Simulation Gives Glimpse of Nuke Terror

Newsday ^ | May 4, 2004 | PAUL AMES

[FairOpinion]

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- European officials conducted a simulation showing how al-Qaida could kill 40,000 people and plunge the continent into chaos if a crude nuclear device were detonated outside NATO headquarters in Brussels.

In first part of the scenario, European officials were asked how they would respond to intelligence that al-Qaida had obtained enough highly enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb.

In the second, they were confronted with computer projections and video displays illustrating the impact of terrorists exploding the device at NATO's headquarters on the outskirts of Brussels, immediately killing 40,000 people, overwhelming hospitals with hundreds of thousands of injured, spreading panic through Europe and plunging the world economy into turmoil.

"Once you are in this phase, there are no good options," said Michele Flournoy, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who helped prepare the exercise.

[FairOpinion]

But we should rather allow them to set off a nuke, than possibly humiliate those poor terrorists, in case we take them prisoner, and one of them could be broken to give us the information, which could avert such attack.

BTW -- Turkey just averted a HUGE, MAJOR disastrous attack, which hardly got any press at all.

Assassination plot (against Bush & Blair at NATO Summit) foiled by Turkey

AN al-Qaeda plot to blow up Tony Blair, George Bush and up to FIFTY other world leaders has been foiled.

Cops in Turkey yesterday unveiled a huge arsenal of weapons and explosives found stashed in preparation for a terror doomsday.

They are convinced the target was next month’s Nato summit in Istanbul.

And they believe the aim was to wipe out the West’s commanders of the War on Terror in an outrage that would dwarf the impact of September 11.

[traumer]

If that ever happens (God forbid!) - then Mecca and Medina MUST be erased...

[BunnySlippers]

I'm bsolutely certain they would be erased. But I have to ask: "Why wait?"

[FairOpinion]

Are you kidding?

Look at the outrage over a minor mistreatment of a few terrorist prisoners.

We are supposed to just sit here wringing out hands, while the terrorists eradicate us and turn the world into a Taliban style stone age.

[garjog]

"If that ever happens (God forbid!) - then Mecca and Medina MUST be erased"

But, wouldn't that offend the Muslims?

[FairOpinion]

They might hate us for it... ;/

[RussianConservative]

Ehh, the Belgians always of highest self opinion, as if Brussel is center of world government...oh wait: EU/NATO...oh nothing so bad...now move UN there too and let us all party.

[Valin]

You cannot defend against these thugs. You need to go after them, that's one of the reasons we're in Iraq.

[Valin]

But I have to ask: "Why wait?"

Because we're not OBL...or his ilk.