BREAKING - Texas oil refineries on alert (FBI - terrorist attack)

[doxieone]

CNBC - possible terrorist attacks.

(edit) Watch the Dow react.

[Dover]

1. Don't see a link yet. Any more details?

..

[leftchick]

2. here is a link...

I don't think this is the first time this alert has happened...

FBI alerts Texas refineries to terror threat
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

The FBI issued an advisory Wednesday in response to intelligence it received that oil refineries in Texas may be targeted for terrorist attacks.

FBI spokesman Bob Doguim said the agency's Houston office has been meeting with officials of local law enforcement agencies and oil refineries.

"It's prudent and responsible to analyze and share what we have," Doguim said. "When you look across the country, this is obviously something we just can't dismiss."


http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2467336

[Cooley Hurd]

3. Houston Chron link:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2467336

<snip>
March 25, 2004, 7:08AM

FBI alerts Texas refineries to terror threat
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

The FBI issued an advisory Wednesday in response to intelligence it received that oil refineries in Texas may be targeted for terrorist attacks.

FBI spokesman Bob Doguim said the agency's Houston office has been meeting with officials of local law enforcement agencies and oil refineries.
</snip>

That's certainly hitting the Bushies where they live, isn't it? :evilgrin:

[cornfedyank]

18. i smell federal bailout

i can see it now. then we can offer the oil sector low interest government loans. somebody better vote in 2004 because 2008 may be too late. preserve our checks and balances.

[Cooley Hurd]

28. No doubt...

Good call and welcome to DU! :hi:

[rucky]

4. Watch there be new fearspeak of (anti-Bush) "Domestic terrorism".

just a hunch - and the next step toward rounding up that "Anti-American" left. Right in Bushie-boy's backyard.

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. This article...

Terror alerts almost routine

By T.J. Aulds
Texas City Sun

Published March 25, 2004

Access to Port Industrial Road remained as tight as ever Wednesday.

<snip>
The “new normalcy” that is security in the industrial sector of Texas City remained constant even as new warnings came of a series of terror threats against oil refineries.

With nothing more than generic information gathered from overseas sources, the FBI issued a caution Tuesday. There was no indication of an immediate or direct threat against any of the facilities that dot the Texas Gulf Coast, but in these days of the new normalcy even the hint of trouble warrants an alert.

“It’s very, very vague at best,” said Bob Dogium, the Houston-area spokesman for the FBI. “It’s really uncorroborated, but there was enough there we thought it was best to send something out across TCRAS.”


more...
http://texascitysun.com/story.lasso?wcd=5049

[klook]

21. Orange Alert

On the TV show "The Prisoner," when Number 6 tried to escape, you'd see the weird bald guy in the central control room speak into a microphone and say "Orange alert. Orange alert."

Soon the scary white balloon, "Rover," would track the Prisoner down and subdue him so he could be returned to The Village.

That's basically what's happening with all these terror alerts. Whenever the Bush administration needs to divert attention from unfavorable news, or come up with a new excuse to clamp down on dissent, they issue an orange alert.

[thebigidea]

32. muahahah. And he had such a calm way of saying "Orange alert"

thanks for the pic, hilarious!

[klook]

44. He looks like Cheney's less-evil cousin, eh? n/t

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

56. I seem to recall something about that...

Welcome to DU!

Who is Number One?

:evilgrin:

[klook]

57. You are

...Number 6.

Thanks for the welcome. Be seeing you.

[Mika]

6. If just one major refinery farm goes down..

.. then we are in deeeeep doodoo. :scared:


Blocks long gas station lines within 6 hours, from the panic.

[tlcandie]

7. Imagine gas prices then!

:wow:

[yardwork]

60. What a convenient excuse!

[bif]

8. And Bush cut funding for alternate fuel research

How fitting is that?

[BeHereNow]

11. As if gas prices weren't high enough?

Am I being too tinfoil headed to wonder
if such an attack could be to the oil-administrations'
benefit?
Naw, they wouldn't do that, would they?
The prophets of profits.

BHN

[Timefortruth]

45. A refinery attack in Texas would be a disaster for Chimp.

Gas prices would go up astronomically, unless.......we used the recently filled Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Bailing us out with the SPR would show that Chimp is a leader, he protected us with the prudent act of making sure the SPR was at capisity....my God he is a hero! (Don't ask any pesky questions about what we'll do once it's used up in a few months.....after the election.).

