Missing Nukes with Al-Qaeda?

Newsmax.com email | 9/18/2002 | Newsmax.com / Josef Bodansky

[old-ager]

September 18, 2002

Missing Soviet Nukes Now With Al-Qaeda

Just this week, the head of Ukraine's communist party admitted that some 200 Soviet-era nuclear warheads have simply disappeared.

Pravda reports that a Ukrainian parliamentary member reveals that some of the warheads have been "lost."

Previous press reports indicate as many as 50 nuclear suitcase devices are also missing from Russia's nuclear arsenal.

These reports confirm details of an exclusive briefing given to NewsMax readers earlier this month by Yossef Bodansky.

Yossef Bodansky is the author of the New York Times #1 best seller "Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America."

He is arguably the world's foremost expert on al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, and he offers a stunning, confidential briefing to NewsMax's Off-the-Record Club.

Among his many revelations: Osama bin Laden obtained several nuclear devices from the Russian mafia.

Bodansky's also claims that bin Laden has sought and received "fatwahs" -- special religious dispensations -- to explode such devices in the U.S.

Bodansky cites Israeli and U.S. intelligence sources for his information. You can find out about Bodansky's Off the Record briefing by clicking here:

http://www.newsmaxstore.com/a/bodanskytape

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Bodansky's information is not to be ignored. He has been warning the United States and the West about the dangers of Islamic terrorists since the late 1980s.

He is now one of the most sought-after experts consulted by the U.S. government and governments worldwide.

Bodansky is the director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare. He is the author of eight books on international terrorism and global crises, and is a former senior consultant for the U.S. departments of Defense and State.

Now, for the first time, Yossef Bodansky gives NewsMax readers a special Off-the-Record briefing, just as he gives to top government leaders around the world.

In this stunning one-hour tape, Bodansky holds little back and offers ominous warnings.

Previously, NewsMax offered this tape to members of its exclusive "Off the Record" Club. Now it's available to all of NewsMax readers, with a special FREE offer ... just click here:

http://www.newsmaxstore.com/a/bodanskytape

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Here are just some of the valuable information you'll hear on this exclusive "Off the Record with Yossef Bodansky" tape:

** Why the current war by terrorists is actually a "desperation" move by the Islamic extremists, who believe that if they don't destroy the U.S., they will cease to exist

** His stunning revelation that "there is no such thing as al-Qaeda" - and who is really behind bin Laden and his associates and why many in the media don't understand the real enemy

** The Islamic war is by no means over. Bodansky warns that this war will last a long time and will be "painful" to the U.S.

** The clear warning offered by the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and how U.S. intelligence agencies dropped the ball

** The anthrax attacks are not the result of domestic terrorism, as the FBI claims. Bodansky offers compelling evidence that a foreign terrorist nation is behind the attacks.

** The shocking revelation that bin Laden already has several suitcase nuclear devices - and may already have one positioned in the U.S. (Bodansky reveals why bin Laden hasn't used these weapons yet and the clues that he is preparing to do so in the near future)

** New evidence that the Iraqi have worked closely with bin Laden and even sent scientists to help prepare his nuclear devices

** Iraqi and Pakistani experts have even helped bin Laden's network weaponize chemical and biological weapons.

** The significant mistake the U.S. already has made in Afghanistan, and why he believes the U.S action there has not significantly disrupted terrorist plans that will occur in the near future

** His conclusion that the terrorists are actually stronger since 9-11

** The inside U.S. government knowledge that several thousand highly trained terrorist killers like those who conducted 9-11 are still within the borders of the U.S. - supported by 10 times the number of support agents

** What U.S. and Israelis know about bin Laden's latest whereabouts - including handwritten letters they have intercepted

** Why Bodansky believes that the terrorists could well strike at U.S. civilian airliners once again - and do so with great success.

** What war with Iraq will really mean and the possibility of a worldwide conflagration with other terror nations like North Korea or others attacking the U.S. at the same time

In "Off-the-Record," Bodanksy is frank, honest and informed.

You can hear him for yourself, take advantage of our no-risk offer ... just click here:

http://www.newsmaxstore.com/a/bodanskytape

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He is a worldwide-recognized authority on these matters and he concludes that the coming war with the terrorists and their backers will not be easy for us.

