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Question One:

"If the White House were nuked and commadn authority eliminated, would our nuke forces have the ability to strike back"

I'm an old boomer sailor, so let me take a stab at that question. Quick answer is yes, they would. There is an entire command and control system dedicated just to that particular scenario.

Question Two:

"Salvo who":

I'm of the opinion that terrorism and assymetrical warfare is the pre phase of a generalized conflict. Its a method of softening up an opponent by using economic, political, propaganda, terroristic, and guerilla warfare tactics to advance your goals before the opening stages of a more in depth conflict.

The question is who is the real opponent? I belive the answer is a conglomeration of nations who have decided to support terrorism, Islamic extremism, and Islamic fascism as a method of advancing themselves on the world stage while we are nibbled to death at the top. We know who they are, but they havent made any hostile actions that merit response.

If an American city or two were to be nuked and thousands upon thousands killed, I would hope they would realize we are in a fight for our lives and make the real enemies pay the consequences.

In my opinion, the real enemies are China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia. Everywhere there is a frothing at the mouth Islamic wacko, there is a weapon or some type of support supplied by these couontries.

Disclaimer: its just a theory, but I imagine the real powers that be know who the real bad guys are.

This weekend I read Paul Williams' "Osama's Revenge", re: nuclear suitcase bombs, etc. I found it to be short on evidence of his assertion that there are 20-48 suitcase bombs ready to be detonated in CONUS. I have mentioned elsewhere that the working theory is that there are two suitcase bombs that have made it ashore. That is backed up by George Tenet's report to POTUS. Williams cites evidence that Chechens traded nuclear suitcase bombs for opium with street value in the hundreds of millions. Williams did not explain how a Russian military unit would dare to auction off a suitcase nuke to their avowed enemies, the Chechens, for any price. He also draws on one Russians testimony of "48 suitcases" as conclusive evidence that there are 48 nuclear suitcase buried here around the country. Further, he spent a good deal of the book discussing the ease of assembling a radiological bomb, which (between you and me) is pretty irrelevant if you're carrying around forty-eight nuclear suitcase bombs. All in all, it was a decent overview of Osama's "raison d'etre", but he offered nothing but "public statements" from shadowy Islamic clerics (who are TOTALLY reliable, as we all know) as proof that we were on the brink of a nuclear holocaust that would do away with Western civilization.

I am in agreement that an immense amount of nuclear material went missing after the fall of the USSR. I am in agreement that al Qaeda would gladly light up an American city when they deem the time is right. I am in agreement that even a one megaton explosion in NY would plunge the economy into a depression... I don't agree, however, that every Russian, Chechnyan, or Islamic radical that boasts of our doom should be taken as bearing the truth. I can see how people would become seriously frightened by what Williams asserts in this book, however, there's much more filler than substance when it comes to backing up his claim...

Do either of you have an opinion on his claims? If his warnings are correct, I can't imagine there's any hope for us but to continue the pre-emptive policy and declare war on Islam. Somehow, I don't see that happening...