Major Al Qaeda Attack Planned

[Trapper John]

U.S. OFFICIAL: AL-QAEDA PLANNING ATTACK THAT’S ‘GOING TO BE BIG,’ ‘STRATEGICALLY SIGNIFICANT' ABC News August 4, 2013

“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.

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.

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.”

The official also said authorities were stunned that the group broke “operational security” — meaning they talked likely knowing it would be picked up by intercepts.


http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/a...gnificant.html

[ChuckG]

But is this just a ploy to deflect from all of the obama scandals and vacations?

[ddoering]

"Wagging the dog" works most of the time.

[Streck-Fu]

Just trying to justify the NSA spying....Headline says it all....LINK

U.S. extends embassy closings; warnings renew debate over NSA data collection

The closing of U.S. embassies in 21 predominantly Muslim countries and a broad caution about travel during August that the State Department issued on Friday touched off debate Sunday over the National Security Agency’s sweeping data collection programs.

Congressional supporters of the program, appearing on Sunday morning talk shows, said the latest rounds of warnings of unspecified threats showed that the programs were necessary, while detractors said there was no evidence linking the programs, particularly the massive collection of cell phone records of hundreds of millions of Americans, to the vague warnings of a possible terrorist attack.

Does the part in bold seem familiar?

[JHD]

If the embassy(ies) were/are the target, the terrorists are smart enough to wait until they reopen for maximum effect. If the info intercept was considered real, why was it publicized, and why didn't we implement countermeasures without telling the terrorists what they were?

The way it was handled smacks of misdirection, and as stated above, tail wagging the dog. And how in the world does this justify spying on US citizens, and violating our rights against illegal search and seizures? Rhetorical question, as it doesn't.

[Trapper John]

This just doesn't smell right to me for many of the reasons that you all have already posted. Only two possible scenarios here IMO:

1. It is a misinformation/misdirection put out by the Admin. Doubtful (IMO). That would need a huge buy-in by all the Intel Agencies including DoD and Congressional Intelligence Committees. I don't think we have gone that far yet. Or -

2. AQ has assessed our willingness and ability to respond and they believe that we are lacking in both. That, unfortunately, seems to be consistent with the current situation.

The surest route to armed conflict is appeasement of an aggressor. IMO the BHO Admin has emboldened our enemy.