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The Tea Leaves on Recent Terror Warnings - Nukes In Our Midst August 17, 2004 by Jim Manion After the roller coaster ride on changes in the threat level immediately after the Department of Homeland Security set up its Crayola warning system, there was a period of relative calm. In the initial stages, when the warnings were being increased or decreased with a frequency greater than John Kerry's flipping and flopping, we entered a period of relative clam. Until recently. The threat levels for New York City, New Jersey and Washington D.C. were suddenly elevated (New Jersey?) due to intelligence recently discovered from of all places, Pakistan. I guess an assassination attempt will do that to an erstwhile "willing" ally. Next, we have warnings to law enforcement within the past few days of potential attacks on hospitals and water supplies. And, I am certain that next week will result in more specific warnings. What gives? Well, on the day after the attacks in Spain on March 11th of this year, a 5 page fax was delivered to the London offices of an organization that supports the destruction of the United States. In pertinent part, after claiming responsibility for the massacre on the railways, that fax contained the following statement: "We announce the good news for the Muslims in the world that the strike of the black wind of death, the expected strike against America, is now at its final stage -- 90 percent ready -- and it is coming soon, by God's will," Within the last couple of months, we have also heard that "The Base" (Al Qaeda) figures it will take the deaths of 4 million Americans to turn the tide of their campaign in their favor. And with the Democratic Convention over without incident, bets are that they don't mean Democrats. A book that came out within the last month or so, written by former FBI consultant Paul Williams (Osama's Revenge) presents a chilling argument that Al Qaeda not only has nuclear weapons; it has positioned them on US soil. Williams theories are backed up by some pretty believable authorities, like Yossef Bodansky, the top terror expert who has been a chief advisor to the U.S. Congress. Even Al Qaeda's number 2 henchman, Doctor of Death Zarqawi boasted in an interview earlier this year that they were in possession of nuclear weapons. According to various sources, Bin Laden bought 20 or so "suitcase nukes" via the Chechen mafia for $30 million in cash and two tons of Afghan heroin worth over $700 million. The deal was struck in the mid 1990's, well before 9/11. And well before we formed the Department of Homeland Security. In October 2001, a month after 9/11, there were reports covered by all major news organizations that Al Qaeda had a 10 kiloton nuclear device somewhere in New York. That news was taken to heart by the Bush Administration, which launched an intensive search for such a device. No device was found, at that time. It is now 2004, with recent warnings of an attack "more spectacular" than 9/11. An attack that will release the "Black Wind of Death". An attack that will perhaps fulfill their goal of killing 4 million American citizens. Chemical weapons are not spectacular, and mass casualties are virtually impossible without mass concentrations of a chemical agent, a high risk means of dispersal, and perfect weather. Biological agents are not dependent on quantity, but are also at the mercy of the environment. And localized inhalation or ingestion take time and may cause death, but are by no means a "black wind of death". The phrase "black winds of death" does has significance to the Islamic faith. It is, essentially, a blast of heat and ash that envelops an enemy, a blast reflecting an analogy from their version of hell. A nuclear detonation creates heat in excess of 10 million degrees Fahrenheit. Hotter than the surface of the sun. It turns everything within the blast radius to ash, and send that ash out in a wind of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit traveling at over 600 miles per hour. It also emits an electromagnetic pulse, which destroys electrical grids and communications equipment; disables cars, busses and trains' and makes airplanes in the immediate vicinity fall from the sky after frying their engines and electrical systems. In one or a few major cities, 4 million casualties would be on the low side. And with area hospitals and water supplies in harms way, many more would die. Let's hope that the dots connect another way. Let's pray that they do. Additional articles: NICHOLAS KRISTOF Terrorist nuclear strike in US: Risk is growing NYTIMES.COM Security Concerns: Several Colleges use weapons-grade uranium - raw material for a terrorist nuclear bomb
Jim Manion is a freelance writer. |
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