Posted on 05/28/2004 9:03:44 PM PDT by 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.
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?"
I guess we'll find out in November.
I can't believe if attacked again that Americans would not want to fight back. You might as well just hand 'em the keys if you don't fight terrorists.
Bin Laden declared War on the United States three separate times in 1998.
When will the US Congress pass a formal declaration of War against terrorists, and any STATE that sponsors or supports terrorists. (Iran, Syria, N.Korea)
The next attack, to be cited in the fatwa, and, poof, there goes Mecca. These children of pigs would not stop. No matter what they wanted to avoid an attack on us, would be changed for the next demand. We would eventually get to the point where they, or specific imams, would demand particular things ad infinitum. There are no moderate Arabs. We must now complete the task that was begun in the holy crusades and meet false prophecy with true action.
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HILLARY and TERRORISM's plan to regain the White House
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1022571/posts
We must first come to believe that we are in a war with Islam. The crusaders understood this.
That would require a spine, and spinal transplants are not perfected yet. Congress has long ago abdicated its Constitutional responsibility to declare war or do anything else unpleasant. Might cost the incumbent votes, don't ya know.
The word racism has been way over rated. A teacher in Los Angeles was molesting children at a elementary school. The parents were picketing the front of the school carrying signs referring to the teacher as racist. Molesters are not racist. I don't think they discriminate in that manner anyhow.
We are facing a totally different situation than we have ever faced before. We are not a racist nation, we are however foolish for not closing the borders since Sept. 11.
I feel confident it will deepen America's resolve.
And .. the real winner will be .. PC WILL BE DEAD ON ARRIVAL. The gloves will come off and the democrats can just whine to their hearts content .. while we fight the enemy and win.
Explain "closing the borders".
We know ONE thing -- where there are Moslems, there are potential terrorists to blow people and things up.
There is no border between the US and Saudi Arabia..
OH..........THAT border!!!
Dirty bombs at seaports would leave them permanently unusable. Gasoline refineries would take years to rebuild. Coal generation plants are down to 40 to 45 days of supply on the ground. It takes months to rebuild a key bridge. Lose enough generation plants and the grid goes down.
I can't believe that having been attacked once, Americans are either tired or afraid of fighting back.
I look at Kerry's polling numbers and believe that we have become a nation of wimps.
What the heck are you publicizing all that stuff for???
You should be saying "Horrors!!! They can't attack Hollywood!!! It would be more devastating that the WTC attacks! It's more valuable to the US than the Pentagon!"
There....that should do it..... Now it will be target #1
"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?"
Withdraw from the fight? How would we do that. The fight is here on our home soil if they attack us again. Where would we withdraw to....Canada?
I think that if Bin Laden believes an attack will tip the scales in favor of Kerry he is sadly mistaken. We are not Spain. We will not change presidents in the middle of a war on our soil.
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