Even The Scoobies Could See Through Bush’s Bullying On This Terror Timing Thing

I guess I’m starting to feel like enough time has passed and enough information is starting to come out that I feel I can voice my opinion on this whole “terror in the skies” thing with some confidence.

First of all, I’d like to state that I’m so relieved that my friends and I are all back in the States or back in England where we belong from our wedding-related and Summer International travels. What a nightmare if any of us had been caught up in any of this, particularly those of us with OCD-type issue and those of us who run a little hot-headed.

Second, I’d like to express empathy to anyone who has been caught in the nightmare of having to travel on airlines in Britain and the U.S. or in or out of the two in the last four days. You have my sympathy. I’ve got a very vivid picture of what you’ve been experiencing propped up in my brain and I certainly feel your pain.

That said…O.K. I’m extremely cynical. I felt that the timing seemed really odd and that the new surprise restrictions for airlines on both sides of the pond were way overboard and ludicrous. I mean, c’mon…they were forcing people to pour out their drinks in common open trashcans because they might be explosive and some airports may be donating the confiscated potential explosives to the homeless or airport security employees or might sell them on eBay, which kind of suggests that those things really weren’t all that potentially explosive to begin with — which makes you wonder why big show of national guard and army guys and extra airport security forcing American and British citizens to give up their personal belongs in such a humiliating and bullied manner?

And really those were just minor clues that maybe Thelma and Daphne might have picked up on. Heck Scooby and Shaggy might have even got those.

The fact that the plan itself was a rerun of another terrorist plot that already hadn’t worked once before — Project Bojinka. In fact, part of the reason it hadn’t come off before is because it got too big…too many people involve, which appears to be part of the problem with this one.

And I’m not saying there wasn’t a terrorist plot. I believe there was. I just don’t think it was an imminent as everyone made it out to be last Thursday in the news.

And it’s starting to look like I was right according to NBC news.

LONDON - NBC News has learned that U.S. and British authorities had a significant disagreement over when to move in on the suspects in the alleged plot to bring down trans-Atlantic airliners bound for the United States.

British officials knowledgeable about the case said British police were planning to continue to run surveillance for at least another week to try to obtain more evidence, while American officials pressured them to arrest the suspects sooner. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

Interesting how last Thursday and Friday officials were implying that the reason that they raised the alerts was because the terrorists were going to strike any day. They got everyone riled up on both sides of the pond, did some fear-mongering, etc. And yet…

In contrast to previous reports, one senior British official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports.

Gosh, it took me like six weeks just to get my passport. How long does it take in England? I’m thinking it takes at least a little time, more than a few days, probably longer than the definition of “imminent”, you think?

So why the hurry, I wonder.

The sources did say, however, that police believe one U.K.-based suspect was ready to conduct a “dry run.” British authorities had wanted to let him go forward with part of the plan, but the Americans balked.

One? One little terrorist wanted to do a “dry run”. They couldn’t follow one terrorist? With no liquid explosives at that. I mean, I assume that’s what “dry” means.

At the White House, a top aide to President Bush denied the account.

Somehow I’m not surprised.

“There was unprecedented cooperation and coordination between the U.S., the U.K. and Pakistani officials throughout the case,” said Frances Townsend, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, “and we worked together to protect our citizens from harm while ensuring that we gathered as much info as possible to bring the plotters to justice. There was no disagreement between U.S. and U.K. officials.”

Another U.S. official, however, acknowledges there was disagreement over timing. Analysts say that in recent years, American security officials have become edgier than the British in such cases because of missed opportunities leading up to 9/11.

Aside from the timing issue, there was excellent cooperation between the British and the Americans, officials told NBC News.

One senior British official said the Americans also argued over the timing of the arrest of suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf in Pakistan, warning that if he was not taken into custody immediately, the United States would “render” him or pressure the Pakistani government to arrest him.

British security was concerned that Rauf be taken into custody “in circumstances where there was due process,” according to the official, so that he could be tried in British courts. Ultimately, this official says, Rauf was arrested over the objections of the British.

So…the U.S. threatened that if Britain didn’t do things our way, the U.S. would just run amok anyway and ruin the whole investigation by kidnapping the ringleader and making sure he couldn’t be prosecuted at all in a proper court of law. Aren’t we just the bullies? If we can’t have it our way, we’ll just ruin it for everyone.

As an interesting side note, PW sent an email saying, “The airports are a complete mess over here and everyone’s pissed off because Blair is on vacation and isn’t coming back; how are things over there?”

To which I replied, “Well, the airports are pretty much a complete mess over here and everyone’s pretty much pissed off because Bush is on vacation and isn’t coming back; so pretty much the same.”

Source: U.S., U.K. at odds over timing of arrests (emphasis mine)

Recommended Reading:

• Is the Bush Administration Manipulating “Terror!!!” Again?
• Explosive Report: Bush Administration Rushed British Terror Arrests
• “Imminent”

Tags: terrorism, UK, politics, liquid explosives, Scooby Doo, Project Bojinka, NBC, International flights