Flights Cut on Fear of al Qaeda Attacks (NEW info: WMD use on planes planned by AQ)

Washington Post ^ | FEb. 1, 2004 | Sara Kehaulani Goo and Dana Priest

[FairOpinion]

Intelligence indicating that al Qaeda terrorists are seeking to release a chemical or biological agent aboard an airliner, or transport a radiological device in cargo, prompted the cancellation of six international flights scheduled for today and tomorrow, senior administration officials familiar with the reports said yesterday.

The possibilities, as described by three intelligence officials, include releasing an undetectable biological agent such as smallpox or anthrax aboard a plane that passengers would then unknowingly spread; releasing a chemical agent to debilitate the passengers and crew so the plane could be hijacked, and sneaking a radiological device aboard a plane inside a piece of luggage.

Small amounts of chemical, biological or radiological material would be difficult to detect.

[FairOpinion]

Were you also "mildly amused" watching the planes hit the WTC towers?

[Jim Noble]

The point is that we found evidence in Afghanistan which MAY indicate that AQ does have biological weapons.

Where is their BSL-4 lab?

[riri]

The problem with bio weapons would be the governments ability to obfuscate the real orgin. Except in the case of anthrax, which would be obviously terrorism, the MO would be it was a natural epidemic, it was this, it was that. I would bet they would even try to spin a small pox outbreak as a naturally occuring event.

So, unless the agent was dispensed in an obvious way, I can't see a bio attack getting the attention they crave. Look at the success we had keeping SARS pretty contained last year.

[templar]

The more we find it necessary to meddle in ME affairs to loot their oil...

You seem to imply, by the term 'loot', that we are illegitimately taking a resource from them and that this resource is of any value to anyone if it is not exported (by them) to other countries. In reality, we are making them filthy rich and bringing the only wealth into the region that they have. If we were to quit buying their oil from them at international market prices, their civilization would return to the 14th century almost immediately. I doubt that they could even feed their entire population without our 'oil money' to use to pay for imports.

If you intended a different implication in using the word "loot", please correct my understanding of what seemed to be implied by it.

[FairOpinion]

FoxNews is reporting on this now, specifically mentioning smallpox and anthrax, as this article did -- apparently they really were concerned about the release of these biological agents on a plane.

[Wolfhound777]

The only WMD the AL Q devils have can be treated with healthy doses of penicilin.

[FairOpinion]

Considering that smallpox has been eradicated from the world, except for samples at some countries, (from where AQ may have gotten it), they can hardly claim a natural outbreak of smallpox.

If a smallpox outbreak is confirmed, they can't hide this, because they have to get people vaccinated to stop its spread. The panic that would ensue is beyong the imagination of most people. This is just more PC vs. common sense, PC wins out and the lives of millions are put at risk.

That is why I get back to my "broken record" complaint, that the government will be responsible for the deaths of millions of people, by not allowing voluntary vaccinations with smallpox.

I think the Dems may have found their winning issue -- if the terrorists attack us with smallpox, they can legitimately say, that if the Bush admin knew the threat was serious, they should have made smallpox vaccines available.

In fact they are gearing up for this already.

Democrats: Smallpox vaccination plan needs retooling

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/01/29/smallpox.plan/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Eyeing a national smallpox vaccination program they say is stalled, House Democrats are urging the U.S. government to reinvigorate the plan for health-care workers if officials still believe terrorists may use smallpox as a weapon.

The White House unveiled a plan more than a year ago calling for vaccinations of as many as half a million health-care workers on a voluntary basis within a month. But in the time since the announcement, fewer than 40,000 medical personnel have been vaccinated nationwide.

"Either the administration needs to tell the country that smallpox is not an urgent threat, or it needs to take immediate action to get us prepared," said U.S. Rep. Jim Turner, D-Texas.

[riri]

they can hardly claim a natural outbreak of smallpox.

Let's hope we never have to find out but I think they would try it. They would cite the example of the cases in Pakistan in the 1970's and come up with some gobble-dee-gook as to how the epidemic got started. Or at least try to.

Let's keep in mind these are the people who tried to claim Bob Stevens got anthrax fishing in the NC mountains.

[eno_]

Sadly, I think you are right. Repeatedly cancelling the same flight makes no sense. Doing it again a month later makes even less sense. Maybe the CIA should bookmark Debka for better "information."

[eno_]

The problem with organizations like AQ is that they are not countries, nations, or even peoples

More likely, it's that the nation behind AQ is Iran, and we can't invade them just yet.

[jerseygirl]

"Fighting back" does not involve incinerating innocent people. Shame on you.

[Gamecock]

Small pox is not contagious until you have the actual eruptions on your skin. They would have to pass through our world class security </joke> with these massive eruptions on their skin.

Second point (or nit) once you have the eruptions you are not interested in moving. You are so ill you just want to die. It would be very impressive indeed for someone with a full blown case of smallpox to have the energy to board a plane.

[FairOpinion]

If this was all exactly true, we wouldn't have had MILLIONS die of smallpox.

Also remember that the indians got smallpox from infected blankets.

[Gamecock]

***If this was all exactly true, we wouldn't have had MILLIONS die of smallpox***

True, in multiple outbreaks, before vaccine, before the wonders of modern epidemiology and health care. Even then it had a mortality rate of about 30%

***Also remember that the Indians got smallpox from infected blankets.***

True, but in an unvaccinated population, without vaccines and modern epidemiology and health care.

We were talking about someone ill with smallpox getting on a plane. My point was that is very unlikely. The Indian blankets had a much higher viral load than any given person.

Remember, all of us old timers will have some residual immunity from previous vaccinations. We aren't sure how much, but it would affect the spread of the disease in our favor.

Now, if this is about an aerosolized virus I'd be much more concerned.....

[FairOpinion]

"Now, if this is about an aerosolized virus I'd be much more concerned....."

==

That was what I understood the concern was.

[Gamecock]

Reread post 12.

[FairOpinion]

If terrorists were to release aerosolized smallpox in a plane, now you have a couple hundred people having it to start with, who would then pass it on to others.

[Gamecock]

A couple hundred of whom perhaps 1/3-1/2 would not get it because of residual immunity from previous vaccinations.

Those who get it will not become ill for 12-14 days. They might be contagious when they first become ill, but are most contagious when the rash appears about 4 days after the prodrome.

Those who come in contact with them when they are contagious will have ample time for immunizations.

[little jeremiah]

While it is true that anthrax cannot be spread from person to person as a contagious illness, it seems logical that if anthrax spores were somehow dispersed among the passengers they could be vectors in a sense, further dispersing the spores on their persons and luggage. That way the anthrax could spread more among a larger group of people; not as a contagion but just from further spore distribution, since the spores are so small and light, and one doesn't need that many to contract the disease.

[applemac_g4]

>The problem with organizations like AQ is that they are not
>countries, nations, or even peoples; they are multi national
>(anti-Christian/Jew) religious organizations and no one
>country is their homeland.

Mecca and Medina are their "homeland".

"You prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!"