Internet website hypes fears? Heh!

By ARON HELLER

JERUSALEM (AP) -- The reported threat of a dirty bomb attack in New York City that led to heightened security this weekend came from a Jerusalem-based Web site that claims more than a million daily readers, but is criticized by intelligence experts as unreliable.

Giora Shamis and his wife, Diane Shalem, launched DEBKAfile (Debka.com) in 2000 to focus on security, terrorist activities and military affairs in the Middle East. Shamis claims he and his wife predicted the al-Qaida attack on the World Trade Center.

Shamis says Debka, which is financed by subscriptions and ad revenue, has a daily readership of 1.3 million. But its reports, published in English and Hebrew, rely on anonymous sourcing and often prove untrue.

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Personally, I think the "terrorists" are too smart to attack in the next year. I know people are hoping though, it's a sickness but what good is insecurity if you don't get a good spook every now and then? People are building their campaigns around it.

Remember how we essentially bluffed Japan into thinking we had an arsenal of atomic bombs? Remember how we bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then held our breath to see the response? I believe that's what 9/11 was, an isolated incident. (I think the anthrax attacks were unrelated, probably some disgruntled American like the smaller bombers we've seen in the past decades.)

By over-reacting and even wishing the enemy strikes again, it fulfills some sick inner need that "we're all in this together America". Or "see how strong we are, hanging together, bad guys?"

I think some folks don't have that spirit in their geographic communities anymore to meet what are basic human needs -- particularly large cities that operate solely on a commercial, not spiritual or community-values basis. To them, this "pulling together" spirit can only come now by an outside attack, otherwise there's just too many divisions in society to relate to the needs of others. Those people who for whatever reason are missing family ties, a spiritual center, or the sense of being a small part of an ongoing whole... I really do think they "need" another 9/11 to validate their fears.

This particular website is Jerusalem-based, but don't play the anti-Semite card on me: I think the category of fear-yearning encompasses people from all walks.

Just like the embrace of extreme sports when we have eliminated so many actual physical risks from our daily lives -- nothing wrong with that -- some people need a good scare every now and then to reach that "we're all in this together, you're not alone" feeling missing in their lives.

We romanticized World War II for the longest time. Now we're seeing the same with N.Y.C. and 9/11.

I'm going to predict the "terrorists" (remember, we're so busy chasing our tails around after beat-up icepacks and false reports, and our major misstep in Iraq -- that's still a pretty vague category) aren't so stupid to attack again on American soil in the coming year, no matter what some people unconsciously are hoping. Just like we bluffed Japan, it's not necessary.

We're doing enough neglecting of America's own needs, that there's no real need for violence to push our drop along. The markets being artifically pumped right now, and our own sorry lack of respect for health, or any kind of long-term values make me believe it's true: they won't beat us, we will beat ourselves.

Led into the battle by our own fearful hype.