# Anyone else's BS-o-meter going off?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [August 10, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159 "2006-08-10T14:58:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/1 "2006-08-10T14:58:07Z")
Here’s the [subject](http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/10/us.security/index.html).
And here’s what triggered my alarm.
> [@](#):
>
> U.S. and British officials said some suspects could still be on the loose and their investigations were continuing.
> [@](#):
>
> In a sign of the heightened security, Chertoff said the U.S. was dispatching extra air marshals to Britain.
and the Coop-day-grass:
> [@](#):
>
> Police said they were still raiding businesses and homes, and Chertoff said it was unclear if all suspects were in custody.
So…we’re in the middle of busting a plot “intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale” and we’re going public with what amounts to an official warning to the blokes involved with the plot? And we’re announcing what we’re doing to thwart further attempts?
OK, I know this is Pit-bound, but until then this is a POLL:
Anyone else think this is a bogus announcement?
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### Author:  [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/2 "2006-08-10T15:03:30Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#):
>
> Here’s the [subject](http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/10/us.security/index.html).
>
> And here’s what triggered my alarm.
> and the Coop-day-grass: So…we’re in the middle of busting a plot “intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale” and we’re going public with what amounts to an official warning to the blokes involved with the plot? And we’re announcing what we’re doing to thwart further attempts?
>
> OK, I know this is Pit-bound, but until then this is a POLL:
>
> Anyone else think this is a bogus announcement?
No
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/3 "2006-08-10T15:05:49Z")
Nope.
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### Author:  [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/4 "2006-08-10T15:08:07Z")
I was thinking about this, and my opinion is that I’ll reserve judgement until we actually see some confiscated explosives. Then I’ll believe it was for real.
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/5 "2006-08-10T15:12:24Z")
This one sounds very real, but I have been skeptical of other terrorist arrests claimed by the Bush administration.
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/6 "2006-08-10T15:46:23Z")
The timing seems especially convenient, with mid-terms just around the corner, and with the Connecticut results suggesting a voter migration towards anti-war.
I suspect that there really was a terror plot, and some serious arm-twisting by the pubelickins to have Britain agree to allow this to become public, now.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/7 "2006-08-10T15:54:22Z")
No.
I don’t even think Bush’s poodle would agree to the disruption caused in the UK today to help the mid-terms. It simply doesn’t make sense.
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### Author:  [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/8 "2006-08-10T15:57:17Z")
The impression I got from the news reports is that the British police have been monitoring this group for some time, and decided that it was now time to stop monitoring and start arresting, since the plans were getting close to being accomplished.
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### Author:  [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/9 "2006-08-10T15:58:35Z")
No.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/10 "2006-08-10T16:08:56Z")
I do not think this is a bogus announcement of a nonexistent plan.
However, I do think that (a) it’s remarkable how quickly American authorities got themselves out in front of the event in order to associate themselves with and thereby ambiguously claim credit for what is essentially a British operation, and (b) the public handling of this event totally gives the lie to the wink-wink “there’s lots of stuff going on behind the scenes we can’t tell you about” attitude the administration has been using to beat the fear-drum over the last couple of years. This pretty much proves, for me, that if there really were multiple threats and multiple plots being thwarted, we would have heard about them at the time.
Other than those legitimate political considerations, no, not bogus.
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/11 "2006-08-10T16:10:37Z")
There seems to be little to doubt that the british authorities rooted out a potential plot and the players involved. Good for them if that’s the case.
That it may have had spill over effect into the US is believable too.
But the resultant media buzz and the airports on Red Alert is probably a fair mix of prudent caution and the usual administration party line…“It’s an A/Q plot. Something must be done! We’re doing something. Therefore we’re doing the right thing.”
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/12 "2006-08-10T16:11:09Z")
I believe it’s the real deal (the announcement caused the London markets to tank. I don’t think they’d bullshit us knowing what kind of effect this sort of thing has on $$$).
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/13 "2006-08-10T16:11:14Z")
> [@Cervaise](#):
>
> it’s remarkable how quickly American authorities got themselves out in front of the event in order to associate themselves with and thereby ambiguously claim credit for what is essentially a British operation
I suspect the threat was both sides of the Atlantic, or if not, better safe than sorry.
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/14 "2006-08-10T16:13:35Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#):
>
> I don’t think they’d bullshit us knowing what kind of effect this sort of thing has on $$$).
Oh? You don’t think ridiculous amounts of money can be made on a tanking market?
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/15 "2006-08-10T16:16:09Z")
Actually, this one seems legitimate. I would like some concrete details, though. Like samples of confiscated explosives, names of conspirators, evidence that they were to fly on the same day, etc.
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### Author:  [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/16 "2006-08-10T16:16:52Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#):
>
> The impression I got from the news reports is that the British police have been monitoring this group for some time, and decided that it was now time to stop monitoring and start arresting, since the plans were getting close to being accomplished.
I agree. However, there’s the ‘why today instead of a day or two ago’ question. Oh, yeah, right. It would have looked too convenient on U.S. midterm primaries day. But wait too long and you miss the double bump of a drop in oil prices (due to an anticipated short-term decline in the demand for jet fuel) and an oooh-tough-on-terrorists stance/photo op.
I’m especially disturbed that, even though investigations and arrests are ongoing, air traffic esp. in the UK and outbound from the UK wasn’t just suspended. If it made sense to suspend air travel in the U.S. for three days after 9/11, then it makes sense to me to put everything on hold while the sorting out process gets, you know, sorted out this time around.
Tabby
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### Author:  [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/17 "2006-08-10T16:21:26Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#):
>
> Oh? You don’t think ridiculous amounts of money can be made on a tanking market?
The dollar is up on the news – or was the alst time I looked. The pound is down, ut not hugely. This morning on MSNBC, they had a graphic showing how the American markets tend to drop (independent of currency valuation) on the day of terrorist news, but bounce up on the next trading day. Today, the U.S. markets are up slightly at the moment, and look like they will at least hold steady through the day, barring some new traumatic details or something. The closing of the
Alaskan pipeline was more collectively upsetting to the markets.
And, yeah, Inigo, anyone who thinks ridiculous amounts of money can’t be made on a tanking market is forgetting about the “buy low” half of ye olde formula for simplistic success.
Tabby
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/18 "2006-08-10T16:22:49Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> Actually, this one seems legitimate. I would like some concrete details, though. Like samples of confiscated explosives, names of conspirators, evidence that they were to fly on the same day, etc.
Well, there have been 21 arrests - just down the road from me some of them, too. The names will no doubt be released in time.
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### Author:  [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/19 "2006-08-10T16:23:35Z")
No.
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-elses-bs-o-meter-going-off/368159/20 "2006-08-10T16:24:28Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The U.S. is at “war with Islamic **fascists** ,” President Bush says
Of course they’re 'fascists," they part of an axis. :rolleyes:
I want to go crawl into a hole for the next 300 years…
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