The Next Attack on the US

Intellectual Conservative ^ | May 28, 2004 | Alan Caruba

[FairOpinion]

It is likely that an attack would be intended to kill thousands, though an attack remains conjecture at this point, based on intelligence gathered by our agencies and other nations.

Headlines tell us of government predictions that al Qaeda may intend to mount an attack on the US this summer. Soldiers in Iraq recently found an explosive in Iraq filled with Sarin, a deadly chemical capable of killing many people. The widely expressed doubt that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction should end.

In a recent Washington Times column by John McCaslin, he cited a poll by the National Association of Chiefs of Police, “Because of the ‘current political polarization’ in America today, the United States will suffer another ‘large scale’ terrorist attack within the next year."

McCaslin reported the poll revealed, “that 95 percent of the nation's police commanders and security directors expect a ‘catastrophic’ terrorist incident within the continental United States. "If Americans believe we're not being targeted for terror in the near future, they are fooling themselves," says NACP Vice President Jim Kouri, who predicts the killers, among other dastardly missions, will be attempting to influence this November's presidential election. It worked for them in Spain.”

It is the opinion of many counter-terrorism experts that al Qaeda will attack America again and many believe it will come before the elections in November. Their thinking is that the success it had in Spain can be repeated here and their aim is to elect Senator John F. Kerry. The objective will be to demoralize the resolve of Americans to support the occupation of Iraq until it can establish a democratic form of government.

It is likely that an attack would be intended to kill thousands, though an attack remains conjecture at this point, based on intelligence gathered by our agencies and other nations.

Here are some targets al Qaeda might have in mind.

If Al Qaeda wants to kill a lot of people to ratchet up our level of terror, New York remains a prime target and there are recent reports of empty suitcases showing up in its subways and other locations as a possible test run on the delivery of a WMD.

What other city would be a likely target? One answer is Los Angeles and, in particular, Hollywood. Radical Muslims regard the films and television shows coming out of Hollywood as a direct attack on their sense of moral superiority. A dirty bomb or bioterror in Los Angeles would have the desired effect. Remember, too, that a terrorist was caught in the run-up to Y2K when he crossed the border from Canada with a car full of explosives. His target, we were told, was the LA Airport.

Recently, Jordanians thwarted a plot to attack the US embassy and other targets there with poison gas. The estimated casualties are estimated to have been as many as 20,000. A similar target in the US would reap a similar result. Again, the belief that Iraq did not have WMDs should be put to rest. The belief that it was not cooperating with al Qaeda should have been dispelled by now. Supporters of the deposed Saddam Hussein are continuing their insurgency against our troops and would surely want to strike at the American homeland.

If I were Osama bin Laden, a trained engineer, what might be another likely target in America? One answer is oil refineries. There hasn’t been a new refinery built in the US since the 1970s and the ones we have are strained to capacity. When even one is closed down for routine maintenance, the price of gas spikes. Imagine if two, maybe three, were destroyed? The highways would empty out, followed by the office buildings and just about every other enterprise that depends on workers who drive to work. That includes schools, hospitals; just about everything, everywhere. America would have to declare martial law.

Another likely target would be the disruption of the aging electrical grid that distributes this vital source of energy around the nation. Remember when the grid failed a year or so ago? It shut down the entire East Coast from Ohio to New York. Destroy key components of the grid and people will be cooking dinner over an open fire in the backyard.

The plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on 9-11 had a destination about which we can only speculate. But let’s say it was the Capitol Building and a direct hit could take out a major number of Senators and Representatives? Our Constitution does not make provision for the killing of enough members of Congress to render it unable to function. Congress, however, is debating legislation that would allow for emergency elections in the event that should occur.

While America remains a target, so are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, England and just about every other nation around the world. We are dealing with people willing to kill anybody for their crazed notion of protecting a failed way of life, a belief that Islam must dominate the world and be practiced in a fashion Osama bin Laden dictates.

It should never be forgotten that bin Laden has already issued a fatwa, an Islamic edict, calling for the deaths of all Americans.

As our level of anxiety rises, al Qaeda has already achieved one of its objectives. The question, if an attack occurs, is whether Americans will deepen their resolve to destroy its enemies or seek to withdraw from the fight?

Alan Caruba is the author of Warning Signs, published by Merril Press. His weekly commentaries are posted on the Internet site of The National Anxiety Center.

[Jorge]

Should we shut down the illegal border crossings? I guess that would be racist. It seem logical to me.

We could, but I don't know what good it would do.
Considering the 9-11 terrorists entered this country legally.

