If It Happened Here (nine: freerepublic.com mentioned in HYPOTHETICAL story about LA Anthrax attack)

L A Weekly (prominenent "alternative" weekly in Los Angeles, CA) ^ | February 21. 2003; Vol. 25; No. 14 | Paul Ciotti

[VOA]

(from poster: "THIS IS JUST A HYPoTHETICAL ARTICLE" warning to readers/posters.
I don't want any lurkers/posters to do a "War of the Worlds" suicide number due to this post.)


(excerpt from Feb. 21, 2003 L A Weekley article about the aftermath of a HYPOTHETICAL
anthrax attack that kills about 38,000 LA residents):

Others focus their emotions on the need to strike back, although it isn't clear
at whom, since the FBI hasn't caught anyone yet.
Even so, they post furious tirades on FreeRepublic.com urging the president to kill all
"ragheads and camel drivers,"
"nuke Mecca" and
turn Baghdad into "a glass parking lot."
Some other, less-well-wrapped citizens methodically go through the Los Angeles
phone directory, calling everyone named Mohammed, telling him to "get your ass
out of the country and that goes for your family too."

(click on source URL to access full story...might disappear in the next couple days)

[an amused spectator]

There appears to be quite a few journalists who lurk (and post!) here. ;-)

[Physicist]

Buried the way the excerpt is, and how FreeRepublic.com just pops into the story, I'd say Paul Ciotti is at least a lurker and maybe even a FReeper.

It was damned accurate, but make no mistake, it was intended as a vitriolic slam against FreeRepublic.

And boy, oh boy, does it hit home. :-(

[Fred Mertz]

By far the greatest threat would be to the economy.

I tend to agree with you; a downward spiral into a depression is highly likely.

[Tamzee]

I guess some would disagree with me, but I was happy to read this. The folks in LA, especially liberals, really need to see how feasible this type of attack is and what the consequences would look like. Up close and personal-like :-)

Even the mention of Free Republic isn't that harsh, the next sentence reads that "some other less-well-wrapped citizens methodically go through the Los Angeles phone directory..." While he's hinting that Freepers would over-react in a somewhat paranoid and racist manner, he's also stating that Freepers wouldn't go as far as committing hate crimes as others would.

This article might really help wake up some of the Dimbulbcrats that are so sure there isn't a real threat.

[Mr. Silverback]

The author is a moron. If we didn't do these things to the Muslim population after 9/11, we're not going to do them after another round of anthrax. Of course, people at alternative weeklies in major cities think anyone to the right of Nancy Pelosi is a secret admirer of Hitler.

[WaveThatFlag]

Except that LA's comparatively low population density make it a real dumb target for a chemical or biological attack.

[realpatriot71]

5:00 PM traffic is hell by itself. I cannot even imagine a panic get-out-of-town-as-fast-as-possible traffic jam. I don't think I'd even try the freeway. I'd go over the hills on dirt roads with the SUV my Cali friends always tell me I don't need.

[CedarDave]

One very scary, but realistic article. The writer took some care to make it a very believable scenario. This article is linked to this one, where additional comments were posted:
Fox News alert: US fears Iraq has transported GPS guided drones to America

[ibbryn]

I thought the article read well, but I noticed the author referred to .60 cal machine guns. Typo or poor research? If the latter, how accurate is the rest of the factual info?Anyone else notice any other factual errors?

[B4Ranch]

The one question that came top my mind was, 3500 feet on a sunny day, will the anthrax still be potent enough to kill you? I don't know the answer to that question.

[B4Ranch]

I would imagine if we did catch any of these people they would be shipped to W. Va. quietly.

Did you read the article? It's a good one.

[Mikey]

WOE. Damn man what a story (and possible scenario).