The terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center, damaged The Pentagon, and downed U.A. Flight 93 in Shanksville, Penn. are unique in several ways. They were arguably the turning point in American Warfare, turning our defensive procedures to a larger, more focused scale for our Homeland Security measures. It turned our full attention offensively to the Middle East, which has occupied our military efforts over the last decade. They have also had the distinction of being the first major U.S. tragedy to hit during the information age, making it one of the better documented historical events in our country’s existence. Using much of the video footage, audio recordings, and transcribed conversations between the individuals involved with the tragedy, The Discovery Channel has put together a new documentary tentatively called The 9/11 Tapes: Chaos in the Sky, a minute to minute recount of the morning of September 11 2001 through the eyes of the military and air traffic control units that dealt with the hijackings first hand.

The majority of Chaos in the Sky is told through the eyes of the soldiers stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in Cape Cod as well as air traffic controllers in New York City and Boston. The documentary is done in a minute to minute basis, covering the beginning of the morning at both Otis and JFK airport in Boston. When the initial hijack occurs, the recorded conversations in both Otis and JFK reveal the general feeling on all fronts was that they had a hostage situation on their hands and no high amounts of alarm were scene, being that there was a procedure in place for such things. This of course changes when the hijackers crashed American Airlines 11 into the World Trade Center’s North Tower. From there the documentary becomes a chaotic and somewhat frightening look at the nature of our vulnerability to such an attack and the actions that were taken by the officials who were in charge of handling it.

Though several specials about the attacks have been made in the last year (marking the ten year anniversary of the attack), Chaos in the Sky does have a very unique angle to it. This is mainly stems from how calculated and official the tone of the documentary is and the use of the official recordings from Otis. While most of the pieces put out about the attacks last year where focused on the civilian and public service aspects, this special focuses almost completely on the air traffic controllers and military pretense during the attack. This gives the documentary a very war-like tone, with much of the dialog becoming aerodynamic jargon and military code. There is also a difference in message from most specials about 9/11, with a large portion of the time spent pointing out the shortcomings of the official bodies involved, including the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) to inform North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) of the hijacked plane’s initial redirection in a standard amount of time, NORAD’s failure to scramble jets immediately, and the unorganized fashion the jets were eventually scrambled in that prevented them from arriving on the scene sooner.

It is the job of historians to record the events of the past in as accurate and unbiased way possible. Now, a decade after what is arguably one the first major world changing event for Generation Y, we can begin to look at not only what was done to our country, but also what could have been done in order to control it at the time. Chaos in the Sky is a great look at the events of the morning at 9/11 not just for it’s preciseness, but for its new view on the subject and is a must see for history and military buffs.

The special premieres TONIGHT, February 12 at 9 p.m.

Carrie (Claire Danes) on the lookout for a terrorist threat in a public park

For those who are spoiler-sensitive, SPOILERS ABOUND. I will be talking about a climactic moment towards the end of the episode, so prepare yourselves. I will give a warning for SPOILER ALERT as I approach the delicate information for those who are interested in the rest of the review, but don’t want this part spoiled for them. Now, back to our regularly schooled program.

Obviously, everyone is going to point to the painfully tense sequence at the end of the episode (the only other show that can makes me that fearful, as if my own life were in danger is “Breaking Bad”) when they tell you how awesome this episode was. Despite my mutual adoration, I would like to point to a few other moments that separates this show from the rest of the dramas out there.

The first one took place in a ratty gym, where Brody’s best friend, Mike, was perfecting his jump shot. Since the reveal that Brody is in fact involved with Abu Nazir, I have picked up on Damian Lewis’ subtle facial expressions that indicate when he is feigning interest or loyalty and I can pick out when he is genuine and in the moment. That scene at the gym was a elaborate mixture of both, played with precision by both the character and the actor. His motives at this point are clear. Mike is a means to an end. If Mike can convince Jess that he needs to “serve his country somehow” for his sanity, then he can reach the objectives of his jihadist boss. Though he may be on the verge of going ballistic sitting in his quaint suburban home all day, we know that he is under orders to run for the open seat in Congress. Abu Nazir, for whatever reason, needs him to become an elected official. Whether Nazir is more of a jazz musician, going with the flow, adapting his sinister plans as he goes or an almost comically evil overlord that can anticipate everyone’s moves remains to be seen, but I sincerely hope for the former. Otherwise, this incredibly meticulous drama, becomes an overwrought puzzle intent on tricking the audience instead of shattering our expectations of TV in its portrayal of our complex, moral world.

Now, back to the delicate character moments. Mike has no clue, or at least no reason to believe, that Brody is using him for treasonous purposes, but he could certainly have practical suspicion about why his best friend would forgive him for dancing the horizontal polka with his wife while he was still alive. It’s the bro code. Even when you THINK it’s cool to sleep with your boy’s ex…DON’T DO IT. Despite this eternal man law, Brody appears to legitimately forgive him. Whether it was with the goal in mind or not, Mike, and I, bought it. He fumbles over his words, he curses, he looks away in shame. Dare I say, it was an Emmy worthy performance. No really, if Damian Lewis is not at least nominated I will streak across the stage—no, wait I will regret that. Let’s just say I will be irrationally angry,

The second “moment” I am speaking of is when Carrie interrogates the Saudi diplomat. Internet research has yielded no spell check for his name, but I believe it’s Al-Zarhani. At any rate, Carrie’s relentlessness knows no bounds. Saul gave her explicit orders to eviscerate the motherf****r, but jeez. Their gameplan going in was to entrap him at the bank where he is in debt to the tune of $750,000, and expose him for being a closeted homosexual. This revelation would be more than shameful for a Saudi man, and they’re banking that his three wives (now that’s an alibi) don’t know his dirty secret either. Much to their surprise, the diplomat is not easily blackmailed into giving them the intel they wanted on Tom Walker, Brody’s former POW-mate that they suspect has been ordered by Nazir to carry out a sniper assassination of the president. The diplomat claims they could tell the whole world and he would not care. His exact words were “I suck cock. Yummy, yummy, yummy.”

