Bordering On Nukes--New accounts from al-Qaeda to attack the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction

time magazine ^ | 11/14/04 | adam zagorin

[rang1995]

Bordering On Nukes? New accounts from al-Qaeda to attack the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction By ADAM ZAGORIN

A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, senior U.S. security officials tell TIME. Sharif al-Masri, an Egyptian who was captured in late August near Pakistan's border with Iran and Afghanistan, has told his interrogators of "al-Qaeda's interest in moving nuclear materials from Europe to either the U.S. or Mexico," according to a report circulating among U.S. government officials.

Masri also said al-Qaeda has considered plans to "smuggle nuclear materials to Mexico, then operatives would carry material into the U.S.," according to the report, parts of which were read to TIME. Masri says his family, seeking refuge from al-Qaeda hunters, is now in Iran.

[American in Israel]

Did not mean to insult you, sorry. Just thought it was a bit common to cast Arabs as incompetent. Pakistan made nukes, Iran and Egypt have been found with traces of Plutonium, which is H-Bomb material, not A-Bomb fisile material.

I suspect the Chinese and the Russians are helping them all. Blessings on ya.

[niki]

bump

[gridlock]

The US should issue new guidelines for dealing with radiological contamination resulting from a terrorist attack. Our current cleaner-than-clean standards make no sense from a military or civil defense point of view. They are based on potential civilian releases in remote locations where it would not be too costly to isolate and abandon the contaminated area.

However, if someone looses a dirty bomb in Midtown Manhattan, they could force the abandonment of half the island, at murderous cost.

A standard designed to prevent one potential lifetime cancer in 10,000,000 people makes no sense when implementation will result in nationwide economic catastrophe.

We need a grown-up policy that recognizes that certain situations may justify elevated risk in order to maintain public order and economic viability. Such a policy would make us less vulnerable to attack, because the 'Slammies would know they couldn't paralyze a city of 12,000,000 people with twenty pounds of Uranium and a couple pounds of C-4.

[Dan Evans]

There are more Jews in New York than Tel Aviv. (And a lot fewer Muslims)

From Osama's favorite website "Where the Jews are":

New York 1,750,000
Miami 535,000
Los Angeles 490,000
Tel Aviv 339,600

http://www.jabpage.org/features/wherejew.html

[BullDawg28]

there's plenty of reason to believe it would go off here first...tel aviv is on 24 hour lockdown...a muslim with a envelope can't go anywhere without being followed, if he can even get in...no chance of getting a truck loaded with a nuke in there.

our border is so ridiculously unguarded and our interstates so vast they could move around at will. besides, israel is nothing without us and if we got nuked, they'd expect us to give them what they want and stop supporting them.

[S.O.L.]

Why is this news? Oh yeah, OBL just got the go ahead to use them from a Saudi mullah

[RightWhale]

Seems like if that kind of attack is done the shutters would slam down across the USA so quick our ears would ring for hours. As a minimum there would be martial law in the area(s) attacked, and the borders and all international transportation would be shut down, probably for a long time.

[Southack]

"Could someone tell me why senior U.S. security officials would choose to divulge this info to TIME?"

The leftists inside the CIA are upset that the Bush Administration is purging their traitorous asses out of office.

[FITZ]

You did read about the arrest of the terrorist just last week coming into El Paso --- was going to meet some "Khalib" at the El Paso airport. Why two terrorists would be planning to meet at an airport right on the border should be alarming.

[garjog]

"Where the Jews are ... Miami 535,000"

Remember how OBL said that he would punish those states that refused to vote for his man Kerry?

Miami is the only Blue State with a significant number of Jewish people, right?

[Shqipo]

Osama would want to make a statement against Bush: Major city in Texas would be my guess as a target.

[FITZ]

It has become nearly impossible for people from Muslim countries to get visas to come to Mexico since the Sept. 11 attacks.

In that country a "mordida" makes everything possible.

[Tax Government]

It is symptomatic of Time magazine's focus on the trivial, and its preoccupation with heavy editing, that something as serious as nukes crossing the border would be given a cutesy title, "Bodering on Nukes".

[JustAnotherSavage]

Interesting what you say about Cuba. Fidel is always in bed with some communist, terrorist, etc.

Does anyone remember this incident in Mexico? Does anyone really doubt that al Qaida could use Mexico as a staging ground?
Does anyone believe Mexico is our ally?

---

The Associated Press
Updated: 6:50 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2004

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - The boos nearly drowned out “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and a few dozen fans chanted “Osama! Osama!” as the United States was eliminated by Mexico in Olympic men’s soccer qualifying. Snip.....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4236314/

---

[luvbach1]

Not to worry, Asa Hutchinson is on it.

Better yet, the POTUS is on it.