home

New York Subway Threat a Hoax

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 09:58:52 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

The informant who tipped off authorites to last week's' New York Subway threat now admits it was a hoax

[Government] sources said an informant in Iraq who provided the tip had told investigators there was a terrorist plot involving New York's subway system. That informant admitted he gave false information, the sources said. On Monday, New York police said they would reduce the increased security measures put in place last week on the city's subways.

It's time to bring out the TalkLeft Subway totes.

< Where Was Cheney? | Mother Risks Loss of Child Because of Father's Past >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    New York Subway Threat a Hoax | 34 comments (34 topical)
    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#26)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:50 PM EST
    Posted by BB: "Yeah...and you Paul are the 'prime' example of the left's constant cries of foul." When you support traitors who break the law, the oath of office, the Constitution, and the UN charter, and kill 130,000 innocent people, you can expect to get nothing but the hatred of Americans, BB. "No matter what is done...or not done.. " Wow, just keep lying to yourself. When the bill comes due, you step forward and explain how it was SO important to give Halliburton an EIGHT THOUSAND PERCENT INCREASE IN STOCK VALUE through no-bid contracting, while giving only sixty percent of the soldiers Kevlar body armor. It's all in the economics. "BTW - you missed a great opportunity for a free drink last week." I don't drink when I protest. "Well I hope to God that your sister (or Brother) that actually has these kids keeps them away from you" They are both born-again Christians. Their eight-year old was exposed to an anti-Kerry tirade and fake 'voting' episode in their private school last year, which brought both of them down on the principal and teacher like wolves on a flock of geese. Subsequent to that GOP-email induced event, my sister announced at Christmas that she was no longer a (life-long) Republican. Late to the realization, but she concluded that Bush is a false prophet, and that the illegal invasion of Iraq is deeply immoral and the sort of action that a real Christian would never take. As for my impact, my little niece stood up and told her teacher that if she is a Christian, she should stop slandering Kerry, and that Jesus loves people, he doesn't hate them. Out of the mouth of babes.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Reduce security to what? Pre-hoax levels or are they going to keep some of the heightened levels of civil rights violations?

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#2)
    by theologicus on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    As ever the question to ask about this hoax is: cui bono?

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Theo, Exactly, and I second the query. Although I think we both have a pretty good hunch.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#4)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Who the hell is driving this bus?

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    How much play will the fact that this Threat was a Hoax get in the Red States? Will Hannity give it the same attention. I said it then and I will repeat it again. This was a deliberate act to reinforce the Preznits Poll Numbers. I pleased at least, this time it backfired and the MSM didn't let him get away with it!

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    I was in NYC over the weekend and I can't say that the "added security" felt like much of a violation to my rights. I've gone through a more rigorous search process going into the Library of Congress when no such terror threat, hoax or otherwise, was announced. Personally, I'm glad to know it was a hoax, and I'm still glad they took it seriously enough to do something, however ineffective it was likely to be, rather than ignore the threat. Imagine the shreaking here and elsewhere if a bomb went off and it was discovered that they had some information on a threat but thought it was a hoax. It would be a race to be the first to claim that Bush decided to let the bomb be detonated to distract from something else. The downside is, of course, that this just underlines the general problem with our society. Every terrorist sympathizer knows that they can create havoc with a tip, no actual bomb is needed. Not to mention that a well-timed and placed tip could be used to pull attention one way while a real attack is being pulled off elsewhere. Yeah, I know; that's the price we pay for our freedoms. But it still sucks.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    justpaul, the tipster wasn't doing it to cause havoc. This particular person just happens to be detained in a detention center in Iraq. The CIA and the Penatagon both vouched for the information given up by this person, but they also quietly admitted the information was given while going through some "interrogation procedures". And we all know what that means. So a person, like yourself, can see it one way ("golly gee, those bad old terrorists are just wreaking havoc on us by giving us false leads") or others can see this as an example of the questionable quaility of info derived from "stress positions" and "interrogation procedures". Next time justpaul why don't you look into the story you're spoutin' off about before making a comment about how this is the work of "terrorist sympathizers".

