Take cover Americans – brace yourself – our government has warned us of “spectacular attacks” in the United States from al Queda that will result in “mass casualties” and “severe damage” to our economy.

But don’t stress too much. “FBI officials tell CNN that there is no specific information about the time, place or method of such attacks and no new intelligence that sparked the bulletin,” the news agency reported when word of the possible attacks broke mid- November.

But in case your still a wee bit unsettled by this latest warning, just relax. Those same FBI officials who issued the warning via a federal law enforcement bulletin stressed again to CNN, “there is no new intelligence that led to the strong wording of the bulletin.”

Stop the bus – excuse me? Were they just bored to the extent of wanting to send out warnings?

Of course not, you hope and say. You point to the quasi-resurfacing of USAma bin Laden as one indication of why a warning was sent out. In an audiotape that analysts say contains the voice of the world’s most wanted terrorist, another type of warning was sent out, declaring: “(President) Bush the pharaoh of the century, is killing our children in Iraq and Israel. This is enough for the wise of your leaders to stay away from this band of terror.”

So, beginning to think the Feds were on to something? Perhaps, until you hear what National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice said during a briefing late, last month. Undermining the entire warning itself, she explained, “The warnings that have gone out recently really are a summary of intelligence, not a new warning.”

But Condi, then wouldn’t they be called a summary, and not a warning? Please stop scaring the sheep of America with your administration’s summaries.

Good people you know, are beginning to worry.

CNN also reported that one “U.S. official characterized the alert as simply an effort to advise law enforcement on the current thinking of al Queda.”

Again, can’t this just be referred to as a synopsis, or rundown, or something a little less – hmmm, I don’t know – “terroristic” than a warning?

Yes I know, Americans received no public warning prior to September 11, so how could we ever not issue one today after even the slightest hint of, as the government refers to it, “chatter” by our enemies? I guess there’s no way around that, but the problem here is the whole concept of a warning.

A warning is such a darkening concept. Terrorists warn. Dueling countries and governments warn. The protectors of a nation aren’t supposed to warn those they protect – or are they?

Instead of warnings, how about we call them “cautionary alerts?” Then we can avoid such a grotesque display of hegemonic grit: a government warning their Iraqi arch nemesis, and their own republic at the same time.

Opposing sides should send warnings to each other, just like the U.S has been doing with Hussein. But right now our government is missing something by warning U.S. citizens of what they seemingly don’t even know. I think the government is really warning us of their lack of ability to deal with the problem.

Or, as one keen mind recently pointed out to me, maybe the government just doesn’t want to tell us everything they know for fear of spreading mass hysteria. Well, in my opinion, such a form of “social control” runs completely counter to any social balance we supposedly embrace of open exchange of free thoughts and ideas.

Besides, getting back to the initial topic here – the latest warning – doesn’t it also seem like the government is just describing something that’s already taken place?

“Spectacular attacks” – the World Trade Center – you don’t get any more sensational, I mean spectacular, than that.

“Mass casualties” – thousands dead one September day – you really think the government thinks Al Qaeda or any band of terrorists is capable of inflicting such carnage on American shores again so soon? I heavily doubt it. The terrorists saw their day of mass casualties. They know that. Why don’t we?

“Severe damage” to the economy – well, this is still a huge possibility, especially with rhetoric-slinging President Bush in the White House. Watch your possessions, Americans. I hear “W” likes his purchases no money down, especially baseball teams.

If anything, the government should be sending out warnings against them heightened probability of Americans becoming terrorists as we saw with the American reincarnation of Muhammad – the sniper, that is.

Then again, maybe I’m just undermining my government, something I think I was warned against long ago.

– Adam D. Krauss is a junior at Suffolk University.