Iraqi Drones May Target U.S. Cities

FoxNews ^ | Feb. 24, 2003 | FoxNews

[FairOpinion]

WASHINGTON

[VaBthang4]

GOOSE STEPPING BUSHBOT!

[formercalifornian]

Or they will say the administration was really behind the attack to drum up support for the war.

[zeaal]

Even if those here in America desiring to use the vehicles did not have any bio-chem agents they could still create panic by just flying one or two of these around large cities. The enemy's interest is to ruin the US financially. This will be attained by putting so much fear into people they will be afraid to go to work or shop or send their children to school. Could shut areas of our country down.

[formercalifornian]

Doesn't anyone have a REAL picture of these drones so we can duck and cover if we see one?

[FairOpinion]

"Secretary of State Colin Powell showed a picture of a small drone plane during his presentation to the U.N. Security Council earlier this month."

----
I don't know where are the pictures he showed.

[appalachian_dweller]

FOX just reported that these drones are GPS capable and programmed with maps of US cities. When reporting this they showed a map of the DC metro area. Also reported was that these drones may be brought into the country in pieces and assembled by sleeper cells. /remove tinfoil/

Not sure Iraq could pull this off tech wise. I've never heard of GPS toy planes, not to say they don't exist.

Discussion?

[robbinsj]

"Iraqi drones attacking the US mainland?" Agreed! Whoever wrote the article is either naturally paranoid or suffering from a bad trip.

This fear mongering reminds me of a statement by Hermann Goering:

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

– Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg Trials (Commander of the Luftwaffe, President of the Reichstag, Prime Minister of Police Gestapo, Hitler's 2nd man in the Third Reich & Marshal of the German Empire)

[Incorrigible]

Iraqi drones attacking the US mainland? Someone needs to double check and make sure this isn't an early April 1st hoax.

Couldn't agree more Fusion!

And let me add, it's an odd day when other posts on the same thread appear more alarmist than yours!

[LizardQueen]

::lol::

I can imagine if one came over my neighborhood. Everyone would be up on the rooftops blasting away at it. I'm in northern Vermont, everyone up here is armed to the teeth.

Say what you will about VT politics (God knows I do ::lol:: ) but they've got the right attitude toward guns.

LQ

[FairOpinion]

According to the article, intelligence reports say that these exist and have been tested. The GPS part is easy, you can even buy small handheld GPS systems. While some people choose to disbelieve the information in the article, this is not based on speculation, but specific intelligence reports, even Powell mentioned some of it at the UN briefing, so it's not just journalists just being "sensationalistic".

"They're worried that these vehicles have already been, or could be, transported inside the United States to be used in an attack, although there is no proof that this has happened.

Secretary of State Colin Powell showed a picture of a small drone plane during his presentation to the U.N. Security Council earlier this month.

But Powell said U.S. intelligence sources found that one of Iraq's newest UAVs went 310 miles nonstop on autopilot in a test run. That distance is over the 155 miles that the United Nations permits, and the test was left out of Iraq's arms declaration.

Officials tell Fox that there is solid intelligence that Iraq has tested many different types of sprayers on these drones to disperse chemical and biological weapons."

And of course don't forget that Atta tried to buy cropdusters. That is a fact, not speculation. With these sucidal terrorists, if they can't do UAV, they can just use a small plane.

[FairOpinion]

By your Goering Quote, it appears you are trying to draw a parallel between the Bush Administration and and Hitler.

Are you saying that Bush is just making this all up, to get support for "his" war, and that there is no threat, Iraq is no threat to us, the terrorists are no threat to us, it's just all been invented, so Bush can propagate his "imperialistic" agenda?

Are you going to quote the phony Shakespear/Caesar Quote, that Babs Straisand proudly quoted, about "those who beat the drums of war", next?

[taxed2death]

....so I guess it's OK with you that 4000-6000 illegal trespassers are crossing over our borders every 24 hours?

By the BP's own accounts 1000 of them are OTM's or Other than Mexicans.

