Nuclear Threat within US Possible (My Title)

FoxNews | October 30, 2001

[alancarp]

A target that will be tough to defend over a mile or less in diameter: Yankee Stadium, NYCity, where the POTUS 43 and ex-POTUS 42 will be in attendance ... with 60,000 or more acquaintences this evening.

[PoisedWoman]

It seems to me that carrying a nuke accross America to the Sears Tower or Mall of America would be a lto harder to carry out.

Agree. What's closer to Mexican border? Houston and nearby refineries? And heaven forbid, Crawford, TX, where Dubya has his ranch.

If I were a crazed terrorist, I might head straight for America's oil refineries to increase this country's dependence upon Arab oil. And then gloat as Saudi prince Ali-Boombah showed his true colors and raised the price to astronomical levels to bring the USA economy to its knees. In the meantime, I'd sabotage the Alaska Pipeline, arrange for massive oil spills in the tundra to make the politics of ANWR even worse.

I'd probably be a pretty bad terrorist, as these methods would be effective but not showy, not visible on TV.

[Rheo]

Here is another snippet from the Oct 14th statement of Bin Laden spokesman.

We tell and recommend Muslims in the United States and Britain, and those who reject the American policies, not to take airplanes and not to live in towers and high buildings.

[Travis McGee]

Terrorist would not even need an ex-soviet "Suitcase Nuke".

Any ex-soviet nuclear artillery shell would do.

Stripped to only the "physics package", they could be as small as 8"D X 30" long, and weigh under 50 pounds.

[doug from upland]

Mexican border? We're talking Los Angeles which has become a multicultural hell hole of a city.

[ChemistCat]

My proposal is that if something more happens, we save all surviving Muslims the trouble of making their Hajj. Time to make sure that all the faithful can have their own little piece of the Kabbha on their own bookshelves. I wonder what fragments of the Rock would fetch on Ebay? I am serious here. If the Saudis want our protection and friendship, it's time for them to fully engage in the fight to retrieve their religion from this movement, the highjacker of their faith. Either Islam is for terrorism or it isn't. It's time for the guardians of Islam's most sacred object to choose whom to follow. Otherwise, it's time to give Allah his chance to prove he'll protect Islam.

[Robert357]

Very interesting

Well why don't we speculate as to targets. I would say that the big news splash last night with Bush Senior at the Sears Tower observation deck opening was an open invitation, almost a "dare you to try it," kind of media opportunity.

Brownsville Texas is a hell of a place to enter the US. It is almost not connected to the US. Any transportation out of Brownsville into the heartland would have a high potential for tracing. I would also say that three symbolic targets not discussed, but closer would be the Johnson Space Center in Texas, the St Louis Mississippi Arch, and some of the TVA power plants (nuclear or hydro). If this is a dirty nuc and they want to get the most impact for their device, detonating it high in the air near a major population center would be what they are planning.

The Golden Gate Bridge would contaminate mostly the SF Bay and so not be a real problem, so I would rule that one out. Not sure where Cnn is headquarted, but would assume it is a large city. Of the targets Outlaw indicates, the Sears Tower sounds like it would have the most cost to the US economy, and it sounds like the FBI is baiting a trap there as well. This could further explain why some of the prohibitions are in place on private pilots and flights over heavily populated airspace.

[Mixer]

I think that last idea of yours is a great one but I also think that we would automatically be blamed for something like that. Plus now that you mentioned it here all of Iraq knows your plan ;) I think we should do what you said.

When I was a kid I would say about 10, my borther spoke of revenge on people he didnt like only he stated that it needed to be done when the people were least likely to suspect him. The same goes for the USA. Like him we need to wait until there is something else oyt there that it could be pinned on.

[TrueBeliever9]

I think bin Laden's color is RED

Russian Red Mafia and Red Chinese

[thinden]

bumping

[ecomcon]

The question is, are these psychopathic "jihad" types thinking rationally enough to comprehend the seriousness of such a threat?

The answer is, they comprehend, and don't care.

Nations mean nothing. Life means nothing. They will martyr whole populations if necessary. People are cannon fodder. They care nothing for any particular nation. When the heat rises, they will disappear to the Sudan, or Indonesia or anywhere, and start again. We either kill them, or identify and destroy their hope. What is of value, something they really care about.

[Mixer]

I agree. I would also like to add that if it is the same terror network that caused 9/11 then they are interested, as stated by them, in killing Americans. They will more then likely avoid the Statue Of Liberty because the death toll would be too low for them. Then again it is a symbol of the USA. I would say that if they were able to strike anything in NY again that we have more to fear then we are aware of.

[MizSterious]

They've already been seen videotaping refineries south of us (we're in Oklahoma)--the usual report: two youngish M.E. men, wearing jeans and black leather jackets. Reports were made, with no apparent alarm coming from the FBI.

[Poohbah]

Travis, the problem is that the whole mess is designed as an integrated system--you'd need to be able to remove the fusing system (which is based on the shell revolving along its long axis so many times), then find a way to hotwire the detonator so that it will function without the appropriate signal from the fuse.

What you'd wind up with is a device that would literally be ready to detonate as soon as you finished playing with the wiring. Trying to turn it off would be just as likely to arm it as not. Watch Manhattan Project with John Lithgow for an idea what's likely to happen with amateur work on a nuke...the bad guys are likely to have an unscheduled nuclear test somewhere in Central Asia.

And Seinfeld's Martyrdom Nazi would announce: "No virgins for you."

[Robert357]

lkhin: The sole purpose of the Muslims gaining Jerusalem is so they can wipe out history and replace it with one of their stupid mosques. Mecca needs to be annihilated.

I hope it doesn't go there, but sadly, it appears that the only thing the enemy cares about is their "holy land", Saudi Arabia. We may have to lay the axe to the root, and throw down the idols in the high places, so to speak.

Interesting thought. If the Islamic Countries do not participate in routing out the terrorists this would be an option. Considering that the Taliban destroyed ancient Budist holy places, the destruction of the holy rock at Mecca, might be a fitting threat. Unfortunately, I would not want to see us lowered to that level. An interesting intelectual exercise, but one I would hope that civilized countries would never participate in.

[blam]

"BE CAREFUL about ordering things over the net w/o the benefit of discussing your own health history with a doctor."

I agree.

[Mia T]

ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE: WHERE IS TRUMAN WHEN WE NEED HIM?