[BeHereNow]

53. Gas Prices Up=Profits for Bush Buddies

I don't think these people give a crap about
hurting the election outcomes.
I think his BLATANT mocking of us proves
they are not worried about the election outcome.
Now how to grab every last nickle form our pockets?
THAT seems to be their focus and I think you are right,
He would cover the fact that Homeland Security
is a joke with the fact that he prepared for our misfortune.
BHN

[jmowreader]

59. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is too small to fix anything

It can only hold 1 billion barrels of petroleum. The Saudis alone bring up between 5 million and 8 million barrels per day; the SPR if full can replace about four months' worth of Saudi output if we drain the SPR dry.

The problem is, even a bad oilman like Bush knows this.

[Timefortruth]

63. It could help with a refinery attack, right?

And what portion of Saudi output goes to the us?

[foreigncorrespondent]

17. Do you really think...

...Bush* will be so laid back in his handling of these warnings, if they are indeed true? I don't! He values OIL higher than the price of any human being on this earth apart from himself, and his band of thugs.

[theHandpuppet]

23. Ha-ha!

Great point! I know I shouldn't be laughing at what is such a serious subject, but what you said about Bush's priorities was simply too true.

[doxieone]

9. CNBC - Mark just said these type of alerts from FBI is not

routine.

They are hoping the market will just shrug it off.

[DemNoir]

10. Predictable

They desperately need a story about how they have foiled a terra attack.

[mbperrin]

12. Actually, the lack of maintenance in most oilfield operations is

far more likely to cause a problem.

When I was in the valve rebuilding business, you'd be shocked (or maybe not) at how many major companies would balk at repairs and just you have repaint and reinstall the equipment to 'save" money!

[Mari333]

13. Honey I would be more worried about the oil refineries themselves

and the mismanagement of them. Im not kidding. When an oil refinery blew up in Illinois, it was under the Reagan admin, and my husband was blown 300 feet threw the air and killed back in the 80s..the Raygun admin had dumped the OSHA standards, and the cheapass chemical company was hiring people on the cheap and they fell asleep at the wheel.
Seems like everytime theres a fooking GOP president, the companies have a hell of a lot more explosions and worker deaths and injuries..
My husband was a Union man tho, a pipefitter, he knew about OSHA and he was vehement about following standards..
too bad some asshole fell asleep at the wheel when my husband, god bless him, was standing on a ladder next to a large tank that exploded because someone forgot to shut off a valve.
and 12 other people were burned for life.
So I would be a lot more concerned about the asshole management of these places. They dont give a shit about the workers, believe me.

[doxieone]

15. How horrible!!!!

I am at a loss of what to say.

(((((hugs)))))

[Mari333]

20. I had to tell my kids that morning

3 little boys. when they woke up. They asked me why daddy was the only one that died.
Took me 8 years to even deal with the whole thing.
and its still affecting them as men.
total bullshit isnt it. theres some real assholes in management when they want to save money, they dont give a rats ass about people.
Look up the statistics on workers deaths and injuries under GOP presidents..it always spikes.
Its okay. Im okay now, now I get to worry about a kid in Baghdad.
It never ends does it.
((hugs)) to you

[doxieone]

27. I have relatives in Beamont. I spent my life riding by oil

refineries.

My grandfather and uncle were both employed by Mobile Oil, yet only had white collar type jobs.

I truly feel for you.

[Mari333]

29. well, oil companies are rife with assholes at the top

some of the seediest lowlife bastards on earth
I asked my lawyer if I could at least bring my kids into the oil companies offices and demand an apology from them, and show them what damage they wrought to those children who had lost their daddy
I never got a chance to do that. and theres NOTHING on earth that can replace their daddy, believe me.
Another reason I got a wake up call to fight the system in general, specially assholes who are in the GOP and are run by the goddamn oil companies.

[tandot]

51. I am so sorry to hear that

I've read one of your posts about being harrassed by some officer's wife and not hearing from your son for a while. Is he alright?

You are in my thoughts!

