Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Twenty-One

[penguino]

Strange addendum on lighthouses:

[1] ENVIRONMENT: Dirty Relics

In mid-November 2003, Russian authorities in the Murmansk region found out that two automated lighthouses on the Kola Peninsula in the far north had been vandalized. These lighthouses, among many built in the 1970s, had been powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) powered by the decay of strontium-90. Although the casing and shielding had been taken in both cases, the canisters of strontium-90 were simply discarded, and were recovered safely.

Strontium-90 has a half-life of 29 years. Each lighthouse, depending on its function, has between 30,000 and 180,000 curies of strontium-90. For a standard of comparison, the Chernobyl accident of 1986 released 40,000 curies. The idea that terrorists might get their hands on such quantities of radioactive material to build "dirty bombs" that could contaminate public sites, rendering them uninhabitable without a huge cleanup effort, is a complete nightmare.

Al Qaeda documents seized in Afghanistan indicate that Islamic terrorists definitely have radioactive materials on their shopping list. Although the radioactive materials were recovered from the two lighthouses, at roughly the same time the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) received a report that a group of people in the former Soviet region of Moldova, far to the south, had melted down some unspecified radioactive source. The IAEA immediately sent a team to investigate and get the facts.

However alarming these events were, they were not a surprise. The Soviet Union was very fond of RTGs and over a thousand remain in use or at large today. In January 2002, the IAEA began a program to track down RTGs in the Republic of Georgia, and later in 2002 the IAEA, the US, and Russia signed an agreement to set up a program to round up loose RTGs and other sources in the Former Soviet Union. Such other sources include, for example, truck-mounted seed irradiators filled with cesium-137 powder. IAEA officials feel they have at least identified all the sources if not yet got them all under control.

Although Russia has the worst problem, the US is not entirely faultless either. Of a total of 134 strontium-90 RTGs built in the US, only 47 have been accounted for. Researchers concerned with the issue have also identified a Chinese truck-mounted irradiator that carries 250,000 curies of cesium-137. It's just more proof, if any were needed, that once a genie has been let out of his bottle it may be hard to get him back in again.


* "Radioactive Sources Move From A Concern To A Crisis" by Richard Stone, AAAS SCIENCE, 5 December 2003, 1644:1645.

http://www.vectorsite.net/f2004m03.html

[nwctwx]

I would like to be added to the TM ping list please.

You're all set.

[SlowBoat407]

I live in HVT central, as a matter of fact, and I've visited Kitty Hawk a number of times. One other possibility: it has access to the Intra-Coastal waterway, which could be considered a back door to Hampton Roads.

[midwestjenny]

FYI JC Police Look for Suspicious Man
11/4/2004, Jefferson City, MO KRCG-TV



Police are searching for a suspicious looking man seen outside two Jefferson City schools. Investigators say an unidentified man was seen on Thorpe Gordon Elementary School property Tuesday, videotaping through windows at the lobby entrance. Authorities say the man was driving a white Chrysler with Ohio plates.

Administrators at Lewis and Clark Middle School reported seeing a similar vehicle outside their building on Monday. Both schools served as polling locations for voters.
"It could be a project someone was working on, it could be a freelance journalist, it could be anything. But we have a responsibility to the securities of our schools. We're going to find out what it was," says Jefferson City Police Department Capt. Mike Smith.

Captain Smith advises students to be alert, stay away from unknown vehicles and report suspicious activity to authorities. He says the man did not break any laws, but says he is a person of interest.

Authorities are looking for a white Chrysler with Ohio plates DEF 8407. If you have any information, call the Jefferson City Police Department at 634-6400.

[liberallyconservative]

Exactly. I visited the Outer Banks several years ago (my family is lighthouse enthusiasts) and went as far up as Currituck/Duck & Corolla. Several years later, we visited VA and PA and came back along coastal VA, crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. I was amazed at the close proximity of our 2 trips.

[liberallyconservative]

And the Intracoastal Waterway is amazingly beautiful, but must present a security nightmare for our Coast Guard and Homeland Security.

[nwctwx]

The Godzilla Summaries Index has been updated. I changed it around (just links to each summary now) to make it easier on myself.

