Mr. Ridge, I Question Your Timing

You give the administration the benefit of the doubt, thinking "No morally sound human being would put the nation on alert for political reasons. The Bush Administration might be misguided, but they're certainly not evil." And then you find out the terror information they cited as a specific, impending danger turns out to be at least three years old.

Yes, I believe in erring on the side of caution. But to cry wolf yet again when the information predates the attacks of 9/11/2001 is alarmist. No, there weren't any dry runs and nothing indicates that anything was underway.

Federal authorities said on Monday that they had uncovered no evidence that any of the surveillance activities described in the documents was currently under way. They said officials in New Jersey had been mistaken in saying on Sunday that some suspects had been found with blueprints and may have recently practiced "test runs'' aimed at the Prudential building in Newark.

I'm just appalled. Chalk this one up in the "contributing actively to the Culture of Fear" column.