Okay, then! As a result, he begins to walk out the door since the CIA seems to have lost their leverage when Carrie brings in the big guns thanks to her night-before-interrogation study party with Virgil (for those who have been with the show since the beginning, it’s good to have our cheeky surveillance man back, isn’t it?). She asks him hypothetically who his favorite daughter is. Expectedly, our prepared student already knows. And when she threatens to deport her back to Saudi Arabia where she will, “get fat and wear a burqa,” he starts singing like a canary. Yeah, it’s a +1 for “the good guys,” but furthermore, it illustrates Carrie’s ruthless way of handling people. She will keep knocking furiously until someone answers (like Walter White of “Breaking Bad,” She is “the one who knocks!”). And her methodology is not entirely unethical, certainly not to the torturous degree of Jack Bauer on “24,” where everything was SO DAMN IMPORTANT! Carrie unfortunately carries this stubbornness into her personal life with less success.

This is where the last character moment comes into play. Carrie had gotten a call while cramming with Virgil about the diplomat’s daughters from Brody. He claims he has something personal to meet with her about. She suggests “their bar” and he says your house is fine. And like any woman, or person really, she’s ecstatic her crush wants to come over. Butterflies in your stomach when the cute guy calls is universal. She plays it cool though, and when Virgil asks, she dismisses it with vulgarity. The next night, however, she goes in for the kill, as if Brody were just another diplomat she has to make squeal. She applies the lipstick, she slips on the slinky black number and pours the wine. But Brody just wanted to make sure she would keep her mouth shut about that weekend in the cabin. Pow, gut check. That weekend that meant so much to her, the first seamless human interaction she’s had in a while, the romance that felt so real, despite her secondary terrorist-squashing motives, is simply a blemish on his record that he doesn’t want to resurface. This time, no matter her preparations, no matter how bad she wanted it, she didn’t get him. Carrie, and by association Claire Danes, have been revelations to the TV canon because not only is she an active pursuant, someone who shakes the foundation of any structure she walks into, she is also a victim like all of us, a victim of a world that doesn’t play fair, and neither does she.

The following sequence where Carrie cries in her kitchen because of her failure then segues into the failures of Saul. We don’t get any dialogue. Just a man buying a Fiji water from the vending machine who is camping in his office tonight. The implication is home is meaningless now that it’s devoid of his beloved, Mira. He brought some peanut butter and crackers with him but he forgot the knife. So he uses a ruler from his desk. This attention to detail, the care with which this show treats its characters is admirable, and that ruler to me was as significant as any line of dialogue or any tragic, action-packed climax.

Speak of the devil, here we are folks. SPOILER ALERT! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! BEWARE OF DOG! ENTER IF YOU DARE!

Okay, now that the chosen few are left, did you see that coming? Did you see Carrie failing twice in a matter of twenty-four hours? How heartbroken were you when you saw the innocents with legs blown off and faces obliterated, and Carrie leveled by yet another surprise. Tom Walker saw them coming. Despite the diplomat being under CIA surveillance, despite him going about signaling a meeting just as he usually did, a Tom lookalike brought a suitcase bomb in Farrugut Park and blew up the lunch crowd. Damn. Saul tells us, and a bedridden Carrie, that the suicide bomber was a homeless man Walker met at a shelter, Samuel Everett, whom Walker paid off to bring the suitcase. He also confirms the suspicions that have been brewing in-show, and among us fans, that there is a mole in the U.S government. Though I wouldn’t put it past the former “24″ writers to do employ the mole plot, I’m not so sure. After he mentions this the Vice President comes on the tube. I could see that, if that cut was deliberate or even suggestive. I could also see the diplomat lying to the CIA and the picture in the window means some variation of…”They got me, help me take my own life to prevent further damage.” At that point all he had admitted was what they already knew; that he was taking money from them to pay off his exorbitant debt in exchange for intel and Tom Walker is working with Nazir. The fact, that anything can happen still is a credit to the “Homeland” staff for crafting such a multi-layered and intricate universe that even the real-world cynics and internet trolls can’t predict what happens next.

I cared very little about the episode title’s plot thread. It could be that I was more appreciative of the intimate scenes between Mike, Brody and Jess (in all possible pairings) that I wasn’t phased that he is now running for Congress. There was no real stakes. In order to keep the momentum she has to give the a-okay. And also I have no idea yet what the incorporation of his position as elected official will mean for Nazir’s scheme. I am certain, however, that I can’t wait to find out. I was enthralled by mostly every scene, hanging on every word, and I continue to be amazed by the focus on minutia in plot, character development, appeal to audience pathos (I wept ever so slightly seeing Carrie scarred and in shock amidst the explosion’s aftermath), and narrative tension. I’m officially declaring my intention to give this episode…an A-.

The government warned that the killing of an American-born terror leader in Yemen has raised the risk of anti-American violence around the globe.

The State Department said Saturday that the death of Anwar al-Awlaki could motivate terrorists or terror groups to retaliate against American interests or individual U.S. citizens.

The State warning says that al-Awlaki and other members of the group called Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula have called for attacks and vengeance for the cleric’s death.

Al-Awlaki was killed in an attack early Friday.

A similar alarm was raised after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan.

NEW YORK — A tip claiming Al-Qaeda may have sent American terrorists or men carrying U.S. travel documents to attack Washington or New York on the ten year anniversary of 9/11 has heightened security within the two cities.

Though the tip is unconfirmed, it is said to be credible. A CIA informant who has proven reliable in the past approached intelligence officials overseas to say that the men had been ordered by newly minted Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Sunday by doing harm on U.S. soil.

According to AP, one U.S. official says Al-Qaeda dispatched three men, at least two of whom could be U.S. citizens, to detonate a car bomb in one of the cities. Should that mission prove impossible, the attackers have been told to simply cause as much destruction as they can.

Speaking in New York, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there was “a specific, credible but unconfirmed report that Al-Qaeda, again, is seeking to harm Americans and in particular, to target New York and Washington.”

In a notebook found in the compound of Osama bin Laden after he was killed in May, the Al-Qaeda leader mused about the possibility of mounting an attack on the 9/11 anniversary, and the police in New York and Washington were already on alert for trouble.

According to New York Times, two senior American law enforcement officials said an informer in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region passed word of the plot, intended to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, to American intelligence officers on Wednesday. The informer said two American citizens of Arab ancestry had left Afghanistan, traveled through one or more other countries and reached the United States as recently as last week.

But the informer’s information on the plot was second or third-hand, another official said. It included only a vague physical description of the two men — one described as 5 feet tall, the other 5-foot-8 — and a first name for one, Suliman, that is common in the Middle East. The tipster also described a third conspirator, but he appeared to have traveled to Europe. “All this information is very, very sketchy,” one of the law enforcement officials said.

