Homeland Security Outlines Terror Scenarios, But Fails To Outline Defenses

[bigtree]

Associated Press- March 16, 2005, 5:28 AM EST
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ats-ap_us10mar16,0,5073076.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines

WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security Department officials are preparing a report that catalogues a dozen ways terrorists might strike in the United States in an effort to get state and local authorities thinking about ways to block them.

The department has been working for a year on a National Planning Scenarios plan that outlines a number of plausible attacks -- including by nerve gas, anthrax, pneumonic plague and truck bomb.

The report, still confidential, was requested by a presidential directive in December 2003 and will be made public in upcoming months, Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said Tuesday.

>>>>. . . a nuclear bomb, an exploding liquid chlorine tank or a widespread and prolonged aerosol anthrax spray ranked among the most devastating attacks outlined in the report, Roehrkasse said.


So, the 'experts' at Homeland Security, with all of the millions of dollars spent on feathering their bureaucracy (and a minuscule allocated to the states and cities), spent a year coming up with these scenarios (didn't plan to let us know about their concerns for months to come), and offers no solutions or defenses in their report. They just want to get us thinking. (Duct tape?)

Without solutions or defenses this exercise is just a continuation of the Bush administration's campaign of fear. Or do they view the projected lives lost as mere collateral damage? What do you bet they've already formulated a plan to protect the Executive and a select group of federal and elected officials?

[punpirate]

1. Yes, they've already...

... taken care of themselves... via various continuation of government (COG) and continuation of operations (COOP) plans, including the National Response Plan (30 Sep 2003), the Continuity of the Executive Branch (FPC 60, 20 Nov 1990), Emergency Succession (FPC 61, 2 Aug 1991), Delegation of Authorities (FPC 62, 1 Aug 1991), the Federal Executive Branch Continuity of Operations (FPC 65, 15 Jun 2004), and others.

[BiggJawn]

2. I heard today that Congress-Critters are complaining..

..Why their little districts in the middle of No-Place aren't getting the billions promised to buy new "First Responder" goodies for the 25-member volunteer fire department in their (population 700) home town....

[w4rma]

3. They need to ask themselves why New York and DC aren't getting the funds

they need, first.

[BiggJawn]

4. They don't care about NYC.

The people of Buzzard's Bladder, Iowa elected them, not NYC. Tommy Timber-toes promised them brand-new American-LaFrance firetrucks and a Scott Airpak and anthrax detecion kits for every guy in the VFD, and that's what they promised the home-folks. No fire truck, no re-election....