Flights Cut on Fear of al Qaeda Attacks (NEW info: WMD use on planes planned by AQ)

Washington Post ^ | FEb. 1, 2004 | Sara Kehaulani Goo and Dana Priest

[FairOpinion]

Intelligence indicating that al Qaeda terrorists are seeking to release a chemical or biological agent aboard an airliner, or transport a radiological device in cargo, prompted the cancellation of six international flights scheduled for today and tomorrow, senior administration officials familiar with the reports said yesterday.

The possibilities, as described by three intelligence officials, include releasing an undetectable biological agent such as smallpox or anthrax aboard a plane that passengers would then unknowingly spread; releasing a chemical agent to debilitate the passengers and crew so the plane could be hijacked, and sneaking a radiological device aboard a plane inside a piece of luggage.

Small amounts of chemical, biological or radiological material would be difficult to detect.

[FairOpinion]

I think the threat is MUCH MUCH more serious, than most people think.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[FairOpinion]

Anthrax ping

"The possibilities, as described by three intelligence officials, include releasing an undetectable biological agent such as smallpox or anthrax aboard a plane that passengers would then unknowingly spread"

[g35x]

Minor nit - you can't transmit anthrax from person to person - it isn't "contagious"

[jrlc]

For John Kerry's attitude on the military -- what he would do to support our enemies -- check this thread. Particularly illuminating is the cover to his book with the photo mocking the Iwo Jima flag raising. John Commie-Kerry.

[knak]

I wonder why they have'nt raised the alert status?

[jrlc]

Here is the John Commie-Kerry thread: http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1062593/posts

[Hazzardgate]

Yes, why aren't we at Orange alert!?!

[Lady Eileen]

bump

[Huck]

Minor nit - you can't transmit anthrax from person to person - it isn't "contagious"

That's a pretty significant nit, actually.

[Publius Maximus]

Obviously the threate isn't very serious. After all, we're still at yellow.

(Yeah, that was sarcasm...)

[FairOpinion]

you can't transmit anthrax from person to person - it isn't "contagious".

===

Of course, I am glad you caught that. But you sure can transmit smallpox.

I am personally much more worried about smallpox precisely for that reason. There is no way, they can inoculate everyone in time.

One of my pet issues is that the government refuses to make smallpox vaccine available, so at least those who want to, can make a personal decision to get the vaccine.

[GeronL]

so thats where thse WMD's went!

The joys of Eviction

[FairOpinion]

I think they try to avoid panicking people.

I think if we really knew the real nature and potential devastation of the threat, we'd all be leaving the US in droves, which alone would create a disaster.

[GeronL]

we have just been raised to HAZEL ALERT!!

[FairOpinion]

"Obviously the threate isn't very serious. "

==

Of course not, Kerry says there is no real terrorist threat to worry about, and we can trust carry to make the right decisions as president.

(/heavy sarcasm)

[Angelus Errare]

Do you remember that Washington Post article on al-Qaeda's WMD program? We (the general public) know from Ansar al-Islam and their experiments in Afghanistan at Darunta camp and the Pankisi Gorge that the network already has access to crude chemical and biological weapons - my guess would be that they've refined their capabilities, at least in Pankisi where they've been able to operate more or less in peace and are planning to hit us with something big.

[Trampled by Lambs]

What, no Superbowl terror attack thread yet?

Someone is slipping...

[knak]

HHS Secretary says "vast majority" of states ready for smallpox

[Indie]

I am trying to figure out why on earth the public has not had access to the smallpox vaccine that few health care providers volunteered for? [Probably threat of legal action for bad reactions concerns the guvmint more than the lives of my family]