Chertoff Fears Homegrown Terrorism Abroad
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Worries Europe Can Be A Staging Ground For Future Attacks
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U.S. Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff told the BBC Wednesday Jan. 16, 2008 that Washington fears Europe may be a staging ground for terrorist attacks based on how easy it is for Europeans travel to the United States. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)
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Michael Chertoff said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio that his fears were based on how easy it is for Europeans travel to the United Sates. He said there was also evidence of homegrown terrorism in European countries.
"One of the things we've become concerned about lately is the possibility of Europe becoming a platform for a threat against the United States," Chertoff said.
Washington has no plans to start asking Europeans to apply for visas to travel to the United States but they could be required to register online before traveling, Chertoff said.
"We have the visa waiver program, which allows most Europeans who come to be tourists to come without visas - that means the first time we encounter them is when they arrive in the United States, and that creates a very small window of opportunity to check them out," he said.
The U.S. concerns are based on cases of homegrown terrorism in Europe - such as the March 2004 bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people, the deadly 2005 transport bombings in London and a failed attempt to blow up two commuter trains in Germany in 2006.
"We have watched the rise of homegrown terrorism," Chertoff said. "We are obviously mindful of the Madrid bombings, the attempted bombings in Germany, and that suggests to us that the terrorists are increasingly looking to Europe as both a target and a platform for terrorist attacks."
He said there was a "certain sense of complacency" about terrorism in the United States, suggesting the Bush administration had been a victim of its own success in thwarting any attacks since the Sept. 11 attacks.
"But when I lift my eyes and I look around the world, and I look at what happens in Britain, in Germany, in Spain, in Bali, in Pakistan, I don't see terrorism going away; I see an al Qaeda that's evolving," he said.
Still, as the fifth anniversary of the creation of his Homeland Security department approaches, Chertoff told the BBC, "Our ability to know who is coming across our borders, and to check them and to take their fingerprints now, is far better than it was five or six years ago. We have deployed almost twice as many border patrols as we had five or six years ago. We've put up literally hundreds of miles of fencing and barriers. All of these are very concrete steps forward that have made our security much better than it was."
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See all 139 CommentsWashington has no plans to start asking Europeans to apply for visas to travel to the United States but they could be required to register online before traveling, Chertoff said."
LORD, truly help us, if we have to start profiling the avg. Euro for being a potential terrorist. Profiling only works when we can target a specific group based on physical differences--with most Europeans being white and looking like much of America--everyone will be a suspect. LOL
ronpaul2008.com
Its THEIR JOB to protect our boarders--get somebody on it Chertoff!
If we do suffer another attack, it will probably be with the arms Bush is selling to the Saudis! The turncoat!
At this point--I''m more afraid of this government than anything else!
One of FDR''s most famous quotes used during the Depression and later in WW II was, "the only thing we have to fear, is FEAR itself"!
For the past 6 years, the Great Emperor Bush II and his Fascist neocon Republican allies have been having us live in FEAR of being attacked by "terrrrrorists" hiding beneath every rock and behind every tree. He also neglected to mention that we are also under attack by GREEDY businesses, UNCARING employers, CROOKED politicians, and FASCISTS dedicated to tearing up the Constitution and taking away our civil liberties!
If FDR were alive today and president, he would have every neocon arrested for treason, starting with the Bush family!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!
we the people have had it with washington
Anyone who thinks FDR was a good president is the fascist we need to fear. FDR alone couldn''t have made America into the fascist state it has become anymore than Hitler alone could have converted Germany to a fascist state. They both needed the popular support of millions of misguided people. America is fascist because rank and file Americans have embraced fascism.
By the way, Benito Mussolini (an expert on fascism if there ever was one) defined fascism as the merger of government and business into all-encompassing State control. He said that fascism should really be called Corporatism. By his definition, America is certainly fascist.
of Evolution, believers in Satan, the Rapture-ready, and Tom Delay, the REPUBLICANS
He ignores the fact that witnesses in London testified to the fact that the floors of the carriages were blown upwards...from explosions under them--not from explosives in back packs as the Official London Lie goes.
This liar was a Federal Attorney and helped cover up the Federal involvement in the running of the 1993 attack on the WTC, where the feds trained the driver, cooked the bomb, provided the detonator and timer and refused permission to their agent provocateur inside the conspiracy to replace the explosives with a harmless powder...making the FBI responsible for the murder of 6 New Yorkers...there would have been more if the driver was smart enough to follow the FBI''s instructions and park by a major support column.
"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
-- James Madison
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
-- James Madison
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifist for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
-- Hermann Goering, Adolf Hitler''s Reich-Marshall
at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII
Promoted, wasn''t he???
Did he make this announcement at a faux press conference?
Jeeze, this administration has nothing left but fearmongering...
What we, the American public, need to do is stop shilly-shallying on political forums knocking every politician, left or right or inbetween or way-out and be vigilant -- but not cross the line into paranoia. Or, to rephrase, when out and about to keep an eye out for suspicious events, but without descending into paranoia and finger pointing. We''re not 10 anymore, though many people prefer to act like they are.
Some terrorist attacks in other countries (e.g. the one in Heathrow from several months ago) were thwarted because somebody DID see something odd and reported it.
I''m assuming you were making a funny, but no doubt some (usually the uber-left-winged pests) would take you seriously. :(
...Chertoff is a facilitator of terrorism...He refuses to deal with the revelations of Sibel Edmonds the FBI translator who named the treasonous dogs who betrayed America and is now under a national security gag order from the black-robed bench monkeys of the Regime.--She has their pictures with no captions on her web sites...This is what Freedom of Speech has devolved into under the Bush/Chertoff Reich!
