Practice 1　　All night, long after the televised cheers and hugs celebrating the arrival of a fresh new year, national-security officials manning the White House Situation Room waited for the worst. Among other worries, they feared terrorists would hijack airliners and try a repeat of the 9/11 attacks. Despite the warnings—or perhaps because of them—the holidays passed without incident. But administration officials can’t savor whatever relief they may feel. Instead, they once again find themselves fending off complaints that they overreacted and caused a national frenzy for nothing. Some conversations between suspected Qaeda terrorists, intercepted by the National Security Agency, seemingly referred to an upcoming airplane attack in Los Angeles. Intelligence reports even mentioned specific routes and flight numbers on British, French and Mexican airlines, a level of detail agents had rarely heard before. Though drained and somewhat frustrated, federal officials aren’t prepared to let down their guard. Privately, British and French intelligence officers say they think the United States went too far; some speculate the increased chatter may have been a Qaeda disinformation campaign designed to whip up fears.