Threat prompts U.S. to close 22 embassies, consulates

**Zacha341** · August-04-13, 09:05 AM

Al Qaeda threat prompts U.S. to close 22 embassies, consulates

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/04/politi...html?hpt=hp_t2

[[CNN) -- Fears that al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in the coming days prompted the United States to close 22 embassies and consulates for a day Sunday -- an unprecedented move.

The closures Sunday stretch across a swath of North Africa and the Middle East, from Mauritania to Oman.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan, both majority Muslim nations, also are affected.
Normally, Sunday is the start of the work week in those countries.
The shutdowns could extend beyond Sunday, a senior State Department official said.

A U.S. global travel alert is also in place.

Of particular concern is Yemen, where the government is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come," said a senior U.S. security official.

On Saturday, the security around the U.S. embassy in Yemen was even tighter than last year when the embassy was raided by protesters. At least 12 tanks were stationed within 500 meters of the building.

See link above for the rest of article.....

**Lowell** · August-05-13, 08:31 AM

Am I the only one who finds the timing of this 'threat' interesting?

Post Edward Snowden deflection? NSA and intelligence community has egg all over its face with disclosures of how much the are scooping and snooping from private citizen's lives.

"Oh look we have discovered a 'threat' by communications 'chatter' analysis. Of course we can't tell you what it is or how we got OR if we got it. Just trust us."

**oladub** · August-05-13, 09:21 AM

The obvious first choice is to take the government at its word; that it had uncovered information. Whatever happened in Benghazi suggested that Al Queda remains a viable threat. Closing embassies may have been prudent.

Other possibilities include that, given the lies and government coverups related to the NSA, this is show time to make us feel secure and we are to believe that our government is on its toes and that all the spying is necessary.

Another possibility is that Al-Queda punked us by releasing a lot of chatter to trick the US government into spending a lot of money overreacting to a ruse or a feint. We will know if it is a feint if while attention is focused on embassies, some other Al-Queda event happens. San Francisco is on some sort of security alert this morning.

It's too bad our government is so busy snooping through our personal lives that it can't instead focus more on Al-Queda and China. It's sort of like the TSA inspecting Grandma's wheelchair at the airport while it has lost track of one million foreigners who have enter the Country with visas not to mention ignoring illegal border crossings.

**ct_alum** · August-05-13, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Am I the only one who finds the timing of this 'threat' interesting?

Post Edward Snowden deflection? NSA and intelligence community has egg all over its face with disclosures of how much the are scooping and snooping from private citizen's lives.

"Oh look we have discovered a 'threat' by communications 'chatter' analysis. Of course we can't tell you what it is or how we got OR if we got it. Just trust us."

Bingo! Glad I'm not the only one who finds the timing just a little bit suspect.

**Honky Tonk** · August-05-13, 01:13 PM

Why would anyone be suspect of this lovable group of characters?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/31/opinio...age/index.html

**Papasito** · August-07-13, 06:40 AM

Al Queda has the United States on the run!

Their leaders must be delighted.

**Zacha341** · August-07-13, 06:56 AM

^^^ They cannot be un-happy...

Add that 'face palm' shot to the ramp up and eventual roll-out of the Affordable Care Act [[thankfully the powers elite have their option to opt out of the joy).

**Papasito** · August-07-13, 09:33 AM

Here's what the Europeans REALLY think of the man who McCain called "not ready for the job"....

Apparently without a teleprompter, Mr Creativity is fresh out of material.

**oladub** · August-07-13, 10:39 AM

Papa, that was painful and embarrassing to watch but at least he didn't puke on a prime minister like Bush the first did. Related: Obama cancelled out on the one on one talks with Putin after Putin so thoroughly humiliated and trumped him with respect to Snowden. Better get the thread back on track though although I'm still thinking about the Danish Prime Minister.

Our embassies survived the possibly real threats. At the end of the day, if the US doesn't have embassies blown up during his tenure, Obama should get some credit for that.

**Zacha341** · August-07-13, 08:55 PM

Yeah a repeat of Benghazi and the 'responses' related has be a NO...

**rb336** · August-07-13, 10:10 PM

Really papa? some shill for Rand Paul narrates a bunch of tiny clips and you think that's something? I thought you were better able to discern utter bullshit

**oladub** · August-07-13, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Really papa? some shill for Rand Paul narrates a bunch of tiny clips and you think that's something? I thought you were better able to discern utter bullshit

Rand Paul must be out after the often ignored Danish-American voters. As you know, the Danish-American demographic always punches above its weight but wasn't all the "utter bull----" coming out of Obama's mouth?

**poobert** · August-08-13, 01:01 PM

Because terrorist attacks against embassies are not fesible? I don't get what the conspiracy here is.

Britain, France, and Germany closed their embassies in Yemen as well. I guess the NSA must have gotten to them, too!

**Papasito** · August-09-13, 01:14 PM

Back in the old days when the USA was a Superpower and a respected leader in the world, an attack on an embassy was an act of WAR. Now we blame ourselves for the actions of our enemies and ask what WE did wrong.

Why don't we just cut to the chase and hand over the keys to the White House? America's time is over.

**noise** · August-09-13, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Papasito

Back in the old days when the USA was a Superpower and a respected leader in the world, an attack on an embassy was an act of WAR. Now we blame ourselves for the actions of our enemies and ask what WE did wrong.

Why don't we just cut to the chase and hand over the keys to the White House? America's time is over.

Of course, the USA is GOD'S COUNTRY and we can never do wrong! Introspection is unnecessary when it's inconceivable that you could be wrong.

**poobert** · August-10-13, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by Papasito

Back in the old days when the USA was a Superpower and a respected leader in the world, an attack on an embassy was an act of WAR. Now we blame ourselves for the actions of our enemies and ask what WE did wrong.

Why don't we just cut to the chase and hand over the keys to the White House? America's time is over.

Just when the fuck were you talking about? Seriously, tell me when, since you're going to talk all that shit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrori...tic_facilities

To you most of all, since you win the award for biggest hysterical partisan pawn in the history of this country, but also to the tin-foil hat-wearers on both sides of the aisle: US diplomatic establishments have always - predictably - been targets for terrorists and we need to take appropriate measures as such.

The problem with people like yourself is that the US is still a great superpower - in fact, the lone superpower - but you just don't like that there's so many brown people around nowadays, including one in the White House, so you make up historical epochs like "the old days" and engage in historical revisionism. Meanwhile the President is a pretty moderate politician and no worse than the constant diplomatic trainwreck that the Bush Administration was. I certainly think this is the greatest country in the world and took an oath to defend its Constitution that I take very seriously, sorry you don't feel the same way.