Claim: Further terrorist attacks were planned for
Status: Undetermined.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]
I want to inform everyone to stay home on SATURDAY, A friend of mine from college was told that a close family friend, who was at work bartending in Boston, when a few drunk Arab men slipped out to her that there would be a lot of bloodshed in Boston on the 22. She was told this before the terrorist attack on Tuesday, but ever since, she has been with the FBI trying to recognize some cab drivers. This is not a rumor b/c nobody knows about it and it came from a legit source. I hope it's not true, but just in case I wanted to tell you guys. Just please; do NOT go in the city on the 22, whether day or night. I'd rather be safe to know everybody will be ok, than see this horror happen again, especially to people I know. We all know that some of those bastards are still in Boston. Please let everyone know to just be careful on that day. |
Origins: This missive began winging its way around the Internet in the week following the attack on America. Some versions attempt to add further credibility to the warning by stating it "came from one of Mandy's friends."
What to make of such a piece? Forget about loose-lipped terrorists blabbing plans in a Boston bar — it's not reasonable to believe an organization that was capable of maintaining the level of secrecy it did is populated by operatives who in the process of tying one on would regale the waitress with their
schemes.
Some find another reason for disbelieving the piece — alcohol is forbidden to Muslims, thus there could be no drunken Islamic fundamentalists, in a Boston bar or elsewhere. Yet such reasoning ignores the Muslims who have gotten good and roaring drunk while on sojourns in the West. "They'll never find out about this back home" has, for some, proved an effective counter to "this is forbidden."
One of the terrorists who took control of American Airlines
Yet even if the
It's true there have been a number of rumors about a possible second wave of terrorist attacks on the U.S.A. that might take place over the
One such tie emerged on Wednesday,
Regarding the 22nd, Justice Department spokeswoman Mindy Tucker was quoted by The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday,
Okay, so there are rumors about the 22nd, but the Justice Department says they're being investigated and nothing so far has turned up. Does that mean the U.S.A. is safe?
No, not at all. Possibly even more frightening than the possibility of a concentrated wave of attacks on a specified day is the reality that Attorney General John Ashcroft has expounded upon time and again: Ashcroft and others in law enforcement have repeatedly cautioned that the threat of violence has not ended and that people connected to the terrorist network responsible for the attack on America may still be in the country. Further acts of terrorism are thus possible, perhaps even likely.
Makes having to hide under your bed for just the one day look infinitely preferrable, doesn't it?
Barbara "to heller and back" Mikkelson
Last updated: 15 April 2008
Sources: