19th? 20th? Hoary days ahead

Confederate Yankee is wondering if the increased AlQaeda chatter we’re hearing about has anything to do with a NASCAR event scheduled for the 19th.

In addition to pure carnage, al Qaeda is also into symbolism. The Twin Towers were a symbol of our economic reach and might, just as the Pentagon was the symbol of our military power. Flight 93 ended up in a field in Shanksville, PA, but was more than likely targeted at one of the seats of our political power, either the White House or the U.S Capitol.

If you were a terrorist planner, imagine a scenario where:

* the potential victim pool more than twice that of the Twin Towers
* the target is “soft,” completely exploitable in some way
* there is some cultural significance to the target
* the attack can be tied to a culturally important date

If you were a member of al Qaeda with that tempting target in front of you, what would you say?

How about, “Gentlemen, start your engines.”

NASCAR, while scoffed at by some, is the second most popular professional sport in U.S. television ratings, and draws by far the largest crowds of any U.S sporting event. The NEXTEL Cup Series is the premiere division of NASCAR, and they happen to be racing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile track, this Sunday, March 19.

By the time the race starts at 1:30 PM local time (9:30 PM in the evening in the Middle East), up to 125,000 fans could be in attendance, along with the dozens of drivers to which fans have developed fierce loyalties.

Yankee closes his piece saying “Chatter? I SURE HOPE THE NSA IS LISTENING!”

So do I, pal, so do I, especially when the race is the day before March 20, which – as an Instapundit reader notes is the anniversary of the Iraq invasion.

But then…Iraq and Al Qaeda? No connection!