government.

Just like Wolverines older brother said, "Nobody kills you but me."

Striking our Government, Megacorps, Commerce, or banks,
is not going to do anything but unify us behind them.

If you Al Qaeda really had something to say
you would make a video about it
and get your point across.
With art, style, and
clarity.
All your blood letting,
and all those threats
are just stone aged barbarism.



Mike

reply to post by madmac5150


Actually you are right OP, this story could have been placed in some other categories, in that there are at least two other threads that began in the last day or so describing the Embassy Closings and Travel Advisories. In case anyone is interested here are the links to those two ongoing links here on ATS:
ATS - Aug 2 State Department Issues......
ATS - US to close embassies.....

I've contributed some input on both of those sites as well. As of right now we are at a WAIT and SEE point.
I have seen and read the multiple news reports and the ones cited in your OP thread. I can understand the various scenarios, reasons, theories that have been proposed.

However, without challenging anyone's point of view, you all are entitled to that, I would just submit that perhaps the facts as we know them right now, are exactly as they are being described. Of course, without the definitive specificity that our Intelligence Agencies are holding close to their vests. I for one am resisting the easy temptation to throw this into a greater conspiracy to draw attention away from the alleged scandals or that this is a cover for a war that we are about to start.

No, from my own personal experience, the facts, notifications, alerts and advisories that our U.S State Department and the Administration all seem credible and I firmly believe that our Intelligence community (NSA, CIA, DIA, NRO, HLS...to name the main players) have in fact done their job and have 'actionable' intelligence that Al Qaeda and it's affiliates intend to commit a 'significant' act of terror. I agree with how the information has been released to the public; informative, cautious but also stating that this is serious enough to make the closures as stated. Of course, we have learned from our past failures and hopefully those unfortunate experiences have now strengthened our approach now.

So, speculation can run wild, doomsday scenarios can be painted and fed into, and certainly based upon historical events skepticism is understandable. However, I tend to lean on the currently known facts, which are limited, and believe that there is a legitimate Terror threat aimed at Western interests in a significant way as to cause as much destruction, death and harm as possible.

I believe these acts are being or have been in the planning stages for months and are led by an expanding Fanatical Militant Islamic group of ignorant, unemployed thugs and punks who are acting on a delusional and warped interpretation of the Quran and feel that being a martyr for their cause against the Infidels ( you and me or anyone who does not conform to their belief system), is the only way out of a life of hopeless misery. All in the name of Allah.

Just my take on what I know, my gut feeling and also some historical context as well. Potentially, we have deferred, deterred or have terminated this threat. But, only time will tell! I just hope that if something significant happens (hard to even stop one fanatic with bombs strapped to their body or a lone suicide truck loaded with bombs), that the potential destruction, loss of life is minimal or none at all. Peace!!

Edit Note: I realize MY description of the type of Terrorist may be regarded as harsh or untactful, I am just calling it as I see it.

It just seems as though the timing of this is too "convenient"... and the best way to deflect attention from domestic issues is for the feces to hit the fan somewhere else... this coupled with joint Russian/Chinese "anti-terrorism" exercises in the Urals, a visiting Russian fleet in Cuba, Israeli attacks on Syria, and wild cards like Iran and Egypt in the mix... it just doesn't bode well...

Again, this is all speculation, but well educated speculation. Granted, you can say that the government took this action as a preventative measure, but our government hasn't done anything that can be called trustworthy in a long time... it seems more akin to posturing than anything else...

What is troubling as well is the wording used by Rep. Peter King...

“We’re not certain exactly where something might happen but it’s very specific as to when and it’s also very specific as to the fact that it is going to happen, so we have to be on alert everywhere,” the New York Republican told WINS-AM.

So, it is going to happen... so they say... but what?

I hope that missing nuke from Minot AFB isn't in the wrong hands...

Source

reply to post by madmac5150


They are planning on striking the Iranian nuclear facilities. The timing makes a lot of sense with the presidential transition in Iran, as well as a need to prove to the populace that the overbearing police state is necessary.

Israel just approved additional "settlement" funding as well.

Id be shocked if the strike didn't happen. Closing multiple embassies is generally a sign of war to follow.
If some "terrorist" attack does happen, we might look for training exercises. Seems they are often linked.

there wont be any war, relax people. if anything it could be something small, designed to just show how much "good" the nsa retards are doing, take a little heat off the management. but war, lol no one has any money to go to war and printing wont work for that since it would probably devalue any nations currency in a hurry.

Yeh. Right on. The button has definitely been pushed. Thank you. Your post has made me (and perhaps many others) finally realize it. I guess its what we've been waiting for,, for a long, long time. You know of course, this will initially be pointed to by the sick, twisted sociopaths that be as the justification for continuation of the police state ethos.

reply to post by LittleBlackEagle


Hence why a war is inevitable. War is the only solution to over come this global financial debacle, how will they continue if the world knows they can't continue with that much debt. Answer : WAR.

After a war its a complete new game.