NPR: Experts: JFK Plot May Not Have Been Quite So 'Chilling'

Experts: JFK Plot May Not Have Been Quite So 'Chilling'

We've seen this happen before. Authorities line up before a microphone and tell the assembled media throngs that a serious terrorist plot has just been averted. Words like "chilling," or "catastrophic" or "unthinkable devastation," are often used.

But on closer examination, it turns out to be not quite the chilling plot first imagined.

Now, some experts are questioning if the alleged plot to blow up fuel lines at New York's JFK International Airport was quite as dangerous as federal prosecutors made it out to be.

Newsday talks to Michael Greenberger, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the University of Maryland. While Greenberger says the authorities were absolutely correct to pursue those accused of the plot, he also believes that "there's a pattern here of Justice Department attorneys overstating what they have."

In this case, none of the accused had any military training or had attended a terrorist training camp (hallmarks of those who actually carry out terrorist attacks from Timothy McVeigh to the London bombers). The plot was not close to being operational. And the man accused of being the mastermind, Russell Defreitas, is looking less like a criminal genius and more "hapless and episodically homeless," Newsday reports. (Anthony Kaufman of Huffington Post wonders why the headline for the story wasn't "Bombers not smart enough to blow up JFK.")

Steven Simon, a terrorism expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, points out that hyping these arrests creates a problem, especially when the true story begins to emerge, because it creates the false impression that "the adversary is just a bunch of losers who do not have to be feared."

Even New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg downplayed the threat. When asked Monday about the alleged plot, he basically told people to "get a life." He added, "You have a much greater danger of being hit by lightning than being struck by a terrorist."

4:50 PM ET | 06- 6-2007 | permalink

Comments

The problem isn't so much with the hype from the justice department - it's the hype from the news media who time after time after time go full blast on these non stories. It doesn't matter to the networks and cable news channels if the stories are true because they know if it's sensational enough people will stay tuned in and watch more ads. The only way I can think of to make the news outlets more accountable to us their gullable viewers is to demand that all stories be checked out before they are aired or printed. And we can do that by boycotting them for a day. I think we should make November 1st (the beginning of Sweeps Month,) the day Americans refuse to watch local and national news.

Sent by Kate Uppal | 6:52 PM ET | 06-06-2007

question everything

Sent by steve layman | 11:08 PM ET | 06-06-2007

Any chance this could get more "prime time" coverage?

Sent by yeshe thomasch | 11:21 PM ET | 06-06-2007

Sure the media went full blast. Why? Because they were TOLD by federal authorities that it was a HIGHLY credible terrorist plot. If the justice department had contacted the media and said they had arrested some individuals who appear to operate like the Three Stooges and who say they wanted to blow up JFK, do you think there would have been the same level of hype?

The Bush Administration is trying to take every opportunity it can to keep terrorism on everyones' brain. Problem is cry wolf too often and people will stop listening. Case in point - does the fact that the National Threat Advisory for air travel is at ORANGE (high) mean anything anymore? It's been at that level for years and absolutely nothing of any credible nature has happened since 2001. The British "plot" that caused the current liquids ban wasn't even well organized.

If everything is seen as a crisis, soon nothing becomes a crisis.

Sent by Bill | 8:45 AM ET | 06-07-2007

Finally, a little reason to offset the crisis oriented fear mongers.

Sent by Leslie Jan | 8:58 AM ET | 06-07-2007

As with so many things, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

Sent by James Dietsch | 8:38 AM ET | 06-09-2007

The U.S. government's incompetence, pre 9/11 forward, verges on complicity. What concerns me is that we are and will be for a while, one successful terrorist attack away from martial law. I am very eager for elections to continue in this country, despite all its imperfections. Yes, be alert citizens.

Sent by Louis Alemayehu | 10:33 AM ET | 06-09-2007

Just out of curiosity, I logged onto My Therapy.com and evaluated the neo-conservative Bush administration who cherry-picked intelligence, rushed us to war and constantly attempt to keep us in a state of fear to promote their true political agenda...control of all the oil in the Middle East.

I used the personality diagnostic checklist based on the World Health Organization ICD-10 Manuel of Mental Health Disorders DSM-IV.

Here are the answers to the following TRUE or FALSE questions:

1. Callous concerns for the feelings of others. TRUE

2. Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships. TRUE

3. Reckless disregard for the safety of others. TRUE

4. Deceitfulness: repeated lying and conning others for money. TRUE

5. Incapacity to experience guilt. TRUE

6. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior. TRUE

The computerized DSM-IV questionnaire concluded the following:

Diagnosis of Personality Disorder: PSYCHOPATH

Sent by Chip | 12:07 PM ET | 06-11-2007

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