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.

[Southack]

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

Then you don't understand the term "communist."

Karl Marx, the founder of the communist ideology, wrote Das Kapital.

In it, his central thesis was that *every* capitalist society would, due to the greed of the oppressive owners over their workers, grow progressively poorer each year...until the poverty inevitably became so great that each capitalist society would rise up in open, armed revolution.

That's communism.

That ain't President Bush, either.

Communism was disproved even before Marx was born, of course, by Adam Smith, who wrote Wealth of Nations that stated that the invisible hand of the Market would inevitably lead people to become richer by providing what was in demand.

That's capitalism.

Now that's more like it. Did you notice that President Bush cut our taxes? Do you label that as leaning more towards Marx or more towards Smith? Did you notice that Bush is proposing that we privative social security? Again, can you comprehend whether that move is more capitalistic or communistic?

Words have meaning. You've misused at least one. That misuse either stemmed from common ignorance or from willful deciet.

I have attempted to correct the first possibility above. If you fail to change, then one can only conclude the latter about you.

[roadkill2004]

QUESTION FOR ALL... If the terrorists hit us hard on US soil again and kill as many as 3000+ during 2004! What will happen in is this country? What will Bush do?

Another amnesty, most likely. Oh ya don't forget Patriot Act III & IV. The assault weapon ban will be be expanded to include hanguns and slingshots. We don't need no stinkin' freedom.

What do you believe should be done ...

Follow Israel's lead by putting our troops on our border. We're under attack aren't we?

[Travis McGee]

No one will doubt what happened if five mega-fires each over 100 miles long start in five states on one day. It will be obvious that they were all started in lines from a car or light plane. Anyone who posits 500 orderly lightning strikes will be laughed off as a fool.

Immediate casualty numbers are not the only game in town. Proving Uncle Sam's impotence as these mega fires rage unchecked for weeks will also be quite pleasant for the jihadists to behold.

[Woahhs]

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

Good!

That way your dog's non-vote won't cancel out MY dog's non-vote.

[Travis McGee]

Like I said, you're a prig. When you have no case to make, you fall back on putting a bold [sic} after an obvious fast typing typo like "hte."

You're really rather pathetic, do you know it?

[roadkill2004]

Actually, the racists are the ones who are coming over the border illegally.

Now what ever gave you that idea?



LOL!!

[Joe Hadenuf]

If the terrorists hit us hard on US soil again and kill as many as 3000+ during 2004! What will happen in is this country? What will Bush do?

Maybe a new fast track for mid eastern visa applications?

[_Jim]

    Besides, terrorists coming from Mexico will ...

I'm sorry, but, I just don't BUY this scenario -

- LET'S take this to the next logical step -

- what does this illegal 'immigrant terrorist' do for money - beg on street corners - work with other Mescans (slang) roofing houses (THEY won't survive long doing this) ...

You pass this off as an EASY thing to do - for another nationality that simply knows Spanish to 'blend' in easily with the Mexican population - no, I don't buy this step.

These people are going to stand out.

[texasflower]

You seem to be content with the status quo.

Where did I say that? You know nothing about me.


Are you familiar with the last years of Rome?

Yes.


overrun by turd world

More of the junior high vocabulary. Again, it's really hard to take you seriously.


Do you have a better plan than what I elaborated,

I am not qualified to make those sort of determinations and I really doubt that you are.

There are lots of factors that determine policy.


are you like Kerry and only attack the other plan.

I did not attack anyone's plans. I referred to your hatefulness. That has nothing to do with how I might feel one way or the other about the immigration situation.

It is merely how I feel about YOU.

[nopardons]

Nope,the crazies,who go out protesting supposed "EVIL GLOBALISTS" aren't the ones who will ensure our freedoms last.And kids,who detest being told what to believe,by any administration,will grow out of that,or be perpetual doom&gloomers,whose lives will just be one long misery.

If there is a growing conservative backlash among the young,then this nation,when they attain maturity,will be forever mired in LIBERALDOM. But,I don't think you really can substantiate your post,so this is all moot.

