Okay, this is scary...

realtraveller · #1 10-11-2001, 06:02 PM

Check out the FBI's latest press release:

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/skyfall.htm

I do wish they'd tell us the information on which they base this alert.

poseidon · #2 10-11-2001, 06:11 PM

I'm pretty sure an FBI press release isn't copyrighted material. In fact, the whole purpose of a press release is to print it up in as many publications as desired. So, I'm going ahead and putting it here.

Quote:

Certain information, while not specific as to target, gives the government reason to believe that there may be additional terrorist attacks within the United States and against U.S. interests overseas over the next several days. The FBI has again alerted all local law enforcement to be on the highest alert and we call on all people to immediately notify the FBI and local law enforcement of any unusual or suspicious activity.

Now my explanation -- this can be looked at several ways:

1. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that since we've been bombing the crap out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan (is everyone happy with that term?), that retaliation is coming. The FBI -- geniuses that they are -- might just be extrapolating that we're likely going to be targets of further terrorism. I've got a newsflash of my own:

Gee... ya think?*

2. Bin Laden's been crying out for Jihad since before we started bombing. He's already informed Muslims everywhere that good Muslims will kill Americans and Jews whereever and whenever possible.

Which leads me to my newsflash on that subject:

Gee... ya think?*

3. Finally (I'm sure there's other plausible explanations), the reason we may not be privvy to the information is that these come from moles inside of bin Laden's group or some other terrorist group and we've been informed. If you have a mole, you certainly don't want to announce it. Could you imagine the mistake of saying, "According to FBI sources close to bin Laden..." He would likely kill all of his close contacts and make new ones.

Wait a minute... that's not a bad idea!

Jeff

* this smartass comment isn't directed at you -- it's directed at the FBI.

#3 10-11-2001, 06:14 PM

Oh, if only I had no ethics and could set up my own Miss Cleo psychic hotline and profit off of the fearful and gullible!

I bet that charlatan of the late night infomercials is raking in a fortune from this whole situation.

**Joubert**[$] · #4 10-11-2001, 06:18 PM

I've worked in a professional capacity with a number of FBI agents over the years and haven't found them to be any different from any other organization - public, private, government, association, whatever. There's good and there's bad.

Living in metro DC, we get a lot of wink-wink, nudge-nudge type calls from spouses of co-workers, friends, etc. For example, we knew what time Desert Storm was starting the day before it started. There's just too much information to keep confidential.

I think what the FBI is doing now is saying, "Look, we know there's activity among suspected terrorists right now, but we're not in a position to stop them. Be hyper-vigilant over the next few days, be careful, pay attention to your surroundings, etc."

My take anyway.

But the FBI shouldn't get bashed here. It's funny how the bad stays in the public's memory, but the good (say, the aborted Y2K bombings out west) quickly get erased.

kurt_messick · #5 10-11-2001, 07:32 PM

There are likely to be more attacks because we're actively engaged now.

There were probably going to be more attacks even if we didn't get engaged in the conflict.

As a society, we simply have not been prepared to deal with it logistically, and it will take some time before our security become vigilant enough -- unfortunately, that probably means there will be at least a few high-profile mistakes along the way.

wivabef · #6 10-11-2001, 08:29 PM

This link isn't working for me. And with the words "skyfall" (ie the sky is falling), I am going to take a wild stab at this and say the link no longer works because it was the result of hacking and the FBI has fixed it.

I wish I knew what it said. But the "skyfall" thing really spoke to me about why it was so "controversial"

#7 10-11-2001, 09:02 PM

I tend to be a bit suspicious about it too. No idea what it said even... (I never managed to check out the link either)

I am kinda curious as to whether it was something like this:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/2001...igh_alert.html
though...

Ander

erik_kosberg · #8 10-11-2001, 09:18 PM

Very interesting. The “skyfall” URL worked for me earlier today, but the notice is now at a new URL:
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/101101.htm

magenta321 · #9 10-12-2001, 12:50 AM

The skyfall link is working again -- I just pulled it up.

kurt_messick · #10 10-12-2001, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Not Found

The requested object does not exist on this server. The link you followed is either outdated, inaccurate, or the server has been instructed not to let you have it.

This is what I get from that skyfall link. I guess I'm not supposed to know ('Shhh! Don't tell Fr. Kurt')

Not that I'm paranoid or anything...

:smileo:

**drmomentum**[$] · #11 10-12-2001, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wivabef
works because it was the result of hacking and the FBI has fixed it.

The president mentioned the general alert last night, so the alert was genuine. Perhaps it was simply an internal link that was not meant to get out.

-JP

magenta321 · #12 10-12-2001, 11:54 AM

That's weird... the skyfall page still comes up for me today, Fr. Kurt.

CeeJay62 · #13 10-12-2001, 01:14 PM

For what it is worth..............
I heard one of the news people say that his FBI source said that they have been doing these alerts regularily since 9-11-01 and they always leak out. This time they decided to go ahead and state the alert publically, since it was going to leak anyway and now the public wouldn't wonder what they were hiding. Which is apparently something very scary and very vague.

whatever22 · #14 10-12-2001, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Oh, if only I had no ethics and could set up my own Miss Cleo psychic hotline and profit off of the fearful and gullible!

I bet that charlatan of the late night infomercials is raking in a fortune from this whole situation.

Larry, that actually isn't too far off from the truth. Even though I haven't been doing readings for the Miss Cleo line in about a month or so, my broker has been sending alerts out to all readers to work the lines because there isn't enough 'supply' to meet the 'demand'.

People are calling psychic lines with wreckless abandon. I personally refuse to work for the lines right now. I can see the moronic questions now...

Where is bin Laden hiding?

Will I catch Anthrax?

What will be the next terrorist attack to hit us?

When and where will it happen?

If I knew the answers to those questions... I wouldn't have chosen to work for the Miss Cleo line in the first place!

wivabef · #15 10-13-2001, 12:21 AM

Late getting back here, but yes, I now know the link was real and not a hack job.

Still wondering how they could name it something as crass as "skyfall"