SCARY

“Hey folks,
I just had dinner with my sister and she informed of something I think could be very significant. First, let me explain... my sis works for the passport department of a Bay Area, CA. county. She related to me that she usually recieves approx. 50 requests for passports/day from all walks of life. But today, she said almost 100% of requests were from middle easterners seeking to leave quickly. Her coworkers also acknowledge is.

Now this sets off alarms to me. There has been unspecified threats of terrorism for July 4th. My sister tells me it takes approx. 2-3 weeks for passports to be issued and this would correspond with the date. I'm thinking and she's thinking that these folks know something is coming down... as if they're in the know.

I told her to call the authorities but she doesn't want to look foolish. I'm considering to call myself.

What do you all think?”

“That is kind of strange!

Well it could also mean that they don't feel welcome in the US anymore!

8|”

“Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you.”

“It is summertime - lots of vacations.

It is difficult to believe that anyone not envolved in a covert activity would be informed of such. Maybe they read that CA is going to break-off and slip into the sea.”

“Are we talking passports or visas, Pantscandy? Is it U.S. citizens of Middle Eastern extraction trying to leave?”

“I don't really follow the meanings of passports versus visas but she stated these were folks who were born and previously lived in the middle east but raised families in the US and are now seeking to leave.

CMB: If anywhere, middle easterners are most welcomed in the Bar Area. More so than there country of origin, I would think.

Tilt: you're making me more paranoid!

Nowslimmer: Who in their right mind would want to go the middle east during summer? Especially with the way things are now.

I guess we will have to wait and see... KABOOOOOMMMMM!!!!”

“Then you should let someone know. It's not being paranoid. I keep reading all those stories about what the FBI knew <9/11 but didn't report, what the CIA knew <9/11 but didn't report, etc.”

“I'm really surprised those terrorists haven't followed up 911 with a nuclear bum or bio attack in the U.S. Makes me think they really don't have any resources to pull off anything else big.”

“Passport: a document given to you by your country which asks permission of other countries to allow you to enter. Typically they are only given to citizens of that country.

Visa: official permission from a country you are not a citizen or resident of to visit that country.

I'm not sure what to tell you Pantscandy. It sounds like paranoia, but on the other hand, Mohammed Atta went around this country for a year and a half, essentially wearing a big flashing "Terrorist" sign on his head, and no one said anything.”

“Tell the authorities. Imagine how you would feel, if something happened and you didn't say anything...

Reminds me of one of the posts in the WTC thread on 9/11/01. There were this 2 middle eastern men in a diner in Cincinnati (I think)...when the planes struck the Twin Towers and it was broadcasted on T.V...at that time nobody knew it was terrorists...the 2 guys were cheering, laughing it up and congratulating each other. They knew something was going to happen that day or something.

Similarly, maybe the people getting their passports in CA have heard something.”

“Jeezus..i'll be on a flight the 3rd....if anything goes down on the 4th i'll be stuck in the Bahamas for awhile!!!”

“That would suck, wouldn't it?”

“I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but...

There have been a lot more troop movements in the Midwest in the past week or so. I saw a military jet buzzing the coast of Lake Michigan, three convoys of military trucks through SE Michigan. And then, while driving on the Ohio turnpike, they had one of those lane closure signs that said "Military convoy - toll plaza."

I'm just wondering if we are staging for something.”

“It might be the reserves heading for their 2 week summer camp.”

“Re the passport thing: there were all kinds of things like that last fall and over the winter, people who had a friend who met a middle eastern guy who told them not to fly, go to a mall, or some other such thing on (pick a holiday). All was rumor. Whenever I heard something like that, I'd try to pin the person relating the story down to a specific source, and they never could. It was always nebulous.
As for something coming up, the 82nd Airborne has been training for cave warfare and that obviously means they will end up in Afghanistan soon. And it's no secret that Bush has a thing for Sad Sack Insane, so somewhere down the road that is a real possibility. The CIA coup story is probably a smoke screen. There's no way you'd advertise something like that; you'd just do it and get it done without alerting the target.
So if war with Iraq were to be a long-term possibility, then the build-up would have to precede the event. You can't mobilize a force that large overnight. Even if they were thinking of an Afghan-style operation, it would take a build-up. If I were Sad Sack, I'd be thinking of a way out, because he is a marked man, and there is no question about that at all.”

“Hmmmmm, are you talking about Sodomy Insame?

It cracks me up to see Lil' Georgie shakin' his stick at Sodomy.
I'll bet Sodomy could kick Goergie's draft-dodgin' arse in a fist fight.

The troop movements are probably National Guard guys drivin' truck-loads of beer to Annual Training gigs.

But hey, tell the FBI about that passport $hit.
That's the kind of information they compile and study and profile.”

“I'll be in the middle of the Sierra on July 4. Safest place in CA i can imagine.”

“Crap, my Mom's flying from FLa. to Mi. on the 4th. My Dad's cheap, and he got a really good deal for tickets that day.”

“Oh darn, I'm going to hate it if I'm stuck in the Bahamas!”

“Maybe I do not take things seriously enough, but I don't think the paranoia is healthy. I am not going to live my life in continual worry of the possibility of any kind of attack. If I go, I go.”

“My question would be, isn't it strange that no other nationalities (100% are mid easterners) are seeking passports. Has there been a significant increase in the # of passports being requested? I assume Middle Easterners always seek passports, have their #'s increased?”

