I was listening to our local progressive radio station (92.1, The Mic) this morning. Of course, they play the standard CNN radio news bits between segments. Today, apparently, a concourse at Miami airport was briefly evacuated due to a suspected bomb detected by airport screeners. It turned out to be a false alarm.
But what caught my ear was that CNN newscaster Bill Caiaccio referred to the incident as a "suspected IED." (UPDATE: PJ Jefferson provides confirmation in the comments.)
Does this strike anyone else as a blatant attempt to build the right-wing talking point that "terrorists from Iraq will follow us home?" First time I've heard this tactic used, so I thought it was important to diary and get your reaction.
This is eerily similar to the recently noted effort by the Pentagon to label every insurgent as "al Qaeda in Iraq" -- a meme greedily sucked up by the MSM, who clearly wants to keep the war in Iraq freshly threatening to people at home. Both are clever ways to cure "war fatigue" by subliminally convincing the American people that the war in Iraq is coming home to America. The Pentagon clearly wants to keep public pressure from building to end the war. CNN desperately wants to keep people glued to their TV sets for war the daily dose of war porn.
It's obvious to me that even if terrorists "follow us home" -- they're new terrorists that we are effectively creating and training by our very presence in Iraq. But is it obvious to America? How do we fight this meme?
Update [2007-7-16 10:45:7 by DaveV]:
Thanks to PJ Jefferson for confirming that he/she also heard the report.
Catte Nappe also reports that ABC is using the same "IED" language and suggests it must have been in a press release. This sets off alarm bells in my head -- it implies that the TSA is behind this meme, and once again the mainstream media is all too eager to aid and abett the administration's attempts to tie Iraq to terrorism at home.
Update [2007-7-16 11:36:12 by DaveV]:
Catte Nappe has another find -- the AP is referring to interviews with a spokesman from the TSA and is using the term "explosive device." Now, "explosive device" is much more reasonable -- the "improvised" part is what ties this subliminally to Iraq. Could it be that the TSA was using the IED language, and that CNN and ABC lazily went with it, while AP did its due dilligence?
Update [2007-7-16 11:36:12 by DaveV]:
Inclusiveheart had an excellent suggestion to check the TSA website. Here is the text from the TSA's special page for updates on this event (note that it uses the language "suspicious device" -- not "suspected IED"):
Information on Partial Evacuation of Miami International Airport
News & Happenings
At approximately 6:00 a.m. TSA officials at Miami International Airport discovered a suspicious item during check baggage screening adjacent to the United Air Lines ticket counter in Concourse F. Out of an abundance of caution, a 300 foot perimeter was established around the explosive detection system that the suspect bag was in.
Miami Dade Police explosive ordinance disposal and canine units have responded and increased the perimeter around the object to 600 feet. They are currently evaluating the situation.
The statement will be updated as more information becomes available.
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7:03 a.m. - Update
At 7:03 a.m. Miami-Dade police bomb squad cleared the suspicious device in checked baggage. TSA employees have returned to their posts and passengers will be allowed back in momentarily.
Unless there is another release from TSA, this leads me to believe it was ABC and CNN's creative license to call these IEDs. I'll keep digging and report back.
Update 2007-7-16 12:13:54 by DaveV:
I can't find any other public releases from TSA on the Miami airport scare. But the informational webpage listed above is almost certainly not what the big media gets. My gut (bigger than yours, Chertoff) tells me it still was TSA's attempt to link Iraq with terror at home. Thanks, everyone, for a great conversation. Let's keep 'em honest!
FINAL FINAL update (I promise). In the comments below, Caneel finds a quote from a TSA spokesman that uses "IED." So, there we have it...