The logic of BushCo

Q Scott, back on terror for a second. Has the President been advised that al Qaeda operatives are actually within the borders of the United States plotting attacks?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we receive, as I pointed out, a constant stream of intelligence reporting, and the recent intelligence reporting has pointed to the possibility of attacks during the time period I mentioned. In terms of the possibility of terrorists being here in the United States, we have to work under the assumption that there are terrorists here. And the intelligence reporting we have seen from time to time indicates that there may well be people in place ready to carry out attacks. But we do not have specific information about the timing, or target, or nature of those attacks.

Q Is there anything more concrete than an assumption or a belief that they may actually be in this country?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are individuals that were al Qaeda operatives that we've apprehended in the past. And certainly, before the September 11th attacks, there was an al Qaeda cell in the United States plotting to carry out that attack. And we know the terrorists continue to want to harm America, or harm American citizens abroad, and that is why we have to work under the assumption that there are operatives here in the United States wanting to carry out attacks.

Q But you have nothing definitive that there actually is a cell that you may have identified?

Link to WH Press Briefing

The logic of BushCo

1. We know that terrorists have entered the country in the past.

We know that we can't possibly prevent all potential terrorists from entering the country in the future.

Therefore, we can't say without a doubt that there aren't terrorists currently in the country.

If the above statements were true yesterday, it means that there must be terrorists in the country today.

2. "Terrorists hate us for our freedoms."

Terrorists hate us so much that they want to attack us.

Attacking us takes planning.

3. Terrorists attacked Madrid just before their election.

We have a presidential election soon.

A terrorist attack would disrupt our election.


Terrorists are in the country right now

and they are planning an attack

to disrupt our presidential election!