Timeline of All Terror Alerts

The Administration has placed themselves in a Catch 22. If they raise the alert level, people question their credibility. If they fail to raise the threat level, people will call for their impeachment should something occur. The saddest part of the story is they could have avoided the credibility gap.

Andrew Card, the White House Chief of Staff, stated "From a marketing point of view you don't introduce new products in August" in 2002. Karl Rove told Congressional Republican's to focus on the impending war during that same election cycle. Add, Secretary Ridge's blatant campaigning during the most recent terror announcement, and one begins to think we may be Charlie Brown to the Administration's Lucy flat on our back once again.

Obviously, I hope this is not the case, but take a look at this timeline I located demonstrating the correlation between terror alerts and Administration issues.

Timeline of Terror Alerts

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January 10, 2002 - George W. Bush, answering reporters' questions in the Oval Office regarding his close relationship with Ken Lay, head of the controversial Enron, claims that he barely knew him: "I got to know Ken Lay when he was the head of the—what they call the Governor's Business Council in Texas. He was a supporter of Ann Richards in my run in 1994 [italics Chatterbox's]. And she had named him the head of the Governor's Business Council. And I decided to leave him in place, just for the sake of continuity. And that's when I first got to know Ken. …"

Many see Bush's answer as less than sincere.

February 5, 2002 - Angry lawmakers to subpoena Ken Lay over Enron scandal. Journalist enquire about Lay's close connections to the Bush administration

February 12, 2002 - Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday called on "all Americans to be on the highest state of alert" after an FBI warning of a possible imminent terrorist attack.


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May 22, 2002 -- Bush goes on the record as opposing the formation of an independent commission to look into why 9/11 happened.

Mr. Bush's comments come after a two-day hearing on Capitol Hill with FBI director Robert Mueller and the agent who wrote the so-called "Phoenix memo" last summer warning about that Arab students training at U.S. aviation schools were linked to a militant Muslim group.

Same day:

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee votes to issue subpoenas to the Bush administration for information on its contacts with bankrupt energy trader Enron Corp.

May 24, 2002 -- Railroad and other transit systems across the country received a Transportation Department warning based on "an unconfirmed, uncorroborated report", and were told to "remain in a heightened state of alert". Earlier this week, the government issued warnings about the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, leading to tightened security at an around those New York City locations.


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September 20, 2002 -- In the wake of damaging Congressional 9/11 inquiry revelations, President Bush reverses course and backs efforts by many lawmakers to form an independent commission to conduct a broader investigation than the current Congressional inquiry.

The White House also refuses to turn over documents showing what Bush knew before 9/11.

September 20, 2002 -- Relatives of 9/11 victims grill the Bush Administration over their reluctancy to get to the bottom of it. Source

September 21, 2002 -- The Pentagon completes and delivers to President Bush a highly detailed set of military options for attacking Iraq, said the New York Times, quoting Pentagon and White House officials on Saturday.

The president has options now, and he has not made any decisions," states Ari Fleischer.

September 23, 2002 -- Former Vice President Al Gore warns that President Bush's doctrine allowing for a "pre-emptive" strike against Iraq could create a global "reign of fear."

September 23, 2002 -- Victory for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his ruling coalition came after a campaign in which he emphasized his strong opposition to a US war with Iraq.

September 24, 2002 -- Based on a review of intelligence and an assessment of threats by the intelligence community, as well as the passing of the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the disruption of potential terrorist operations in the United States and abroad, the Attorney General in consultation with the Homeland Security Council has made the decision to return the threat level to an elevated risk of terrorist attack, or "yellow" level.


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February 6, 2003 -- Powell pleads with the UN Security Council for a first strike against Iraq. Source

February 9, 2003 -- Citing credible threats that al Qaeda might be planning attacks on American targets, the U.S. government raised the national color-coded threat level Friday to orange, indicating a "high" risk of a terrorist attack. Source

Note: In what has become since an object of jokes and derision, the Department of Homeland Security urged citizens to stock up on plastic sheets and duct tape "in case of a chemical attack."