[Mari333]

64. Hes okay today he wrote

so keeping fingers crossed he makes it out of this alive, hes got 8 months to go lets hope Kerry gets in and Bush is dragged out of the white house in chains.

[amazona]

40. Oh I am so sorry

My partner has been in plants before or shortly after they "blew" but was very fortunate not to ever be on hand during an accident. (He's a contractor.) In one case, he would have been there if not for his vacation being scheduled at the time. The blast broke windows all the way to New Orleans and if I recall correctly killed five. Sad. This was under the first Bush...seemed like there were LOTS of refinery blow-ups and explosions during that period.

[Carni]

14. This should get the attention off the Clarke testimony

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

ASSHOLES! Arrrgghhhhh!

[doxieone]

16. Good point.

Tail.Meet.Dog.

[Ivote]

25. Have they found

that missing helicopter with ten men aboard that was supposedly missing going to an oil rig? Only heard they found two men and an oil slick. Hmmmm is someone out of the loop?

[Jacobin]

36. Oil field helicopters go down in the gulf frequently.

Every few months one goes down. Helicopters are dangerous to begin with and they sometimes fly in crappy weather that the gulf throws at them. Frankly, I'm surprised more don't go down.

[amazona]

41. is the weather crappy ?

I'm not offshore but onshore the Gulf Coast the weather has been absolutely gorgeous for days. Still, it's true that helicopter accidents can occur even in the best weather. It's hard to know what is going on sometimes.

[maddezmom]

22. Actually speaks directly to Clarke's point

CLARKE: In three ways. Number one, it diverts us from reducing the vulnerabilities here at home, like protecting the rails from attacks like the one on Madrid. We're spending $180 billion in Iraq. We should be spending that money reducing our vulnerabilities to terrorism here at home, much more than we are. The railroads, the chemical plants, they are all still unprotected.

The second way it reduces the war on terrorism is by inflaming the Islamic world and helping, as Rumsfeld said in his internal memo, helping create more terrorists more rapidly than we can capture or kill them, because of the hatred in the Islamic world generated against the United States by our needless invasion of Iraq.

And the third way, of course, was it actually took troops and intelligence assets away from the hunt for bin Laden. We'll probably catch bin Laden here shortly, but it's two years too late. In those two years, al Qaeda has morphed into a hydra, a multi-headed organization, so that by the time we catch him now, it won't matter very much, because all of these al Qaeda-like organizations have grown up around the world, like the group that attacked in Madrid.

The point is, the war in Iraq was not necessary. Iraq was not an imminent threat to the United States. And by going to war with Iraq, we have greatly reduced our possibility to prosecute the war on terrorism. That's what I say in the book.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/24/lkl.00.html

[MSgt213]

19. Well isn't this great timing from the people doing everything they can to

catch the terrorist before they strike. So glad we are spending that money in Iraq.

[PDittie]

24. Living in Houston, I have been concerned

about this for some time.

We are a target-rich environment for an explosives-laden ship sailed into the Port, an event which would trigger a massive secondary crisis with so many refineries, pipelines, and chemical plants clustered. Explosions, fires, environmental catastrophe, God forbid nuclear fallout...

It would also be a symbolic strike, being Dubya's back yard and the home of Poppy and Bar.

I have to sit here and hope the CG and Port officials are triple-prepared, because if something slips by, about 4 million lives could be adversely affected.

[Bridget Burke]

31. Bhopal, anyone?

The Ship Channel winds through a vast network of petro-chemical plants, all the way to the heart of the city. How many of the containers on all those container ships are inspected? Very few--just because it costs too much.

This has haunted me for a long time, too.

[BeHereNow]

34. Money for Iraq Rebuiding, NOT port security!

When Halliburton and the Bush family discussed
potential areas of profits, it was decided that
bombing ME countries and rebuilding them
would provide more fiscal gains than securing
the American cities against future terror attacks.
Also, if American cities are attacked in retaliation
for ME bombings, than Halliburton will be given
those clean up contracts as well, thus increasing
the potential for shareholders.
Any questions? Now please return to your FAUX news report
citizen!

Atrocious, aint it?
BHN

[lostnfound]

42. Me too -- & did you see our port was rated 10th out of 10..

for environmental issues? Particularly air quality and land use.

I hate the idea that I'm at work, away from my little boy, if something happens.

