[francisandbeans]

Flamesuit ON!

[texlok]

I could some see sickos mailing stuff in - think about how many would-be unabombers there are, and here's the chance to pull off a sick prank and get it blamed on something else.

[cgbg]

You are to be congratulated for putting forward a theory that fits the known facts reasonably well.

I don't think I agree with it though.

Some random thoughts (too early to fit into a theory):

The unabomber was sending bombs through the mail which forced folks to be careful about opening packages. Yet the mail continued to operate.

Anthrax, as has been discussed ad nauseum, is a miserable terror weapon--not contagious, can't survive sunlight, etc. So it cannot cause a true panic once the novelty wears off.

While the hazmat teams are running around in the silly "white powder chase" there appears to be no major long-term harm as a result of the exercise--it probably does them good to practice a little. ;-)

While it does divert them and the antibiotic supply in the short term it has no long term impact.

My gut just tells me that history will recall this anthrax thing is nothing about nothing.

(Caveat emptor--I was wrong about Y2K ;-) )

[Clinton's a rapist]

The evidence suggests that Atta was involved in the prep work for the mail-bomb campaign. Thus, it is unlikely that the mail-bomb campaign represents merely the thrashing of a terrorist campaign that has been successfully suppressed by the host response to 9/11. Nor does it seem likely that the plot incorporating the 9/11 attack features a low-intensity letter bomb campaign as its grand finale. We know that Atta met with Iraqi intelligence six months ago. We know that Saddam Hussein's regime will likely be a target in the War on Terrorism as the campaign progresses. We know that the terrorists were researching crop-dusters and "wind patterns." We know that Iraq has extensive stocks not only of Anthrax, but of other, potentially much more terrible biological and chemical agents.

Now you do the math.

[pubmom]

Not a bad theory, anything is possible.

[plain talk]

ditto your theory. I think you've nailed it. An adder to your theory is that while mailing out a bunch of harmless powder, they also get to see how the authorities and public react and then learn from this and understand our weaknesses. It also gets to be like the boy who cried wolf. If we see day in and day out false alarms, people will let their guard down and then they let us have it with the real stuff.

[white rose]

As whackjob nutbag theories go, it's a darn good one. I don't know whether to congratulate you for your cleverness or offer condolences for being able to think like a terrorist.

BTW, I'd hate to get into a chess game with you. :-)

[gwmoore]

Congrats francisandbeans, WELL DONE!

I believe you have a valid scenario here. However, a few comments (this being FR after all) are in order.

First, just because 9/11 ocurred, we did not have a miraculous outbreak of sanity in the US. All the Nuts& Fruitcakes are still out there. The progressive grand social experiments of the last 30 years have insured that said Nuts and Fruitcakes are in the general society, not in locked wards.

Anytime we have a particularly serious occurrence, we have a load of "copycat" actions by the above deranged individuals. Fortunately, today, PC is pretty well suspended by the average American. Solution: Treat "copycats" same as a real terrorist, short, sharp, and permanent. End problem.

Second: Why the heck are we not rounding up and deporting anyone from the middle east suspect countries who are here on visas (expired or otherwise) with the obvious exception of Israelis. Yes it is racial and ethnic profiling, but it would go a long way toward making the Americans feel safer. This should have began on 9/12 and been completed by now. It also would give American citizens a better shot at the positions vacated by said visa holders.

Third: Stop ALL immigration until this crisis has been controlled. Close the borders. You want to sneak in? Smile for the starlight scope, end of problem.

Fourth: Tell the public the damn truth. We are adults and can handle it. Don't get the "deer in the headlights look" and say "there is nothing to see here, move along"

Fifth: DECLARE WAR, FORMALLY
this would allow extraordinary war powers but put a finite end to these powers once the state of war no longer existed. No legislation that is impossible to get rid of once passed into law. There is nothing in the Constitution which limits the declaration of War to a country. We can, and must, declare war against terrorism in general and the country(ies) sponsoring terrorism officially, the way authorized by the Constitution, by Congress.

