Pacific Views

The 'steady drumbeat' of paranoia.

Those Dubya administration trial balloons about possible terrorist attacks over the next few months continue.

Today's balloon arrives via the Ap, which reports that 'new intelligence deemed higly credible' indicates that terrorists — maybe al-Qaeda, maybe not — are in the US and are getting ready for a major attack during the summer. As usual, the intelligence isn't specific enough to indicate a time or place for the attacks . Also as usual, the feds aren't saying where their info comes from. However, they are saying the intelligence is some of the 'most disturbing' since 9/11.

Today's report follows earlier leaks from the feds over the last week, saying that there is a high probablilty of a terrorist attack before the November election. (See this post and this post for details of the earlier trial balloons.)

Of most concern, the official said, is that terrorists may possess and use a chemical, biological or radiological weapon that could cause much more damage and casualties than a conventional bomb.

"There is clearly a steady drumbeat of information that they are going to attack and hit us hard," said the official, who described the intelligence as highly credible.

As we said earlier, these continuing reports from 'top administration officials,' 'officials at the CIA and the National Security Agency,' and today's ' senior federal counterterrorism official' seem to be timed to up public paranoia about terrorism as the presidential election draws nearer. Given Dubya's current slide in the polls, we find the timing rather ... let's just say 'curious' — especially given the close relationship in the past between upticks in the nation's terror level and Dubya's political problems.

Style note: We especially liked the use of the phrase 'steady drumbeat of information' by the today's unnamed official. The old standby, 'increased terrorist chatter' was getting boring.

Posted by Magpie at May 26, 2004 01:24 AM | War on Terrorism | Technorati links |