I have gut feelings about terrorism, too. If this is all it takes, maybe I should be the Secretary of Homeland Security.
And how many hundreds of billions of dollars have we spent in the creation of an entirely new Homeland Defense infrastructure and bureaucracy, and we get a guy who is relying on his feelings about what the enemy might do.
Oh yeah, and with all the resources of the federal government at his disposal, guess who he says is responsible for thwarting another terror attack here? You. Oh, and me, too.
Officials worry of summer terror attack
U.S. counterterror officials are warning of an increased risk of an attack this summer, given al-Qaida’s apparent interest in summertime strikes and increased al-Qaida training in the Afghan-Pakistani border region.
On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the editorial board of The Chicago Tribune that he had a “gut feeling” about a new period of increased risk.
“Summertime seems to be appealing to them,” Chertoff said in his discussion with the newspaper about terrorists. “We worry that they are rebuilding their activities.” […] Chertoff said he is convinced that terrorists are regrouping. “Our edge is technology and the vigilance of the ordinary citizen,” he said.
The secretary also urged Americans to be watchful for suspicious activities in the wake of recent terror incidents in England and Scotland.
Six years after September 11th and the plan is for us to ‘watch out.’ From the man who wanted to legalize 20 million strangers and open the border to more.
I am beginning to have a great deal of sympathy, understanding and admiration for the Frenchmen who stormed the Bastille.
Tammy,
Once again, you’ve called Chertoff on the carpet and I wish I could say your conclusion (“watch out!”) is flippant or at least irreverent, but sadly, it’s not. “Chertoff Stands Down Terrorists: Calls For Massive Neighborhood Watch.” Not exactly, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” is it?
“Summertime is appealing to them?!” Hmmmm…let’s see…flaming car + Allah! + shower-capped shoes + abandoned cars with extra 50 gallons of gas (but not in cars’ gas tanks!) + excruciatingly obvious Iraq connection + reruns of Desperate Housewives + boxes of nails + JULY = “Summertime is appealing” to terrorists. Wow. That is some breathtaking genius right there. Summertime Al Qaeda attacks = Al Qaeda attacks in summertime. I wonder if Chertoff had this equation on an overhead projector as he addressed the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune.
“The vigilance of the ordinary citizen?!” This is proof that Chertoff has spent so much time sweet-talking his 20-million-strong constituency of Spanish-speaking felons from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, he thinks Americans (the ones with Passports) won’t notice that he either (a) just delegated to the public the most imperative responsibilities of his post; or (b) cavalierly dismissed the terrorist threat (the very reason his job was created) as a law enforcement matter that can be resolved if everyone in the community “vigilantly” does their part. I’m not sure which is worse.
It’s been hardly a month since the amnesty bill went down in flames and Al-Qaeda is now apparently capable of convincing educated medical professionals to launch erratic terror missions against the West and this is the best the Secretary of Homeland Security could do? These are the words he chose?
Well, you heard the man–it’s neighborhood watch time. Tammy, you and Snuffy map out a perimeter in your neighborhood. Me and Roscoe (Glock) will take 8-10 blocks in downtown San Diego.
McGruff the Crime Dog would slap Chertoff’s face.
To bad his gut feeling isn’t telling him to resign. Isn’t always “The People†that save this country?
It’s great to know that these guys have their mind in the right place. Give me something tangible, a logical explanation, not “gut feelings”. I’m so tired of hearing these officials talk about feelings; it’s crap, it needs to stop already! Can we close the borders now?! Jeez.
I wonder if Mike Chertoff is aware that, due to gun control laws in force in most areas where terrorists are apt to strike, “watching out” is all we CAN do? Perhaps we should all carry pea-shooters…
Ditto on storming the Bastille. I have been saying for months that I finally understand what that revolution was about. I can clearly see severe penalties ahead for those politicians that were even remotely responsible for the loss of America.
Hello, Michael Chertoff. I have a “gut feeling” that the back door is still wide open. How many times have we reminded you to close the door and lock it? The best medicine for those feelings you get would be a little law enforcement. Think about giving it a try while you’re building that fence.
Chertoff (can we just refer to him as Jerkoff?) must have the same unique abilities Bush had while looking lovingly into the eyes of Putin peering into his soul. Lovely.
If we know (or if Jerkoff FEELS) that terrorist groups are forming on the Afghan/Pakistani border, why is it not being dealt with before we get slammed again? (BTW: rather indicative of how they deal with our own border now, isn’t it?!?!) How is it possible for these groups to congregate at this stage in the war anyway? Goes in sync w/ Bush stating about 6 weeks ago that we were going to see much bloodshed in August. Why sit around and wait?
Kind of funny that Jerkoff’s feelings were quite different last week, I believe. Didn’t he just say (he felt) there was no immediate threat to us?
If ‘gut feelings’ are going to trump ‘specifics’ in dealing with terrorism, then I must be entirely in touch with my own feelings when saying I feel this administration has become a complete pain in the a**.
Anyone with half a brain knows that we are going to be attacked again courtesy of our wide open borders and political correctness in not being able to profile anybody unless they are a generic Ken doll. We don’t need some bozo to tell us they can feel it in their bones.
It is a matter of when, not if. I hope they do not raise that worthless asinine terror color chart. What the hell is that suppose to make people do ? Oh it’s been raised to yellow I won’t leave my house. Oh it’s orange today better be EXTRA careful. Another attack has been imminent since Sept. 11th, which was not in the summertime. These killers will strike when they are good and ready and patients is something they have plenty of.
Common sense should tell us to always be ready and vigilant. Be prepared for disaster to strike in all shapes and forms. And don’t count on your government to protect you , you will be disappointed or dead if you do. Non perishable food, radio, candles, flashlights and a nice big gun should do well for a starter survival kit. Teri
So now Chertoff is the John Edward of Homeland Security (“I’m sensing an ‘A’ from this part of the world…does “Al” or “Allah” mean anything to you?”). I didn’t know about his hidden talents.
Perhaps he could do something infinitely more useful and clue me in on what his “gut” thinks tomorrow’s Lotto numbers will be.
Skeletor makes a comment one day and ‘revises’ it the next.
It seems surreal in a way, but it is very likely that if the President had just done his job little Zina Linnick would be alive today.
In hindsight we see that he refused to pardon the two Border Patrol agents, as asked by our Congressmen, in order to send his message.
The message was “leave the border wide open, no enforcement, leave illegal invaders alone, and by the way, we don’t need no damn fences.”
So Zina Linnicks murderer was at ease waiting for his chance.
Is it true that invaders in the United States have murdered twice as many citizens as the enemy has killed, of our soldiers in iraq during the same period of time?
If the left wants to impeach President Bush, maybe they should change their reason to dereliction of duty.