Note 2: Also keep in mind that they raised the alert level quickly after numerous anti-war organizations declared their intention to march against the plans to invade Iraq. In New York city, where nearly one million citizens voiced their opposition to the war plans, the level was placed in heightened orange alert just on time for the massive demonstrations of February 15, 2003.




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May 20, 2003 -- The United States raises the nation's terror threat level Tuesday, saying the U.S. intelligence community believes al Qaeda has entered an "operational period worldwide" and might attack within the US.


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July 25, 2003 -- After the Bush administration delayed its publication for months, Congress releases its 9/11 findings. The government also deletes 28 pages of the report believed to detail Saudi funding of members of Al Qaeda in the Untied States prior to Sept. 11.

July 28, 2003 -- US troops charged with beating Iraqi POWs.

15 US soldiers die over 8 days in Iraq.

July 29 -- Department of Homeland Security issues a warning about the possibility of suicide attacks on airplanes.


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August 18, 2003 -- President Bush admits that major combat operations are continuing in Iraq. On May 1, Bush went on national TV to proclaim the end "major combat operations."

September 4, 2003 -- Both The New York Times and Vanity Fair start investigating the very damaging allegations that Top White House officials personally approved the evacuation of dozens of influential Saudis, including relatives of Osama bin Laden, from the United States in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when most flights were still grounded, a former White House adviser said today.

September 5, 2003 -- A Department of Homeland Security advisory warns that al Qaeda is working on plans to hijack airliners flying between international points that pass near or over the continental United States.
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December 18, 2003 -- 9/11 Chair Thomas Kean says the attacks were preventable.

Dec. 19 2003 -- A federal appeals court ruled the government can not detain U.S. citizen Jose Padilla indefinitely without pressing charges against him or allowing him access to the courts.

Same day -- The Wall Street Journal reports that auditors at the Pentagon are accusing Halliburton of refusing to hand over internal documents related to allegations that the oil service company overcharged the U.S. government in iraq.

Same day -- David Kay quits, having found no WMDs.

Dec. 21, 2003 -- Ridge raises the terror threat level just in time for the holidays.


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February 6, 2004 -- CIA Director George Tenet Thursday said Iraq never posed an imminent threat to the United States.

February 7, 2004 -- Tom Ridge raises the terror alert.


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March 15, 2004 -- Military families say bring the troops home.

March 16, 2004 -- Dems call for probe on Medicare cost cover-up.

March 17, 2004 -- Condoleeza opts of 9/11 Commission hearings.

March 17, 2004 -- Tom Ridge raises threat level to elevated.


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March 30, 2004 -- Rice continues to refuse to testify publicly in front of 9/11 Commission.

April 1, 2004 -- US contractors killed and mutilated in Iraq. Medical evacuations in Iraq hit 18,000. Bush refuses to release Clinton papers to 9/11 Commission. And Richard Clarke is all over the news.

April 2, 2004 -- A bulletin sent from the FBI & Homeland Security warn of terrorists that may try to bomb buses and rail lines in major U.S. cities this summer.


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May 18, 2004 -- Colin Powell tells Meet the Press that he was deliberately mislead about WMD information. Powell's aide tries to cut him off mid-air.

May 18, 2004 -- Newsweek reports that President Bush's top lawyer warned two years ago that Bush could be prosecuted for war crimes as a result of how his administration was fighting the war on terror.

The 9/11 Commission begins another round of hearings in NYC.

May 19, 2004 -- Nothing but bad news about prisoner abuse in Iraq, including breaking news that the Pentagon was told about the abuses back in November. Senate Armed Forces Committee holds hearings.

May 20, 2004 -- United States goes on Orange Alert.


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July 6, 2004 -- Kerry names Edwards as his running mate.

July 8, 2004 -- Tom Ridge announces a terror alert.

July 11, 2004 -- Senior White House officials discuss how to delay elections.


Food for thought....You do the cooking...

Comments are welcome as always....