US 'Anti-Terror' Claims Fall Flat

[leftchick]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1F1AC43F-37A6-4F0F-8F74-24BEEB05FF63.htm

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Once touted as major advances in the US war on “terrorism”, a number of high-profile cases have later fallen short.

This has led critics to ask whether officials exaggerated their successes in the first place.

They highlight examples such as the cases of "dirty bomber" suspect Jose Padilla, Muslim Guantanamo Bay chaplain James Yee, a controversial colour-coded terror alert system and a foreigner registration scheme - all of which have fizzled to some extent since they were announced with much fanfare.

Critics also cite widespread investigations and large numbers of arrests in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks which led to few convictions.

"Certainly I believe that the administration is very good at press conferences and messages with respect to homeland security," Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat on the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Homeland Security, said. "Much of it has been fluff, in my opinion."