Just who's side are you on here? There is no "magic" way to close the borders, I agree. It will take a lot of hard work and planning, something it seems you have an aversion too.

It IS, however, totally realistic to seal off our borders between legal border crossings, to funnel more people towards the legal crossings, where they can be intercepted. As I type this the US is sealing off the borders between Pakistan and Trashcanistan, two dozen border stations, to the tune of $300,000 each. We just handed turkey a check for 15 Billion dollars. We have the money, we have the technology, we could have a dual use system where we station Service people who are training to use the Predator and other upgraded UAV's in border areas, but alas, we also have a president who would rather be Vincente' Foxs' butt buddy instead of looking out for the personal saftey of Americans who live in border states. You can candy coat it any way you want to. It is what it is.

Lackeys like yourself are selling this country short.

[FairOpinion]

I also think that "secure the borders" mantra is no panacea.
That doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to make them MORE secure, as in doing what is necessary to stop the flow of illegal immigrants AT THE BORDERS, don't let everyone in "legally" without proper checks (which Teddy Kennedy opposes), and have a system so we know whether "students" are actually attending a university and where they are, etc.

But some people think that just closing the borders and not letting anyone in will solve the terrorist problems and most of our other problems, which of course is not the case.

Even with the best feasible border security, a few people can get through, if they are very motivated, as the terrorists are. And of course there appear to be plenty of people in the US, who are actually citizens, who can and would commit terrorism. Just consider Johnny Walker and Jose Padilla, and I am sure there are many more.

I think we have a multi-dimensional problem, where secure borders is just one aspect, and pro-active defense, as in eliminate terrorists and regimes who would supply them with WMD, BEFORE they get here, is another, in fact, in my opinion the most effective part. We should do all the various things needed.

I think, the point was that liberals don't want to do any of the OTHER things necessary, such as pro-active defense, as in pre-emption, more law enforcement, etc., they just keep criticizing Bush, that he doesn't just close the borders.

[Chemist_Geek]

The mantra of "close the borders" is nearly as nauseating as "it's about sex" used to be.

There simply is no way to "close" the borders, or to secure them to the point where nothing, or no one gets through.

Thank you! It's about time that some sense was injected into these discussions. Every thread has someone yammering on about how the "boarders are wide open for Bush's buddy (Vincente) Fox..."

[Chemist_Geek]

assumed that the average American was dumb as a box of rocks.

And this isn't a valid assumption? ;-)

[Chemist_Geek]

No, the problem is that you have to assume EVERYONE (including Freepers and those who would be Freepers if they but knew about FR) in America is really that frickin' stupid.

And you'd also have to presume that known effective public health measures like quarantine would not be used.

And the FReepers (and others) who would take a quarantine measure as the opening act of the Second American Revolution? You know they're out there...

[SevenDaysInMay]

Do Civil Air Patrol pilots' aggressive wing-tipping attacks on "suspicious" drones count as "defense"? V-1 Doodlebugs were redirected by Hurricanes and Spits. I wonder what picket duty 172's could do...given that our ATC will hardly ever see these sorts of aircraft. Night?

GPS can be selectively darkened as it used to be so programmed Lat-Long data remains inexact or blank. Our domestic pilots better not rely on GPS signals as their only nav guidance during this New Kind of War. VFR may become the gold standard.

IMHO, in general we may remain in a $7/hr. security guard reaction mode rather than a citizen actived war footing. Orange? We should be at Condition Pineapple at the least, because Hollywood (and Brentwood) is afraid.

[FairOpinion]

Actually the "unambiguous" words you quoted were posted by someone else (forgot the name) in response of my statement, to which I then replied, so I guess it wasn't clear who said what.

But I stated my opinion, a little less forcefully, that indeed closing the borders is impossible and is not the answer to everything. We need to make them more secure, stop illegal immigration, do more to check out people coming in legall, but there is no way to seal it, or to assure that no terrorist gets through. The best method is get rid of the terrorists and those who would supply them with WMD.

[Jim Robinson]

So, you think we should take out NK first?