Loose lips sink ships

[Silverlily]

That was the statement the Dept. of Defence had this morning on CNN. Sound familiar? It should, it's a statement that's been around for a long time, along with "If you tell where he's going, he might not get there" and a picture of a soldier heading off to fight.

I believe this is going to be one of the most difficult things for many Americans to change. We are used to saying what we want, whenever we want, and thumbing our noses at anyone who tries to stop us. After, freedom of speech is a basic right.

This however, is a little different. Sure, the piece of information you have is trivial. The problem is, your trivia plus my trivia and his trivia and her trivia can quickly add up to a complete picture. Intelligence agencies can learn a lot through casual conversation.

We seen it all over, here and elsewhere. So an so's husband's unit has been placed on standby, this base's planes are being prepped. Please, keep it to yourself. We all want reassurance right now, we all want to know we are strong and safe. But don't give the enemy even the tiniest speck of insight. Protect your country's fighting men and women and hold your tongue (and keyboard).

 

[Wyatt]

Us Brits have a similar saying from an old WW2 poster"Careless Talk Costs Lives".As a reservist in the UK armed forces I daresay if this action gets big I may be glad of this advice.Hope I get a chance to serve alongside our American cousins once more.There were approximately 250-500 Brits killed also.United we stand.

 

[LRC]

very good advice kitten eyes

I was thinking the same thing ... We all have to remember that the "whole world is watching" this or any other site on the net.

 

[fgarvb1]

good .

 

[Chuckus]

Yeppirrrrrrrs I will keep my lips sealed from now on.

You are dead on Kitten Eyes.....

and Wyatt I would serve side by side with you Brits too.

 

[Barb Dwyer]

You should CC this to all the media outlets as well Kitten Eyes! I sometimes can't believe the things they report. The American people don't need to know any of this information until after it is a done deal. Certainly our enemies don't need an engraved invitation and map!

Don't we remember hearing that Saddam Hussein laughed about watching CNN from deep inside his bunkers as our missiles were shown being launched and tracked over Baghdad's skies during Desert Storm?

 

[Cheyenne]

Excellent point, Kitten Eyes.

*bump*

 

[Angel]

I was thinking the same thing on the 11th when they kept announcing where the President was going.

 

[morninggirl5]

That was the statement the Dept. of Defence had this morning on CNN. Sound familiar? It should, it's a statement that's been around for a long time, along with "If you tell where he's going, he might not get there" and a picture of a soldier heading off to fight.

We seen it all over, here and elsewhere. So an so's husband's unit has been placed on standby, this base's planes are being prepped. Please, keep it to yourself. We all want reassurance right now, we all want to know we are strong and safe. But don't give the enemy even the tiniest speck of insight. Protect your country's fighting men and women and hold your tongue (and keyboard).

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld made a very firm statement using this line last Wednesday dealing specifically with classified information.

Truly classified information is where the danger lies. Calling up of troops and the status of particular groups is usually common knowledge. The units that will be spearheading this campaign will more than likely be special forces and noone outside their chain of command knows when, where, or how they are being deployed.

 

[shadowsource]

Yes, I wonder, too.

For instance, the info on the investigation is very entertaining, but it's not absolutely necessary that I know what the guys from Newark who wound up in St. Louis were going to do in two weeks in San Antonion (a new hijacking, allegedly). I ASSUME that these odd tidbits are being leaked/announced for a logical reason, and not to make exciting news. Some of it must be misinformation designed to confuse fugitives and plotters. Some must be aimed at satisfying world opinion that we really are on the right track. If not, the FBI's fucking up, big-time.

 

[SweetNick]

I'd just like to know what's on the cockpit recorders and black boxes, the rest they can keep to themselves till after everything is taken care of. Mind you, I'm sure like something from WWII, there will be 50, 75, and 100 year seals on things.

 

[shadowsource]

Oh, in that case -

I'd just like to know what's on the cockpit recorders and black boxes, the rest they can keep to themselves till after everything is taken care of. Mind you, I'm sure like something from WWII, there will be 50, 75, and 100 year seals on things.

I'm bent on finding out WHEN they all bought their tickets. Two of them were on the FBI Watch List, and they used their own names. I presume they bought them a long time ago to ensure they could all be in place at the same time, but who knows? I conversely wonder if the assassination of Gen. Massoud last Sunday was a signal to go ahead with the Tuesday attack, but that might not allow enough time to buy tickets.

ps - They're just now trying to block the legislated deadline by which they're supposed to give the public access to an enormous number of documents from the first Bush Administration. Many of Bush II's crew worked for I, too, and they seem intent on reconsidering and slowing the document clearances.

