Fear-mongering to the very end:
European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee officials will catch them every time, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.
Chertoff’s comments on Capitol Hill comes as the country is entering a potentially vulnerable period with the presidential nominating conventions coming up next month; the presidential election in November; and the transition to a new administration in January — all of which may be attractive targets for terrorists.
***“The terrorists are deliberately focusing on people who have legitimate Western European passports, who don’t appear to have records as terrorists,” Chertoff told lawmakers. “I have a good degree of confidence we can catch people coming in. But I have to tell you … there’s no guarantee. And they are working very hard to slip by us.”
Chertoff also brings up the specter of the old stand-by, the dirty bomb. Really, there is so much gibberish here that it is hard to unpack it all. How we are becoming more “vulnerable” as a nation because of the upcoming conventions is beyond me, but they want you to think we are. Additionally, aren’t we all aware that there always remains the possibility that something will happen?
What, really, is the point of this nonsense other than typical fear-mongering?
Conservatively Liberal
Exactly. Be afraid, be very afraid. That is the message, as usual.
Are we at Code Moving Pictures yet? Last I heard, it was a Blackwatch Plaid.
El Cid
Wait — is he trying to tell us that even though we’re specifically fighting them over there, they would still trying to fight us over here? That doesn’t make any sense. Don’t these terrorists know that the central battle front in terrorism is Iraq? Are they getting lost somehow? Are they map deprived?
jake
OK you’ve covered your ass…
Of course, no one with half a brain expected the Department of Fatherland Security to catch every single maybe possibly a terrorist every time and so people with half a brain got pissed when DFH insisted they could catch every single possible terrorist but only if we allowed them to stick listening devices in our personal orifices.
But it’s [ahem] interesting that when the possibility of filtering European (cough Caucasian cough) terrorists comes up, Chertoff declares they are helpless to resist them. Gosh, ya don’t think they were profiling do ya?
El Cid
O/T but one of the best paragraphs ever from Whiskey Fire on the (more recent) GOP crackup:
rz
There has been a longstanding dispute between the EU and the Bush Government about exchange of data of flight passengers. The EU has so far refused to hand over (or even collect) information US agencies insist they need. It is likely that Chertoffs comment should be seen in that context.
maxbaer (not the original)
Fuck it, I’m voting for McRapeJoke then. I’d forgotten how afraid I was supposed to feel.
Obama’s probably going over there now to hand out passports to them anyway.
pablo
This just in!
Americans are attempting to enter Europe with American passports!
Just not as many as before, what with the decline of the dollar.
Gay Veteran
rz: “It is likely that Chertoffs comment should be seen in that context.”
uh, no, it should be seen in the context that FEAR is all the ReThugs have left
rachel
Yeah, I’ve heard that foreign travellers are doing everything they can to avoid having to enter US airspace; those obnoxious security requirements are discouraging them. Sucks for the US tourism business, though.
RSA
At some point our security may grow so onerous that the only foreigners trying to get into the U.S. will be terrorists. It’ll be easy to catch them then. I think that’s the plan, at least.
Snarki, child of Loki
Well, sure, we’re all supposed to be SO SKEERED!!!1! that we piss our pants, and have to wear Depends 24/7.
…and then McCain will fit right in. Well, so will his colleage Sen Vitter, but that’s a side issue.
Extra protection, dryness, and comfort fit. That’s what McCain offers America. Who could refuse that?
mellowjohn
but how can we still be in danger. i mean, i take my shoes off at the airport and everything.
Punchy
Code Brown, bitches.
libarbarian
OMG!!! Terrorists??? WTF????
I’m switching my support to McCain.
Plus, Obama will enslave white people.
skyler
Right now the government is making us fear our closest allies culturally and politically. How soon till we hear that other native-born Americans are the threat as well and appropriate court-less measures must be taken…
Capri
I’m not getting worried until he tells us that his gut thinks we’re at increased risk.
lonesomerobot
glad you brought up the “dirty bomb” … if ever there was a purely fear-inspired instrument, this is it.
the common perception that a dirty bomb would render many blocks of a city uninhabitable is pure fiction. our own government came to this conclusion in the 80s.
this is from the nuclear regulatory website:
and not once have i EVER heard a public official state this very important information. they want us to be afraid.
"Fair and Balanced" Dave
This is the same bullshit the Rethugs pulled in 2004 when Homeland Security sock-puppet Tom Ridge was issuing all kinds of dire warnings during the summer and fall. To my total lack of surprise, the number of terrorist “threats” dwindled immediately after the election in November.
AkaDad
If you all don’t want to die in the most horrific way imaginable, vote Republican.
Teak111
And so it begins. Scaring us, then something big happens and Bush/ Cheney are forced to suspend the elections and martial law is declared. They continue in power and pass laws requiring everyone to go to church.
…or at least that is how my novel is supposed to go.
But looking at Bush lately, I think he can’t wait for Jan 20 09. His bags are already packed.
Dennis - SGMM
Your counter-terrorism funds at work: Terrorism Funds May Let Brass Fly in Style.
The amenities also include a 37″ flat screen monitor with stereo speakers and, naturally, a full length mirror. The money taken from counter-terrorism funds to cover a cost over run is $331,000. If that’s the over run, imagine the cost.
