US warned by PA to change routes and about dangers.. October 16,2003

[tlcandie]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/350334.html

<snip>
It was established yesterday that American
personnel who coordinate the movements of U.S.
officials in the territories communicate travel
plans in advance to PA security officials,
sending the detailed information by fax or
telephone. Such reports spell out the names of
persons who are taking part in work trips in
the territories, the times when U.S. vehicles
are to be moving through various areas, and the
routes to be taken by the cars.

In view of this practice of relaying advance
information, some analysts speculated yesterday
that the terrorists who perpetrated yesterday's
attack in the Gaza Strip that killed three
American security personnel had advance
knowledge of the U.S. convoy's intention to
cross into Beit Hanun.

At least a portion of the information attained
by the terrorists, these analysts hypothesized,
came from official PA sources.
<snip>

Am I understanding this correctly? That JUST YESTERDAY it was decided to pass this intel on to PA officials and then they were bombed as well? A bit too convenient isn't it? Please tell me I am reading this wrong.

EDITED: Title date to October

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. No, you are not reading it correctly

What it says is that they've been passing this information to the PA for a long time, that that the PA has been warning the US to change travel routes for months (are they really dumb enough to always use the same routes?) and that this practice of passing the travel info to the PA was confirmed yesterday.

[tlcandie]

2. I read that part, but the part about only YESTERDAY was this info

passed to the PA officials and then the attacks happened once they had intel as to their exact routes, people, vehicles, etc.

[Paschall]

7. No, the article says, "It was established yesterday..."

Which means this US practice of relaying information to the PA became known to Haaretz journalists and was confirmed yesterday.

The article does not say anything about a change in the actual practice yesterday... or the day before. It implies, however, that the US ignored PA warnings.

This attack raises one question for me: The bomb was--I believe--buried in the roadway. That means somebody with a big shovel and an explosive charge large enough to flip a 5-ton Humvee. Which tells me that we don't have spy satellites trained on the Territories, or that the intel is not being processed and used effectively. I'd like to know why not, if only to protect such convoys?

[Zhade]

10. My optimistic side likes the sweet frosting, but my cynical side...

...says: To the neocons, three dead Americans are a small price to pay to get boots on the ground in Israel to help Israel "fight terrorism".

[MaidinVermont]

3. The PA warning the USA?

Is the PA feeling a surge of popularity or strength?

The day the PA starts dictating to the USA of how to behave is the day the PA begins to decay completley.

[AndyTiedye]

4. It Sounds as if the PA was Warning Us Not to be Extremely Stupid

Taking the same route every day when you know there are people who want to kill you is almost Darwin Award material.

[MaidinVermont]

6. Then screw the PA

If they start killing Americans for show then they will be toast for show and tell. Morons.

[Paschall]

8. Hey, MaidinVermont, I've got a link for you

Here.

[FormerOstrich]

5. I interpert this to say...

the U.S. has been using set routes and schedules. The PA warned them, repeatedly, they should deviate. Then, just yesterday, they started a new practice. They transmitted information to the PA on who would be there and which routes they would be traveling.

I believe the contention is that since they were on previously untraveled routes and since they had informed the PA the PA must have disclosed the information to the terrorists.

My question is....we went from a system that could easily be learned by terrorists. Only one day after there was something new in place the terrorists learned not only how to obtain information from the PA, they attacked.

It doesn't make a lot of sense. I think someone thought it up on the fly for the sole purpose of making the PA seem hostile.

I don't think they thought their story thru very well.

[Paschall]

9. You're misreading

"It was established yesterday that American personnel who coordinate the movements of U.S. officials in the territories communicate travel plans in advance to PA security officials, sending the detailed information by fax or telephone."

Let's break it down:

"It was established yesterday that American personnel...communicate travel plans in advance to PA security officials."

Note the adverb "yesterday" applies to the verb "established." See my post #7 above.

Note the present tense of the verb "communicate." This implies a standard practice, something that has occurred before, something that is happening in the present, and something we can presume will happen again in the future.

Compare: "It was established yesterday that White House personnel... communicate by e-mail about their blood sacrifices."

The communication didn't occur yesterday. It happens regularly. See?

Isn't this like totally obvious? Or are some of you misreading on purpose?

[FormerOstrich]

11. You are correct in how the sentence reads...

You are not correct that it is totally obvious or that the piece was misread intentionally. At least I did not intentionally misread the material.

In spite of my mistake I still find it odd that the take is there was “insider” information, when, in fact, the insiders had warned the movements to conspicuous. Or should I say how convenient the incident seems to be the perfect opportunity for our esteemed leader to pummel the Palestinian Authority.

I am just tired of war, death, and perpetual turmoil that seem to be the new norm. More so I am tired of tragic events being opportunely for those that sell war, death, and perpetual turmoil. I’m tired of our country acting as the world’s tyrant. I am tired of trying to figure it all out but too scared not to try.

Accept my apologies for not being able to concentrate on the article because searching for the underlying implications supersede the actual content. Perhaps it is official: I have lost it entirely.