Officials: 'Chatter' hints at major attack

[Edan]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
does anybody know the history of the alert threat? as in, when it's been yellow, when it's been orange...?

what i honestly don't understand about the scale is why we even have "green" or "blue", because so long as this administration is in power, it'll always be at least yellow, and so long as we remain american, it's only logical to be at least yellow...

IIRC, it's been orange 3 times. Once in September on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Once in Jan or Feb. And now.

[alva]

I really feel sorry for the guy who has to keep changing them lightbulbs all the time.

[ixnay]

Hopefully they don't decide to hijack my flight tomorrow. That'd kinda ruin my day.

[HershOstropoler]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
Based on what?

What based on what? That there is a sympathizer field for islamist terror in the US?

[Eli]

It will be delusional to say that there will be more attacks.

There will be attacks.
Not like Sept 11, and not daily "small" attacks like in Israel, but definitely similar to the medium sized Riad&Casablanca attacks.

[Dr Strangelove]

I wonder what sort of attack they will try to pull? Do they have anymore access to chemical or biological weapons? Could some have been smuggled out of Iraq before it fell? I doubt the latter. If Iraq had had significant stocks of NBC weapons surely they wouldn't have been able to transport the entire stock, inn whih case their should be at least some evidence left behind.

If NBC attacks aren't feasible then what? They've tried vehicular bombs here with results that were less than they had hoped, still, such weapons have been the stock in trade for Islamic terrorists for 30 years, so that might be what they try. Most of the good targets in Washington however are not easily reached by vehicular bombs. Most of the major Federal buildings (White House, Capitol, Supreme Court) are set back from the street and woul be insulated from a blast by distance.

Would they try hijacking airplanes again? Are the airlines adequately protected?

[Eli]

One big truck/car bomb that blows up adjacent to an average sized residential building can take the building down. If the building has an underground parking lot and they can get in there, it will be even easier.

10 floors, 4 apartments per floor, 1 family of 5 per appartment, half of them home and you have 100 dead. And that doesnt include nearby bystanders, etc.

High rises may be well secured, but I dont think anyone will have problems with knocking down residential buildings, if the explosives are present.

Even with a relatively small number of dead, it will add a lot of fear since even homes wont be safe.

[Az]

a truckload of explosives, with a two or three "field operatives" with Assault Rifles, at night.

bang.

[HershOstropoler]

"They've tried vehicular bombs here with results that were less than they had hoped"

Yes, but that's a wild card - as could be seen with a building in Oklahoma.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Without extensive code breaking, 'chatter' could mean almost anything. Like "Did you see the hot new babe with the slinky burka at the International House of Cous-Cous".

[Eli]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
"They've tried vehicular bombs here with results that were less than they had hoped"

Yes, but that's a wild card - as could be seen with a building in Oklahoma.

Not only that.

The goal is not to kill, but to terrorize. Until now people knew that not getting close to landmarks like the White House, the Empire State Building, etc will keep them safe.

But what if residential complexes start blowing up? Then almost everyone will be in danger.

[rah]

I think a rash of snipers would be the most effective from a terror standpoint. Look how disruptive the last sniper was. Imagine 25 to 50 of them spread across the country.

[orange]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
alert level raised to orange today

f33r me

[Zkribbler]

[Zkribbler does a quick check to ascertain how much money has come from Washington to help finance the homeland security efforts of states, counties and municipalities. Despite the promises of the Bush administration, the amount remains at $0.]

[MikeH]

There are certainly Islamic radicals in the UK who might get involved in such an attack. Some of these groups have as their agenda turning the UK into an islamic state.