I’ll say it again: there is no sacrifice so small that these people will not refuse to make it.
Clio
Exactly. Remember all of the transitioning from “yellow” to “orange” alert all summer. There were signs up all over DC in Metro Stations and all government buildings giving the “Terror Alert of the Day”. And of course Faux News ran the “alert level” consistently in its news scroll. Then, mysteriously, after the election we’ve never heard of the terror code (which was idiotic anyway) again. Want to bet that it crops up again sometime this summer? And maybe with a new category that sounds similar to “Barack” or “Obama”?
By the way, have you seen this garbage via Sully?
Corner Stone
Man are you way behind the curve on this one. There’s a term in the lexicon that accurately describes this threat – *liberal*.
The authoritarians and fascists have only been screaming it frothily for the last 40 years or so. So much so that the word “liberal” doesn’t actually have a definition any more for them, but rather it’s an easy handle to slap on anyone they consider “The Other”.
They then step back and let the wurlitzer do the rest.
whocoodanode
Oh yeah … WHERE IS Osama Bin Laden anyway?
If we give the Cons a trillion more dollars can we catch him then?
I live in a stupid country at a particularly stupid time.
The Moar You Know
Blasting “The Camera Eye” in my office as we speak. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.
Dropped to zero. I am disgusted, but not surprised, to see the creaky “color-code” pee-pants machine getting fired up again, though.
I suspect we’re going to see some action before the election, which will not at all be the result of some ratfuckers deciding that a Democratic administration is not acceptable.
rawshark
Worked didn’t it?
I know lots of people who were happy or sad depending on the color of the day. I’m not kidding. People were discussing the color codes as though they were based on real threats being intercepted. The ways they avoid the conversation about how the color alerts and threat interceptions stopped after the election is pretty scary too. The cognitive dissonance is visceral. (Is visceral appropriate there? I don’t really know what it means I just like the sound of that word.)
jake
When you smell the fear, grab your rear.
Chris Johnson
People get upset when the cognitive dissonance is too brutal. They would probably be relieved if all of the media flipped out and went “We now hate those fascist fuckers, all this color code terror alert has been bullshit, you have been played!” because people sense they’re being played. But as long as their environment (media) behaves as though this stuff has to be treated as one thing when it’s another, people become unbearably anxious.
People seem to need to snap to one polarizing opinion or another rather than tolerate ambiguity.
cleek
it’s all Jesse Jackson’s fault.
Punchy
We will be at exactly 21:12 today. Just like that. PRESTO!
yet another jeff
Only place I hear the color code is in airports, where for years now it’s been:
“…the Secretary of Homeland Security has elevated the Homeland Security Advisory System Threat Condition to High, or Orange, for all domestic commercial aviation…”
How many years at a constant level can you run and still call it an “elevation”? Hmm, I guess the same could be said for a “surge.”
Tax Analyst
Oh Gracious Sakes Alive! Now I’m gonna havta vote ‘Publican ‘cuz they are tuff-minded Terrier-ist-Stoppers.
Too bad, ‘cuz I know they will continue to make an absolute hash of the economy, Constitution, etc., but I’z skeered outta my gray & white jockey shorts so what’s a fuckah to do?
Hey, did ya hear about the special American Airlines LAX to JFK flights that now have anti-missile weapons or devices on them? Yeah, super-safe now, huh? Uh…but if you happen to live in the FLIGHT PATH you might wanna consider maybe moving underground or something to avoid becoming “collateral damage” if one of those things somehow fires…either at a real missile or maybe if the pilot hits the wrong button when he wants the flight attendent to bring him some strong coffee to stay awake. I heard about it on a short news story on KNX-1070 AM radio on the way home from work yesterday afternoon.
Another excellent example of well-spent Tax Dollars from the folks who brought (and continue to bring) you the “War on Terror”.
It’s too bad there isn’t a tax on Sheer Marlarkey, the Treasury would be over-flowing with new-found revenue and we could all have that pony they’ve been promising us after all.
I wanna striped one…like a Zebra.
Jay C
It’s fear-mongering, John: that IS the point!
Jeff
European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee officials will catch them every time, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.
With over a million names on the No Call List No Fly List, I can’t imagine why not! [/sarcasm]
Bill Arnold
A particularly amusing aspect of the panic-mongering with “dirty bomb” scenarios is that for a large part of the right wing, part of the canon is that fears about “radiation” are vastly overblown “by the left”.
The target voter audience for dirty-bomb panic mongering is considered deeply confused by other right-wing voters.
Faux News
By “EU Terrorist” do they simply mean “French Tourists and their insufferable behavior”?
Steven Taylor
John,
I has a similar reaction when I read the story this morning.
Joshua
Ahh, Michael Chertoff, banality of evil in the flesh.
What makes these people “terrorists” instead of “suspected terrorists” (I realize there is no distinction to these people, but it means a lot for this debate)? How many European terrorists are using EU passports to try to enter the country? How many are caught? How many are not caught? If not all of them are caught, how come we don’t have dirty bombs going off in American cities every week?
jake
All right, you win already!
Delia
What’s particularly scary is the thought of all the contraband hair gel and organic fizzy water they’ll be bringing into the country.
Thursday
What the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks is going on hereÉ
All those darkie terrorists come from Canada, dangit! Stay on message!