Our President's Statement about additional attacks.

[Rome]

Fellow TFLers,

I recently listened to a news article where President Bush, at a recent meeting, did acknowledge the fact that additional, credible threats exist in the form of biological, chemical, and nuculer attacks on our soil.

My question, to all of the TFLers out there, is do you feel the same way? My gut told me this a few days after the initial attack in NY and DC. Now, the president has basically confirmed my concerns. This is disconcerting. I thought that maybe I was overreacting and just being an alarmist.

Am I alone with these concerns?

Rome

 

[Long Path]

The threat is constant. It was before the bombings, and will continue to be so for a long time.

While it's important to keep this in mind, don't let it eat at you too much.

 

[Trouble]

Rome,

Yes, there is great potential for more terrorist acts, perhaps in the form of and NBC strike. But look at it this way... America as a nation is already enraged by what happened to the WTC and here in DC (for the most part). Should there be another terrorist strike in the US with mass casualties, God have mercy on anyone we even suspect of being involved either directly or indirectly. It will be total, all-out war with quarter neither asked for nor given.

Regards,

Trouble

 

[The Reaper]

The threat of an NBC attack is certainly real. If it comes it will be in a large city or population area. There won't be a lot you can do about it really. What I am concerned about is that when this gets ramped up and the next wave executes their terrorist attack. My personal concern is that they will strike at schools. A truck bomb or a few gun toting guys could create a real mess at a school. I'm concerned that if the enemies of America want to weaken our resolve then they will attack our children.

I'm hoping that I'm not the only one who has thought of this, but I haven't noticed any particular tightening of school security. I think these terrorists have shown that they will kill children with this last wave of attacks. They also shot that 10 year old boy in India as a warning to India.

I really hope I'm wrong.

 

[fmjcafe]

Reaper,
I don`t think attacking our children would weaken our resolve.In fact,I believe it would have exactly the opposite effect.

I think there is a very real possibility of further attacks but I don`t think they will be of the magnitude of the ones on NYC and Wash.DC.When those were pulled off we were asleep,content and confident in our safety.We have now been awakened to the fact that we can be attacked and have adopted a heightened sense of awarness.I believe the previous attacks,years in the making,used our complacency as a tool and an aide to it`s sucess.

I believe that any further attacks will take the form of more conventional methods.Car bombings or shootings at public events.

 

[JeepBear]

Unfortunately, this has driven the market price of gas masks to astronomical levels:
current eBay auction for $14.99 Israeli civilian gas mask
:barf:

 

[C.R.Sam]

Been a possibility for years.....still is.

Sam

 

[Jeff Thomas]

I agree that if they pull such a thing, they'll get the Jihad they want, and then some ...

Regards from AZ

 

[Guyon]

Here's some more insanity. These Nato gas mask filters usually sell for about $5 apiece.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1008732026

 

[RikWriter]

First off, while I believe the possibility of such a further attack is there, I don't think it is likely to occur. The terrorists, IMHO, shot their wad with the WTC attack.
Second, one point to be made. Surplus gas masks are NOT going to save you from a biochem attack. When the Army dresses in MOPP gear, they have shelters set up to decontaminate soldiers and allow them to change out their MOPP gear and filters. We as civilians would not have access to such equipment. Most of us would also not have a full MOPP suit, and sarin gas can penetrate the skin. Biotoxins usually can't, but without decontamination facilities, a gas mask alone is unlikely to protect you for long. In fact, you'd probably be exposed to the biotoxin before you could even get the mask on.
Your only real protection against biochem attack is to not live in a big city, because that's the likely target...particularly, as was shown in Tokyo, the subways.

 

[Hutch]

Not to be a pessimist...

I wouldn't sleep well if I lived in a West Coast port city. Since we're already dealing with a Clancy-esque scenario with the WTC and the Puzzle Palace, imagine the effect of someone uncorking some bottled sunshine (Thanks to Oleg for that desciption of a thermo-nuke) in the vicinity of the sub base at Bremerton. Just about anyone who witnessed the attack would be dead or incommunicado, and all we would know right away is what NORAD would notice, that there was a nuclear event in a major US warfighting asset. If you were the POTUS, imagine trying to determine if this was the first shot fired in a nuclear war with, say, China or the NK's, an accident or sabotage of a Trident missile on a boomer in port, or the act of a terrorist. We'd have a large fallout plume headed toward the center of the continental US, with the possibility of serious radiological problems affecting millions, depending on the winds. Come to think of it, this awful scene would hold true if it were at ANY West Coast navy town, such as Diego or SanFran or Long Beach(? Still a navy base?). Nope. Wouldn't like to comtemplate the effect on the economy of THAT happening.

Hope by concentrating on airport/airline security we aren't going to get blindsided by lax harbor security.