Officials say al-Qaida operatives may be fully trained airline pilots

MSNBC.com ^ | 12/22/03 | NBC

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Authorities raised the terrorist threat assessment over the weekend after new intelligence indicated that operatives of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network, possibly trained and licensed to fly passenger jets, may now be pilots for some foreign airlines, ideally positioning them to carry out suicide attacks, U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday.

Reinforced cockpit doors intended to thwart hijackers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks would now protect any terrorist pilot at the controls, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Authorities would not describe the terror threats in detail publicly, but the U.S. officials told NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski that the threat alert would remain at “orange,” or high, through the end of January, which they said was an indication of its seriousness.

[blam]

"Who will lead that movement? Need a leader..."

You'll recognize them when it's time.

[Beck_isright]

I tend to disagree and here is my logic:

1. Our rail and trucking systems are very open and easy to attack or hijack.

2. One train pulling a chain of tankers or one trucker loaded with hazmat could easily wipe out a small town or render it uninhabitable for months.

3. No updates, requirements or otherwise to fix this aspect of domestic security beyond "a warning to be aware" has been issued to any transportation company.

Ignore the nukes and remember, these bastards think simple and quick. We have a problem Houston. And the lack of attention to detail will bite us in the rear. I rate the probability in the next two years as 45%.

[Beck_isright]

Refer to #202. Worse is the thought of wiping out or destroying a small town (my definition is population 5000 or less). The effects would be devestating. Far worse than 9-11 because instead of just the major cities being terrorized, the heartland would come to a crawl. The economy would freeze and if the dollar dropped below 70 on the index, God help us. This is nut crunching time. I hope the authorities are ready to deal with this scenario.

[meyer]

2 days later at the exact same time they open fire in three rural Wal-Mart's and three high end suburban shopping malls.

Though rural-types tend to shoot back! I can't speak for suburban types, however.

[garjog]

You say "A dirty bomb would have to be very well put together to be effective."

Here is one article that points out that a dirty bomb attack could (although probably not) leave the ground zero unsafe for decades:

'Dirty bomb' threatens U.S. with near terror attack
By Bill Nichols, Mimi Hall and Peter Eisler, USA TODAY
"In terms of how large an area would be contaminated by radiation, the damage would depend on the type and quantity of radioactive material. The contamination could dissipate in weeks, or it could render an area uninhabitable for decades. Abnormal levels of radiation would be spewed tens of miles in a worst-case scenario. More likely, experts say, the evacuation area would be a few dozen city blocks...
In one scenario studied by the federation, the detonation in Manhattan of a dirty bomb, using a piece of cobalt stolen from a food-irradiation plant, would spread contamination over an area of about 300 city blocks and render most of the city uninhabitable for decades. However, federation scientists note that obtaining such a potent radiological source and using it effectively would be very difficult. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/06/11/bomb-usat.htm

[blam]

"There are several nuke plants on the TN River. The one closest to us is near Athens, AL."

The one closest to me is east of Dothan...

[Pubbie]

"Maybe this is why the news is showing SAM's being deployed close to HVT's."

Where are SAMs being deployed in the US? (Besides the White House)

[NewLand]

I rate the probability in the next two years as 45%.

I would say 2-to-1, or 66%. They are desparate right now.

We are winning.

Pray for us to intercept one of their missions publicly. Ideally by a civilian.

That would be a HUGE boost to the mission.

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

Where's all this hostility toward the Eagles coming from? They've never spoiled anyone's SuperBowl.

SIC

Lifelong disgruntled Eagles fan

[thoughtomator]

I'm not saying what I want to happen, I'm saying what I expect to happen, given the hypothetical circumstances.

The 'leadership' will be the military command, who will deal heavy punishment on Islamic states. On the ground in the USA, individuals on their own initiative will initiate a cleansing campaign here at home, and the authorities will be loath at best to stop them.

[Pubbie]

If we get hit again then we need to nuke Syria, Lebanon, and Iran - no investigation, and no trial, we just automatically assume they were behind it.

We need some sort of official Mutually Assured Destruction Policy with AQ.

[GOPJ]

Disney World is in a rural area, has lots of people, and has crowds in the middle of winter. It also plays to the weird "Florida" terrorist connection.

Not liking reference to "rural area" in east as potential target. Very odd when mixed with reference to large crowd concentrations. Other than a college football stadium (seasons now over), where do you find large crowds in rural areas in the east in the middle of winter?

[Palladin]

Large crowds...rural areas...

Gettysburg, PA. comes to mind. It has symbolic value; there are always thousands of visitors, even in the dead of winter; it's not very far from Camp David, if they want a two-fer. G-burg has two large outlet malls...that Teddy Bear place and one other.

Don't the Bushes always spend Christmas at Camp David? I heard Laura say it's a tradition going back to the first Bush administraytion, when her children were little.

[oceanview]

66%? let me ask, what would you have put the odds at that we would NOT be attacked 2+ years after 9/11?

[azcap]

but that kind of attack could have occurred 100 times since 9/11, but it hasn't. why?

 

Why has there been no attack of any kind on American soil? That is the 64 Million Dollar Question. All I can think is that Big Brother is much better than we ever imagined. Thank God. It will be interesting to read the books in 100 years about the true scope of the WOT, all of the failed plots, the secrets counter-terror effort, things the public today must not know.

[Palladin]

Islam is one diversity too far

That's a great phrase. And so true.

[Pubbie]

Do you think we have a MAD policy that if we are hit again, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran get Nuked?

[GOPJ]

Good point:

Large gathering, outside, good weather, thousands of people: New Year's Day Rose Bowl & Rose Parade in Pasadena. Also televised, viewed by millions around the world.

[Revel]

maybe they should be watching Jackson and Cat Stevens.

[lavrenti]

A flight going into LGA or Kennedy need not go off course since they can easily just dive into Manhattan due to the proximity of the airports to the final approach.

Scary thought to toss on the pile.