Here Comes the DISTRACTION "Threat of 'Dirty Bomb' Growing, Officials Say"

[Rosco T.]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&u=/latimests/20040509/ts_latimes/threatofdirtybombgrowingofficialssay&printer=1

Threat of 'Dirty Bomb' Growing, Officials Say
By Douglas Frantz Times Staff Writer

VIENNA — Concerns are growing that Al Qaeda or a related group could detonate a "dirty bomb" that would spew radioactive fallout across an American or European city, according to intelligence analysts, diplomats and independent nuclear experts.

Although safeguards protecting nuclear weapons and their components have improved, experts said the radioactive materials that wrap around conventional explosives to create a contaminating bomb remained available worldwide — and were often stored in non-secure locations.

(snip)

Intelligence agencies have reported no reliable, specific threats involving dirty bombs or nuclear weapons, but senior U.S. and European officials and outside experts said several factors had heightened fears in recent weeks.

They said concerns were focused on three Al Qaeda operatives who led experiments involving dirty bombs and chemical weapons and on widely held suspicions that a special wing of the terrorist network was planning a spectacular attack.

(snip)

One focus of anxiety is the Athens Olympic Games (news - web sites) in August. Recent security exercises there concentrated on mock attacks involving a dirty bomb, a chemical explosion and a hijacked jetliner.

Another potential target is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit scheduled for June in Istanbul, Turkey, which will be attended by President Bush (news - web sites). The threat was underlined by Turkey's disclosure Monday that it had arrested members of a group linked to Al Qaeda who reportedly planned to bomb the summit.

(more)

[dr.strangelove]

1. The Threat of a Dirty Bomb is real

While King George and Karl use security concerns to mask their problems, please don;t discount the reality of the threat. This administration has allowed radioactive material to go untracked worldwide. The possibility of a dirty bomb attack is real. It is because of the security flaws in the administration, and the distraction of the Iraq conflict, that the threat of a dirty bomb attack is so high. Lets not drop the ball. Spread the word on this. Its not a distraction, its a critism of the Bush administration.

[nostamj]

6. and it's REAL because the bushies

protected the oil fields and the oil ministry and allowed looters to strip the nuke facilities.

that said, they will claim we're on a collision course with the sun to get the abuse story out of sight before the REALLY ugly stuff comes out...

along with the fact that the blame lies with the bushies for 'privitizing' the war for their PROFIT

[Deja Q]

8. Not to forget, a few years back we offered to help Russia dismantle its

nukes. They were POORLY guarded and kept.

* turned around and said no to the plan because it would cost the USA too much money.

Once again, it's not always about the fuckin' money.

Money is the root of all evil, when the fuck will people figure this out?! 1 Timothy 6:10 (they added the prefix of "the love of", but that's spin.)

[charlie]

9. And it was a pittance

Under 100 million a year. You can't even make a Hollywood blockbuster with that. Fuckin' assholes.

[Shopaholic]

2. Yeah. . I'm sure they'll pull a red herring out of their

asses any day now to pull attention away from this mess. Anyone got any guesses? Terrorist attack? Finding Osama? Finding WMD in Iraq? We oughta get a pool going and see who can come closest to correctly guessing the distraction & the timing of said distraction.

[whistle]

3. Which is this going to be....

<snip>

U.S. officials are concerned that the material is within reach of Islamic extremists and Chechen rebels in the Pankisi Gorge, a remote area near Georgia's border with the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya (news - web sites).

<snip>

LIHOP (Let It Happen On Purpose)

or

MIHOP (Make It Happen On Purpose)

[RafterMan]

4. Real or fake,

I don't think Bush can play that card effectively anymore. It seems like a growing number of Republicans -- the ones who never thought he was Jesus II -- are starting to think of him as a bit of a fuck-up.

In today's climate, I think this news will reinforce that growing mistrust: people will ask, "why is this still a problem?" rather than demanding four more years.

Also, please cut the amount quoted down to about 4 paragraphs -- copyright reasons.

[charlie]

5. "radioactive materials"

"...remained available worldwide"

Like the stuff from the Iraqi nuclear facilities we left unguarded? The "hot" loot poisoning hapless thieves who needed containers and building materials, nevermind the extremists who knew what they were looking for? That stuff? Waaaay to go Dubya!

[Deja Q]

7. We brought it upon ourselves.

Our economy has been mishandled and taken over by the greedy and sloppy so much that one little incident (peak oil, dirty nuke or other comparatively major terror attack, housing bubble, outsourcing bubble, tax shifting bubble, and so on) would end it all, I fear. That's what happens when a society bases itself on greed and not stability.

Given we're as much animals as those we claim to be animals, if not worse, they will retaliate.

I'm glad the pics were leaked.

It's a damn shame the US lacks enough professional, ethical, and dignified people running and serving in it. And that is the worst problem of all. Our own hubris, arrogance, and cruelty has contributed to the hate against us.

* manipulating things with 9/11 hadn't helped either.

[Old and In the Way]

10. And don't forget the outing of a CIA undercover operative who

was deeply involved with tracking nuclear materials within the terrorist network. It would be a supreme irony if their cheap political act of revenge allowed these materials to be used against us.

[charlie]

11. Yes, it would be supreme

but we'd be the only ones who'd appreciate it. The bulk of our mindless minions would fall in behind our Git Tuff Preznit's vengeful charge into Apocalypse Now and lynch anyone who suggests he might be culpable.