As the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Executive Director Robert Butler initially predicted on June 14th, another terror warning has been issued for a swing state crucial to the Bush-Cheney re-eletion . This time it's New Mexico.

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge just announced that the State of New Mexico may become a terrorist target, but the information was unsubstantiated and uncollaborated.

It's unfortunate that the current administration continues to issue vague warnings. This only serves to increase the level of anxiety in states crucial to the election of George W. Bush.

In June, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced a bomb plot for a Columbus, Ohio shopping mall. The FBI later contradicted Ashcroft by stating no target had been identified.

We again hope that the media reports these warnings for the scare tactics they are.

For the full June 14th comments from Robert Butler, please see below:

Columbus Terror Target No Surprise

Anyone with an electoral map knows that George Bush must win in Ohio to continue his Presidency. And Franklin county is the key to winning Ohio. So it comes as no surprise to Ohio Libertarians that the Bush administration has held a press conference today targeting Columbus.

Money laundering suspects linked to al-Qaida have been uncovered in cell phone and jewelry kiosks in many major malls around the country and represent a clear danger, but to emphasize cities crucial to the re-election effort is despicable. And the Columbus economy could suffer the consequences.

A Somali native living in Ohio has been charged with plotting with other al-Qaida operatives to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall, according to an indictment unsealed Monday.

The four-count indictment, returned by a Columbus grand jury, charges that Nuradin Abdi, 32, conspired with admitted al-Qaida member Lyman Faris and others to detonate a bomb at the unidentified shopping mall after he obtained military-style training in Ethiopia.

Attorney General John Ashcroft announced the indictment at a Justice Department news conference and used the occasion to warn anew of al-Qaida's threat.

"Current credible intelligence indicates that al-Qaida wants to hit the United States and to hit us hard," he said. "We know our enemies will go to great lengths to lie in wait and to achieve the death and destruction they desire."

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the Bush administration has played politics with the war on terror. Outspoken Cleveland area talk show host and former Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Nolan was recently detained at the airport on his way to his party’s National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia on Memorial Day weekend. Former Libertarian candidate Aaron Russo was also detained on his way to a televised debate with Dennis Kucinich.

We fully expect more terror warnings, detentions, and arrests in cities crucial to the election of George W. Bush and we hope the media will report these election year scare tactics.