It is only my opinion, but......

        I have interacted with federal authorities since 1988 in various intelligence gathering operations.  Up until September 11, 2001, I thought that nothing could or would shock or surprise me any more.  Was I ever wrong!  

        The events of 9/11 touched me deeply and changed life as I knew it forever, as it did millions of others. However I, and a small minority of people worldwide, decided that we needed more answers than what we were being given, by both government officials, and the media.

       I wanted answers...I wanted to understand how this happened....I wanted to get answers to the rumors that our government knew beforehand that the tragedy of 9-11 may possibly occur, and perhaps could have been avoided.

        The more I researched, the fewer answers I received, and those that I did receive, did nothing but affirm my conviction to the course my life has taken today. 

        Those that are involved in this intelligence gathering will all tell you  the same types of things...that there is a power stronger than anything that they have ever experienced, that motivates and drives them...that they are compelled to get the word out about the threats that they find, to as many people as possible,... and collectively they hope that they are helping with another piece of  the massive puzzle called terrorism. 

        And,  maybe, just maybe, lives can be saved along the line.  

        But, I know and have been told by federal authorities that we have made a difference, that  lives have been saved, and some terrorist attacks have been averted.  But, even a small thank you rarely comes....

        Is it from  intelligence alone?  Mine?  No, it is a collective effort of all of the individual researchers, solely, or as part of a group,  who give unselfishly of themselves, dedicating countless of hours scouring Arabic forums, reading literally hundreds of emails, doing exhaustive research, all the while, taking time away from their families, their jobs, and usually covering all of the costs to do it, by themselves.

        What most do not understand,  is that the dedication of these people comes at a price.....they are taunted by some as being doom-gloomers, crazy, etc., some, if not all, have been threatened, a few with death, and only a small minority of us have received thanks from the federal agencies that we deal with.  An even smaller minority have ever received compensation for their time and effort that they put into fighting the war against terror.  

    Some have lost their, 'real' jobs, and I know of one who became homeless.  These are business people, family people, single Moms. single Dad's, law enforcement officials, unemployed people.  Some are Christians, some are Jewish, and believe it or not, Muslim too.

        Most that seek donations to help offset their out of pocket expenses, are ridiculed as 'scamming' people to make a buck, etc.  Let me enlighten you all to something, tracking suspected terrorist websites, news groups, etc is not a money making endeavor.  It is about informing all of us of the level of terrorist activities that are out there and letting us all know what threats are being made against us, giving each and every one of us the chance to make a choice on the course our lives take at any given time, considering those threats.

        Its about protecting our freedom, and helping to protect our country.  It is about not letting 'them' win, even if only in their eyes.

        All of us contribute in our own different ways.  There are some, among us, that are not fond of the others choice in how they contribute in this war on terror.  Take Aaron Weisburd of Internet Haganah...he prides himself in shutting down terrorist websites, and has quite a record...yet is harassed by the federal government, and chastised by others in terrorist intelligence for disrupting a strong intelligence tool.  Yet, all of the sites that have been removed from the internet spew death and destruction, and usually contain information about upcoming terrorist attacks, and are being used to pass messages.

        Then there is Jon Messiner whose claim to fame before itshappening.com was that he operated (and successfully) internet porn sites.  Itshappening.com is one of the most controversial forums on the internet, yet has some of the most talented free lance terrorist researchers in the country.   

        But, then we have the individual analysts...people like Jennifer Johnston, 'Patriot', Caseyb, Al Qaeda Hunter, and Wannabe from itshappening.com who put in countless hours researching and analyzing the Arabic forums, yet rarely acknowledged.

        Then there are the other free lance researchers, for example, the gang at TimeBomb2000.  They have their moments, but overall have a great bunch there analyzing terrorist threats, among other things.

        This only represents a small handful of the dedicated people that individually are trying to help fight the war against terror, and to keep us all informed.  I tip my hat to all of them!

         Let me ask you a question....if you worked at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and had been informed that there was a possibility that planes would be hijacked and crashed into the towers...would you have gone to work that day?  Unlikely.  While realistically the federal authorities probably did not have that much detailed info about that fateful day, it is undisputed that they knew the threat was there, and in my opinion had a duty and obligation to inform Americans about it. 

        Now, don't get me wrong, I have a tremendous amount of respect for our federal authorities, and they do have their hands full with all of the terrorist activity....I just believe that lives were and continue to be lost, because information is not getting to the proper intelligence agency in a timely fashion, or not at all.

     Those federal intelligence authorities who for a few minutes,  put aside what agency they work for,  who they report to, or what type of agent they are (Customs, Treasury, etc), that take the time to forward on a terrorist threat  they  receive to the FBI are usually chastised for it.  So much so that some refuse to take any info regarding terrorism, but instead refer you to the FBI's website to submit a tip.  And that in itself opens another can of worms.

        Even the FBI website is not immune to being compromised, and has had several problems.  It does not allow images to be sent...so what does one do when they find images of a cell phone detonator....or the diagrams and instructions to make a nuclear warhead (less the detonator)?  How about knowing that you have submitted this type of information over their website, but get no confirmation of its receipt?  Do you keep sending it in, creating more work for an already taxed system?  It is a lovely system....

        The individuals that help gather intelligence to help fight terror are all unique in their own right.  The obstacles that they face are incredible.  The next time that you find something that you are appreciative of, take the time, drop an email and let them know.  For those sites that are capable of taking donations, if so compelled, dig in your pockets and send a dollar or two.  For those that feel that those sites may be just money making scams, all you have to do is take a look at the info posted on their site, and read the news...you will find that most have information that was posted long before an event occurred.  What price can you put on saving lives?

        Of course, this is just my opinion!

        Jill St. Claire