[stlnative]

In Islam, the huayra yana is the black wind. In a symbolic sense, a black wind spreads similar to the act of throwing ashes into the air. The dust particles appear momentarily suspended then carried along by an invisible stream before dissipating and falling to the ground. In Islamic eschatology, hell is pictured as a desert, scorching wind, black smoke, and boiling, bubbling water. Hell is reserved for the enemies of Allah led by the Christian counterpart of the devil known as Eblis, who roams the Earth seeking those whom he may devour. Hell awaits the unbelievers where they will be cast into "scorching wind and shadow of black smoke," and will drink of boiling water for eternity. Hell is the most terrible of places where the wicked are cast in scorching fires to eat thorns and thistles.

To Islamic extremists, terrorism may have a greater purpose, even more so than causing fear and panic among people. Terrorism is purification (the cleansing) of people (the cursed; especially nonMuslim) by fire either causing repentance and submission to Islam or coming judgment through death. The cursed are the people of the "left hand," "And (as to) the companions of the left hand (mash'ama); how wretched are the companions of the left hand!" This form of punishment is also pictured in the Qur'an [39.60 and 56] - "And on the day of resurrection you shall see those who lied against Allah; their faces shall be blackened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud?" http://www.lampholderpub.com/new_page_19.htm

[_Jim]

You're really rather pathetic, do you know it?

Under the spotlight and losing the argument - are you getting soft?

I've got to show up more and 'spar' with some of you softies more often ...

[Boot Hill]

"Like I said, you're a prig."

Oops, looks like another spelling error!   J

--Boot Hill

[Southack]

"Immediate casualty numbers are not the only game in town. Proving Uncle Sam's impotence as these mega fires rage unchecked for weeks will also be quite pleasant for the jihadists to behold."

Possible, but if they can't cause a loss of life, they will lose face.

It would show that we are beating them so badly that they are only able to make demonstration gestures back at us.

Yes, they can start forest fires. Those fires are unlikely to kill many Americans, however, and they won't be as large as last year's fires simply because we've built new logging roads as firebreaks over the last 12 months.

Frankly, what we've seen them attempt so far with Ricin in the failed London attack, Sarin and Mustard in the roadside bombs in Iraq, and VX in the failed Jordanian attack, points to a trend that shouldn't be overlooked: a poison attack.

[Travis McGee]

Jim, is "giving lessons the the masses" by putting [sic] after "hte" the best you can do for an "argument?" This is a thread on terror threats, and you're reduced to giving "sic" lessons?

Pathetic.

[Travis McGee]

The thing about the fires is that it is so easy, and requires no trained terrorists or equipment.

It's "low hanging fruit."

Plus, it can be done in addition to any other attacks mentioned on this thread.

[nopardons]

Where are you getting that erroneous garbage,re what was going on in Rome,at its end,from?

Rome was NOT a "welfare state" where nobody had to work.

The "imported labor",as you call it,were from parts of the Roman Empire and citizens!

Rome was fractured,with an Eastern and Western seats of power.This has NOT happened to the USA and won't.We aren't an "empire".

There are so many MORE facts,which you obviously know nothing about,which you should,if you want to use the fall of the Roman Empire analogy,that it'd take months to type it all.So,I suggest that you do a whole lot of research on this,since you appear to have some interest in it.

Oh, and FYI...the "barbarians" kept threatening ti and did sack Rome and demanded payments,to NOT do so.This drained the coffers and scared the Roman populace.This is NOT happening to America.

[Southack]

Agreed.

[Travis McGee]

Oh please. Did I say they would walk in with no money, and no one to provide safe houses, transportation etc once they are inside of the USA? "Begging on street corners?" Where did that come from?

Jim, if you were ever a fed, it's easy to see how the FBI failed to connect the flight school dots prior to 9-11.

[onyx]

Jim, is "giving lessons the the masses" by putting [sic] after "hte" the best you can do for an "argument?"

Oh darn, by not proof reading,
you've given him another trifle error
with which to quibble.