"War against terrorism" becomes war on the homeless?

[TechBear_Seattle]

Monday, August 22, 2005 · Last updated 7:59 p.m. PT

U.S. says terrorists may pose as vagrants

By MARK SHERMAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- Asking for increased vigilance in the wake of the London bombings, the government is warning that terrorists may pose as vagrants to conduct surveillance of buildings and mass transit stations to plot future attacks.

"In light of the recent bombings in London, it is crucial that police, fire and emergency medical personnel take notice of their surroundings, and be aware of 'vagrants' who seem out of place or unfamiliar," said the message, distributed via e-mail to some federal employees in Washington by the U.S. Attorney's office.

It is based on a State Department report that was issued last week. The State Department had no immediate comment Monday.

The warning is similar to one issued by the FBI before July 4, 2004 that said terrorists may attempt surveillance disguised as homeless people, shoe shiners, street vendors or street sweepers.

The e-mail stresses that there is no threat of an attack and that it is intended to be "informative, not alarming."

Homeless people easily blend into urban landscapes, the message said.

"This is particularly true of our mass transit systems, where homeless people tend to loiter unnoticed," the e-mail said.

The news article continues at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152&slug=Terror%20Threat%20Homeless

How long now before anyone who appears to be homeless, mentally ill or just a vagrant is an automatic target for the KGB... excuse me, the Department of Homeland Security? How long before we start seeing sweeps to "clean up the streets of potential terrorists"?

More and more, I find myself hoping that I am merely descending in to paranoid delusions. That, I could accept. Finding out that such fears are an accurate reflection of America under Bush, however....

[NorCalDem]

1. There's an easy solution!

Eliminate the homeless! :D

If you're scared of Al Qaeda hiding as homeless, instead of spending millions of dollars for FBI investigation, etc. directed at homeless people just feed, cloth and house the homeless. It would be cheaper, and there wouldn't be homeless people on the street for the terrorists to disguise themselves as

Compassionate conservatives my a**!

[wli]

2. typical of Bushler n/t