All of the sudden the “no new information” meme that some are trying to attach to last weekends terror alert is crumbling.
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration learned from a third person, separate from two prisoners identified this week, that al-Qaida was plotting to attack American financial buildings, officials said.
The information from the third person was “another new stream of intelligence” that supported the White House decision to issue a terror warning on Sunday, the officials said.
The information arrived days before the public alert, as officials were reviewing reams of recently obtained documents and photographs that showed surveillance of five buildings in New York City, New Jersey and Washington carried out years earlier by al-Qaida.
“Old information isn’t irrelevant information – particularly with this kind of enemy,” Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.In other news, California Yankee reports that an Albany mosque was raided in a sting operation. There was a plot to purchase shoulder-launched missiles.
Michele Catalano notes that a key al Qaeda figure was among those who were arrested in a British roundup, prompted by the U.S. alert.
From the “Mosque of Peace” website:
“The Imam of Masjid As-Salaam, our beloved Imam Ya Seen Arif, holds many classes for the dissemination of Islamic Sacred Knowledge throughout the week. Enlightening classes on the diverse language of Arabic are held on a private basis. One may contact the Imam in person at 518.427.9892 to make individualized arrangements.”
Let’s call him up.
Once again, we see that it’s smart to wait until the full story is on the table for saying things with a knee jerk… like “Bush lied!”
The Madrid bombings were planned for 2 & 1/2 years. 8 years between WTC attacks. The plan to seize airliners simultaneously and crash them was from the mid-90’s.
The only really old thing is the Left’s playbook.