# Words fail: our media on terrorist chatter **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 30, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019 "2004-10-30T14:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/1 "2004-10-30T14:37:34Z")
> **[Chatter](https://www.eschatonblog.com/2004/10/chatter.html)** > > CNN yesterday: > > > DOBBS: But, obviously, officials in this city and around the country are taking this very seriously, and, basically, wha... Unbelievable stupidity. Lots of chatter suggests an attack, and there seems to be an increasing amount. Also, not much chatter also means an attack, and there’s been a drop in chatter. Apparently, all within the space of a day. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/2 "2004-10-30T14:48:58Z")
Must be a tautology. 😉 A tautology is proved by all statements, including contradictions. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/3 "2004-10-30T17:46:14Z")
Oh my GOD! THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [WEBSITE IS DOWN!](http://www.dhs.gov/) > [@](#): > > Error 404 > Proxy could not connect to remote server. How will I know whether to buy duct tape or Iodine pills? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/4 "2004-10-30T17:57:03Z")
Buy a duct pill octopus and you should be covered. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/5 "2004-10-30T18:16:40Z")
I wouldn’t get so worked up-- there’s not much in the way of contradiction between to the two instances. > [@](#): > > DOBBS: Level of chatter **at this point?** > > ARENA: Low. Lower than it’s been. > [@](#): > > Francona: The people I’ve talked to are telling me that they’ve seen increased chatter **over the last several weeks** … Since past suggestion has been that attacks have been preceded by a period of increased chatter followed by a marked drop in communications in the days _immediately_ before an attack, these talking heads appear to be on the same page, rather than at odds. Still, this Arena person responsibly says “No one is saying that that means anything. It is what it is, but the chatter level has fallen over recent weeks,” and Francona cautions “…once again no specific threats and nothing that they can pin any reason to raise the level of alert.” “Does the release of this tape suggest that another attack is imminent?” is a natural question, and the only way to respond is with reference to this sort of augury, with these sort of caveats. The information that correspondants get from there sources in these cases is bound to be very vague, so it’s natural that the time periods we’re talking about are going to be interpreted differently by different people. What is the desired alternative? Total silence? There’s plenty of room for responsible speculation on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/6 "2004-10-30T19:58:56Z")
'course, they could just be wishing each other a happy Ramadan. These reports of “contentless chatter” always strike me as a little strange. I suppose the terrrorists could always use perfect encryption, so that we know they’re sending messages but not what the messages are. Still, it seems that if we can see the volume of messages they’re sending, we can trace them back to their source and directly bug their key boards and phones, thus giving us the content of later messages. The skeptic in me thinks the gov’t uses this chatter BS to be able to say what they want about what the terrorists are up to while avoiding having to give details. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/7 "2004-10-31T03:46:31Z")
Forgive my ignorance, but where are they hearing this terrorist chatter? Over tapped phone lines? Cell phones? Walkie-talkie type stuff? Coversations at the local deli? ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-fail-our-media-on-terrorist-chatter/272019/8 "2004-10-31T04:06:14Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Forgive my ignorance, but where are they hearing this terrorist chatter? Over tapped phone lines? Cell phones? Walkie-talkie type stuff? Coversations at the local deli? They never say, claiming that if they told then the terrorists would be able to take precautions and keep the spooks from getting more intelligence. The problem, of course, is it is hard to picture a method of evesdropping where you can tell how much people are communicating, but leaves you unable to take any measures to gain any “actionable intelligence” or “specific information”. Admitidly they’ve been doing a little better recently, perhaps sensing that the public was becoming a bit cynical. For example we know what intelligece led to the hightened alert in New Yorks financial district a few months ago (speaking of which, is that still going on).