The Day After Terror

24 hours ago, I took a look at the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security websites.

On the DOJ website, over a day after Ashcroft's incendiary warning of known terrorists infiltrating the United States, the website remains quite calm. In fact, I can find no explicit reference to that warning on the Department's front page. The last item filed under the prominent section "Attorney General's Remarks" is dated 5/24, covers domestic crime, and reads:

Together, America’s law enforcement community is protecting homes, saving lives, and winning America’s fight against crime. Hard-core criminals are paying unprecedented penalties, and law-abiding Americans are enjoying newfound safety. We are driving down crime by enhancing cooperation, using effective, tough tools against criminals, and ensuring they do hard time. Behind these statistics are innocent men, women and children who are free from crime, victimization, and fear. I thank the police officers, sheriffs, troopers, agents, and first responders who answer the call to protect and defend America every day with courage, determination, and valor.

The DHS site is even more outdated. It is fronting a May 21 address by Tom Ridge which emphasizes the need for vigilance but makes no assertion of imminent peril.

Leaving aside the question of why the color code hasn't been elevated...

If this information is of such critical importance to the nation right now, why isn't the government using its national-security communication organs to relay the message?

As far as I can tell there are two likely explanations.

The first is the one you're hearing about - that John Ashcroft unilaterally decided to intervene in the polls. I don't want to be a cynic. I really have a hard time buying that argument. Presumably, he's not going to warn us about terrorists unless he means it... you don't just make up terrorist attacks off the top of your head.

But then I find that the second explanation is that there is no communicative follow-through below the Cabinet level. Ashcroft is expressing a general warning to the people and yet the websites of DOJ and DHS are not doing anything to relay that warning, nor to clarify it...

So, either there is no threat. Or there is, and there is manifestly inadequate action.