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#8)
    by swingvote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Next time justpaul why don't you look into the story you're spoutin' off about before making a comment about how this is the work of "terrorist sympathizers". I've got a better idea, Sherm. How about, next time, you actually read the comment before responding to it. And just to be safe, ask your mommy or whoever it is that is supposed to be holding your hand if you understood what was said. Had you done that, you might have noticed, or been informed, that I never said that this person was a terrorist sympathizer, or raised any issues about why this particular person said anything at all. My point was that this "hoax" points out a weakness in our way of life that leaves us open to such hoaxes in the future and makes us especially vulnerable to someone who does have bad intentions. Then you might not be chewing on your Keds, again, right now. And here's a tip for you, Sherm: Stop trying to score points against other people, read their comments rather than scanning for buzzwords that set you off, and, if you have an honest dispute with what is said, try an honest argument rather than the latest cut-and-paste tirade from whatever website it is that you get this crap from.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#9)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Dog bites man.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#10)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Imagine the shreaking here and elsewhere if a bomb went off and it was discovered that they had some information on a threat but thought it was a hoax. It would be a race to be the first to claim that Bush decided to let the bomb be detonated to distract from something else.
    So would you not respong with anger if such an event was pulled off?

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#11)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    I wish elected officials would stop spending our tax dollars to fund their self serving cries of wolf. This particular threat was clearly a re-election ploy by Bloomberg as he was told before announcing the threat by the WH press secretary Mc McClellan that it was of "doubtful credibility", while telling NYers that it was the most credible threat to date. Sadly, Fascism 101 still works like a charm. Bloomberg will get a boost, the fact that is was a hoax will get little or no media attention, fear will flourish and the incumbent mayor will be re-elected, works like magic.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#12)
    by swingvote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    So would you not respong with anger if such an event was pulled off? Sure, I would be angry that it happened again, and that it happened even though we had some warning, but I wouldn't be out here claiming it was allowed to happen for political purposes.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Yeah, see, justpaul and charley are just BEAUTIFUL DREAMERS. • They see Bush's continued use of false terror threats to goose our children into crapping their pants in school and our grandparents from having tachycardia as just good clean Executive fun. C'mon, you've had fun before, haven't you? That's the problem with liberals. You don't know how to have fun.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:53 PM EST
    Char-keeping the public in a perpetual state of fear and perpetuating the big lie is Fascism 101. You are obviously an expert propaganda minister, on board with Goebbels, as you promote and defend each and every drop of wingnut propaganda on a regular basis. Fascism 101-Propaganda:
    Appeal to fear: Appeals to fear seeks to build support by instilling fear in the general population - for example Joseph Goebbels exploited Theodore Kaufman's Germany Must Perish! to claim that the Allies sought the extermination of the German people.
    "The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don't ask for their love; only for their fear." -Heinrich Himmler
    If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State." - Joseph Goebbels
     "Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play." - Joseph Goebbels
    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#15)
    by swingvote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:54 PM EST
    They see Bush's continued use of false terror threats to goose our children into crapping their pants in school and our grandparents from having tachycardia as just good clean Executive fun. Is there anyone not sitting in an insane asylum who is available to translate what this is supposed to mean? Do you have to take the red pill or the blue pill for this to make sense?

