I've been offline for a few weeks and have only caught up on the past two days posts. If the following has been posted already my apologies for the duplication.
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U.S. gears up to detect nuclear material at sea
August 29, 2008
Dozens of law enforcement and emergency boats in one of the nation's largest and most congested waterways will be outfitted this fall with radiation detectors aimed at preventing terrorists from smuggling deadly weapons into the country.
The first-of-its kind test in Washington's Puget Sound will try to find out whether components for making radioactive or nuclear bombs could be picked up if they're hidden on a small boat cruising into a busy harbor. "We'll all suffer the consequences if we're not able to detect something," says Coast Guard Capt. Chip Strangfeld, who is working on the project with the Homeland Security Department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO).
DNDO chief Vayl Oxford says he puts the nation's coasts "at the top of the list" of security challenges. "It's one of the most difficult threats we have," he says. Puget Sound was chosen for the tests because it is so big and so busy, both with small recreational boats and cargo ships. The area is home to two commercial ports and the nation's largest ferry system. It's the nation's top region for non-commercial pleasure boats from overseas, and 750,000 cruise ship passengers and 15 billion gallons of oil move through its waters each year, according to Seattle Fire Department Assistant Chief A.D. Vickery.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-28-boats_N.htm
2008 Threat Season Heats Up
August 27, 2008
Summer brings with it rumors of attacks on the U.S. homeland. Currently, we are hearing unconfirmed word of plans in place for jihadists to be dispatched from Pakistan to conduct coordinated suicide attacks against soft targets in as many as 10 U.S. cities.
This year, the rumors seem to be emerging a little later and with a little less fanfare than last year, when we saw a number of highly publicized warnings, such as that from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and a National Intelligence Estimate saying al Qaeda was gaining strength. Last year also brought warnings from a former Israeli counterterrorism official that al Qaeda was planning a simultaneous attack against five to seven American cities, and of a dirty bomb attack against New York.
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Thank you for the post Oorang and glad you’re back online.