[spacefire5458]

Do you think a terrorist attack is going to happen soon?
Thanks your opinions are greatly appreciated!:)

[Choux]

Sure, those barbarian losers are always planning something. The world is a big place; hope we have informants in place to rat out the Jihadists.

[BABRAM]

Do you think a terrorist attack is going to happen soon?
thanks your opinions are greatly appreciated!:)

I think you mean specifically on U.S. soil? I like the way you worded the question. I agree that's it's not a matter of if, but when. I suspect past and recent attempts are made and foiled more often than the public is aware. It's widely known that organized cell networks have been busted. I'm really surprised that backpacking suicide bombers have not copy catted what they've done in Israel. I would expect this to be attempted in the not so far future.



Bobby

[tomder55]

I think it is more likely to happen now since before the beginning of the year. Here is why .

After 9-11 the President authorized the Terrorist Surveillance Program(TSP) to track the activities of cells inside the US and their communications with their terror-masters . The program went beyond the hopelessly out of date FISA He relied instead on the inherent powers of the Presidency in times of war dating back since at least Lincoln who tapped into the telegram wires to listen in on the Confederacy. He also had tacit approval from Congress with the Authorization act passed after 9-11 (9-18-2001). In 2004 SCOTUS ruled that the act of Congress did indeed authorize the President to wage war and utilize all"fundamental incident[s] of waging war". By any reasonable measure that includes intercepting enemy communications be they phone calls ,fax,email ,blackberry texting etc.

The traitorous NY Slimes leaked the existence of this program in 2005 and they incorrectly spun it as an assault on civil liberties. Unfortunately for the President he has a doofus in the name of Alberto Gonzales who has botched the simple task of explaining the details of the program adequately to the public;the RINOs in Congress and the hostile majority party in Congress(who would not go along with it regardless that it is in the national interest ). In Gonzales' defense however it is very difficult to publicly explain the program without revealing the details that makes the program effective but I'm sure a more competent spokesperson would've helped .

To add monkey wrench ,apparently there was a debate within the administration over the program and that came to a head when the fool Gonzales and another justice dept official James Comey brought their disagreement about the program to the bad side of the ill Att .General John Ashcroft . Ashcroft agreed with Comey and would've resigned if the program was not modified .So it was ,thus already weakening the effective program.

Gonzales has botched the explaining of the program to Congress and because of confusing and by appearance contradictory testimony about it has come under attack for alleged pergury before Congress . He has not lied but has answered in a couched way revealing about the program only what is absolutely necessary while at the same time trying to keep a very effective program viable.

Meanwhile Congress is more concerned with scoring political points than defending the nation . This silliness has weakened the program and the net result of the endless hearing acrimony and allegations will be to bring the intelligence gathering capability of the government back to the pre- Sept. 11 days when the wall of separation eliminated any chance of tracking jihadist terrorists inside the US .

Therefore I believe that yes ;it is likely that another major terrorists attack will occur inside the US.

[labman]

It is like a golden glove outfielder. Sooner or later, he is going to miss one. Making him play bare handed makes it more likely.

[ETWolverine]

I don't know when or where it will happen, but it WILL happen. The law of probabilities almost guarantees it. You cannot stop 100% of attacks. Eventually SOMETHING is going to get through. It might be something small, which given the current state of security is the most likely outcome. Or it might be another 9/11, with thousands of casualties, which I hope to G-d doesn't happen. I was there for the first one, and I don't want to see another one for the rest of my life.

A better question might be "What effect will another terrorist attack in the USA by Islamic fascists have on domestic politics?"

Would it result in the country voting Republican in reaction to the threat, because Republicans have a better history of national security policies? Or will it drive the people to the left in an anti-Republican reaction? I think the former is more likely, but there is no way to know for sure until it happens.

Elliot