AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is the purpose in publishing THIS? I don't mean why did CNN publish it, but why on earth did the U.S. Government feel that was necessary information for the American public to have? (and I don't really believe that it was all just a leak. If the government doesn't want the public to know something, I believe they have very effective ways of keeping it from us). The information frightens me slightly, and I tend to think of myself as somewhat rational. I'm going to be flying from the east coast and my sister is flying to Italy (two of the target areas), all during that "warning" time period. Honestly, there isn't any way we can prevent these alleged terrorist attacks. There is nothing we can do to be safer (short of not flying), and if I don't have anything I can do to protect myself, I would rather not know (that doesn't apply to every situation). So I have tried to think of a few reasons the government might have wanted to give this information to the public:

1) If Bush scares the bejezzes out of people he might win the next election.... or maybe not. Depends on if he is the person who protects us from the terrorists that are trying to attack.
2) The government is trying to destroy the airline industry. "The airline industry is just too powerful (ha ha ha), they need to be taken down a notch. Let's make sure that no one wants to fly on Labor Day weekend, that will help the economy." (I should have waited to buy my plane tickets...)
3) Just in case there is a terrorist attack, the passengers will take over the plane preventing it from crashing into something large and important (although I think that would happen even without the gov't releasing this info).
4) If the American public is scared, the Homeland Security Office can get away with more "anti-terrorist" behavior, that includes destroying civil liberties (but that is an entirely separate rant).
5) The government was worried that the airline industry might not take the warning seriously and decided to put a little extra pressure on them.

I understand the need for the government to increase security and for airlines to be informed and check security. But none of the preparations involved include (nor should they) the American public. Perhaps my opinion of the American public (not as individuals, but as a group mindset) is low, but I think the american public is prone toward hysteria and irrationalism. For example, how much is profiling of people who are or look Arab going to increase? And not just in the airports. There are many other examples, all of which I believe outweigh any advantage (which I still can't find) to telling the public.