What the N.Y. Times Hath Wrought

Anybody think this is a coincidence?:

Federal agents have launched an investigation into a surge in the purchase of large quantities of disposable cell phones by individuals from the Middle East and Pakistan, ABC News has learned.

The phones — which do not require purchasers to sign a contract or have a credit card — have many legitimate uses, and are popular with people who have bad credit or for use as emergency phones tucked away in glove compartments or tackle boxes. But since they can be difficult or impossible to track, law enforcement officials say the phones are widely used by criminal gangs and terrorists.

“There’s very little audit trail assigned to this phone. One can walk in, purchase it in cash, you don’t have to put down a credit card, buy any amount of minutes to it, and you don’t, frankly, know who bought this,” said Jack Cloonan, a former FBI official who is now an ABC News consultant.…

The FBI is closely monitoring the potentially dangerous development, which came to light following recent large-quantity purchases in California and Texas, officials confirmed.

In one New Year’s Eve transaction at a Target store in Hemet, California, 150 disposable tracfones were purchased. Suspicious store employees notified police, who called in the FBI, law enforcement sources said.

In an earlier incident, at a Wal-mart store in Midland, Texas, on December 18, six individuals attempted to buy about 60 of the phones until store clerks became suspicious and notified the police. A Wal-mart spokesperson confirmed the incident.

All those who think that the Risen piece on the NSA foreign intelligence surveillance program had nothing whatsoever to do with what Virginia Senator George Allen called "adjustments in communications" by our enemies, stand on your head - while it's still attached to your body, that is.

But boy, the Times sure did stick it to Bush though...wait...{Bob Newhart on the phone impression begins} what? Pardon me, can you repeat...yes...yes...oh, you say the President hasn't been damaged by the leak about the NSA's eavesdropping? Americans support him on that by better than two to one? Oh {snicker}...No, no, I didn't {snerk} know that. Boy, I'll have to dig out my drinking glass and put it against the hotel room more often, huh?

If it'll help contain the damage the turncoat Times has caused, you're damn right.

[HT: AJ Strata]