SwiftVets.com

[CTW]

Here in Tally I've taken to surveillence at my daughter's school. An Arabic man has been eating lunch in his car in the shade of trees across from the school for a couple of weeks now. I spoke to an officer in Task Force on Terrorist Activities. The school is by the government offices complex. You don't have to have a grand imagination to understand my concern. State, city, governor, election 2000, election 2004, recent info re: school info found in Iraq, etc.

Check out your schools everybody. CTW

Never Ever Kerry

[Snipe]

Terrorists ought to REALLY check out schools. You show up with a
bunch of full auto assualt rifles, and the kids will probably mug you
for them. Full autos are hard to come by.


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Tin Can Sailor

[OKLady]

Actually, I would be concerned that it was the same MAN, regardless of race, religion, origin, sitting outside a school....

[Scott]

What, women can't be terrorists?
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Bye bye, Boston Straggler!

[cipher]

[Becky]

[rb325th]

Folks the fact is that the U.S. has confiscated a number of floor plans for Schools here in the United States in Iraq. The fact is the terrorist have more than not targeted Civillian Targets (they are easier to hit and cause greater effect on the population). The fact is the terrorist will either attempt to or will succeed in striking a U.S. Target again.
Keep you eyes and ears open, if something does not seem right to you then report it. It will probably be nothing more than nerves, but it may not be either. Our Government can only do so much without the aid of the General Population.
I am not an alarmist, just a realist.
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U.S. Army 1983-1995, 11C1P/11H2P NBTDT

[Doc Jerry]

Demand that the schools in your area take security seriously. In many schools, security is conspicuous by its absence. Signs reading, "all visitors must first go to the main office." Like a terrorists will follow those directives. All doors must be locked. Video surveillance cameras outside of each exit door, wired to the main office. No one allowed into the school unless they have an appointment. No one, including delivery people.
Spread the word.

Medics, we're there when you need us.

[Nomorelies]

Okay folks. I will tell you what has worried me and what I witnessed this past spring. While returning from a day trip to Oklahoma I was driving southbound on I-35 from the Oklahoma Border when I passed a convoy of older model yellow school buses. They were unmarked as to school district and I noticed especially because it was a Sunday afternnon and you usually don't encunter school buses on Sunday. The buses were empty except for the drivers who looked to be darker complexioned people. I made a mental assumption that they were Mexicans and the buses were being driven to Mexico from here. I kinda thought that the buses might have been bought at an auction. However, as I watched in my rear view mirror the buses exited at a location north of Denton (where I live).

After the attack in Beslan I remembered seeing this convoy of buses and thought HOLY COW! What if the terrorists plan to fill up school buses with explosives and drive them up to a series of schools at closing bell. First, no one ever looks that closely at school buses. Then it's a big vehicle and they could use the same types of exploses (fertilizer) used in Oklahoma City. And, it would be "specatular" for the terrorist to conduct multipe (dozens) of bombings simultaneously across the country at closing bell when all the little kids come out the front door looking for their buses in the line. Remember, the buses queue up and the kids have to walk past them looking for the right bus. It would be devasting and it would be over before anyone is the wiser.

I am really worried. To test the ready availability of used school buses I googled "used + school + buses" and was astonished. They are for sale dirt cheap almost everywhere in the nation. Acres and acres of used school buses can be purchased for as little as $950 each. Good Grief. I am terrified. I wrote a letter to the Homeland Security and to the FBI and no one ever replied.

Any suggestions or help from our group would be appreciated. I am terriified that this may be the way they plan to attack.

If you think I am hysterical please feel free to say so. But first, google the words and see what you find.

YELLOW SCHOOL BUSES
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Nomorelies Make a donation HERE

[Theresa Alwood]

I first heard this on Rush when Roger was filling in for him this week! What a shocker!

www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20041008-0036-schools-warnings.html

[b]Computer discs found in Iraq had data on California schools [/b]

By Elizabeth Wolfe
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:36 a.m. October 8, 2004

WASHINGTON – Education officials in six states – including California – were put on notice last month that a computer disc found in Iraq over the summer contained photos, floor plans and other information about schools in their districts, two U.S. government officials said.

The downloaded data the U.S. military found in July – all publicly available on the Internet – included an Education Department report guiding schools on how to prepare and respond to a crisis, one official said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The officials said it was unclear who downloaded the information and stressed they had no evidence of any specific threats involving the schools.