At Penn Station in New York, transit authority police carried assault rifles and wore helmets and bullet-proof vests as they watched crowds of commuters. Police searched passengers’ bags as they entered the subway, and National Guard troops in camouflage fatigues moved among riders, eyeing packages.

Bomb-sniffing dogs were deployed in the Washington subway, and the police searched vehicles at the Brooklyn Bridge. More bomb sweeps of parking garages were planned; ferries were to be given extra police coverage; and cars parked illegally were to be towed quickly, not just ticketed.

In Washington, Police Chief Cathy Lanier warned that unattended cars parked in suspicious locations or near critical buildings and structures would be towed.

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, issued a statement Friday urging public vigilance. “As we head into the 9/11 anniversary weekend, we continue to urge the American public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities. Simply put, if you see something, say something. We take all threat reporting, including the recent specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information, seriously.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, too, made a point of taking the subway to City Hall. Of the latest threat, the mayor said, “It’s serious, but I think the right answer is to go about your business.”

Newton’s third law of motion tells us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For the sake of the safety of Americans here and abroad, I hope there’s an appeal process to that law.

Eliminating Osama bin Laden was a no-brainer, I’m sure. The man was the manipulator of the marionettes who’ve attacked the United States over the last decade and a half. Removing him from the threat list will qualify as a red-letter day for the CIA and the U.S. government.

But that pesky “reaction” part of the axiom…

Andy Card, former chief of staff to President Bush (better known as the guy who interrupted the President’s reading-to-Florida-little-kids-event) was quoted this morning as saying the U.S. had “cut off the head of the snake.”

Okay, except Al Qaeda isn’t a snake, it’s a hydra.

For every second-in-command we’ve killed over the past ten years, two more have taken his place. And now we’ve severed the head without cauterizing the stump.

The question is academic, but I can’t decide which scenario would cause a greater (and more violent) reaction among bin Laden’s remaining followers: the scenario in which he’s killed or the scenario in which he’s captured. Revenge is an odd creature with a temper that flares unpredictably.

And Pakistan, supposedly our ally in the hunt to track down bin Laden, now has quite a bit to answer for. We vanquished the Taliban in part for harboring terrorists of bin Laden’s caliber. Should we do the same to Pakistan? Of course not, but I suspect the bizarre buddy-cop movie that was “Zardari and Obama: Riding through the Desert on a Missile with No Name” will come to an awkward climax.

So now what? We’ve accomplished the nominal mission in Afghanistan. How long do we stick around keeping the peace?

Do we wait for the reaction? To quote “West Wing:”

“Doesn’t this mean we join the league of ordinary nations?” – Jed Bartlet

“I’m not gonna have trouble saying the Pledge of Allegiance tomorrow.” – Leo McGarry

Commentaries reflect the views of the author only and not necessarily those of Blast Magazine, its editors or its publisher.

A collaboration across the American government resulted in a successful strike that killed Osama bin Laden. Only a small group of people within the White House knew the details of the operation that was underway.

On Sunday morning, President Barack Obama ordered an attack on a compound suburb of Pakistan called Abbottabad that bin Laden was believed to be occupying with family and confidants.

Based on intelligence that had been being gathered since August 2010, there was a strong probability that the location of bin Laden was known. Due to the high security of the compound and its location near Islamabad, Pakistan’s capitol, extreme caution was taken to carry out this dangerous mission, according to White House sources, speaking to Blast last night.

A helicopter raid was conducted by a small team of nine US special forces operatives. Bin Laden tried to fight back and was shot and killed in the resulting firefight. Three other men were also killed, including one of bin Laden’s sons and two reputed al-Qaeda couriers. 

Women and children were also present in the house at the time of the raid. One woman was killed when she was used as a shield by one of the male occupants of the house, the sources said. Two other women were injured during the operation. No children were hurt and there were no civilian casualties.

The operation aimed to minimize “collateral damage,” the sources said.

The team left the compound in less than 40 minutes and was not confronted by any local authorities.

One US helicopter was destroyed during the mission, but the soldiers escaped safely from the aircraft.

Planning began in early September 2010 between the CIA and Obama. Beginning in March 2011 Obama conducted at least five National Security Council meetings once it was determined that there was enough intelligence to continue, the sources said.

The raid on the compound stemmed from information regarding a mansion owned by two brothers who had no explainable source of income, yet lived in a $1 million, heavily secured fortress of a home. The security measures for the compound were elaborate and included 12 to 18 foot walls topped with barbed wire, the officials said.

In addition there were two security gates guarding the entrances and trash was burned by the residents instead of being taken out. There was also no phone or internet service connected to the mansion.

The White House officials believed that the house was custom-built for bin Laden. It was built about five years ago, but it is unclear how long bin Laden had been a resident. He was living there with two other families and his family members, including his youngest wife.

Obama made the final decision to authorize the operation on Friday morning, and it was carried out successfully on Sunday.

Before addressing the nation regarding the mission, Obama spoke to former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to review the events of the day and share the statement that he was going to make to the nation.

During his nationally broadcast statement he said, “The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al-Qaeda. Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort.  There’s no doubt that al-Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.  We must — and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad.”

Although there have not been any specific threats, precautions are being taken by the US government to increase security and protect Americans in the United States and abroad. There is a possibility of violent retaliation by al-Qaeda and other terrorist leaders can also decide to increase their efforts, but the US is prepared to fight.

Bin Laden was the head of al-Qaeda, the organization responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks. His death is a significant disruption to the organization’s efforts and may lead to its demise. Bin Laden’s successor, Ayman al-Zawarhi, is thought to be less of a threat due to his lesser influence in the organization. He is believed to be less charismatic and not as respected by the members of al-Qaeda, according to White House intelligence from other leaders.

The government adhered to American and international law in carrying out the mission, but details of the operation were not shared with any other country, the officials said.

Obama, in his remarks, did point out that cooperation with Pakistan helped lead to bin Laden and the mansion.  Since bin Laden was responsible for attacks against Pakistani people and had declared war against the country as well, Pakistan’s president shared in the US sentiment of accomplishment.

Obama said in his speech, “The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.  I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.  Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.” Nevertheless, bin Laden’s body is in US custody and will be treated in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition.

