Has U.S. threatened to vaporize Mecca?

World Net Daily ^ | 1-7-05

[hope]

to vaporize Mecca?

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Friday, January 7, 2005

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Has U.S. threatened
to vaporize Mecca?
Intelligence expert says nuke option is reason bin Laden has been quiet

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Posted: January 7, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

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© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Why hasn't Osama bin Laden's terror network executed an attack on U.S. soil since 9-11?

Simple, says Dr. Jack Wheeler, creator of an acclaimed intelligence website dubbed "the oasis for rational conservatives": The U.S. has threatened to nuke the Muslim holy city of Mecca should the terror leader strike America again.

On his website, To the Point, Wheeler explains how the Bush administration has identified the potential of wiping Mecca off the map as bin Laden's ultimate point of vulnerability – the Damoclean Sword hanging over his head.

"Israel … recognizes that the Aswan Dam is Egypt's Damoclean Sword," writes Wheeler. "There is no possibility whatever of Egypt's winning a war with Israel, for if Aswan is blown, all of inhabited Egypt is under 20 feet of water. Once the Israelis made this clear to the Egyptians, the possibility of any future Egyptian attack on Israel like that of 1948, 1967, and 1972 is gone."

Wheeler says talk of bin Laden's Damoclean Sword has infiltrated the Beltway.

Writes Wheeler in his members-only column: "There has been a rumor floating in the Washington ether for some time now that George Bush has figured out what Sword of Damocles is suspended over Osama bin Laden's head. It's whispered among Capitol Hill staffers on the intel and armed services committees; White House NSC (National Security Council) members clam up tight if you begin to hint at it; and State Department neo-cons love to give their liberal counterparts cardiac arrhythmia by elliptically conversing about it in their presence.

"The whispers and hints and ellipses are getting louder now because the rumor explains the inexplicable: Why hasn't there been a repeat of 9-11? How can it be that after this unimaginable tragedy and Osama's constant threats of another, we have gone over three years without a single terrorist attack on American soil?"

Available only to subscribers of To the Point, Wheeler ends his column by explaining the effectiveness of the Mecca threat.

"Completely obliterating the terrorists' holiest of holies, rendering what is for them the world's most sacred spot a radioactive hole in the ground is retribution of biblical proportions – and those are the only proportions that will do the job.

"Osama would have laughed off such a threat, given his view that Americans are wussies who cut and run after a few losses, such as Lebanon in 1983 and Somalia in 1993. Part of Bush's rationale for invading Afghanistan and Iraq – obviously never expressed publicly – was to convince Osama that his threat to nuke Mecca was real. Osama hates America just as much as ever, but he is laughing no more."

Wheeler says bin Laden is "playing poker with a Texas cowboy holding the nuclear aces," so there's nothing al-Qaida could do that could come remotely close to risking obliterating Mecca.

Writes Wheeler: "So far, Osama has decided not to see if GW is bluffing. Smart move."

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Subscribe to Wheeler's To the Point intelligence website and read insightful, clear analysis every day.

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[Moderate right-winger]

North Korea is the more dangerous of the two. I hate the fact that we can't touch it just because China is right on their backyard. They have missiles aimed at Alaska, Guam and possibly the Pacific NW.

[cartoonistx]

Why not take out all of those Islamic "hot spots" at once?! It's not like we don't have enough Nukes to spare!

[Anti-Bubba182]

"Fantasy land...."

Exactly, this guy is waiting for the Mothership.

[Darkwolf377]

I don't think anyone suggested the US was planning to nuke Mecca. I for one have no knowledge of such plans. But the idea behind the article makes sense. I don't think it's very different from various Cold War tactics.

[carl in alaska]

I doubt that we'd respond to a fairly small terror attack by nuking Mecca, but I would bet that Bush has threatened to nuke Mecca in resonse to an attack with a tactical nuclear weapon. Bin Laden may have some old Soviet suitcase nukes in his posession. Personally, I doubt that he could get them to work without a lot of help from Russia. But I would bet we have sent a message to Bin Laden telling him that if he nukes America we will nuke Mecca in response. If Bin Laden actually hits us with a tactical nuke and destroys a city, then we should nuke Mecca. I mean, this terror s### is getting way out of hand. A credible threat to vaporize Mecca in resposne to a nuclear blast is entirely reasonable.

[Paul_Denton]

I say nuke it now as payback for 20+ years of terrorism against Americans.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

OH YEA BABY! Do it in MY name ! ! ! ! ! What a beautiful picture. WHen we nuke, can we call the Times photographers and editors to stand within a couple hundred feet to take awesome pictures for the morning front covers??

