

Qaeda Intercepts Prompt U.S. Terror Warning - codex
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/world/middleeast/qaeda-messages-prompt-us-terror-warning.html?pagewanted=all

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IvyMike
Drop the "Al". Just "Qaeda". It's cleaner.

(To be more serious: I actually haven't seen anyone refer to them just as
"Qaeda". Is this a new thing or was I just not paying attention?)

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dandelany
Well, "al" just means "the" in Arabic, so it would be analogous to eg.
referring to The New York Times in a headline like "New York Times reports..."
So no, I don't think it's particularly odd.

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mtgx
Don't want to go into crazy conspiracy theory, but it would be in NSA's
interest if they tried to make up a potential terrorist plot that "they
stopped" right about now, or at least get a lot more alarming, even if the
danger is not very real.

This NYTimes post reads like an advertorial for NSA.

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mindcrime
I have to admit, that was one of my first thoughts as well. I mean, I don't
trust those guys even as far as I could throw them in the first place... and
it would be awfully convenient timing for the NSA to suddenly "uncover" some
big anti-America plot by Al Qaeda just as they're taking it on the chin in the
media and in Congress.

OTOH, even saying that _does_ sound like "crazy conspiracy theory" territory,
so I feel a bit torn on this. Anyway, at the end of the day, being cautious
when you travel is a good idea regardless of what the NSA does or doesn't say.