“FBI Eyes July 4th Terror Threats

The FBI is putting its resources toward preventing a terrorist attack on July 4th.
Officials say the agency is requiring its 56 field offices to create specific plans for monitoring events in their respective regions. The plans are due at FBI headquarters this week.

One source says the plans aren't based on any specific threat. But terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba have revealed a "general interest" in striking on that day.

Independence Day parades and festivities in downtown areas near subways or other mass-transit systems are of special concern.”

“Yeah, I am Italian and my friends in NY are telling me violin cases are selling very briskly so I should keep my head down or risk being 'rubbed out'.”

“Wal Mart has announced they will close for the 4th...LOL, maybe big business is taking the hint?

(Sorry, couldn't pass up being part of the "The Sky Is Falling!" crowd!)”

“I'm just hoping this means I'll have an easier time finding a good spot to watch the NYC fireworks this year.”

“If you are kept affraid,you will think and act irrationally,thus, you will be more like government.Fear will cause you to accept anything that, even remotely,appears to be for your protection.The horror is --it's working on the stupid public.Move to Israel and get away for all this fear.”

“I'll check with LINEAR and the Minor Planet Center for earth-crossing asteroids...”

“What does Marvin have to say about this?”

“Wal-Mart always closes on the 4th, so that's nothing.”

“THE PARROT THREE TIMES SPOKE the latter: One in two parts and the Woodpecker taps this message. A few years after TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BIRDS FLEW OVER EUROPE: The Eagle acquired three rare birds. Unfortunately one died a few years after. Many years passed while Eagle LEARNED TO TALK SOME RARE BIRD: But, mainly the rare bird learned to speak Eagle.”

“oh no... marvin is starting to make sense to me now.....”

“I think that all the military convoys in the midwest ARE saddling up for a big move. Its finally time to invade Canada! We have waited for a while for this chance and soon we will enjoy cold Canadian beer!!!!!!

Oh Canada, My home and native land....”

“We should probably do it anyway, just to get their oil...lol”

“Nope, the Canucks finally pissed Dorgan off completely about NAFTA and the wheat situation...”

“Good, at least we could be using the U.S buck, after we get absorbed by the U.S.”

“stanlee, you live in Quebec, right?”

“Why mobilize our military to take on a few dozen guys on horse back?”

“Yep...it's still part of Canada. We're celebrating our provincial holiday this weekend...24 June is the official date. The Quebec govt in charge has changed it to be our National Holiday....what a bunch of nuts. They started calling it that in the mid-60's.”

“That's what I thought. I don't know if we're really very interested in that part of Canada...

The oil is in Manitoba, I think...”

“20% of the world's potable water is in Canada.”

“The oil won't really be an issue until we use up all the "easy-to-get-to" stuff. Then we'll have to go for oil locked in shale, and all you Canucks will be rich, rich, rich...”

“Manitoba and Saskatchewan has all the wheat...Alberta has most of the oil as in Edmonton Oilers (NHL hockey team).

We might have oil...but the rights to it are mostly owned by U.S oil companies ie. Shell, Esso, etc... we can only limit the amount they pump out each year....I think.

They say the next great war will be fought for water...Iceland has the most amount of fresh water...Canada is second.

Already, some U.S states are trying to pump/buy water from our cash strapped provinces/cities.”

“I got curious, so I did a little research on where and what kind of oil Canada has. Yes, it's mostly in Alberta, in the form of tar sands. Canada is currently the only country in the world utilizing their tar sands for oil production. The oil reserve in Canada's tar sands is about 300 billion barrels, or just about equivalent to the southern Arabian field.

If you wanna talk about shale oil, the U.S. is the king. There is approximately 1.5 terabarrels in the Green River shale oil field. The problem is that A) it's not really crude oil, B) getting at it means essentially strip mining, and C) turning it into something like crude oil requires a lot of water, which the Western states don't have, and D) the byproduct is all this nasty ash you have to dispose of.

stanlee, was that Iceland, or Greenland? Iceland is a little speck in the ocean, Greenland is the largest island in the world, and has an icecap similar (but larger) than the one Canada has.”

“Yep, every time I turn on C-SPAN2 it seems like Bryan Dorgan [D - N(?) Dakota] is talking about being stopped at the border with his half pound sack of wheat, as the truckfulls roll south.


Somebody really better clue-in the Quebecois... speaking as a Southerner, I can tell you, secession isn't all it's cracked up to be, LOL”

“Could be Greenland, Bitpusher...doesn't really matter...they both have no national defenses...easy pickings. :o)

Tilt, it's a shell game for the Quebecers in control...everytime they scream separation...Ottawa dumps a load of money on them to shut them up.

Basically, the western provinces (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) are telling the Frenchies to leave...they are sick of hearing the whining, and Ottawa's unfair practice of giving Quebec the biggest portion of the money.”

“I believe the word is 'blackmail'?”

“The Canadian Feds should do what the FBI did at Waco, Texas. None of that separatist stuff in the USA.”

“Waco was child's play compared to 'The War of Northern Agression'...”

“Are you talking about the Civic War?”

“Boy, what an oxymoron *that* is.
Some folks are still fighting it; THAT's pretty scary.

Incidentally... after doing a quick websearch and tossing around some numbers, if you figure the Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 until April 9, 1865 and cost approximately 620,000 lives...

That's about 425 deaths per day (every day) for 4 years... roughly one September 11th deathtoll every week... 208 weeks in a row.”