Rifle-Toting Terrorists Called Major Threat to U.S. Power Grid

sfgate.com ^ | 23 November, 2012 | Brian Wingfield

[marktwain]

I came up with this concept in 1984. I deliberately did not publish it because I considered it too great of a threat. I have since tried to educate people a bit more, but the problem is that our enemies read these papers as well.

[Travis McGee]

I guess this means that the politicians should stick to the Constitution, and not try to make enemies out of American riflemen.

Nah. Let's just take all of their rifles away. Yeah, that'll work.

[gaijin]

shamefully transparent attempt to suppress the law abiding citizens.

our leaders are disgusting insects

[Tupelo]

Sir, That is an insult to a lot of hard working insects. Many of whom do very beneficial things for us. Most insects work hard, unlike politicians. Most insects are honest, unlike politicians.
My pet bee wants to challenge you to a duel. I am trying to hold him back but..............................

[joshhiggins]

“There are ways that a very few number of actors with very rudimentary equipment could take down large portions of our grid,”

Preventing the following

1) People from using electricity

2) Power plants from needing to burn coal to make the
electricity for these people to use.

3) Environmental destruction to produce the coal

4) Coal miners (who didn’t vote democratic anyway) from supporting their families.

5) The release of dangerous CO2 into the atmosphere by power plants and living breathing coal miner families.

6) Destroying the planet.

Now who would ever do such a thing?

[DUMBGRUNT]

For a “couple hundred bucks” a utility could install metal sheeting to block the view of transformers, he said. “If you can’t see through the fence, you can’t figure out where to shoot anymore.”

If you cannot see through it, you will have to deal with wind load.

Not cheap.

[stanne]

Thanks, Mark Twain. This is an interesting anecdote.

(The mag involves has soft porn popups, which I mean that in a bad way- Just saying)

I cut and pasted and sent to my East Coast family who marvel at the gun situation in Texas. (See Bernard Goetz)

[Iron Munro]

Hide your lever rifles and the kids .22!

Now that the Islamo-Marxist has been selected to rule for another term it is time for Big Gov to resume the War On Bitter Clingers.

[KeyLargo]

Just another reason for Obama to require gun registration.

[jospehm20]

I wonder how many ARs and AKs have been sold in the last decade?

[bgill]

Our electric company took down the chainlink fencing and put up 10 ft brick walls around all the small stations. Expensive project for less security. At least with chainlink, anyone inside would be seen. With the new easily scaled walls, there’s no way to see if anyone is inside.

[RedMDer]

Ideally, we need every member and regular user to contribute to keep Free Republic up and running strong.

[dragnet2]

“There are ways that a very few number of actors with very rudimentary equipment could take down large portions of our grid,” FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said today at a Bloomberg Government breakfast in Washington. “I don’t think we have the level of physical security we need.”

We need to do what Bush did, and allow in more Muslims terrorist. Ya tell people Bush allowed in more Muslims after 911 than the previous two decades, during war time, and they give ya that lost dog look...

Go team!

[combat_boots]

The entire DHS memo, email reading, cell phone confiscating push by 0bama and cabal is based on their perception that insurrection is a real possibility. After all, that’s what 0bama’s OWS plans for, whether they won or lost the election. The marauding bands of thieves and looters are presently contained within the Black Friday rage events.

[technically right]

As much as I hate to admit it, the article is basically correct. The part about the .22 rifle may be stretching it somewhat although the bushings on the transformers may be vulnerable to damage from a .22 at close range. The real danger is from .50 BMG AP rounds. 50 cal rifles are readily available to the public and 50 BMG rounds can be had for $3.50 each. A .50 BMG will puncture the casing on a station transformer from a fair distance. And as the article mentions, high capacity substation transformers are custome made to order and have very long lead times.

My guess is that most electrical service to California could be interrupted by taking out 5 or 6 key high voltage substation transformers.

[moovova]

“A coordinated physical attack is a very, very unsettling thing to me.”

No problem, sir. “A coordinated physical attack...”...doesn’t worry your president at all. As a matter-a-fact...your president, his SOS, his UN ambassador, and his adoring main-steam media fan club would probably blame it on a homemade video shot by a disgruntled utility user...

[DTogo]

An attacker “could get 200 yards away with a .22 rifle and take the whole thing out,” Wellinghoff said. For a “couple hundred bucks” a utility could install metal sheeting to block the view of transformers, he said. “If you can’t see through the fence, you can’t figure out where to shoot anymore.”

Facepalms on so many levels.

[tacticalogic]

I wouldn’t think it would require a .50. All you need to do is punch a hole in it so the oil starts leaking out and wait for it to overheat.

[moovova]

Another thought...

The TSA could guard the stations. 24 hour/day, armed guards.

Great, that’ll call for another governmental 50 bizillion bullet order.

[SoFloFreeper]

Obamugabe’s energy policy is THE major threat to our power grid.