Senator: Flight cancellations necessary (US has no defense against bio agents released in a plane)

CNN ^ | Feb. 1, 2004 | CNN

[FairOpinion]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A key member of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Sunday the United States has no defense against threats to release biological weapons inside airplanes except to cancel suspect flights.

Asked about reports that a biological or chemical agent might be used in an attack on a U.S.-bound airline, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia, said the United States would have no way to counter such moves.

[Peach]

You know, I've thought a lot about AQ and other terrorist groups having WMD.

IF it does turn out that Iraq didn't have any (and I think it's too soon to say that regardless of what Kay said last week), then we have to ask where are terrorist groups getting these weapons?

IF Iraq couldn't do it, despite having a nation state to work from, thousands of scientists working 24/7, far more $$ than any terrorist group, a working WMD program already in place - then how in the world can a terrorist group do it?

It just doesn't make sense. My feeling is that Iraq had them and sold them.

[FairOpinion]

"My feeling is that Iraq had them and sold them."

==

BINGO!

Or just gave them away to AQ, because they had a common goal: destruction of the US.

[Peach]

That's what I think too. It just doesn't make sense otherwise to think that some guys running constantly from us, without support of a nation state could come up with WMD.

Why isn't the administration talking about this more?

[Triple Word Score]

Yes, I think you're absolutely right.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

The sweet, yet sad irony of all of this Bush bashing about WMD may become evident right during the election cycle - when you may see either AQ terrorists with WMD via Syria (originally from Iraq), or perhaps Hezbollah terrorists with WMD via Lebanon (originally from Iraq), pull a very dirty surprise on Administration critics and actually use the stuff in a horrible way. There goes John Kerry and anyone on his ticket.

[FairOpinion]

RE. Iraq's WMD, I just saw this article:

(UK)'Ministers saw categoric WMD evidence'

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1069521/posts

The Government has seen "categoric" evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, a Cabinet minister has insisted.

Leader of the House of Commons Peter Hain said he and other ministers, including Tony Blair, had seen intelligence showing the ousted dictator had chemical and biological weapons.

He also said weapons inspectors had uncovered evidence of WMD programmes, secret laboratories and "chemical and biological weapons ventures".

But Mr Hain said people should wait for the findings of the Iraq survey group. "I saw evidence that was categoric on Saddam possessing chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction," he said.

He told BBC1's The Politics Show: "I saw that intelligence evidence, so did the Prime Minister, so did other Cabinet ministers. That informed our decision to go to topple him. I think we were right in doing so."

[g35x]

IF Iraq couldn't do it, despite having a nation state to work from, thousands of scientists working 24/7, far more $$ than any terrorist group, a working WMD program already in place - then how in the world can a terrorist group do it?

My guess is that Russia is a far more likely source than Iraq. There are lots of disgruntled and dirt poor scientists in Russia willing to sell anything to the highest bidder.

[g35x]

The sweet, yet sad irony of all of this Bush bashing about WMD may become evident right during the election cycle - when you may see either AQ terrorists with WMD via Syria (originally from Iraq), or perhaps Hezbollah terrorists with WMD via Lebanon (originally from Iraq), pull a very dirty surprise on Administration critics and actually use the stuff in a horrible way. There goes John Kerry and anyone on his ticket.

No, such an attack has the opposite effect of boosting Kerry since the media will spin against Bush by saying that Bush was focusing on Iraq when the real threat was from Al Qaeda, - this is the same line of reasoning being touted by the Democrats, many of whom actually "hope" there is another attack by AQ before November.

[ServesURight]

But...but...Bin Laden is cryogenetically frozen in the WH basement, ready to be thawed in October, right?

[BARLF]

The Government has seen "categoric" evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, a Cabinet minister has insisted.

Leader of the House of Commons Peter Hain said he and other ministers, including Tony Blair, had seen intelligence showing the ousted dictator had chemical and biological weapons.

He also said weapons inspectors had uncovered evidence of WMD programmes, secret laboratories and "chemical and biological weapons ventures".

What does this mean? Did Kay see this same evidence and deem it not credible?

[eno_]

Why isn't the administration talking about this more?

Because it's Iran, and the only currently viable military response would be to nuke Iran.

[Peach]

You could be right, but then why didn't Saddam let the UN back in?

It's been postulated that Saddam wanted to "pretend" he had WMD for strength in the ME, but then where did the $$ actually go?

If he had let the UN back in, proved he didn't have WMD, he'd still be in power today, which was his ultimate goal -to stay in power. He knew he couldn't beat us militarily.

I'm also having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that ALL the world's intelligence agencies were wrong.

[Peach]

No way we're going to nuke Iran. Not going to happen.

[FairOpinion]

Maybe Kay didn't see this evidence.

My guess is that Kay was turned loose to find the WMD in Iraq, but was not given access to previous, pre-war intel, nor was he receiving sufficient support -- I read somewhere, that was the real reason he quit.

[Dog]

This puts our security guys in a real bind....how do you screen passengers on a flight who are carriers of the smallpox virus.

All it will take is one suicidal AQ member who is willing to have the smallpox virus injected into himself... and our world will be forever changed again.

[eno_]

Too big to invade, too many civilian casualties if we nuke it, and Iran is the spider at the center of Islamic terrorism. What would you suggest? What if there is a WMD attack that kills thousands to tens of thousands?

[Sabertooth]

Asked about reports that a biological or chemical agent might be used in an attack on a U.S.-bound airline, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia, said the United States would have no way to counter such moves.

"I don't think so, and that's partly the problem of not checking cargo, and it's partly the problem of biological weapons, which nobody has figured out really what to do about yet," Rockefeller told "Fox News Sunday." "Nobody has any idea about what to do about them on an airplane or on the ground."

Outside the network's studios, Rockefeller added, "We don't know how to protect against any biological. ... You play it safe, and the plane doesn't fly, and people are going to have to get used to that, and people are not going to like that, but it's what you've got to do in this era."

Vaccines.

We could start with smallpox.

[Dog]

Saber is that countdown clock still winding down?

I don't know where to find it.

[Lessismore]

All it will take is one suicidal AQ member who is willing to have the smallpox virus injected into himself...

In that case, they wouldn't have to "chatter" about it.

Most likely, if US intelligence is getting intercepts that they can decode, it is because Al Queda intends them to be read.