An alleged plot to blow up fuel tanks and pipelines at New York's JFK airport had little chance of success, according to safety experts, who have questioned whether the plot ever posed a real threat Full Story »
Posted by Dwight Rousu
Should have included a response from the government, explaining the strong statements by the US Attorney.
It's laudable that story names its "expert" sources. It's not so laudable that the prosecutor is the only person to be contrasted with the experts claiming the plot's severity is "overblown." That gives a perhaps intentionally misleading notion that no one other than someone personally invested in the outcome would take this case seriously. It implicitly casts the prosecutor's "nonexpert" opinion as being totally contradicted by transportation "expert" opinion, by the rhetorical trick of omission rather than by reportorial coup. Lame use of the "appeal to authority", and anyway, these authorities--are they really authoritative on this subject?
After days of shouting "terrorists" and loud thumping of chests, somebody consulted experts. Good sources and clear story.
The lesson one could take from this story is: Let's abandon attempts to prevent terrorist acts and just get involved AFTER they succeed.
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