Posted on 10/30/2001 6:33:30 AM PST by PrivacyChampion
FOX NEWS just reporting that there is a potential risk of a nuclear terrorist attack against the US, maybe within the Continental borders with a 'dirty nuke' that has been smuggled across the Mexican border.
This is the threat that AG Ashcroft warned about yesterday.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Russian Red Mafia and Red Chinese
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.
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."
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.
I agree.
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