-- George W. Bush, Sept. 13, 2001
"I don''t know where (Bin Laden) is. You know, I just don''t spend that much time on him....I -- I''ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him."
-- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002
6 MONTHS AFTER 9/11/01
"Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom. The cause of liberty, the cause of American, cannot succeed with any lesser effort."
-- President John F. Kennedy, January 29, 1961
Just curious, how old are you?
Oh this is priceless, considering Bush sent Al Queda over to Iraq to promote chaos in the middle east and then up to Pakistan to ummmm...take care of business.
Now he''s sending more troops to Afghanistan and basically refusing to bring troops home of Iraq.
Chaos and panic is Bush/Cheney''s goal! Chertoff''s comments pro''bly came straight from Bush''s veto pen!
Chertoff looks like a spook himself! Gads!
-- President John F. Kennedy, January 29, 1961
Posted by gunownerdan at 01:46 PM : Jan 16, 2008
I''ll say it again ---This is not the Same America as is was in 1961!
There are more guns on the street now than ever though of in 1961!
Today it would turn into a showdown at the OK Corral!
Nope, can''t compare 1961 to today--I was a lot younger and better looking then too.
send him back to his homeland!
Ok we''re not stupid anymore--
911 was planned
The towers were rigged to implode when the planes hit.
Bush never intended to go after (complicit) Bin Laden.
And I''m positive everyone in America can state more fact to what I wrote.
Get over yourselves Washington--you''re dealing with people who now have "the rest of the story".
Your government commits more terrorism against YOU and kills more of you everyday than all of the terrorists attacks against America in the history of the Republic.
~~~~~~~~
He still mentions "Europeans". Did he mean EurAbians?
1. Eurabia East - The U.K., 4 1/2 million immigrants mostly from Pakistan, which is in the news, usually spectacular, almost daily.
2. Eurabia Central - France, 5 1/2 million immigrants many from Algeria, home of the GIA and GSPC, both Salafi Groups. Muslim fundamentalists won the election but are not permitted to take control; last month set off a bomb near the UN building.
3. Eurabia South - Spain. Immigrants from all their former colonies in N.Africa. Train bombing in Madrid killed 190 in a few minutes, and they dumped their President within the week.
4. Eurabia East - Germany. Bombing attempt failed. Muhammed Atta and the 9/11 boys lived free in Hamburg.
These four would-be colonial conquerors wanted hegemony over Arabs and North Africans so much, and got far more than they bargained for.
Sit back and watch Chertoff, Cheney and Bush try to tackle this one. Luck to them all.
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
-- James Madison
"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
-- James Madison
What a hoot! Chertoff''s boss tossed a couple hundred new Border Patrol positions at ICE and told the American public "mission accomplished", while millions of Mexicans on foot simply walk across our border, not to mention millions of other foreigners who waltz in on student and tourist visas.
No, this is just a first softening bombardment of propaganda for the coming police state in America.
Warrantless snooping and searching, thanks to Bushit. "Real ID"--a national ID card. "Sneak and peek". This is what Chertoff and the Bushits are going to drive home, even if it takes some manufactured "terrorist" attacks.
Posted by matvei1107 at 02:43 PM : Jan 16, 2008
But we know--it''s only Bush & Co--family-extended family--close friends--not so close friends and terrorists he hires.
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This is more of the same. I suppose he''s trying to use that fear to push his National I.D. agenda on us.
He was like a deer in the headlights when it came to organizing the Federal response to Hurricane Katrina. If he was so incompetent regarding that, why should we trust his judgment on other matters?
Yes, especially when the terrorist and terrorist hirers are the very people running our government.
-- George W. Bush, Sept. 13, 2001
"I don''t know where (Bin Laden) is. You know, I just don''t spend that much time on him....I -- I''ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him."
-- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002
6 MONTHS AFTER 9/11/01
I guess Bush realized early on that he needs his bogeyman Osama Bin Laden to keep us all good and scared.
-- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002
6 MONTHS AFTER 9/11/01
I guess Bush realized early on that he needs his bogeyman Osama Bin Laden to keep us all good and scared.
Posted by gunownerdan
That was Bush''s friend and "hired hand" and we all know how loyal Bush is with his friends the Bin Ladens.
I think what the american people have to worry about is
the Bush Administration and CONgress. We need to ID them
with verichip. We need to keep an eye on these IDIOTS.
Everything should be in computers and all of the safety venues used to verify their right to visit the U.S.
For pete''s sake, everything must be done to avoid another 9/11.
To h^ll with inconvenience.
To h^ll with civil liberties.
Let''s just be safe.
FEAR, FEAR, FEAR - YOU NEED TO BE AFRAID - YOU NEED TO BE VERY AFRAID - YOU NEED TO BE A-SCARED.
There''s a Terrorist under you bed and a Communist in your Closet! Or is that a Communist under your bed and a Terrorist in your closet.
Well one thing is for sure - your government is tapping all your communications!
You are the Threat! A free America is a Liberal America.
A Republican America is a Controlled America!
Do you want Freedom or Control?
Did you see that Pope Benedict basically declared the Earth Flat again by stating that "as saying the Church''s verdict against Galileo had been "rational and just"
Thus - the Earth is Flat! And the Earth is Stationary! How else would Jesus find us?
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