READY IN TEXAS.
Posted on 05/17/2004 2:52:40 PM PDT by Nexus
5/24/04
Washington Whispers
From the White House, a nightmare scenario
White House officials say they've got a "working premise" about terrorism and the presidential election: It's going to happen. "We assume," says a top administration official, "an attack will happen leading up to the election." And, he added, "it will happen here." There are two worst-case scenarios, the official says.
The first posits an attack on Washington, possibly the Capitol, which was believed to be the target of the 9/11 jet that crashed in Pennsylvania.
Theory 2: smaller but more frequent attacks in Washington and other major cities leading up to the election.
To prepare, the administration has been holding secret antiterrorism drills to make sure top officials know what to do. "There was a sense," says one official involved in the drills, "of mass confusion on 9/11. Now we have a sense of order." Unclear is the political impact, though most Bushies think the nation would rally around the president. "I can tell you one thing," adds the official sternly, "we won't be like Spain," which tossed its government days after the Madrid train bombings.
Maybe, I just don't see algore as the voice of calm and reason.
Gore may not be calm or reasoned, but he hasn't much determination, either.
He's a politician only because he's not qualified to do anything else.
He'd rather be writing books on Global Warming.
I guess that causes less damage than his speechifying and legislating. Of course, the also cause global warming.
And if they do, it will be KEA and let God sort 'em out.
Some of us just won't stand for that after all of the ranting and raving the media and the left have done trying to purposefully inflame the nutcases.
They will be directly responsible if any evil were to take place IMO.
I'd like to toss out this scenerio (belatedly):
The terrorists seem to have a yearning for finishing the job if a previous mission fails, like the WTC. If Flight 93 was really headed for the Capital Bldg, it must have left a sour taste in the mouths of the planners.
Hijacking a large plane may be out of the question, but what about a ground assault, like the terrorist siege of the theatre in Moscow a while back? A few dozen nutcases with heavy weapons can do a lot of damage and take out most of Congress, all while making crazy demands and showboating for the world.
This kind of terrorism is not unlike the kind they trained for in Afghanistan.
I hope there is a strong rapid reaction force in place in Washington, and not just the local SWAT team.
Unless, of course, that violence is to be directed at our enemy.
I'm guessing that not only Delta, but probably SEAL Tm 6 is on tap for a mission like this. Then of course there's the FBI HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) that would join the lineup. I'd think the FBI would be first to go, but I'll bet terrorism and the Patriot Act put the military into the mix first. Such an obvious target is going to be well covered. We know that several attacks have been forestalled already because the security climate was "too hot."
I'd bet that any additional attacks (this summer?) will be directed against softer targets which are not as well protected like shopping malls. At least for the kind of attack stipulated. For another airborne attack, yeah, I'd guess Congress or another skyscraper.
For WMD, all bets are off. Summertime is going to provide a prime chemical attack window of opportunity. Summer climates will raise the potential level of "persistency." Especially in the south.
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