In addition to California, the districts mentioned were in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey and Oregon, officials said, adding that the FBI alerted local education and law enforcement authorities of the finding about three weeks ago.

Officials did not provide the names of the districts. But Kay Baker, superintendent of Oregon's Salem-Keizer district, confirmed hers was among them.

"Local law enforcement has no knowledge of a specific threat to any of our school buildings," she said. "We will work collaboratively with law enforcement on any further developments."

Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said, "We are unaware of any specific information that indicates terrorists are plotting or planning an attack at a school here in the United States."

San Diego schools also were included, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune, and ABC News said there was a second California district. The Salem Statesman Journal reported the other districts were Fort Myers, Fla.; Jones County, Ga.; Birch Run, Mich.; and Franklinville and Rumson, both in New Jersey.

The disc contained an Education Department report called "Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities," published in May 2003, as well as photos and floor plans.

In a separate but more widespread warning put out this week, the Education Department advised school leaders nationwide to watch for people spying on their buildings or buses to help detect any possibility of terrorism like the deadly school siege last month in Russia.

The warning follows an analysis by the FBI and the Homeland Security Department of the siege that killed more than 330 people, nearly half of them children, in the city of Beslan.

"The horror of this attack may have created significant anxiety in our own country among parents, students, faculty staff and other community members," Deputy Education Secretary Eugene Hickok said in a letter sent Wednesday to schools and education groups.

The Education Department's advice is based on lessons learned from the Russian siege. But there is no specific information indicating a terrorist threat to any schools or universities in the United States, Hickok and other officials emphasized.

Federal law enforcement officials also have urged local police to stay in contact with school officials and have encouraged reporting of suspicious activities, the letter said.

In particular, schools were told to watch for activities that may be legitimate on their own – but may suggest a threat if many of them occur.

Among those activities:

– Interest in obtaining site plans for schools, bus routes and attendance lists.

– Prolonged "static surveillance" by people disguised as panhandlers, shoe shiners, or newspaper or flower vendors.

"It's a positive sign that they're finally discussing this after years of downplaying or denying even the possibility of a terrorist strike on schools," said Kenneth Trump, a Cleveland-based school safety consultant. "Public officials are in fear of creating fear, but we have to put the cards on the table, educate people in the school community and make sure they are well prepared."

The federal government is advising schools to take many steps to improve the security of their buildings. Those include installing locks for all doors and windows, having a single entry point into buildings and ensuring they can reach school bus drivers in an emergency.



Associated Press writers Curt Anderson and Ben Feller contributed to this report.
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Born to raise a little hell!

[Me#1You#10]

Moving to Geedunk Forum

Thanks

[CTW]

If nothing else, this thread is raising awareness. Remember: a failure in imagination was a variable to the surprise 9/11 attacks.
Please take note of any and I mean any vehicles that are not usually present at your schools, neighborhoods, churches, etc. Needless to say this is an overwhelming idea but just being vigilant may be helpful.

I was pleased to discover there was a Terriorism Task Force in place here and that the schools were represented and included. The officer was more than willing to talk with me about the issues and encouraged me to tell others in the community to be alert, call him directly and to email any questions or info. There is high concern for the next 6 weeks he said. He also stated he was not in favor of any school being used as a voting precinct especially during this election. He asked if our school was one and I told him no but the community center voting site is very close by.

He said they had been aware of the info re: schools and the Iraq connection for about 2 weeks. Were confident in efforts to keep the schools safe. He assured me that this individual would be investigated thoroughly to find any possible "red flag" connections.

You may want to contact your local police and ask about any such task force under Homeland Security and get contact name and phone# etc.

Follow-up: My brave 17 yr old called and gave me the car make (honda) and descrip. dark nonAfrican-American man, reading a book. Usually we saw him eating. To get the tag number she drove up into the area, past his car and told me his tag number! Needless to say I didn't want her anywhere near. The officers doing surveillence probably flipped out. I emailed all info to the officer. Will let you know how my "jihad thwarting" goes.

Keep your cell phones charged. Keep your eyes open.

A million thanks to all who are working to keep us safe. CTW

Never Ever Kerry

[2ndamendsis]

Hey--Wait a minute

CTW What did the Task Force Officer SAY?

[CTW]

Guess we were typing at the same time. I was pleased with my conversation with the officer and glad to have a contact number at hand.
Recommend we all have the local number to call with a concern/observation.
Did I provide enough info ... or too much? Hope we all stay aware...not afraid, but aware. CTW

Never Ever Kerry

[msindependent]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002057426_schools08.html