[broadsword]

Oh, man, you are so right! We need the smart and gentle Muslims on our side, and they are indeed all flocking to our banner. I wish people would quit saying mean and negative things about the religion of peace.

Can't we just be more understanding of our good and gentle "moderate" Muslim neighbors and citizens? Can't we just forget all the talk about genital mutilation, murder, mayhem, suicide bombings, beltway sniping, death threats, fatwas, misogyny, hijackings and all those unfortunate deaths on 9/11? "Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who!" These Muslims can't help dancing in the streets when their fellow (infidel) Americans are murdered. They can't help funding terrorists and quietly nodding when that funding comes to its grisly fruition.

The Muslims can't help issuing daily fatwas and threats against America and destroying Buddhist statues and burning churches, temples and synagogues. They can't help stoning women to death for being raped or cutting women's fingers off for wearing fingernail polish. It's just what Muslims do. It's what the "holy" Koran commands, and they cannot criticize the "holy" Koran, because that brings an automatic death sentence. And they can't convert to another peaceful religion because that also carries an automatic death sentence.

Can't we all just get along with those who are hellbent on slaughtering Americans?

So, can't we just wait until every Muslim reveals his stripes and the very last infidel throat is slit before we start doubting, insulting and mistrusting our dear, dear, peaceful Muslim neighbors?

[DB]

If this story were true, Osama would call Bush's bluff.

There is nothing that would unite the Muslims against us more than nuking Mecca.

Uniting Muslims against us is what Osama has been trying to do all along.

I think this story is total B.S.

[Atlantic Friend]

Paradoxically, I'm sure Ben Laden would just love Mecca to be nuked by a US nuke. Fabulous PR for him to whip Muslims throughout the world into a frenzy.

And frankly, I doubt OBL is that much a religious man - if he's still alive. He just obeys whatever verses of the Quran suit his murderous purpose, quietly put aside the rest, and really worships only his madness.

This is the kind of sick guy that does not need Mecca, or Medina. Strip him of the jihadi rhetoric and he's just a deranged murderer.

[Moderate right-winger]

Seriously, we could try completely destroying one target first, so thoroughly such that the other groups will think twice before carrying out another act. But since they desire "paradise", i'm afraid we may have to do that.

[Paul_Denton]

The US can survive whatever China throws at us and we got the fully armed and OPERATIONAL missile defense system. China would not survive what we can do to it though.

[johnmilken]

An astonishingly bad idea that would ruin everything for the rest of our lives.

Other than that, a lot to commend it.

[SoDak]

If there were something here in the neighborhood of a small nuke, or a chemical attack with a massive death count, I think it would be viewed as an option.

[broadsword]

The sewer grate has flown open, my friends!

[blogbat]

We shouldn't want to alienate the mohammadans, should we? Now, let's all have a big hug. I think anyone who doesn't believe all options remain on the table, have been living in a box with no personal contact whatsoever with the US military. The next attack on our soil might well be a WMD. If the Russians did that, we would nuke Moscow. If the islamofascists do it, we will nuke Mecca. If those elusive "moderates" in Mohammedanism can't curtail actions by their brethren which lead to the total destruction of their most hallowed spot on earth, well next time they'll get out of bed a little earlier. These are the consequences of war, and why you don't pick a fight if you can't take the punches.

[Moderate right-winger]

Then, why are we so afraid of taking action against North Korea since it already has 2-3 nukes? Do we wait until they reach 20 or 30? That hellhole is a national security threat equal to Iraq. Iran isn't. We could take advantage of the Muslim sectarian division through them.

[DoughtyOne]

You know what, it's not your or my asses on the ground in Iraq. If somebody wants to play fast and loose with the fantasy, I'd appreciate it if they would wait until our men are out of Iraq before starting this type of a rumor.

You and I agree about the religion of peace. This isn't the time to stab our guys in the back, while they're trying to win converts.

[Paul_Denton]

Nuking Mecca won't accomplish anything, except alienate almost all the Muslims in the world. But threatening Damascus, Khartoum or any other potential terrorist- harboring states is more practical. Even that Libyan leader is untrustworthy.

Considering that Islam is nothing more than a cult of death and opression I say nuke it anyway.

[leadhead]

In the same vein, shouldn't Saddam be the target of a breathless experience if the creeps associated with him don't stop the killings in Iraq?