Watching 'What's Up'

[Annie]

This seems like some very good ideas-links at site. I think that 'enlisting the citizenry' has not been a priority of the administration-probably because of illegal immigration:

http://www.dailypundit.com/newarchives/003290.php#003290

July 28, 2005

Spies “R” Us


All sorts of professions, groups and individuals - school bus drivers, truckers, waterfront workers, boaters and others - are getting training and joining programs to watch for terrorist activity. Their value comes from their numbers, motivation and from being the ones who know best when something’s out of the ordinary in areas where they’ve spent years working or countless hours in recreational pursuits.

Because terrorists study their targets, a big part of the training and watch programs focuses on looking out for signs of pre-attack reconnaissance and preparation:

...there is plenty of evidence that the Sept. 11 terrorists staked out flights before crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

The reports ranged from vans that repeatedly drove around airports, vendors that did no work and people taking photos. One notable example is the experience of actor James Woods, who a week before Sept. 11 was returning to Los Angeles from visiting his mother in the Boston area. He and four Middle Eastern men shared the first class cabin alone.

Woods found their behavior peculiar because they didn't take advantage of any of the perks of being in first class -- they didn't eat, drink, stretch out, sleep, watch the movie, listen to the music or spread out to be comfortable in vacant seats. They spoke in hushed tones and jotted down notes, and one eventually went back to the coach cabin and came back to whisper the number of passengers on the flight.

When Woods shared his concern with a flight attendant, he was told the men had been on the flight before and hadn't been a problem. Woods also reported it to the Los Angeles police. A week later, the same flight destroyed a tower of the World Trade Center.

As James Woods has explained in interviews, these were not the only disturbing signs he noted during the flight. This report of a June 2004 incident gives another example of telltale behavior by airline passengers.

Other events are low-key by comparison, but show how ordinary people can make a difference:

Chuck Glatthaar, a driver with Certified Packaging of Laurel, Md., said his company picked up about 25 boxes to be shipped to Saudi Arabia a couple weeks after Sept. 11. One box popped open and had maps and airport information inside, so the packers called the FBI, and that led authorities to a suspect with terrorist ties.

Watch activities are becoming highly organized. The Coast Guard’s Waterway Watch web site makes fascinating reading as it coaches boaters and others who frequent the waterfront what to be on the lookout for, and what to do if they see something.

The US Air Force has established the Eagle Eyes program to increase security around its bases:

The Eagle Eyes program is an anti-terrorism initiative that enlists the eyes and ears of Air Force members and citizens in the war on terror.

It starts with teaching people about the typical activities terrorists engage in to plan their attacks. Armed with this information, anyone can recognize elements of potential terror planning when they see it.

The federal government’s Highway Watch program works together with employers and associations like the American Truckers Association to add transportation industry workers to the ranks of Americans on the lookout for terrorist activity. So far, some 100,000 people have been through the Highway Watch training program.

Numerous watch programs have also been established at the local level, usually coordinated by a law enforcement agency.

We may one day decide we need to approximate Israel’s level of awareness, where even school children are given terror awareness training.


(BTW, what’s the difference between citizens participating in a federal government watch program and a "vigilante"? FIIK – go ask George and Condi.)


Hat tip: The Eagle Eyes link was seen at Malkin, who saw it at Soldiers For The Truth.
Main Page Here...

Posted by Lastango at July 28, 2005

 

[GotZoom]

The AF has always had some kind of security in place. We were taught Operations Security from day one. Never take the same way home from work. Always watch for anything unusual....on or outside the base, your house, any other "targets" - we weren't even allowed to have our picture taken by someone we didnt' know. Same vehicle in the same place - that looks out of place. Other people or vehicles just "sitting around" looking like they have no business or reason to be there for that amount of time, etc.

What James Woods did, along with the other examples is what everyone needs to be concerned about.

The "little" things that seem insignificant will be the things that save lives.

 

[Annie]

The AF has always had some kind of security in place. We were taught Operations Security from day one. Never take the same way home from work. Always watch for anything unusual....on or outside the base, your house, any other "targets" - we weren't even allowed to have our picture taken by someone we didnt' know. Same vehicle in the same place - that looks out of place. Other people or vehicles just "sitting around" looking like they have no business or reason to be there for that amount of time, etc.

What James Woods did, along with the other examples is what everyone needs to be concerned about.

The "little" things that seem insignificant will be the things that save lives.

Exactly. People often can recognize if something is 'amiss' if reminded to take note of it. Too often we just think 'that's weird' when perhaps it would be better to give the police a call. If they think all's well, no harm done.