Probably nothing.

[Dover]

26. Well, if anything were to bring this country to a standstill, it would

be significant gas shortages due to terrorism or other issues.

Houston is the ultimate target.

[BeHereNow]

30. Remember the "Black Winds of Death" threat?

Hmmm...wonder if this is connected?
Seems to me a strike on a refinery would
produce plenty'o' "black winds..."
Yikes.
BHN

[Jacobin]

37. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing

[BeHereNow]

43. Makes sense... doesn't it?

Talk about disabling infrastructure- it would
create major chaos and emphasize the cabals' global
oil grab. Sort of like, "You think you can steal oil anywhere
you like? Well, so can we...just not in the way you think."
Scary thought- would be the final straw on our economy for SURE.

BHN

[0007]

33. How come when after scathing news about junior's administration

comes out, we always, I mean always have these terrorist alerts? Am I the only one that notices this type of behavior?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

35. No, you're not the only one to notice this "phenomenon"...

...it happens every single time.

[klook]

46. Code Yaller

Nope, it ain't just you. I think a lot of folks notice that the Witless House issues Fatherland Security warnings whenever things get hot for them politically. See my post above.

[prolesunited]

54. No, you're not

If anybody had some time on their hands, I have a proposal for an interesting project:

Map out links between scandals breaking and the follow-up terror threats.

Coincidence? I think not and I don't even own a tinfoil hat.

[jobycom]

38. Did they get the right Pasadena this time? And isn't this too perfect?

Just think of the hypotheticals here.

Imagine it: just as Bush is flaming out, and his people are about to be exposed as shams and liars, an oil refinery attack can be blamed on al-Queda, or better, somehow on Hussein. Think of all the repurcussions. It would be dramatic, it would happen at a time when people are wondering if increased vigilance could have prevented 9-11. If it happens now, it will support Bush's contention that nothing could have prevented it. It would drive gas prices higher, helping Bush's business interests. It would create a national emergency both in defense and energy, so Bush could grab more power. It would allow Bush to bail out the oil industry, rewarding them further for creating that false energy crisis in California to try to put him in office. And we could go attack someone else. Bush has plenty of time in advance to frame Hussein.

Hypothetically, again, let's say Bush wants this to happen. He doesn't have to do anything. He gets an operative somewhere to make some terrorist group believe it was their idea in the first place. Bush strengthens security, yet creates a flaw that this operative learns about and exploits. He might even be able to find a hole left oir created by Clinton, maybe through environmental legislation, so that he could attack the EPA as well.

The gift that keeps on giving.

Guess I need to get back to work and quit thinking up these scenarios, huh?

[Oreegone]

39. I smell a coverup

See we didn't let 9-11 happen....see they are really after us. In fact see they are after my daddies oil business. So see I am innocent,,,,Richard Clarke Who?

[mike1963]

47. There was a fire at one of the refineries here in Tulsa yesterday...

not major really & nobody hurt...
:eyes:

[cetasika]

48. anyone else sick of "possible" events being on the news

Hell, anything is "possible!"
The news is for facts not speculating.

[catzies]

49. This was the first thread I clicked on in here today.

I've just finished my coffee and now I'm thoroughly depressed and want to go home, crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head until 2009. :scared:

[tandot]

50. I live in northern Texas

just moved there last year. I don't even know if we have oil refineries closed by.

Don't we feel so much safer know that we angered (I wanted to use a different word - p..... o.. - but wasn't sure if they'd delete my post) the rest of the world!

[joe1991]

61. From Houston, TX to Lake Charles, LA

is the main concentration of oil, gas, plastic, rubber, and other chemical plants. But I can tell you that no middle-east looking person could get close to a refinery around here.
There was an Indian a while back that was arrested because he enjoyed taking pictures of refineries at night.

They'd have to come in by submerine :)

[Bridget Burke]

62. No submarine necessary.

They can just come up the Ship Channel in one of those container ships. Who needs suitcase nukes?

[TheWebHead]

52. Do not destroy oil wells...

a source of wealth that belongs to my largest campaign contributors.

[Gman]

55. Has G Gordon Liddy come out of black-bag retirement?

Maybe he's getting the old gang together to hit refineries for Bush.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

58. OK, I promise to stop making prank calls......eom