Department of Homeland Security declares "Period of Heightened Alert"

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Government officials have been quietly stepping up counterterror efforts out of a growing concern that al Qaeda or similar organizations might try to capitalize on the spate of extremely high-profile events in the coming months, sources tell ABC News.

Security experts point to next month's Olympics as evidence that high-profile events attract threats of terrorism, like the one issued this past weekend by a Chinese Muslim minority group that warned of its intent to attack the Games.

Anti-terror officials in the U.S. cite this summer and fall's lineup of two major political parties' conventions, November's general election and months of transition into a new presidential administration as cause for heightened awareness and action.

This is what the Department of Homeland Security is quietly declaring a Period of Heightened Alert, or POHA, a time frame when terrorists may have more incentive to attack.

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5420514&page=1

[Sinergy 3]

I dunno, i dont think they would do it when we EXPECT it to happen

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Lets squeeze every last drop of fear we can out of that old bar-towel.

We can't do anything about the unpredictable dangers in the world - but we'll tell you to "beware" all the same...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Besides which, the talking about the 'fear' accomplishes much of what they want to accomplish without the terrorists having to do anything! The real threats probably aren't to the high - profile events - heck, everyone expects that. Someone with some smarts is going to target the low profile ordinary events - easier targets - if they are in fact targeting anything. People get so caught up in the all or nothing, black or white, get it all or get none that they lose sight of effectiveness. There is also a lot of 'crying wolf' and does anyone remember what happened to that individual? When it is constantly "aim, aim, aim, aim . . . aim . .. . aim . . . " and never 'fire' people stop paying attention. Hmm, I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any means, but now I am wondering if that is what they WANT to happen just prior to the federal election so the Republicans can sneak back in with an 'I told you so!". I hate thinking like this - and I hate the fact that these situations are plausible, even more.

Edited July 28, 2008 by Kathryn41