Ultimately, in spite of the fight that may still lie ahead, Obama stated yesterday that “justice has been done.”

The State Department put American embassies around the world on alert as it issued a travel warning about the possibility of anti-American outbursts in the wake of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden’s death at the hands of American special forces in Pakistan.

The worldwide travel alert was posted early Monday morning, shortly after President Barack Obama confirmed bin Laden’s death in a live speech at the White House.

The alert warns of “enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counterterrorism activity in Pakistan.”

“Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, U.S. citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.”

DENVER — A Colorado woman faces 15 years in prison on federal charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

Jamie Paulin ramirez, 32, a US citizen, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court.

Ramirez was charged in an indictment filed in April, along with co-defendant Colleen R. LaRose, of Montgomery County, Pa. On Feb. 1, LaRose, aka “JihadJane, aka “Fatima LaRose,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements and attempted identity theft.

According to court documents, Ramirez, LaRose and others “conspired to obtain military-style training in South Asia and then traveled to and around Europe to participate in and in support of violent jihad,” according to a statement released by the Department of Justice.

In a series of electronic communications dated July 19, 2009, one co-conspirator directed another to recruit online “some brothers that can travel freely . . . with eu passports . . . [A]nd I also need some sisters too.” The co-conspirator further explained that “sister fatima will be in charge of other sister care. . . .[W]e have already organized everything for her. . . . [W]e are will[ing] to die in order to protect her no matter what the risk is.”

Ramirez exchanged e-mail messages with LaRose during the summer of 2009, in which LaRose invited Ramirez to join her in Europe to attend a training camp. For example, on Aug. 1, 2009, LaRose sent electronic communications to Ramirez stating that “soon i will be moving to Europe to be with other brothers & sisters . . . . when i get to europe, i will send for you to come be with me there . . . . [T]his place will be like a training camp as well as a home.”

In electronic communications dated on or about August 7, 2009, CC #2 recruited another individual to find brothers and sisters to go to a “camp for [military-style] training . . . and th[e]n come back to europe to do the job . . . . [T]he job is to [k]nock down some individual[s] that are harming islam.” CC#2 goes on to explain that he is structuring “an ORGANIZATION” divided into a “plan[n]ing team . . . research team . . . action team . . . recruitment team . . . finance team.”

Ramirez accepted LaRose’s invitation to travel to Europe and asked to bring along her minor male child. On Sept, 12, 2009, Ramirez traveled to Ireland with her child with the intent to live and train with jihadists. The day after she arrived in Ireland, Ramirez married CC#2, whom she had never before met in person, in an Islamic ceremony, knowing and intending that her presence in Europe, her marriage to CC#2 and her future actions would provide support for the conspiracy.

“Today’s guilty plea by Jamie Ramirez, coupled with that of Colleen LaRose last month, underscores the evolving nature of the terrorist threat we face,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Hinnen. “Many counterterrorism and law enforcement officials worked tirelessly to deal with the threat these defendants posed; I applaud their efforts and those of all of the national security professionals and prosecutors that work to keep the country safe.”

PARIS — A partial Wikileaks-leaked cable written in November 2005 by the American Embassy in Paris, most likely to the Secretary of State’s office sheds light on violence in France and the government’s reaction to violence in the suburbs of Paris.

The memo recounts the analysis of the situation in the cités, or projects, by French Judge Jean-Francois Ricard, who investigates terrorism.

The residents of these areas, often immigrants, have lost respect for the French government and thus symbols of authority, such as police and firemen, have become targeted as “assassins.”

Increased unrest in the cités could also be due to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s October 2005 announcement of increased police presence in the cités, the memo says.

Gangs and radical Islamic groups have exceptional power in the cités, and have made it their goal to rid their neighborhoods of French governmental influence.

“Inhabitants developed a sense of being apart from French society, and over time, became proud of this,” the memo says.

According to the document, in a October 25, 2005 interview with the Le Monde newspaper, Sarkozy, then the Minister of the Interior of France, said 9,000 police vehicles in France had been stoned since January 2005, and “between 20 and 40” vehicles were burned every night.

Ricard, who spent time as a judge in the Parisian suburb of Bobigny, said the French government has known for 20 years that the suburbs have become dangerously anarchist and has tried and failed to integrate the suburbs into the French identity.

According to the memo, many who critique the situation blame the low socio-economic situation in the cités for the unrest, but Ricard said the real problem is not always poverty, but rather a resentment of feeling ignored by the French government.

“The combination of setting oneself apart, real and/or imagined grievances against the government of France, state inattention and the interests of gangs and other groups, including the Islamists, to accentuate this divide, has led to the current unrest,” Ricard said.

As a result, to solve the problems, the French government needs to increase its presence in these areas, Ricard says in the memo.

In a Wikileaks-leaked cable from the US embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s office, Ambassador James C. Oberwetter reported in December 2006 that an unnamed Saudi official told the embassy that Saudi Arabia fears an Iranian missile strike more than terrorism.

“xxxxxxxxxxxx told Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Frances Fragos Townsend that he was speaking for the King when he urged action to counter Iranian threats. xxxxxxxxxxxx said he worries more about an Iranian missile launch against Saudi oil facilities than a terrorist attack against them, because he can take preventative measures against terrorism but not against Iranian missiles.”

The cable shows the Saudis urging the US to attack Iran.

“The more dangerous threat, in his view, is a SCUD missile launch from Iran, which could happen with short or no notice. The Iranians would target Saudi facilities at Ras Tanura and Jubail, also perhaps the US bases in Qatar and Bahrain, which would cause the Saudis to be involved as well, he said. His concern was that tightening sanctions on Iran will cause Iran to up the ante, triggering an escalation leading to a missile launch. Given the possibility of this scenario, he speculated on the option of a pre-emptive strike.”

“I would rather be on the offensivesince we are the target,” the Saudi said, later clarifying that he meant “military readiness,” not necessarily a military strike.

The Saudi official said he was speaking on behalf of King Abdallah several times it he cable.

The same cable also implicated the United Arab Emirates, an American ally, accusing 8-12 Dubai banks of having “extensive links wit Iran, holding up to $12 billion in Iranian assets.”

“We need to send someone quickly to the UAE to freeze these assets before the Iranians begin to unload them. In addition, he continued, the Saudi Monetary Authority should issue a caution to Saudi banks to refrain from Iranian transactions or else jeopardize their international dealings,” the cable reads.

