Blair is currently on vacation as well, as I understand it.

I think there is a bit of added urgency with the group of Egyptians because Al Qaida just recently announced a new Egyptian chapter...or so I read somewhere and can't find a link to it now.

While it is encouraging that it is even known that these Egypitans are missing, I am certain they are a small drop in the bucket of aliens with unknown whereabouts or expired visas. I suppose next time they can just come across the US-Mexico border to avoid such problems.

I'm trying to keep my cynicism in check, I really am. Still, events such as these seem to come at such a time when they are the most needed by an administration struggling to repair credibility and retain power. I have this vision of Karl Rove high-fiving the president at some point.

I fully admit that my cynicism comes from a complete lack of trust in our leadership.

How does this make any difference here?

I've never understood the August vacations to Texas. I'll bet George sometimes wishes he was a pretend mountain man or some such manly endeavor with milder climes.

My mom is in Canada and is scheduled to return early next week. I am terrified. :(

I'm not saying that this isn't a significant event or that I'm not grateful to british intelligence for thwarting these plans of attack. I do, however, note a noticable difference in tone from what the british officials are saying about this event and how it is being portrayed by their American counterparts. This will be spun to gain every political advantage possible by this administration, which most times, seems far more important to them than actually doing anything to make us safer.

I'm far more interested in what the british have to say about this and will stick with the BBC, rather than hear the story from people like Michael Chertoff and George Bush, who aren't as interested in the facts as they are in working those facts into something that they can use.

Why, exactly, are you terrified? Terrified that she'll have to stand in a really long line? Nothing's happened. The major people involved have been arrested. And, based on the information we've been given, they know what to look for and they're going overboard in ensuring that nothing of the sort is going to get through. It's probably the safest time for her to be flying.

I'm glad the Brits found out about this plot and stopped it. I think that's great.

However, I'll be damned before I take some cue from the media or our government that I am supposed to be afraid right now. I'm tired of fear being used to control people. (Bush just said [per CNN] that we could be attacked and we're not in the clear. Yeah, that's filling me with courage...) I'm going to be flying on Sept 11th. I''m not scared. I'm not scared of terrorists like I'm supposed to be. I'm not going to sit like a coward and fear another attack. Last I checked, we Americans are supposed to be brave. I am.
:)

No, not the lines, or the fact that she may get herself arrested for arguing when she can't bring a carry on bag (I'll just laugh at her if she does).

Just scared anyways.

What should be said, then?

We are in the clear and terrorists don't want to attack us anymore? Or nothing at all? It's realism. We could be attacked. To say we are not at risk would be disingenuous and criticized (and rightly so) as ostrich like. To not talk about it while terrorism and terrorist attacks are perhaps the largest issue in he world at present would be criticized (and rightly so) as, well, ostrich like again.

I suppose he could come out and say we are at risk but not to be afraid because your government is doing their best to protect you, but that would called electioneering.