Terror Threat: Is It Real Or Is It Memorex?

Things are not going well for the Bush Administration; the Nation is incensed by the Libby pardon, the surge is a flop, the Iraqi government hasn't met a single benchmark, Congressional Republicans are abandoning Bush, Congressional investigations are turning up new evidence of criminality. So surprise, surprise, the Bush Whitehouse is trotting out their trusty old distraction; a new terror alter.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House has called an urgent multi-agency meeting for Thursday to discuss a potential new al Qaeda threat on U.S. soil, ABC News reported on Tuesday.

Top intelligence and law enforcement officials have been told to meet in the White House Situation Room to report on steps to minimize or counter the threat and what steps are being taken to tighten security at government buildings, ABC said. ...

... ABC News cited senior U.S. intelligence officials as saying that new information suggests a small al Qaeda cell was on its way to the United States or may already be in the country.

Separately, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the Chicago Tribune's editorial board his "gut feeling" is that the United States faces an increased risk of attack this summer. ...

And there you have it, a "gut feeling"... and now we're all supposed to panic, right?