College student Nicholas George, of Montgomery County, Penn., sued the federal government yesterday for detaining him at Philadelphia’s airport, according to the Washington Post. George claimed that three Transportation Security Administration officers, two Philadelphia police officers and two FBI agents violated his constitutional rights to free speech and freedom from unreasonable seizure.

According to CNN, the 22-year-old student claims he was wrongly detained for almost five hours last summer, on August 29, after an airport screener found his Arabic-English flash cards. The flash cards had an English word on one side and the corresponding Arabic word on the other. Of about 200 flash cards, about 10 had words such as “bomb” and “terrorist,” George stated. “They asked me why I had those words. I told them honestly because I had been trying to read Arabic news media, especially Al-Jazeera, and these are words that come up when you read the news about the Middle East,” George said. George also had a book entitled “Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions” in his possession.

During the detainment, a supervisor asked George his views on the September 11 attacks, according to the Washington Post. The supervisor asked if he knew who carried them out and what language Osama bin Laden speaks. The supervisor then asked: “Do you see why these cards are suspicious?” All three agencies mentioned in the lawsuit declined to comment, but one member of the TSA mentioned that they focused on George because his conduct was "erratic."

The Washington Post states that the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project and its Pennsylvania chapter will be representing George. Ben Wizner, staff attorney with the ACLU, said “Arresting and restraining passengers who pose no threat to flight safety and are not breaking any law not only violates people’s rights, but it won’t make us any safer.”

The Massachusetts Port Authority issued a very brief statement today saying it was tightening security measures in the wake of the near-tragedy aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, in which a Nigerian national with known terrorism ties allegedly tried to blow up the plane with an explosive device.

“The Massachusetts Port Authority is in close contact with our federal and state security partners and have taken additional measures at Boston Logan International Airport, but we will not comment on specific security procedures or changes,” the agency said.

The Port Authority, commonly called Masport, operates Boston Logan International Airport, the waterway Port of Boston, the Tobin Memorial Bridge, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport.

John Allen Muhammad, the sniper who led a wave of terror in the Washington D.C. area for three weeks in October 2002, was executed Tuesday night in a Virginia prison, the Associated Press reported.

Muhammad and his teenage accomplice shot people, leaving a trail of 10 dead, as they purchased gasoline, went shopping, and mowed their lawns.

The AP said Muhammad gave no final statement before his lethal injection at a symbolic 9:11 p.m. at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va.

A 24-year-old Colorado resident was indicted in a New York federal court Thursday on charges of conspiracy to use explosive bombs in the United States.

Najibullah Zazi, according to Justice Department documents, received “detailed bomb-making instructions in Pakistan, purchased components of improvised explosive devices, and traveled to New York City on September 10, 2009 in furtherance of his criminal plans. “¦ Zazi remained committed to detonating an explosive device up until the date of his arrest” according to the FBI.

FBI agents arrested Zazi last week on charges of lying to the FBI regarding a domestic and international terrorism case.

Zazi “”¦knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to use one or more weapons of mass destruction” the FBI reports.

A search of Zazi’s home computer turned up bomb-making instructions and frequent searches of hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive mineral acid. He also allegedly purchased several items needed to produce Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) a highly unstable‚ powder used in the July 2005 London bombings.

According to the FBI, Zazi and his companions purchased “unusually large amounts” of hydrogen peroxide and acetone products – both of which can be used to produce TATP.

Authorities also intercepted e-mail and text messages that showed Zazi had deep interests in acquiring bomb-making instructions.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, though optimistic, acknowledged the case is ongoing and the threat has not been completely curbed. “We believe any imminent threat arising from this case has been disrupted, but as always, we remind the American public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

If convicted, Zazi faces life imprisonment.

The investigation is being conducted by the Denver and New York FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which include officers from more than 50 local, state and federal agencies.

Illinois man arrested

On a related note, 29-year-old Michael C. Finton of Illinois was arrested Thursday on charges of planning to bomb the federal building in Springfield, Illinois. Finton, also known as Talib Islam, actually tried to detonate a vehicular bomb earlier this year, however undercover agents rendered the bomb inactive before allowing him to set off on his mission.

Finton also faces life in prison is convicted.

First period Honors Physics with Mr. Cretella. Senior year.

It started as a rumor from one classmate. My good friend Luke said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. We thought it was someone in a little propeller plane who veered off course. We were troubled, and the class was uneasy. But we didn’t know what was going on.

My high school principal then came over the air and announced that teachers should not turn on the televisions.

Second period Honors Pre-Calculus with Mr. King.

Screw that.

He turns the television on, and as soon as the news channel came into focus we watched the second Twin Tower come crashing down, live.

It was hard to watch. We were all fixated and dazed. “We’re at war,” someone murmured. Some cried.

I went to my car at lunch and put on 880-AM WCBS and listened. I’d never heard a newscaster sound so somber, so sad, before. But then again, I wasn’t alive when John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King were killed. With that in mind, I became instantly aware that what was happening on September 11 was the biggest, most terrible thing to happen in my life so far.

It was Generation Y’s first tragedy.

That night, my father, who’s a fire fighter in East Haven, Conn., went to New York with his crew. I was scared that he was going but proud at the same time that he was one of the people who was being called to service.

What do you remember from 8 years ago? Where were you? Share your story in the comments section.

I attended a preseason football game at Gillette Stadium on September 3 — the Pats and the Giants. I was inspired by the halftime event where members of the Massachusetts National Guard took their Oath of re-enlistment on the field. All of these brave men and women have already served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and were volunteering to return. They didn’t forget.

I was proud and stood to clap. Sadly, I looked around and noticed very few fans were even paying attention.

John Guilfoil Jr. (left) the father of Blast's editor, is a career fire fighter who was in New York after 9/11 as part of the rescue efforts

Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless To USA” was playing and no one seemed moved.

I know it was just a preseason game and all, but I felt a little ashamed. These young men and women were reenlisting to go back into harms’ way to combat terrorism and no one seemed to care.

September 11, 2001 seems a long way off eight years later.

There are so few tributes anymore. People seem to want to forget. Blast keeps the tribute alive every year. Take a moment and look at the article and pictures.

I am a firefighter in Connecticut. I went to New York that evening — to ground zero to help. The sights, sounds and smells of that day are etched in my mind. I will never forget the determination of the firefighters, police officers, the iron-workers and construction workers on the “pile.” All just hoping to rescue someone.

