Increased security in the U.S. has forced terrorist groups to target Americans overseas instead.
“The enemy is going to find an easier way. They’re gonna find softer targets, they’re gonna find ways that they can hurt us and it may not be bringing it to America in hijacked airplanes. It may be doing things when we’re not looking, in places that are vulnerable and every embassy is vulnerable if you think about it,” said Smullen.
The government has also issued a global travel warning for all Americans overseas. It will remain active until at least August 31st.
There are a few other ways of looking at this, Smullen.
In Yemen, where according to the Guardian Weekly most of the rural population is living in constant terror of US drones always overhead, worrying about when the next Hellfire is going to take out an unconvicted “terrorist” and a couple dozen “collateral damage” bystanders (like their spouses, kids and grandkids), yeah, I can see where a passing American tourist might get his/her throat cut. I can relate to that, putting myself in Yemeni shoes. Assuming of course there are still tourists dumb enough to go there under present circumstances. Diplomats … well, aren’t they collateral damage too, guys?
This is of course assuming this recently discovered terror threat is real and not something concocted to quiet any homelander concerns about the NSA spying on everyone and everything. Curious timing isn’t it, coming right after Putin grants Snowden asylum? My, isn’t that an interesting coincidence.
Pardon my cynicism, but …
Does anyone see the irony in the current “Terror Alert” issued for all the Middle East countries with Americans warned about Traveling, and Consulates and Embassies being closed, and yet the FATCA Round up continues and isn’t suspended for fear of the information falling into Al Qaeda hands?
Here is Yemen Press telling Middle East readers about the difficulty for Americans and Greencard holders and what the FFIs have to do to be FATCA compliant..
Google Translate….http://bit.ly/18ZSGf4
I guess FATCA is America’s way of saying come back to the safety of the Homeland, or we will use you as targets for deflection otherwise.
This is just propaganda and fear-mongering. I have my doubts, given the US’s incursions and military actions here and there, that Americans are suddenly in more danger (til the end of August) then they have been all this year or last or the year before.
There are all sorts of political reasons why terror alerts are issued and with an upcoming debt ceiling and possible USG shutdown looming is it a surprise that the WH takes a play out of the GWBush handbook about referencing “terror” to distract and/or herd the population to its bidding?
They need to scare everybody in order to justify all the “Prism” and “Keyscore” etc NSA mass surveillance programs that Snowden just blew the whistle on.
@schubert
My thoughts exactly. I, for one, don’t believe in coincidentally.
@yoga Girl,
Nothing surprises me about this WH. Back in 2008, like many others, I so looked forward to a ‘new man’ in the WH. Frankly, I have difficulties seeing any difference. This President is more articulate than the last one, but frankly, I can’t think of any other good thing to say about him.
t might be more articulate but that is about the only kind thing I can say about him.
@schubert1975
Indeed.
I also thought the timing to be quite convenient for propaganda purposes.
They’ve made similar warnings to UK citizens about terrorist threats for August.
Land of the bewildered. Home of the Feer.
What America doesn’t get or accept is that terrorist activity is directly related to how the USA behaves towards the rest of the world. It is about time that they really examined the root causes for the intense dislike of the USA. But alas they are too blinded by arrogance and self importance. A little humility would be nice.
Hear, Hear! With a minor shift in US foreign policy, it would save trillions in avoidable security expenses. But, of course, such would cost government Jobs and political salaries.
the dark star Obarfalot implements US persons as human shields (a repeat from earlier in the viewing season)
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/fatcas_security_problem
You cry wolf enough times, what happens?
@Joe Zinga
Of course they don’t see it. Being insular in this case is really a big part of the problem. It simply gets in the way of logically connecting the dots through a rational thought process.
That, and they really don’t care, anyway.
@Mark Twain
The Dark Star Obarfalot?
LMAO
But you really shouldn’t be talking like that about our gallant Sith Lord and overseer! We might get droned by the power of the Dark Side! LOL
Breaking News: Montreal Gazette continues to kiss Obama’s @$$.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Obama+turns+celebrates+sight+Camp+David+presidential/8747543/story.html
Who cares.
Comic Relief? My kids picked out a movie for our family to watch tonight – ‘In the Loop’. The main character is played by an actor who is the new ‘Dr. Who’ in the upcoming season.
There is definitely a FATCA connection in the movie. Even my kids got it. Grandmas forewarned: there are a lot of expletives!
The US government should ask itself “whether embassies are even really necessary, in this age of mass communications:
Faced with the failure of an obsolete idea—the necessity of traditional embassies and all the elaboration they entail—we have not stood back to remember their purpose, but have plunged ahead with closely focused concentration to build them bigger and stronger. One day soon they may reach a state of perfection: impregnable and pointless.
There is certainly something to the argument. If the people working there are completely out of contact with the local population, they may as well be located in their home state. Due to security concerns, day to day matters like visas and assistance for tourists are increasingly handled at locations aside from embassies. Perhaps all ambassadors need these days is some secure office space, a home in a well defended gated community, and the ability to rent facilities where large social functions could take place. Eliminating embassy compounds would remove a tempting target for terrorists, and allow a lot less diplomatic and local staff to be retained.
In the end, the two key questions seem to be:
Do embassies still do anything that couldn’t be accomplished by fewer people in less specialized secure facilities?
Do any of those enduring purposes justify the risk and expense now associated with embassy construction and operation?
It seems to me that the answers may be ‘not much’ and ‘often, no.’ The most important remaining role for many embassies may be in espionage: snatching up nearby radio transmissions and providing some land that operates under the legal regime of the ambassador’s home state.”
https://www.sindark.com/2009/01/06/are-embassies-still-necessary/
The US’s diplomatic presence in the world should examine going virtual, in fitting with its future expat community.
bubblebustin, I think the espionage angle is probably on the mark. The Benghazi incident is widely rumored to have been a CIA op for gun running (out of Libya to Syria?) and the alleged terrorist attack line being parroted by the USG is just cover up ( as is probably the GOP “outrage”).
Of course, USC’s aren’t able to renew passports via mail, so embassies/consulates do have that particular use though they would be more useful if passports could simply be renewed on site.
What I found amusing was how the USG had to come up with the “chatter is just like pre-911” line for the media after their initial warning was met with skepticism and/or mocking. Given that jacking the terror threat up to “scramble like headless chickens” has become standard for the sitting WH admin whenever there are domestic issues that are riling those in Homeland (gawd I love that term and even more since they gave it to themselves!), it’s a small wonder that no one believes them. Sadly, this may encourage them to start staging things to back themselves up in the future however.