[SlowBoat407]

Trust me: they have it covered.

[Cindy]

JIHAD WATCH.org: "SPENCER ON THE MURDER OF THEO VAN GOGH: DEATH OF A 'BLASPHEMER'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "heo van Gogh was shot dead on an Amsterdam street on Tuesday morning. His assailant was a Dutch Moroccan who was wearing traditional Islamic clothing. After shooting van Gogh several times, he stabbed him repeatedly, slit his throat with a butcher knife, and left a note containing verses from the Qur’an on the body. Said Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende: “Nothing is known about the motive” of the killer.") (November 3, 2004) (Read More...)

[SlowBoat407]

It seems pretty wide open around here, until you cross the wrong line and find a .50 cal pointed at your sailboat. Believe it or not, it made me feel good and safe. I showed both hands, shrugged, and steered away.

[nwctwx]

thank you for this report midwestjenny.

[Teri0811]

"mistakes regarding how many died in 9/11"

Someone else, in a post above, pointed out that he also mentioned it being four years since Sept. 11th, when it's actually been 3. With regard to the mistakes regarding how many died on Sept. 11th (I thought he said "abandoned," not "died"), the number he mentioned was 50,000...he mentions that number at least twice in that tape.

I finally had enough patience to take a closer look at the transcript. It is chilling considering the number of times he mentions women and children; rockets and bombardoments of houses, high rises and towers; and stresses priority to private interests over public interests...it brings to mind the information obtained on schools.

[liberallyconservative]

Good to know. Strangely enough, I would feel the same way (after going below for a change of shorts :)

[nwctwx]

Security experts are warning that an e-mail claiming to contain a video of Osama Bin Laden's reaction to the US election result contains a worm. The e-mail is signed by The Hobbit.

lol, I don't get why anyone would try opening a video they were e-mailed by an unknown person. ;) Good to know though, thanks for posting.

[SlowBoat407]

"Someone else, in a post above, pointed out that he also mentioned it being four years since Sept. 11th, when it's actually been 3."

If I recall the transcript correctly, he said something along the lines of "As we enter the fourth year...", which then makes more sense. Odd, still that he would choose the beginning of a time period rather than simply marking the anniversary.

[liberallyconservative]

If in fact the terminology used is "abandoned" versus "died", this puts it in a different perspective. IIRC, initial reports the morning of 9/11 gave a figure somewhat near that number ( I know it was in the tens of thousands.) I always assumed that figure was for the number of occupants of the buildings (who would have been killed if the towers had collapsed immediately), but that number was scaled back dramatically when many were lucky enough to make it out before the collapse.

[nwctwx]

From the transcript:

"It never occurred to us that the commander-in-chief of the American armed forces would abandon 50,000 of his citizens in the twin towers to face those great horrors alone, the time when they most needed him."

He did use 'abandoned' and as you point out, the initial estimates were that around 50,000 people were in the buildings.

[FairOpinion]

Did anyone see what was posted in the post, about attack on Nov. 13th on the Sears Tower?

The title was in breaking news, but the article was pulled by the AM.

I presume it was just some uncorraborated statement, but I wonder if anyone here has seen anything about it?

[nwctwx]

Looks like nonsense to me, but I copied it before it was pulled:

Possible Terrorists Attack at Sears Tower on Nov. 13th?
On 11/04/2004 10:12:35 PM PST · 29 replies · 572+ views

The D News Monitor ^ | 11-05-04 | Tina Steward
All information is from D News MonitorPOST ELECTION 2004 UPDATE: (11-05-04) There are speculations on the Internet that if Bush/Cheney are reelected Al-Qaeda will launch a biochemical attack in the heart of Times Square, targeting MTV studios, and highly populated areas. Malls in the D.C. area should be on alert. Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, is a possible target of attack 11 days after the election or Nov. 2nd, 2004. Attack is said to happen 11 days after election day if Bush is reelected to correspond with September 11th. The number 11th corresponds with Al-Qaeda's plans to launch...

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More Here: http://www.dilby.com/article/osama.htm

[nwctwx]

Also, the 13th is a Saturday, and...

Sears Tower is in a Blue State. ;)