September 11, 2001

Lest We Forget

The events of September 11, 2001

Lest We Forget

The Firefighters and Police Officers who lost their lives in New York

Lest We Forget

The Innocent workers at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon killed that day

Lest We Forget

The people killed in the planes in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania

Lest We Forget

The families left behind

Lest We Forget

The terrorists responsible

Lest We Forget

Why our troops are in harms way

Lest We Forget

Those same rescuers, some who spent months at ground zero, are now sick from breathing the smoke and dust. These same people being denied health and workers compensation claims. I ask President Obama and our elected officials to be mindful. What are you going to do about these injustices?

Lest We Forget

Our men and women serving the military

Lest We Forget

FREEDOM

LET’S NOT FORGET.

The Department of Homeland Security wants you to know that they have weighed and considered your privacy and individual liberties when they decided to implement a policy that allows border agents to seize your electronic devices like laptops, flash drives and MP3 players at border crossings and return them to you … within 30 days.

“Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States” said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, in a statement. “The new directives announced today strike the balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary to secure our borders.”

Homeland security says that only a very minuscule percentage of people crossing the border will be affected (only 46 laptops have been seized in the past 10 months out of more than 221 million people crossing the border) but the implications are serious. Strictly speaking, government agents can seize your electronics, copy all of the files contained therein and store them indefinitely.

But let’s be even more frank. The government is probably not going to take your laptop. Border agents don’t care about your music collection or episodes of “Leverage,” but there are some questions about the effectiveness of this policy. If a terrorist was keeping electronic files, they could store the files in a microSD card that’s smaller than a fingernail. It’s a lot easier to hide a microSD card than it is to hide a laptop.

The ACLU has filed suit, challenging the policy.

One way to ensure your files stay yours is to execute redundancy. If you have files that you need access to wherever you go, you could consider Google Docs or one of the many online file storage sites. Backing up documents at home is, of course, always smart computing practice. Buy a portable hard drive if you don’t already own one.

Imagine being detained by government authorities without charge, without access to a lawyer, your whereabouts hidden from all of society. Imagine now that so much is going on in the world that mainstream media don’t have the time to tell your story, or the story of your four companions, all of which are going through the exact same thing.

How can you get help? How can you be freed or given access to your lawyer or your family to tell them you’re OK?

This exact story is currently unfolding in Uganda. The Human Rights Watch is demanding the Ugandan government charge or release the five detainees.

The physical location of the four men and one woman is unknown, which, according to the HRW, make it a case of enforced disappearance, illegal under international law and in violation of the Ugandan Constitution. Some former detainees say the five missing may be being held at Joint anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT) headquarters in Kololo, a rich suburb of capital city Kampala.The former detainees also said the five missing were tortured and may now be in poor health, the HRW reports.

According to a report released by the HRW, the task force has heavily abused its power on many occasions resulting in multiple killings, enforced disappearances and allegations of torturing terrorism suspects.

Recently, the chief of military intelligence in Uganda wrote a report to the HRW outlining the reason for the five arrests in an attempt to justify the imprisonment of the missing. According to the report, Abdulrahman Kijjambu and Ismail Kambaale, two of the five, were arrested in July 2008 on suspicions of planning terrorism acts.

The third detainee, Abdul Hamid Lugemwa, was arrested in March 2008 for being involved in an “urban hit squad.” The letter also claims the military task force has no knowledge of the whereabouts of the fourth prisoner, Mohamed Sekulima.

HRW reports however that four former detainees say they say Sekulima in JATT custody on several separate occasions. The circumstances of the arrest of fifth detainee, Fatuma Nantongo, are unclear. Witnesses told the HRW that she was arrested in December of 2008 and was seen in JATT custody in Kololo in January 2009.

The letter from military intelligence unfortunately provided no insight into the exact whereabouts of the five missing. All five detainees are being denied the right to habeas corpus, which is mandatory under both international and Ugandan law.

Still, no charges have officially been filed.

Stick with Blast for updates on the story.

NEW YORK — A whole nation, if not the world, anxiously anticipates the day when they can visit the once melancholy location of the greatest terrorist attack in American history, and instead of reeling with the pain of loss and fear, look instead upon a place of hope and energy.

Santiago Calatrava intends to give us that hope. In fact, he wants to share that excitement and vivacity with the world, as New York welcomes her “tired, hungry and poor” to the new World Trade Center transportation hub, perhaps the most anticipated building project in New York since the battle between the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building.

Calatrava is a rare breed indeed — a blend of engineer and architect, which allows for his projects the breathing room to let the needs of millions of commuters around the world speak to him in a way no other architect or engineer independently could manifest.

Most of Calatrava’s commissions are of the civil engineering variety: bridges, train stations. He is a humble man and states that building such things, being the architect is an experience of humility. He says the new hub is a “message of reconciliation,” is going to be “high-speed train” -ready, and that idea of a great building is “a lesson in humility. They are for everyone.”

Let’s come back to earth though for a second out of the clouds of hope and humility. New Yorkers aren’t an easy bunch to please, and the building of the new World Trade Center transportation hub hasn’t been an easy, wistful chore. There has been the eternal push and shove among the other buildings, the Port Authority, and Calatrava over what has become the city’s focus and fallout. But Calatrava explains that the cost is immaterial. This is being built for our children. It is priceless in its destiny and its necessity for the commuter.

The design itself explains this destiny. Calatrava adds that the design is inspired by a child releasing a dove. The child speaks of “the future of the city”, and the dove, of course, of peace. The sleek ribs protrude from the ground creating a canopy of white, forming Calatrava’s desired “luminous spaces.”

The hub is formed from three main spaces. There is an east-west corridor spanning a gargantuan amount of space for a real-estate indoctrinate city, 2,000 feet in linear grace. The mezzanine has a horizontal spread of 200 feet, and Memorial Hall lifts in vertical air.

“It is like a musical composition — the spaces, in this matter (it forms) a common language,” Calatrava said.

The hub itself serves many purposes, not just the purpose of moving millions of people through New York’s sometimes elusive tunnel system. It’s also providing an infrastructure, a plaza and “inter-modality, circulation between the other (new World Trade Center) buildings,” he said.

There has been a lot of talk on changes made recently, due to an apparent cost-factor, but Calatrava stresses, “it is very similar to its original design. (There have been) minor changes in details, and security.”