 

[Dillinger]

*bump*

I can only hope that the info the government is releasing is what has been determined safe to make public and that the media is being co-operative. This is not a statement against democracy or freedom of the press - this is just a statement of fact. If our country is going to take effective action - if those involved in the action are to have a chance of succeeding and coming back alive - then it has to done secretly, covertly. None of us here realistically (most of us, at least) is going to be able to take any individual/personal action in this matter - we have to have faith in our government - give them every benefit of the doubt - and hope for the best.

In the meantime - some of us do have friends in the military, FBI, CIA, and other agencies of the government. Anything you know - even in passing - even as small as someone you know getting called up at a particular time - that IS NOT for public consumption...

Lets be smart, people.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: Loose lips sink ships

Truly classified information is where the danger lies. Calling up of troops and the status of particular groups is usually common knowledge. The units that will be spearheading this campaign will more than likely be special forces and noone outside their chain of command knows when, where, or how they are being deployed.

There is a phenomenon in the military known as the "Wives Network" that can usually predict when husbands will be called up and where they will be sent.

Something as simple as putting the fact that Hubby's unit left today online, could be the one clue the targets need to know when to hide or move -- especially if it has been previously disclodsed that Hubby is in a special forces unit.

The simple fact is that there is no way to know which bit of unclassified information will fill in the big picture of a classified operation. The only safe option is to not say anything about the military, anti-terrorist forces, or anything you might know a little bit about.

Even speculation about what is possible or what might be done is potentially harmful to security. For that reason, this will probably be my only post on the subject of pending retaliation, or possible scenarios.

 

[SweetNick]

Sorry to bring this back up again, but did anyone see the report on Tuesday on ABC concerning how easy it would be to gas a city, amongst other acts of terror? I was shocked that one of the networks would basically go ahead and broadcast a story saying, "Here, this is how o go about killing a few million people with a few drops of poison on the subway." Has anyone else come across such stupidity in the past week?

 

[fgarvb1]

the press and news people...

should remember the words "a clear and present danger" and think about what they are saying Before the goverment has to step in.


and before you ask, ask someone else cause it's late and i gotta go to bed!

later, fgarvb1

 

[shadowsource]

Excuse me?

should remember the words "a clear and present danger" and think about what they are saying Before the goverment has to step in.

They're ONLY printing what the government folks are telling them. I admit it's weird to read in today's NY Times that "FBI agents are closely watching a house in Laurel, MD," but that's a feed from the feds. This crap is all geared at scaring the fleeing plotters, and making them think that some of them are already diming on the others (don't forget how many of these people have rolled over after the prior WTC and Embassy bombings - lots). It looks ridiculous, I agree. But the government WANTS all to see that an aircraft carrier sailed out of Virginia today. We should all imagine what we want as to what is really going on. And ABC's report is fine - you think everyone is NYC doesn't know how vulnerable the subways and reservoirs are? You wanna lock up Peter Jennings? Glad you weren't working security for the naked emperor!
ps - the CIA practiced bombing the subways with germs back in the 60s and 70s, and it seems that they killed a number of people in SF with a weird pneumonia sample tossed into the Bay at the same time. Another story no one paid much attention to....

 

[Cheyenne]

Sorry to bring this back up again, but did anyone see the report on Tuesday on ABC concerning how easy it would be to gas a city, amongst other acts of terror? I was shocked that one of the networks would basically go ahead and broadcast a story saying, "Here, this is how o go about killing a few million people with a few drops of poison on the subway." Has anyone else come across such stupidity in the past week?

Yup. Just now. Someone posted on a bulletin board available to the world how to kill a few million people with a few drops of poison on the subway.

 

[Silverlily]

I admit it's weird to read in today's NY Times that "FBI agents are closely watching a house in Laurel, MD,"

You think it's wierd? I used to live there, not that exact house, but the town.

 

[shadowsource]

I slept there last year -

You think it's wierd? I used to live there, not that exact house, but the town.

And no one would believe me when I told them that George Wallace was shot there, in a shopping center. Famous Long Ago....

 

[SweetNick]

Yup. Just now. Someone posted on a bulletin board available to the world how to kill a few million people with a few drops of poison on the subway.

Actually Cheyenne, that was a plot for London that I just adapted to fit as an example. Luckily for the Londoners, those who were to be responsible for it, were caught beforehand.

 

[shadowsource]

It's not that easy, anyway -

Aum Shinrikyo dosed the Tokyo subways with Sarin, and the nerve gas only killed a few people, though it caused immense chaos. Not to be complacent, but al Quaeda seems to favor using simple technologies in ingenious ways, not fancy new ones.

 

[A_Jacks]

Loose lips here

Two of the stealths went over this morning while I was painting the house. We see them, I think, because we are so remotely located that they fly through our area when they leave thier base. Atop a 30 foot ladder, I felt almost eye level with the pilot of the closest craft. You can feel the power only when they pass. That rumble stays in your chest for hours.

Hope he's on his way to douse some raghead with a dose of America. I hope he brings terror to the hearts of those harboring the great evil...