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#16)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:54 PM EST
    jp, it is a comment on how the 'alert' levels are raised everytime bushco is in trouble. this is a man who claimed 'smoking gun=mushroom cloud'; AQ= iraq!; bush kicking inspectors out = saddam throwing them out. He's a LIAR! Everyone who works with him is a proven liar (e.g rice at 9/11 committee; cheney iraq/AQ connection; powell at UN; rove ... everytime he opens his mouth.) The worst of it is, they have cried wolf so often, and the stakes are so high, that it may be true someday. "cui bono?" As always, bushco did. Check the polls, he gained a bit with his base, which was plummetting before the 'terrer' scare.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:54 PM EST
    Sorry, there was an extra 'from' in that paragraph. Making our children afraid and making our elderly have heart problems over false threats and 'mushroom clouds' of profit -- treason. My little nieces and nephews are growing up under a cloud of bully-Bush hatred, and it is lowering their IQ and taking away their childhood. When I grew up, the theory was that the kids should be protected. No longer. Now they are to be inserted into our political system, and cashed in on. Test Our Children to Death, Bush's new unfunded mandate program, is already making kids swallow their tears and bury their anxieties, so when they grow up they can be malformed walmart employees, and lose their innate human freedom and creativity in the service of some CEO's windfall. Making people less creative, so they don't compete with the Useless Dictator. WHAT HAS HE EVER ACCOMPLISHED IN HIS LIFE? He's made a lot of money for his cronies by selling off our national security, but other than that, this guy flunks every test he has ever taken. And the people of NYC must be damn tired of taking his Pop Quizes every time he needs political cover. What a stinking coward.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:54 PM EST
    Spot-on post, Squeaky. Fascism 101.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#19)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:55 PM EST
    “How much play will the fact that this Threat was a Hoax get in the Red States?” If you are curious what this conservative in the red state of Utah thinks; I’m disgusted how quickly New Yorkers gave up this bit of privacy. It matters little how this plays in the ‘Red States’; what is significant is the conduct of the folks in the very blue sate of New York. And it seems they will jump at the opportunity to give away their forth amendment protections for the façade of security; even for a hoax. Guess the ‘toughness’ of New Yorkers is just another canard. Oh, and where is senator Clinton on this outrage? F*cking lemmings.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    Pigwiggle, here to blame the victims, as usual. Hillary? How about George the Traitor Bush? 'Uh, if they weren't so stupid, I wouldn't have been able to steal their tv set.' Your whole party are the lemmings, pig.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#21)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    pw-NYers did no give up anything. The corporate news reported quote from people who served them. Many refuse to be searched and simply walk a block to a subway entrance where there are no cops. Are you suggesting that NYers tell the cops to f**k off and ride the subway while refusing to be searched. Well we are not so stupid. That will result in instant arrested and perhaps enemy combatant status. The searches have faded anyway, and the ACLU is challenging its constitutionality. The search campaign was largely a PR stunt designed to counter the claim that the MTA was hoarding federal money that is supposed to be used to combat terrorism and to offset claims that NYC has not gotten its fair share of homeland security funds. Any terrorist could have entered the subway in the outer boroughs where there were no cops and done whatever terror they wanted to do unimpeded once the train pulled into Manhattan or their desired target destination.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    Paul in LA La... Yeah, see, justpaul and charley are just BEAUTIFUL DREAMERS. Yeah...and you Paul are the 'prime' example of the left's constant cries of foul. No matter what is done...or not done.. you can manipulate it for your own political purposes. It's the tired old "damned if you do & damned if you don't" syndrome. Tell me Paulie...what is it that would ever apease you? BTW - you missed a great opportunity for a free drink last week. I enjoyed my brief stint in La La land in spite of the lack of your charming company.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    Paul in LA LA.. My little nieces and nephews are growing up under a cloud of bully-Bush hatred, and it is lowering their IQ Well I hope to God that your sister (or Brother) that actually has these kids keeps them away from you if your constant yammering on here is any indication of what you are teaching them!