The manifestation of hope hasn’t been an easy process. Calatrava explained that on one hand the New York bedrock makes a great foundation, but is hard to move. They are also building 30 feet below the water table, and partially through bad soil, the remains of the compost from the extension of Manhattan — the island once ended at Church Street — then later filled in to Greenwich Avenue, and again to the West Side. Calatrava, however, said he likes a challenge.

The hub is expected to be finished four years from the date of the opening of his reception at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, 684 Park Avenue. The exhibit contains a large model of the World Trade Center transportation hub, in which the viewer can stand inside of the model and get a 360 degree view of the true expanse, grace and linear flow of the project. There is also a gallery of small models of other American projects, including the 80 South Street building, in which blocks form singular homes, rumored to be in the $30 million dollar ballpark, and the gondola-lift connecting Brooklyn and lower Manhattan with Governor’s island. The exhibit runs through August 31.

Calatrava gains his inspiration for this project from a religious icon of New York architecture history: Grand Central Station. He cited Grand Central as “a model for the evolution of New York,” bringing to mind the timing as reminiscent of the economic struggle the city is again surviving through.

Isn’t this the true intent of the new hub — to show the city that it can always survive, no matter the odds? Some worry that the design is too new for New York City, but Calatrava can help ease that doubt, striving to build a monument to the city doing what it does best: changing, growing, advancing, surviving.

By the way: Because of a reporting error, Calatrava’s name was spelled wrong in this story

NEW DELHI, India — Suicide bombers attacked a five-star hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday, in the most direct attack of a Western target since the Islamabad Marriott bombing last September.

Bombers rammed a small truck laden with explosives through the gates of the upscale Pearl Continental Hotel at around 10 p.m., killing at least 16 — including two United Nations workers — and injuring 70. The bombing was by far one of the country’s largest, with at least 1,000 pounds of explosives according to police, forming a gigantic crater and reducing much of the hotel to little more than rubble.

The attacks come little more than a week after Taliban leaders warned they would instigate attacks in major cities, retaliating against the Pakistani government’s military offensive to reclaim the nearby Swat Valley in Pakistan’s tribal Northwest Frontier Province, which borders Afghanistan.

The blasts also resembled methods used in the May 27 attack against Pakistani intelligence service in Lahore, when the Taliban struck disturbingly near to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Yesterday’s bombings indicate a continuing trend, the Taliban moving its operations of the rural borderlands between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and into Pakistan’s urban centers.

No, Boston is not in the grips of a mad scientist with anthrax. Nor is it under siege from a series of terrorist briefcase bombs.

It was pot, marijuana, Mary Jane, grass, weed and a whole lot of it that tied up half the emergency services in the city Thursday afternoon.

Mailroom workers at One Financial Center found a “white powdery substance” on a package around noontime and called 911. Fire fighters quarantined the four exposed workers and ran through decontamination protocols to clear them, said Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.

Fire officials eventually called out a Level 3 Hazardous Materials Incident, requiring anyone entering the building to don specialized Hazmat suits for safety.

Tests determined that the white powder was in fact laundry detergent.

But when they took a closer look at the package, fire fighters found a briefcase beneath the detergent. So they called in the Boston Police Bomb Squad to investigate. They x-rayed the briefcase and determined it was not bomb.

Then U.S. Postal Police were called in to take custody of the package and another suspicious package with the same address and handwriting.

Postal Police found 45 pounds of marijuana in the two packages. The detergent may have been an attempt to mask the marijuana, but it drew far more attention to it than anyone could have imagined.

No one was injured, sickened, or given the munchies as a result of the powder, briefcase or pot.

MUMBAI, India — In a newly crafted display window, tucked in the back corner of the lobby of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, was a piece of art, aptly named the “Tree of Life.” The work, beside a plaque listing the names of those who had perished in the Taj, was all that remained visible of the day that terrorists had stormed the lobby, and held hostage its guests and staff. In front of the window, hotel guests lined up to sign their named in a book, writing things like, “The spirit of the Taj is uncrushable,” and, “terrorism will not prevail.”

These sorts of comments have come to engender the spirit of the Indian population. As a nation, India has endured nearly one terror attack every month since last July, and lost over 2000 people to these attacks in the past year, but in the face of terror, the country has always bounced back immediately. Though the Indian media jumped at the chance to compare they day they dubbed “26/11″ to 9/11, the societal reactions haven’t compared.

When I made my first visit to New York, two months after the assault on the twin towers, the city was still in deep mourning, wreaths, candles, and photos of missing loved ones plastering every corner of the metropolis. When I eventually moved there three years later, the photos of missing people had vanished, but little else had changed. After seven years, New York City is still having trouble moving on. Every September 11th the city fills the skyline with two perpetual spotlights in place of the towers. Bagpipe players mourn for the dead in the streets of the Financial District, as throughout the day all the names of those who were lost when the towers crumbled are read aloud. As we come into 2009 the site of the twin towers is still nothing more than a gigantic hole in the ground, an open wound that refuses to allow New York City to move on. The Financial District is still a comparative ghost town.

The Taj a month later/KRISTEN V. BROWN FOR BLAST MAGAZINE

One month to the day after gunmen entered the Taj Mahal Hotel on November 26, the lobby of the hotel looked once again as it always had. In the hours of the attacks, the perfectly polished marble floors were stained with blood, the stately atmosphere muffled by screams and sprays of bullets. But by December 26, the hotel that had once played host to Mick Jagger, Jackie Kennedy and The Beatles had regained its regal composure, the lobby decorated for Christmas as it buzzed with equal mixes of tourists and the well to-do. Easily the most majestic landmark of the Mumbai skyline, the Taj is an architectural marvel that has played host to many of the worlds most powerful since it first opened its doors in 1903, founded by industrialist Jamshedji Tata, as the first luxury hotel in the city that booked Indian as well as white guests.

The day after the firing stopped, Indian papers and news stations reported of an eerie ghost town Mumbai had become. But by that time , everyone was already back at work. And only one month after the attack on Mumbai, life had once again become de rigueur, at least partially because for Indians, unlike Americans and 9/11, terrorism is the norm. In New York, we obsessed over the events of 9/11 for years, letting our obsession dominate our public space, and keep us from resuming our normal lives. In India, even though the Mumbai attacks were thus far unprecedented and surely have had a lasting impact on the people of Mumbai, Mumbaikers have learned not to let terrorism get the best of them. They pull together, go back to work, and refuse to let such evil misdeeds interfere with their way of living.

