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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Giordano Bruno who wrote (108344)	7/12/2007 11:18:37 AM
From: Pogeu Mahone	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 132070

This guy is going to pick the winning lottery numbers for tonight: Gov rips ‘gut’ warning’: Chertoff should stick to facts, Deval says By Jessica Van Sack Thursday, July 12, 2007 - Updated: 10:07 AM EST Gov. Deval Patrick slammed U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff yesterday for scaring people with his “gut feeling” about an imminent terrorist attack without providing any evidence of new intelligence. A Chertoff aide defended the security chief’s remark, while a leaked federal intelligence report yesterday suggested al-Qaeda has rebuilt its organization to pre-Sept. 11 levels. Patrick and top deputies said Washington is keeping them in the dark on terror intelligence and questioned why the leaked report was classified. “Frankly, I don’t think it is helpful to have the secretary of Homeland Security telling us what he feels. He should tell us what he knows,” Patrick said. Chertoff’s press secretary Russ Knocke shot back. “Shame on us if the secretary of Homeland Security is not going to be in a position to offer his personal belief based upon years of expertise,” Knocke said, adding, “I’m not sure if the governor took the time to actually look at the transcript or followed anything the secretary has said on television.” Knocke and other government officials declined yesterday to acknowledge any specific, credible threats of a new attack. But government officials speaking to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said the leaked document cites a thriving safe haven in Pakistan as one reason al-Qaeda is “considerably operationally stronger than a year ago” and has “regrouped.” “They are showing greater and greater ability to plan attacks in Europe and the United States,” the unnamed official said. The terror group has created “the most robust training program since (Sept. 11) with an interest in using European operatives,” the official quoted the report as saying. At the same time, the official said, the report acknowledges “significant gaps in intelligence.” Patrick’s State Undersecretary of Homeland Security Juliette N. Kayyem said the leaked report illustrates the larger problem of valuable intelligence being withheld. “This is consistent with what the governor was concerned about, which is that we can’t have these extremes of reacting to a gut feeling or not knowing about a classified memo that lo and behold appears today,” Kayyem said. “This is the kind of thing that ought to be shared. The fact that it’s a leaked classified briefing is actually as disconcerting as acting on a gut.” Earlier yesterday, Kayyem said, “Michael Chertoff is not allowed to have a gut feeling.” In his remarks to the Chicago Tribune editorial board Tuesday, Chertoff offered a broad picture of a dangerous world: “I believe we’re entering a period this summer of increased risk,” Chertoff said, listing previous summer terror plots and adding that, “All these things give me kind of a gut feeling, not that I have a specific threat that I have in mind right now, but we are entering a period of increased vulnerability.” Security experts differed over the wisdom of Chertoff’s gut feeling comment. Neil Livingstone, CEO of the security consultancy ExecutiveAction, and Fred Burton of the private global intelligence firm Stratfor.com both said they suspect Chertoff’s gut feeling are based on solid knowledge. But John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org. countered, “My guts have feelings but I try to keep them to myself.” - jvansack@bostonherald.com State House News Service contributed to this report.

To: Giordano Bruno who wrote (108344)	7/12/2007 11:42:10 AM
From: Knighty Tin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

I haven't read the book, yet, as it is not in paperback. <G> I saw him on The Colbert Report and he was his usual, "I love me so much" hoot. I generally prefer the sceptical books that are based more on scholarship than opinions, but I will read the Hitchens offering. My most recent favorite is "The Jesus Dynasty," which outs much of the oddball church dogma, but is not anti-religion or real Christianity. Paul Erdman's most recent book, about folks who took out parts of the Gospel writers' text and put in their own, often by accident, is also great. Both are professors, one at North Carolina and the other at North Carolina Charlotte. Look for the next natural disaster in what state? <VBG>