# When was the last time there was a major terror alert? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972 "2005-12-23T14:42:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/1 "2005-12-23T14:42:08Z")
This question was raised at [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/](http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/) In the year and a half leading up to the 2004 election, terror alerts were so frequent that many of us began to regard them as politically motivated scare tactics. How many have there been since November 2004? Blogger Josh Marshall at the site (above) thinks there have been none. I tried Googling for the answer, but to no avail. It is probably safe to say that it is immoral to sound false alarms nationwide for political gain. Is it illegal, as well? For one thing, there are probably unnecessary expenditures associated with bogus terror alerts, such as military/civilian personnel put on alert status, planes scrambled, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/2 "2005-12-23T15:19:47Z")
What do you count as a “major” alert? I found a [CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/07/07/us.response/) documenting an orange-level alert as of 7 July 2005. We’ve certainly been hearing a lot less in the media about terror alert levels in general in 2005 than in 2004. However, the toll of actual terror attacks worldwide in 2005 looks to be at least comparable to what it was in 2004. I don’t know what metric the Department of Homeland Security uses for determining the current threat level or issuing statements about it to the media, so I can only speculate as to whether they’re deliberately manipulating it for political gain. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/3 "2005-12-23T17:46:20Z")
Ever thought of going to the [Department of Homeland Security web site](http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0335.xml)? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/4 "2005-12-23T17:48:30Z")
There was an alert in New York, regarding the Subway, when I was there in early October. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/5 "2005-12-23T19:57:10Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > There was an alert in New York, regarding the Subway, when I was there in early October. But I’m pretty sure that one turned out to be another false alarm. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/6 "2005-12-23T19:58:32Z")
We’ll never know if it was a false alarm. Maybe the alert stopped the attack. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-there-was-a-major-terror-alert/336972/7 "2005-12-23T20:07:33Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > We’ll never know if it was a false alarm. Maybe the alert stopped the attack. And maybe Bush is a closet Democrat. Read the article at [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/11/national/main934039.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/11/national/main934039.shtml)