Top Indian news agencies, quoting police sources, are reporting that the standoff with attackers at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai has ended.

Since Wednesday, 150 people have been killed in the violence that began with well-coordinated attacks at 10 sites across India’s financial capital.

Fifteen non-Indians have also been killed, including two New York-area Rabbis.

Stick with Blast Magazine News for more information.

As part of the breaking news coverage of the sudden attacks that took place today in Mumbai, India, Blast has received webcasts from the South Asian Journalists Association who covered these events via live blog talk radio.

Suketu Mehta, author of “Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found,” Madhu Bhatia Jha, US correspondent for the Indian network Star News and Smriti Mundhra, a NYC-based filmmaker calling from Mumbai and is five blocks from attacks, are sharing their acounts from the attacks which began at 1 a.m., time of India.

Mundhra also explained that, “Its total chaos over here. Army and navy have been called in to assist police. The attackers are everywhere-in hotels, on the streets, in vans. They are firing indiscriminately.”

Blast will continue covering these events.

‚ 

At least 80 people have been killed, 250 injured and more held hostage in Mumbai, India, in coordinated terror attacks, according to news agencies.

The attackers, armed with machine guns, bombs and grenades struck at least seven sites throughout Mumbai Wednesday and were holding Western hostages at two hotels, according to NBC news.

“We have reports of 80 people dead and at least 250 injured. Many have serious injuries and the toll will go up,” P.D. Ghadge, a police officer in the main control room in Mumbai, told Reuters.

The locations included luxury hotels, a police station and a train station.

Indian television reported that one of the victims is Hemant Karkare, the chief of India’s anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai.

Authorities are saying that Westerners, especially British and American civilians, have been targeted.

Blast will bring more details forth as they emerge.

Starting Monday,‚ more than 50‚ threatening letters started to arrive at Chase Bank, the FDIC, and government offices.

The letters, originating from‚ Amarillo, Texas, contained a white powdery substance that was found to be harmless, and the FBI is investigating.

“Sending a hoax letter is a serious crime, and a drain on law enforcement resources,” said FBI Section Chief Doug Perdue,‚ ”We will continue to work diligently to identify and arrest those responsible.”

Yesterday, the FBI released photographs of one of the hoax letter and its envelope.

“STEAL TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE’S MONEY AND NOT
EXPECT REPRERCUSSIONS. IT’S PAYBACK TIME. WHAT YOU
JUST BREATHED IN WILL KILL YOU WITHIN 10 DAYS
THANK —— AND THE FDIC FOR YOUR DEMISE”

Letters were received in 11 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.‚ The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and state and local authorities are investigating each incident.

“People who have mailed these kinds of hoax letters in the past have received some serious jail time” said FBI press chief, Richard Kolko, in a statement Wednesday.‚ ”This investigation will continue until those responsible are arrested, and we appreciate the public’s support by providing information.”

Authorities have set up a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever is behind the letter hoax.

For several weeks after September 11, 2001, a series of letter-based attacks occurred, with letters containing anthrax spores being mailed to several news media offices and two Democratic U.S. Senators, killing five people and infecting 17 others. The primary suspect was not identified publicly until earlier this year.‚ Bruce Edwards Ivins, a former government scientist killed himself via drug overdose on August 1.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Secret Service responded quickly Saturday morning to an Associated Press report that stated terrorists might clone police and emergecy vehicles to conduct attacks against the Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minn., and the Democratic Convention in Denver.

“Unfortunately the article suggests a connection to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions that does not exist,” the government said in a statement. “These bulletins are periodic refresher notices designed to inform and educate emergency responders about potential threats and emergency management issues. Similar advisories were issued prior to the 2004 political conventions.”

“To be clear, there is no evidence at any level of the federal government that this type of activity is a current and viable threat to either convention.”

The government agencies went on to encourage organizers to be dilligent as always with a major national-level evnet to “maintain a heightened awareness for any contingency.”

“But again, there is no current credible threat from cloned or fake emergency vehicles,” they said.

“The Secret Service and all other federal agencies remain hyper-vigilant and focused on all credible threats,” they said. This was a quick, pointed response to a story that quickly spread across the national newswire and airwaves.

The news story came across the Associated Press newswire this morning, stating “a Federal Emergency Management Agency memo says terrorists could use such ‘cloned’ emergency or commercial vehicles to conduct surveillance or carry out an attack. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says faking such vehicles can be cheap and easy.”

The report cited examples of cloned trucks including a fake Wal-Mart truck that was busted carrying a ton and a half of marijuana and 450 pounds of cocaine.

Certainly I have some personal stake in the health and safety of the 9/11 emergency responders.

But so does everyone else. 9/11 was a day where we saw the worst of people and the best of people. In the backs of the minds of cops and firemen, they knew the stuff they were breathing in was bad for them, but — as always — they focused on the immediate health of others versus their own long-term wellbeing.

The facts have been the same for ages: police officers, firefighters and soldiers don’t live as long as civilians. Their jobs often put them in immediate danger, expose them to toxins and leave them with increased rates of hypertension, depression, divorce, and alcoholism. But that’s the way it is.

These people are part of a close, often insular fraternity. Their families are in the same league, often socializing almost exclusively with each other. Their children, like me, live their lives holding in a mixture half awe and half terror, because we know what can happen, and all too often we’ve seen it.

Many of the 9/11 emergency responders and rescue workers are sick and dying from the toxic air around Ground Zero in New York. This is irrefutable.

Look through my dad’s photos. It was a cloud with a smell he’ll never forget. It’s death, fire and asbestos.

For someone who’s seen murder, suicide, drug overdose and burn victims, this sticks with him.

Think you could stomach that?

Or rather, breathe it in?

Detective Zadroga’s death was the first to be officially linked to the toxins at Ground Zero.

There were others before him, and many officials have said he won’t be the last.

Last year the Associated Press reported nearly 70 percent of Ground Zero rescue workers have suffered lung ailments and “abnormalities.”

“There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center. Our patients are sick,” Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the group that investigated the long-term effects from exposure to Ground Zero told the AP last year.

Most of the rescuers wade through physical health problems. Others quietly suffer from depression, anger and post traumatic stress.