Terrorism & Security. Now everyone is convinced that Al Qaeda wants to influence the elections, but nobody knows who they want to win And whatever they do could make the election swing either way. If they attacked something to get the public behind Bush might that send the message that Bush isn’t doing the job to allow the incident to occur? If they get caught could that backfire and look “fixed?” If they want Kerry what would they do so it wouldn’t backfire. The fact is there is nothing they can do. If they came out with a tape supporting someone, even that wouldn’t work. No matter what happens the interpretation can go either way. We’re not like the Spanish who panicked and threw out the government. Personally I think this is all wrong and they don’t really care who wins, they just want to cause havoc.
ISLAMABAD : Al-Qaeda operatives captured in Pakistan were plotting terrorist attacks aimed at influencing the US presidential elections in November, a senior Pakistani intelligence official told AFP.
The terrorist network was looking to pull off major attacks in the United States, Britain or Pakistan in the run-up to the polls but its capacity has been crippled by recent arrests in Pakistan, said the official.
Meanwhile a Keystone Kop act persists.
Pakistan angrily accused its close ally the United States of endangering the life of one its top envoys in a reported sting operation, describing it as bizarre, dangerous and regrettable.
I think you have it about 98% right, John. No need for me to wander off into war stories from the fringe of anti-colonial movements. But, you should base your understanding of what happened in Spain on an accurate chronology, rather than what’s accepted by the American Press.
The voters of Spain were headed along in just the sort of stampede that Aznar hoped for — until he was caught in his lies about who supposedly committed the Madrid massacre. There are few, if any, analysts on the scene who credit the turnaround that threw him out of office to anything other than public revulsion over his crude opportunism, blaming ETA.
I just read this, “You must keep the politics out of intelligence,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. That would be a neat trick. Trust me, intelligence is very political and will continue to be as long as Congress is involved with it. This is like saying, forget confirmation hearings and while we are at it lets just eliminate the select intelligence committee. I’m not saying the CIA is ruled by politics, but it certainly is a big factor. That’s not really a bad thing. It is what it is. When politicians start saying take out the politics, it usually means one thing. The entire issue becomes more politically charged. Next, they’ll be trying to take the politics out of the presidential elections. That would be some trick. All politics is local, so is intelligence. Good luck to Rep. Pelosi in her goal of taking politics out of intelligence. I just don’t think it will work.
What Ed said! 🙂
I find it amusing that you can write two sentences – one after the other – and I can disagree with the first, and agree with the second.
1st – “We’re not like the Spanish who panicked and threw out the government”.
That bothers me, because I believe the Spanish people voted more out of anger – at their government”s attempt at deception – not fear or cowardice. It also reminds me of the idiotic “French-bashing” that went on, here in the US. All that crap about “freedom fries”, etc. But the worst that was flipped at Germany and Russia was the “Old Europe” line – which was quickly withdrawn. Too much hurtful slant/spin – for my taste.
2nd – “Personally, I think this is all wrong and they don’t really care who wins, they just want to cause havoc”.
I’m with you 100%, on that. They want what they’ve “always” wanted – to hurt us – in as spectacular a way
as possible.
Way Off topic: After writing the “100%” line, my goofy brain was reminded of the old “Maude” TV-show (Bea Arthur), and a (then) current-events joke about being “1000% behind” someone/something – and when Maude’s husband (Walter?) says he is 1000% behind someone, Maude’s quip is “That’s you, Walter – 1000% behind!”
Guess I’m not going to get Alzheimer’s – anytime soon – if I can still recall dated crap like that!. 🙂