[devolve]

cute

and realistic

[FairOpinion]

"To rant and rave about a bedwetting bolshevik is to really waste bandwidth as that is a given"

===

Well, that's whom you will be electing, if you aren't voting for Bush.

[_Jim]

ten jihadists in ten cars, throwing out

REALIZING that common sense occasionally takes leave of the board -

- THESE people are a) going to stand out like sore thumbs b) THEY will do something stupid to reveal themselves (I have faith in this part) c) ALL of our citizenry aren't blind-folded, mute or otherwise functionally inert ...

[Southack]

"I hope so. But too little too late?"

You'll still see the fires this year...but they won't be as large as last year.

Also, one problem for the terrorists is that it's tough to get people to believe that you've set a big fire. "Ah, lightening did it." "Oh, that happens every year."

Such fires aren't known for killing 9/11-levels of people, either.

And actually, if my read on what we've been doing in Iraq is correct...we're going to see a major bust here in the states due to a mistake that I think the terrorists will likely make.

Or to quote Star Wars, "It's a trap!"

I just don't see al qaeda as being clever enough to figure out how we are setting them up. It's going to be a thing of great beauty, too.

[Travis McGee]

PS: Putting your little [sic] in bold type after an obvious fast-typing typo like "and hte entire" just proves what a prig you are.

[FairOpinion]

"That is why I am so adamant about Bush really being a closet communist."

===

This statement of yours just reminds me of the saying:

"It's better to stay silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt".

You clearly don't have a clue about communism.

[TLI]

Five, ten, maybe twenty years tops, and all who remember will be dead

That would seem to be the simple answer, but freedom is a VERY addictive little item. There are a lot of young kids out there that have been growing up running around with dad listening to R.L. and reading over his shoulder here and maybe catching out on some shortwave. Toss in a trip or two to the range and the grail of conservative thought. GUN SHOW.

Presto! Liberalism is cured! Permanently.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Believe me, the entertainment industry-and I'm using the most charitable definition of that term, believe me-is the last thing on the mind of UBL, Zawahiri, or Zarqawi.

These lunatics would have to exterminate the last kosher butcher in Borough Park-see revelations of Yassin broadcast on "60 Minutes" regarding the alternative to the first WTC bombing plot-before they could deign to target our nation's celebrities.

Now, the Palis are another matter entirely. I wouldn't put it past these narrow-minded, sanguinary, fascistic freaks to actually follow through on their threats to Madonna's personal safety.

However, I seriously doubt that the MOT are eagerly plotting the downfall of Harvey Weinstein. The only possible reason they would have for targeting Hollywood is in order to inflict the maximum economic damage possible on the United States.

Martin Sheen should rest easy tonight.

[_Jim]

We'll see, won't we?

Some of us will - others will continue to repeat 'old saws' that still don't reveal the actual, operational 'facts' that underly some catch-phrases that some people *think* they have grip on (like 'the operation, reliability and robustness of the grid').

[texasflower]

I also live in a border state. Once again, I agree more can and should be done.

But this issue is being brought into almost every thread.

[My Dog Likes Me]

I would normally just vote against the incumbent President as he continues to allow a steady flow of crazed Islamic f***s into our great nation. But I can't bring myself to vote for Kerry, either.

I'll just stay home this election. With my dog.

[_Jim]

PS: Putting your little [sic] in bold type after ...

Time for you to leave the kitchen?

DO you even know the meaning of that term?

[Travis McGee]

Considering the 9-11 terrorists entered this country legally.

That was then, this is now. The path of least resistance pre-2001 was to fly in on a visa-express from Saudi Arabia. No more. After capturing dozens of senior terrorists in Afghanistan, and their laptops, notebooks etc, flying in is no longer the surest way. Terrorists must assume their identities have been blown, and that they may be on watch lists, if they fly into Heathrow or JFK.

So what is the easiest and surest way in 2004? Just walk in from Mexico. Getting into Mexico is no problem, and millions of Morraccans speak Spanish and can pass for Hispanic on a cursury examination.

Besides, terrorists coming from Mexico will have the added political bonus of detracting from Bush's election chances, by causing him to be blamed for leaving the borders wide open.

[stlnative]

Travis, Black Wind can also simply mean...

Black Wind is a new peril of injury or death. As in death, destruction, or injury will be blowing our way soon.

[FairOpinion]

In other words, you will be voting for Kerry, because your vote may be what Bush needs.

Why don't you talk it over with your dog, I bet he is more sensible in this. ;)

[Joe Hadenuf]

With the added bonus of being able to bribe just about any local official to obtain needed items like trucks, licenses etc etc......

[_Jim]

LET'S educate this evening's masses, shall we?

"Sic" - latin:"sic" which means (thus).