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From the LA Times…

Employees in and around the U.S. Bank Tower reacted with concern, confusion and skepticism to President Bush’s reference this morning to a terrorist threat four years ago against the high-rise building.
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Later today, National Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend said it was the “analytic judgment” of the U.S. intelligence community that the building, then known as the Library Tower, was the target because the alleged plotters mentioned the tallest building on the West Coast. The alleged plotters were arrested in early 2002 on other charges.

Employees who work in the building, on 5th Street between Flower and Hope, said they hadn’t heard about a possible attack and were a little disturbed to find out about it years after it could have happened.
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Other downtown employees saw the new details as a political move by Bush to “keep us living in fear” and garner support for the war on terrorism.

“It’s a travesty…. I mean, we’ve caught him lying so many times,” said Mark Lea, who works at a major law firm in the Wells Fargo building next door. “He’s only doing this to draw up support for his domestic spying.”

Patrick Grover, who works on the tower’s 2nd floor, agreed.

“I’m not alarmed [by the threats],” Grover said. “I’m alarmed that they’re exploiting it years later.”

Grover called Bush’s announcement “malarkey,” criticizing the president for supposedly setting up a “smokescreen” now that the administration’s spying policies are under attack.

Exactly. Sometimes I feel like I should just keep reposting this earlier post from 2004…