Al Qaeda planning new U.S. attacks (Canadian Flights?)

CNN ^ | 9/4/03 | Jeanne Meserve and Kelli Arena

[Lunatic Fringe]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Department of Homeland Security advisory issued Thursday warns that al Qaeda is working on plans to hijack airliners flying between international points that pass near or over the continental United States.

A Department of Homeland Security official said most of the flights fitting this description originate in Canada, and that U.S. officials have been working with Canada over the past month to ensure it is improving screening and other security measures.

[GOPJ]

bump

[bikewench]

Exterminating all life on this planet is well within our capabilities.



As well as a few other countries.

I wonder if humans are really dumb enough to do that.

[Finalapproach29er]

The goal is cut in half ($240 bil.) in four years (Ha-HA-HA). Deficits are here for at least ten years. We would never have had a surplus if Clinton had spent money on all the anti-terrorist measures Bush has had to fund.

[eno_]

Not even close. High explosive releases a huge amount of energy. The '93 WTC attack almost brought down a tower with a low explosive car bomb.

[eno_]

A nuke isn't a precision weapon. If a nuke could be dropped within a dozen miles of an oil field and destroy the oil field, this depends on the size of the nuke but assuming it comes from an ICBM it's not going to be a tactical warhead.

Depends on how recent the nuke is. A Trident is as accurate as any conventional PGM.

[eno_]

First of all, no, we could not exterminate all human life. Second, no, nobody else can even come close. Third, yes, we could erase every city in the sphere of Islam within 45 minutes with a fraction of our submarine fleet. Except for the media reaction, the impact on the rest of the world would be minimal.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

" current invasion of the USA by illegal aliens."

+ 70,000 legal Arabs a year with no extra limits on Saudis.

Tick tick tick...

[genefromjersey]

Slang for agent of FBI. Feebies aren't always popular with the cops.

[John_11_25]

There goes the Canadian airline industry and the economy.

Tourist or Businessmen are going to think twice before travelling to Canada.

I hope the US have good info. before sending these type of warnings, as if lay offs come, they will be at the airports, so even less security than there is already.

Talk about Blow Back.

[Squawk 8888]

I bet a 747 at 500 miles an hour could do it though.

Not likely- when aluminum meets concrete, the concrete wins every time. Look at the damage a direct hit did to the WTC- without the fires, the towers would never have collapsed because most of the steel beams remained intact. The fuel won't explode, just a fireball.

[Squawk 8888]

we can deny air space for Canada to fly

I don't think you want to go there- nearly all transatlantic flights from or to the USA use Canadian airspace, and the Gander Oceanic control centre manages about half of all transatlantic flights (half the north atlantic). A pissing match would harm Canada, harm the US economy even more, and would not prevent a single attack.

[Mo1]

A pissing match would harm Canada, harm the US economy even more, and would not prevent a single attack

I know .. I just wanted to point out that it can be done and Canada doesn't have us by the *alls.

If we are attacked again and if it came from Canada because their lack of security on the war on terror .. I'm guessing many in this country wouldn't be to upset if we cut off Canada

[Charlie OK]

Perhaps they will target football games...

I think of that everytime I am at Owen Field with 80+ thousand of my closest friends.

[freeperfromnj]

And what about Mexico? I would think security there is probably a hundredfold worse than it is up here in Canukistan.

You are so right. My friend down in Texas knows a border patrol guard (also a reservist now serving in Iraq) who claims to have nabbed 2 Al Qaeda guys on the border about a year.

[AdamSelene235]

As well as a few other countries.

Russia's nuke and bio programs are in disarray, China's are immature. France is only good at self-mutilation.

I wonder if humans are really dumb enough to do that.

History suggests the answer is YES.

[bikewench]

First of all, no, we could not exterminate all human life.

True.

Second, no, nobody else can even come close.

That's comforting.

Third, yes, we could erase every city in the sphere of Islam within 45 minutes with a fraction of our submarine fleet. Except for the media reaction, the impact on the rest of the world would be minimal.

.... other than to piss off EVERY other Islamic fundamentalist left elsewhere on the planet.

It would be awesome if we could just wipe out our problems.... unfortunately, it has been proved time after time that you cannot legislate honesty and goodwill toward your fellow man... nor can you beat them into never being a problem again.

[bikewench]

Adam...

I'm no expert on the atom bomb.... but I do know that we all breathe the same air... and the effects of a bomb do not stay localized.

It doesn't matter what country does the dirty, we all get to share in it's evil bounty...

I believe that humans will eventually do ourselves in. Yup!

[AdamSelene235]

Adam... I'm no expert on the atom bomb.... but I do know that we all breathe the same air... and the effects of a bomb do not stay localized. It doesn't matter what country does the dirty, we all get to share in it's evil bounty...

No not really. Recent hormesis data suggests even a substantial increase in background radiation say 100X would increase not decrease human lifespans. I know several physicists who use potassium chloride in place of salt for this reason. Me, I just have a nice chunk of uranium oxide under my bed.

Check out the article entitled "A scientist finds independence" in my profile for more details.