Sixth: keeping with the above, get some spine and resolve and respond to an attack of WMD in kind. IMHO, green glass looks very attractive in satellite photographs, and also sends a permanent message that the reciever cannot refuse. We pretty much are aware of the big source of ChemBio and possibly Nukes in the mideast. Deal with it at the source. I do not feel very humanitarian at this stage.
Collateral damage is a fact of war. We have to deal with this. We face the same basic equation which existed at the end of WWII. We have an enemy of fanatics who, like the enemy we faced at the end of WWII condones suicide as a viable weapon. There is no way to completely defend against a suicidal enemy. We face a possible ground action, against probable heavily fortified, booby trapped caves and bunkers in extremely hostile terrain , and regardless of the sucess of such an operation, we will have a large casualty count at the end. The use of a weapon which would save a large number of American lives instead of a Vietnam style war of attrition becomes more attractive by the second.

While the "white powder" in a large number of cases may prove to be inert, someone is probing, and diverting many assets away from real problems. Stop the BS and the PC, and get the job done, for once and for all. Permanently.

Keep the Faith for Freedom

MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THIS HONORABLE REPUBLIC

Greg

[verity]

Your Article's title seems appropriate!

[EuroFrog]

My Own Whackjob Nutbag theory on same.... (saving my butt too, opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and most of them stink...)

I am sticking with my initial assumptions of this being a diversionary tactic. I think they would target news organizations so those same organizations would freak out about Anthrax and report on it all the time, freaking out the general population therefore diverting our focus from alot of other things. Here everyone is checking their mail with 10 foot poles, wary of the white powder envelope. And here comes the FBI with the warnings of attacks to come, people are thinking Anthrax. I think if anything else is to happen its going to be way unrelated to what most people are afraid of and probably have nothing to do with white powder, the mail, or Anthrax.

Like I said, my opinion, take it with a grain of white powder.

[Aaron_A]

I think your theory is very likely.

[ScottinSacto]

Gov. Davis called an emergency meeting of all State agency mailroom supervisors at 1 pm this afternoon. No specific details yet, but supposedly all State mailrooms are to stop opening mail. Again, no details on how long this will be in place.

[been_lurking]

the US mail will be severly slowed or stop all together

Who still uses the U.S. Mail?

Correspondence is faxed or emailed, packages go commercial. Only thing I get via U.S. Mail is bills and Class IV junk, none of which could be labeled "suspicious" and all of which are easily recognizable.

[LibKill]

In my beloved Texas the penalty for planting a hoax bomb (fake bomb) is the same as for planting a real one.

I propose that the penalty for mailing hoax bioagents or poisons or chemical weapons maliciously be the same as for mailing the real thing.

I further propose that the penalty for mailing bioagents or poisons or chemical weapons shall be death.

[Enlightiator]

Interesting theory, and I wouldn't be suprised if the culprit(s) have mailed out both anthrax laced and non-anthrax hoax letters- as you have indicated, this magnifies their hoped for effect. But even if they have done this, it just isn't gonna work out the way you indicate. This will be dealt with in a professional fashion, without the hoped for hysteria. Why? Look at the effects of the anthrax letters thus far- one death in the beginning before we caught on to this. FYI, anthrax hoax letters have been quite common for years, and typically contain talcum or other benign powders.

Recommended reading to put the anthrax hysteria behind us:
Concerns Vs. Chaos in the Anthrax Scare

[Constitutional Patriot]

You should send this to the FBI. No kidding. They are actually hiring Hollywood writers to develop possible terrorist attack scenarios. Your theory is entirely possible.

[VaBthang4]

Okay okay...

Thoughts though...

What means of delivery would the terrorists have left in order to attack us biologically in a way that would a create massive epidemic?

Also...considering the shakedown that has gotten some 600 arabs hemmed up in US custody...who would they have remaining to deliver such a massive quantity needed to create a massive epidemic?

[hoot2]

the media is irrelevant...
is this the only way they can get "attention"?

[Lizzy W]

If a state of emergency were to be declared, could the guvmint take control of the Rx manufacturing facilities? In any case, I assume the companies would voluntarily switch to making antibiotics.

[francisandbeans]

bump

[Terry Mross]

If my bills can't be mailed to me then I can't pay them. The terrorists lose!