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#24)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    Squeaky-
    “pw-NYers did no give up anything.”
    Most willingly gave away their protection against unreasonable search for a bit of comfort; fools. Random searches on public property, i.e. public transportation, seems most unreasonable to me.
    “Are you suggesting that NYers tell the cops to f**k off and ride the subway while refusing to be searched.”
    Civil disobedience?
    “Well we are not so stupid.”
    Stupidity, bravery; sometimes hard to tell the difference.
    “The search campaign was largely a PR stunt designed to counter the claim that the MTA was hoarding federal money …”
    The folks I saw on television were TSA officers.
    “Any terrorist could have entered the subway in the outer boroughs ...”
    You’re preaching to the choir.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#25)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    “Pigwiggle, here to blame the victims, as usual.”
    Roll on your back, tail between your legs, pi$$ in the air; sure, there’s a bit of reflexive contempt.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    Oh, screwed up the numbers. Cheney's stock options increased in value by 3,281 percent, and is now worth 8 million. Cheney's Golden Parachute My prediction: He'll retire in a few weeks, get a blanket pardon from Bush (and some medals), and then blow his brains out with his own pistol some time this winter.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#28)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:56 PM EST
    PW-Sorry i am not willing to be late night entertainment for you by messing with NYC cops when they more than likely have the right to search peoples bags. The balace between protecting the public and the 4th ammendment has been settled with drunk driving check points. The ACLU does not expect to win this one although I am rooting for them. My problem with the searches is that they have no effect on terrorism. The claims of making NYers safer are totally bogus. The only thing that the searches do is make the incumbent politicians feel safer that they will be re-elected, oh and it gives lots of overtime pay to NYC police.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#29)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:57 PM EST
    Sqeaky-
    “Sorry i am not willing to be late night entertainment for you by messing with NYC cops...”
    I wouldn’t enjoy seeing anyone brutalized, asserting their fourth amendment protections while trying to use the public resources they fund.
    “The balace between protecting the public and the 4th ammendment has been settled with drunk driving check points.”
    The Supremes blew it in Slit; lets hope the bad precedent doesn’t carry through. Interesting; the dissenting justices questioned the special need in Slit noting that very few DUI arrests resulted from the efforts of so many police. I’m willing to bet the NY v terrorists stats are worse.
    “My problem with the searches is that they have no effect on terrorism.”
    I have a higher standard; even if they were effective I still wouldn’t consider the searches reasonable. Would you give the police free reign to search anyone in high crime neighborhoods on a whim? I hope not.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#30)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:57 PM EST
    Paul in La La.. When you support traitors who break the law I support the president ... no matter what party he is in! And, I don't feel trying to protect the American people from insane islamic terrorists makes him a traitor. In fact, anybody taking the opposing stand to that would be a traitor in my book. and kill 130,000 innocent people You have no proof of that number...and many of those people have been killed by their own kind.(IE - car bombs exploding in markets) Why don't you ever complain about that BTW? you can expect to get nothing but the hatred of Americans, BB Ok...please explain the hatred that was going on long before we went to Iraq then? They actually heated us when we had a Dem prez too...or were you not around then? and explain how it was SO important to give Halliburton an EIGHT THOUSAND PERCENT INCREASE IN STOCK VALUE through no-bid contracting, I don't know that to be fact...but let's say it is. No, I'm not happy about that, but I know that Mr. Clinton also used them in a "no bid" circumstances on several occasions too. Did you complain about that when it happened? I don't drink when I protest. Why...will one beer make you have second thoughts about your cause?

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#31)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:57 PM EST
    No longer. Now they are to be inserted into our political system, and cashed in on.
    You know, Paul goes on some pretty insane tirades sometimes, but i think he's right on the money with this one. Some of the things that our kids go through these days we never had to worry about. And it's not just the terrorism argument. "You must say the pledge of allegiance, You can say the pledge of allegiance, you cant say the pledge of allegiance..."

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#32)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:57 PM EST
    No longer. Now they are to be inserted into our political system, and cashed in on.
    You know, Paul goes on some pretty insane tirades sometimes, but i think he's right on the money with this one. Some of the things that our kids go through these days we never had to worry about. And it's not just the terrorism argument. "You must say the pledge of allegiance, You can say the pledge of allegiance, you cant say the pledge of allegiance..." for example.

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#33)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:57 PM EST
    Keith Olbermann documents the uncanny coincidence between negative WH news and terror threats. link via robot wisdom

    Re: New York Subway Threat a Hoax (none / 0) (#34)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:57 PM EST
    peacrevol.... Some of the things that our kids go through these days we never had to worry about. Yes...and who is at fault for the pledge of allegiance example you cite? Clue?... the left (libs)

    New York Subway Threat a Hoax | 34 comments (34 topical)