He offers sound advice on how the U.S. and the West can win this war and make the world a safer place.

Also, check out our free offer for the "Off the Record with Yossef Bodansky" tape ... click here:

http://www.newsmaxstore.com/a/bodanskytape

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[old-ager]

Have any of you heard this tape? Any comments?

[LenS]

If Al Qaeda had these weapons, they would have used them instead of hijacking planes. Same goes for any other terrorist group that hates the US. If these weapons are actually missing and they're not in the hands of groups within the old Soviet Union's borders, then it's most likely a nation-state that has them (or several). The Chinese might have picked them up as a way of increasing their nuclear arsenal. The Chinese could use them against the US while letting terrorists or Russia take the blame (Russia because analysis after the fact would only lead to Russia). Or a number of other states might have bought them as protection against bigger neighbors.

[riri]

That's still not too comforting. LOL

[john in missouri]

If Al Qaeda had these weapons, they would have used them instead of hijacking planes.

Pishposh. If they had such big booms, they would save the best for last.

[old-ager]

Has anybody here listened to this tape?

[LenS]

Really? By that logic, then Al Qaeda should have crashed those planes into some smaller towers in say, Boston.

If taking down the WTC and hitting the Pentagon made Bin Laden a hero in the Islamic world, imagine what he'd be if he nuked a 100 US cities? Decapitating our govt. and economy before anyone in the US knew what hit them and leaving no one left to figure out who to retaliate against? It would have been the greatest Islamic victory in history.

[Orangedog]

bump

[john in missouri]

Really? By that logic, then Al Qaeda should have crashed those planes into some smaller towers in say, Boston.

Wrong. They decided that flying hijacked jetliners into the World Trade Center towers would be like Baby Bear's soup: not too hot, not too cold, but juuust right.

If taking down the WTC and hitting the Pentagon made Bin Laden a hero in the Islamic world, imagine what he'd be if he nuked a 100 US cities? Decapitating our govt. and economy before anyone in the US knew what hit them and leaving no one left to figure out who to retaliate against? It would have been the greatest Islamic victory in history.

It would also have mobilized all American citizens and provoked a World War II-level response from a country massively capable of giving such a response -- when push comes to shove. There would be NO Americans taking the position of Daschle & the various other liberal jackasses in that case. There would be NO debate. There would only be massive American mobilization, and massive American action.

They wanted a big, flamboyant attack that would rally Muslims to their side, provide support for larger attacks to be made later on, and hopefully result in the fall of governments in the Muslim world to radical Islam. But not SO big as to push things immediately "out of control."

In fact, the two al-Qaeda leaders interviewed recently by al-Jazeera specifically stated that originally the idea had been to hit nuke plants with the jetliners -- but they backed off from an attack involving nuclear elements specifically because they didn't want things to get "out of control."

[jpsb]

I completely agree, the goal is to radicalize the Muslem world, not defeat (at least not yet) the USA.

[Poohbah]

Given how much BS was floating around in Soviet production figures, those 200 warheads may have only existed on paper.

[exmarine]

Here is how the Prez should handle this problem. Warn all islamists that should a WMD go off in the U.S., Mecca will be incinerated immediately.

[exmarine]

Yes, and imagine how many islamic radicals will stop dying for Allah when they see Mecca is dust. NUKE MECCA NOW.

[Cobra Scott]

I disagree; it would be a far better statement to nuke Medina, IMO.

Of course we're splitting hairs, so caution dictates we do both, right?

[mikegi]

If Al Qaeda actually had a few suitcase nukes, they would position them in US or European cities and then make public demands (eg. US out of the Middle East).

They don't have them because when they do we'll know about it.

[ohioman]

Since when were you let in the Al Qaeda War Planning room?

[betty boop]

Warn all islamists that should a WMD go off in the U.S., Mecca will be incinerated immediately.

Goodbye Dome of the Rock (a site built by the bin Laden family)! No more hajj (one of the Pillars of the Faith). No more place for Allah to "hang out" here on earth....

Yep, that oughtta do the trick. Maybe we should offer to incinerate Medina, too, just for good measure....

