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NEW YORK's sub-way network, which carries major bulk of commuters every week-days, have been put on full alert following a warning from Iraq that terrorists may plan to disrupt the underground subway services. Security has been beefed at the sub-way stations from Thursday. Mayor and the City Police Commissioner at a joint press conference disclosed on October 06 the threat of attack and urged commuters to avoid carrying back-packs, baby strawlers and big boxes to save time Back-packs, strawlers and boxes will be searched, leaving nothing to chances.
The officials would not say anything about how real and genuine
the threat is. The disruption in the sub-way network will reduce New York, the biggest city in the world, to total chaos and could cause financial loss running to billions of dollar. It was a sheer coincidence rather than intentional that President Bush divulged on October 06 that the United States and its allies on war on terror have thwarted 10 terrorist plots to mount offensive against US and other countries. He did not disclose the details. Two of the ten attacks were intended against America.
The reorganisation of the US intelligence agencies after their inexplicable failure to prevent the 9/11 is not yet complete though billions of dollar have been invested for the purpose.
A new department called Homeland Security, a new post of omnipotent Director of National Security, restructuring of the CIA and the FBI have all been part of a comprehensive plan to meet exigencies like the 9/11. The four years of hard work and huge investment to promptly meet any emergency was proved thoroughly inadequate during the natural calamity that hit the Gulf coast.
Meanwhile, two of the world's most feared intelligence networks -- FBI and CIA -- still have too many holes which needed to be plugged. An investigation on a suspected FBI analyst passing secrets to a foreign country led to the exposure of the bureau's vulnerability in protecting its secrets from both internal and external espionage.
The CIA, on the other hand, will not bring to book any of its current or former officials including George Tenet immediate past director of the agency for their utter lapses and poor performance on counter terrorism. Porter Goss, the current director of the agency, has been given a good pasting by the lawmakers for his laxity in condoning the faults of the officials of the agency.
The FEMA, an agency under the Homeland Security Department which was severely upbraided for its failures and negligence to meet the crises following Katrina and Rita, have decided to revise all its contracts given without any bid. The FEMA's immediate past director was accused of cronyism. The FEMA said it would call for new bids before giving contracts worth $400 million. The allegation is that the no-bid contracts were mostly given to companies with link with the White House.
Karl Rove, the most powerful man in Washington, has been asked to appear before a federal grand jury in a case in which the identity of a CIA agent was disclosed to reap political benefits. The disclosing the name of CIA agent is a crime under US law. Judith Miller, New York Times (NYT) journalist, who served 85 days in jail for refusing to name her source, finally gave up her fight and has agreed to disclose the name of her source.
Chief of Staff of vice-president Dick Cheney was her source. Ms. Miller has both been a martyr and an object of derision for her stand not to disclose the name of the source and subsequently relenting.
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