Hart-Rudman Report: Next Attack could top 9-11

Newsday ^ | Oct. 25, 2002 | Ken Guggenheim

[FairOpinion]

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains "dangerously unprepared" to deal with another major terrorist attack, said a report by former top government officials, academics and business leaders.

"In all likelihood, the next attack will result in even greater casualties and widespread disruption to American lives and the economy" than the Sept. 11 attacks, said the task force chaired by former Sens. Gary Hart, D-Colo., and Warren Rudman, R-N.H. The report was released late Thursday.

Because a year has passed without a major terrorist attack against the United States, the report says, "there are already signs that Americans are lapsing back into complacency."

Few of the ships, trucks and trains that enter the United States each day are searched, the report said. Emergency personnel are unprepared for chemical or biological attacks. Oil refineries and energy distribution lines could be sabotaged. State and local police still lack access to State Department terrorist watch lists.

"When it comes to combating terrorism, the police officers on the beat are effectively operating deaf, dumb and blind," it said.

[FairOpinion]

I agree with their assessment. I think a lot of people are still living in denial of the seriousness and magnitude of the threat.

[piasa]

As serious as it is... and I take it very seriously indeed...

It pales next to the damage that garden-variety 'progressive' socialists can do. Terrorists can only kill us; but in doing so they only strengthen our resolve and assure their own defeat; socialists enslave us and succeeding generations... and they kill slowly by eating away our culture and society and by corrupting our youth. Their ideology can also bring military defeat.

[Ally]

I agree , seems like a lot of people in the US prefer to have a short memory than to admit there is an old new
threat they have to cope with (old for this kind of hate
to the Western world and especially to the US has been there all years long).
By the way , it was reported last night that the FBI is
afraid there will be an attempt by terrorists to attack rails .

[neutrino]

Good post. I suspect our problem is even more fundamental than the article states (or dares state).

We all know the origin of most of the terror attacks. And it isn't a bunch of amish guys. Until we admit this basic truth and act on it, how can we possibly expect to deal with the problem?

[FairOpinion]

piasa: "It pales next to the damage that garden-variety 'progressive' socialists can do. "

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What we have to keep in mind that both the terrorist and the socialists (masqarading as liberal Democrats) have something important in common: a burning hatred of the American freedoms and way of life, and both sworn to destroy it. That is why the socialists are also terrorist apologies, because they share the common goal of the destruction of America.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

I'm a nut, but we are in the beginning of a world war.
We have no chance of survival with all the lib/socialists here at home shooting us in the back.