Friends and relatives,

Please encourage your family and friends to put extra effort, until election day, into being watchful for terrorist activity.

Terrorists were successful this weekend in overthrowing a national government that was inimical toward them.  That government is now out of office and a political party which opposed anti-terrorist activities now controls Spain.

We should be aware that terrorists may put extra effort into controlling our election.  There is no doubt that terrorists will perceive President Bush as being more hostile and dangerous to them than the Democratic candidate, Senator Kerry.

We should, I think, expect the terrorists will at least try to make a big attack or multiple small attacks on the United States between now and the election in order to tip the election toward Senator Kerry. 

We need to be watchful and help police when we see suspicious activity.

Watch for unattended packages. 

Watch for people approaching crowds with bulky, out-of-season clothing.

Watch for vehicles trying to get close to crowds or public buildings.

Watch for suspicious people.  Remember that virtually all Middle Eastern people are civilized and wonderful people, virtually all of them probably hate terrorism and would help in any way to oppose it.  At the same time, virtually all terrorist attacks on the U.S. have been made by Islamic males between 16 and 50 years old.  Get to know people and be thoughtful.  Know that people at one of the flight schools tell that the 9-11 terrorist pilot who trained at their school was a friendly and cheerful man.

We should be sensible.  Even on 9-11, INCLUDING the deaths on the four airliners, air travel was SAFER than making the same long-distance trips by automobile.  While being helpful and watchful, we should remember that air travel is the safest form of travel there is.

In Israel, where they are very wary, it is difficult to bomb crowds without carrying the bomb into the crowd on a suicidal terrorist’s body.  In Spain, where the populace is NOT watchful, it was possible to leave unattended packages and backpacks on trains and the terrorists walked away safely.

While we need not be terrorized, we SHOULD be watchful.