Folks this is an excerpt from today's
"liberty Watch", a (read: Libertarian/Republican)
political email newsletter I get frequently.

and, TomF, in light of the apparent possibilities, if you'd like to drive down here and pick up a few things, and a whole lot of little things to go in 'em, (or I can come up there) feel free to contact me via email or phone.

I'm serious...

Lump
*******

* Iran warns U.S. "biggest blow" yet to come

The clock is ticking and the U.S. went up to Threat Level Orange last night as Saddam Hussein's regime
declared a worldwide "jihad" against the U.S., Great Britain and the West.

Also: the Ayatollah of Iran over the weekend warned the U.S. that the "biggest blow" is coming.

Plus: the Associated Press reports that "the highest authority in the Sunni Islamic world on Monday declared
that war against Iraq will be a 'new crusade' compelling every Muslim to perform 'jihad.'"

President Bush has given Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq. Now U.S. officials worry we
now face a dangerous window of vulnerability. Top concerns:

* a preemptive Iraqi attack against U.S. and allied forces and/or Israel using weapons of mass destruction

* a terrorist attack by al-Qaeda operatives using chemical, biological or radiological weapons within the U.S.

* a wave of suicide bomber attacks by terrorist cells trained by or paid for by Iraq.

Last week, Iraq sent $260,000 to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers in the West Bank and Gaza,
including $25,000 to members of the radical Islamic terrorist faction known as Hamas. Over the past two
years, the Iraqi regime has paid $35 million to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. In January,
Hamas declared "jihad" against the U.S.

Saddam Hussein, speaking Monday, threatened: "If it attacks Iraq, [the U.S.] will find Iraqi fighters ready to
fight and ready for martyrdom in defense of their country behind every rock, tree and wall. When the enemy
starts a large-scale battle, he must realize that the battle between us will be open wherever there is sky, land
and water in the entire world."

His words echo those delivered Friday by Iraq's chief Muslim cleric, Abdul-Razzaq Saadi, in a sermon at
Baghdad's Mother Of All Battles mosque.

"It is the duty of Muslims today, Iraqis and others, to threaten American interests wherever they are, to set
them on fire and to sink their ships," Saadi declared. "This is jihad in the name of God."

"Islamic sharia law says that if an enemy attacks us to seize our religion, money, honor and wealth then jihad
becomes a must and a duty."

In January, Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi told a crowd in Gaza: "We call on the Arabs and Muslims to burn
the land under the feet of the American invaders, especially our brothers in Saudi Arabia because this war is
not against Iraq, it's against the Islamic nation."

"If Saddam Hussein attempts to cling to power, he will remain a deadly foe until the end," President Bush
announced in a powerful and at times chilling speech. "In desperation, he and terrorists groups might try to
conduct terrorist operations against the American people and our friends. These attacks are not inevitable.
They are, however, possible."

The threat of terrorist attacks by Iraqi sleeper cells in the U.S. and abroad is a major concern of Washington
officials right now. The President noted that a number of Iraqis have been expelled from the U.S. in recent
days. The FBI is also monitoring some 50,000 other Iraqis currently residing in the U.S.

"I have directed additional security of our airports, and increased Coast Guard patrols of major seaports," the
President told the nation. "The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the nation's
governors to increase armed security at critical facilities across America."

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge noted in blunt terms yesterday that "while the March 1 arrest of
senior Al Qaida operative, Khalid Shaykh Muhammad (KSM) has put the Al-Qaida senior leadership on the
defensive and will be debilitating in the long term -- the Intelligence Community believes that KSMs capture
will not necessarily affect operations that are ready or nearly ready for execution." Moreover, Ridge said there
are "many recent indications that Al-Qaidas planning includes the use of chemical, biological, and/or
radiological materials."

A senior U.S. official added: "While al-Qaida remains the principal concern, we are also concerned Iraqi state
agents, Iraqi surrogate groups or ad hoc groups or disgruntled individuals might choose to use the time
period as well to launch attacks against the United States or against our coalition partners."

Meanwhile, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday warned that, "The U.S. may be able to inflict damages to
the region in the short term, but resistance of the regional nations will finally inflict the biggest blow to the
U.S. and will culminate in the fall of America's superpower image."

On Monday, the President, Vice President and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice briefed
congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room about the Iraqi threat. Included in the meeting: House Speaker
Dennis Hastert, House Republican leader Tom Delay, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi and and Senate
Minority leader Tom Daschle.