NYPD.

This is coolbert:

This latest terror scare in New York city [NYC] has allegedly been prompted by a tip from an informant in Iraq.

The tip was that the subway system of NYC was targeted by Al Qaeda. Suicide bombers or just bombers intended to attack the subway trains or passenger platforms. Multiple coordinated attacks were to take place. Attacks similar if not down right nearly identical to those attacks that had taken place in Madrid and London.

Upon receiving the tip that a terror "plot" was afoot, NYC went into a heightened state of alert.

"Steps and measures" were taken. Helmeted police, armed with assault weapons, patrolled the subway system in FORCE. Persons were told to be on "alert" for anything "suspicious". Packages, briefcases, backpacks were randomly searched. This was a massive undertaking. The authorities of NYC took this all very seriously.

The man who is head of intelligence [??] for NYC, an ex-deputy director of the CIA, evidently vouched for the tip of the informant, saying that the information provided was credible enough and detailed enough to warrant "steps and measures".

And yet, NO attack occurred.

Some would say that the enhanced and very visible security in place deterred the terrorists from launching their attacks.

Others would say that this "tip" was either disinformation of the result of an overactive imagination on the part of the informant.

It is said of this informant, that he has given some accurate tips regarding the situation WITHIN Iraq, but also has given inaccurate information prior to this regarding the situation OUTSIDE of Iraq.

This person, the informant, sounds to me as if he [I am assuming it is a he] may well be what is called an "intelligence junkie". A person who constantly is providing "tips", "leads" and information to U.S. forces.

A person who gets a monetary reward for accurate information. The more accurate information he can provide, the more money he gets.

But the motivation for such a person is not only monetary in nature. The informant likes the entire process of being an informant. This person gets personal satisfaction of doing what he is doing. Likes to have attention paid to him. Likes to feel he is part of something bigger. A little man who derives pleasure out of playing a role, however insignificant, in the bigger world. A person who WANTS TO FEEL HE IS IMPORTANT!!

It seems that the consensus opinion now among the "experts" is that the information supplied by the information was either DISINFORMATION or the imagination of the fevered and overly active mind of the informant.

Such is the difficulty that intelligence personnel in general face when evaluating data, tips, leads, etc. As I have said before, the field and business of intelligence is NOT easy!!

coolbert.