Posted on 06/12/2002 6:24:10 AM PDT by Silas
Muslim terrorists have the capacity to set wildfires en masse and destroy a large part of the western United States. This theory was best said and first put forward by Freeper Travis McGee when he said it like this:
"Somebody had better be planning contingencies for a mass terrorist arson attack. Think of 20 arsonists setting ten fires each on a line 1000 miles long in one day. Or think of 20 Denver fires set upwind of cities on one day.
Box cutter >>> 9-11
Butane lighter >>> ??????"
We don't want to voice this concern because we are afraid that the terrorists will take up the idea. But we know that in fact they have already thought of this simple idea. By keeping our silence we are delaying an action plan to combat this idea.
We must have a plan in place in case these arsons begin. It's possible that they have already begun. We are barely out of May and already severe fires have started. This is unusual and it may be just the beginning. We must have a plan.
It is worth noting that during WWII the Japanese developed and implemented a plan to launch thousands of baloon-lifted incendiary bombs, hooked up to a simple timer. The idea was that a few of these bombs would detonate over California, based on prevailing winds. Some of the bombs did actually make it to California. The US gov. did not report any of these at the time, thus the Japanese believed that their plan failed when in fact it did not. California was saved significant fires due to a very wet season.
The point is that it is clear to any enemy that the US west is subject to arson - big time. Imagine what the Japanese would have done with a thousand spies given free run of the country.
WE MUST BE PREPARED TO DETAIN AND ENCAMP/DEPORT ALL ISLAMIC TERRORISTS AND THEIR SYMPATHIZERS. THE TIME TO PLAN IS NOW.
What’s missing is the drama. High monetary damage (in a broad coordinated attack). Low loss of life. We see this on CNN every summer.
Accountability, low. We get away with it.
We take credit, GWB blames lightening. Who believes us?
We do damage (to the insurers), but who do we terrorize?
Naturally, this idea will be anathema to the fedgov, which would prefer to shoot down airliners rather than arm their civilian pilots.
After a firestorm attack, some western governors may act on their own to duputize forest wardens, most likely it will be against the wishes of federal homeland security edicts.
On 9-11 they grounded the planes and stopped some other hijackings, after a fire attack we will probably have to restrict access to some areas, and institute (ugh) checkpoints, looking for out of state tag arabs.
The faster we do this, the better we will be able to limit the damage.
My fear is a team setting 50-100 fires in a line in two hours. There would be no time to see the total picture until it was a fait accompli.
The drama is entire towns being stranded and wiped out by pincers of fire.
Also the drama is smoke like the Kuwait oil field fires choking the west and killing the elderly etc.
We've set ourselves up for this one by not clearing the deadwood out of the forests. This was once done for free by wood scavengers all over the national forests but we stopped them in most places.
We also have absurd situations as in Texas where we have allowed the invirowhackos to mandate non clearing of brush on a massive scale in the name of species protection. One could burn down the entire West side of Austin Tx with one match on a windy day.
Rural property owners should keep a wary eye out. Profiling is mandatory. Look for Arab men driving around in wooded or brushy areas and alert the authorities.
That's right. We should all go into the woods and remove deadwood, trim all low and overhanging branches, and cut back the low bushes that tend to grow between mature trees and provide cover for terrorists. Everywhere, especially within reach of towns and cities. And especially in National Forests. Our forests are becoming disgusting; there is nothing in nature to compare to compare with a well managed forest.
Not lightening, global warming?
I don't mean to minimize the risk, other than the risk of being caught, which is minimal. Lots of damage, and if I'm right and you're wrong, it's only for the first occurance. By the third, we'd believe the terrorist's proclamations. It's missing the short term sizzle, but it's effective, and could have a cumulative effect similar to the bombers in Israel.
Aside from prairie or forest fires, urban arson could be a technique of terror. This block, that block, one dies here, four there, brings the risk home to all of us.
They weren't even coordinated attacks. Just lots of individual prank fires in copycat incidents. And they were devastating.
Of course if this started happening on a regular basis, every mosque in America would be burned the same week, and muslims would have to go into hiding.
Then, of course there are tundra fires, which Alaska gets every summer, huge fires, lots of smoke that travels hundreds of miles but burns only a few illegal cabins and no loss of human life usually.
The 10% given up to the spacing can be leased for farmland, parks, etc.
Consider Camp Pendleton Marine Base between San Diego and LA. In time of war, with Marines facing combat, the enviros permit the Marines to practice amphibious operations on 500 feet out of 17 miles of the base's coastline, lest the brutal ugly jarheads disturb the Lesser Western Green Throated Blue Balled Sand Flea.
A car would not even need to stop if highway safety flares were lit and tossed out the window . . .
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