From The Chicago Tribune:
Fearing complacency among the American people over possible terror threats, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in Chicago Tuesday that the nation faces a heightened chance of an attack this summer.
"I believe we are entering a period this summer of increased risk," Chertoff told the Chicago Tribune's editorial board in an unusually blunt and frank assessment of America's terror threat level.
"Summertime seems to be appealing to them," he said of al-Qaeda. "We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities."
Still, Chertoff said there are not enough indications of an imminent plot to raise the current threat levels nationwide. And he indicated that his remarks were based on "a gut feeling" formed by past seasonal patterns of terrorist attacks, recent al-Qaeda statements, and intelligence he did not disclose.
There is an assessment "not of a specific threat, but of increased vulnerability," he added.
There have been reports already that suggest intelligence warnings at a similar level to the summer before Sept. 11, 2001 and that al-Qaeda may be mobilizing.
In recent days, ABC news reported that a secret law enforcement report prepared for homeland security warns that al-Qaeda is preparing a "spectacular" summer attack. On Tuesday, ABC News also reported that "new intelligence suggests a small al-Qaeda cell is on its way to the United States, or may already be here."
Chertoff sternly echoed those sentiments at the Tribune.
"We've seen a lot more public statements from Al Qaeda," he said. "There are a lot of reasons to speculate about that but one reason that occurs to me is that they're feeling more comfortable and raising expectations.
"We could easily be attacked," Chertoff added. "The intent to attack us remains as strong as it was on Sept. 10, 2001."
The dire warnings and Chertoff's comments come as the Bush administration faces political and business opposition over its immigration and border policies that have security implications.
..."We have done a lot to degrade the enemy's capability," he said. "But the enemy has also done a lot to retool its capability...It leads me to feel we ought to be more vigilant."
I suppose the libs and other Bush-haters will say that Chertoff is playing games.
John Edwards is likely to say that Bush's puppet Chertoff is relaying the bumper sticker slogans about the terrorists solely to play on our fears.
The Bush administration is using the same old scare tactics to get Americans to support the President, and the immigration bill in particular.
Conservatives against the bill may be reacting the same way, that Chertoff's "gut feeling" is just a political ploy.
Maybe I'm being naive, but I think Chertoff is being sincere.
We know that al Qaeda wants to hit us again, because the terrorists have been saying so since September 11, 2001.
I hope the only motive behind Chertoff's remarks is to get Americans to wake up. Clearly, many have grown complacent when it comes to the War on Terror; so much so that they contend the war is a political fabrication.
I hope Chertoff's "gut feeling" isn't a method to manipulate the public and get support for an immigration bill.
Maybe it is a bit of both. I don't know.
Whatever the case may be, it's certain that Islamic fascists want the Great Satan America to be defeated.
Again, we know this because they tell us. They want us dead.
That's not a personal "gut feeling." That's reality.
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