The islamists are keen on using landmarks to make points? Well, we can do that, too.

Grrrrrrreat idea, exmarine.

[Orangedog]

Really? By that logic, then Al Qaeda should have crashed those planes into some smaller towers in say, Boston.

Not really. These people are not stupid. The surgical presission with which the 9/11 attacks were pulled off required years of preperation and had a desired end result. Leveling a major population center was not what their 9/11 operation was about. It was meant to get attention and put us on notice. Remember, the chief underlying principal of terrorism is using tactics that terrorize the populace. Al Qaeda knew that the attack would be tracked back to the middle east and central Asia and that would respond violently with the worlds most powerful military. In my opinion, they did not anticipate the level of success that we had in Afghanastan and that we would end up doing no better than the Soviets did in the 70's and 80's. I believe that their objective was to attack us, get us angry enough to move in the men and the hardware and start blasting away,(and as you already pointed out) destabilizing the region in the process and this would encite the extremests in Saudi Arabia to over-throw the house of Saud.

If taking down the WTC and hitting the Pentagon made Bin Laden a hero in the Islamic world, imagine what he'd be if he nuked a 100 US cities? Decapitating our govt. and economy before anyone in the US knew what hit them and leaving no one left to figure out who to retaliate against?

Bin Laden already is a hero to those head-cases, so he wasn't really looking to impress anyone within his circle. Remember the video tape where he was discussing the attack with one of his admirers and that the White House had translated and the media played for days? He admitted there that he had not expected the towers to collapse, and he is an engineer by training. He wanted the world to see the attack. Publicity and panic are what terrorists seek and in New York City there are TV news operations all over Manhattan.

So if he has some of the old Soviet suitcase nukes(and I don't think he would have more than three or four of these), why didn't he use them on 9/11? Because GWB (or his "shawdow government" counterpart, if DC were taken out) would have ordered the boys on-board the boomers to turn the keys and obliterate the middle east. bin Laden wanted the region destabilized, not vaporized.

Judging by the flight path taken by the plane that hit the Pentagon, it is reasonable to assert that it was not the primary target. Taking out the White House or the Capital would be about as symbolic as you can get, but there wasn't time to make another run at it after overshooting the area, so they flew to the secondary target...and the Pentagon is pretty hard to miss.

[Orangedog]

If Al Qaeda actually had a few suitcase nukes, they would position them in US or European cities and then make public demands (eg. US out of the Middle East).

I think that they do have some of man-portable nukes and are sitting on them for something further down the road. So you might ask "What would make them wait?" I don't know, but those animals do things for a reason. They won't use them now because they still want to see if the US can be used to incite an Islamic revolution in Saudi Arabia.

When the House of Saud falls, you couldn't pay me to be in a NYC, DC, LA or Chicago after that. If they are going to try nuclear blackmail, it will likely be used to force us out of the region or one of our population centers gets it. The only sticking point with that plan would be the retaliatory strike from us that would pave the deserts with low-quality glass and send mid-east sand and gravel flying all the way to to France.

[LenS]

They backed off ramming planes into nuke plants because it wouldn't do enough damage. A few Chernobyl's would mostly enrage the population without actually hurting our command and control. But a couple of hundred nukes set off in our biggest cities, ports and military bases would cripple the nation. Crashing hijacked planes immediately implicates Al Qaeda. Setting off that many nukes at once would implicate the Chinese or maybe the Russians instead.

Think about it. You're in Cheyenne Mountain. Would you take the chance that it wasn't the Chinese or Russians? We'd be at their mercy after such an attack -- a retaliatory strike would be practically mandatory. Remember that before 9-11, relations with the PRC had gotten much worse and that the PLA had been rattling their sword and making not so veiled threats about nuking West Coast cities. No one would have believed that an Islamic terrorist group had that capapbility.

Which would leave the Islamic world sitting pretty with two or three of their major enemies destroyed or ruined.

[mikegi]

I think you're giving Al Qaeda way too much credit. As far as I can see, AQ has/had no strategy. There were no follow up attacks which would have been devastating to our psyche/economy (just a series of simple truck bombings here would have been enough). Instead, AQ and the Taliban have lost thousands and the remainder have been dispersed.