Suitcase Nuke Attack on the US

Jihad Watch reports on the threat of suitcase nukes in America.

Some "suggest Osama bin Laden may have purchased duds on the black market. Others point out that the triggers on suitcase nukes decay rapidly and have short half lives. The nuclear cores, after a time, fall below the critical mass threshold, say the optimists. Even the shells are subject to contamination over time if not properly maintained."

Let's hope so. However, others are not so optimistic, believing that not only does Bin Laden have the nukes, but they are in good shape and he hasn't used them yet because he wants a large-scale co-ordinated attack.

Author Paul Williams asserts that Bin Laden "paid an amount estimated from $60 to $100 million for the assistance of nuclear scientists from Russia, China and Pakistan. From 1996 to 2001, bin Laden also kept a score of Spetznaz technicians from the former Soviet Union on his payroll."

That's pretty chilling but it is a pretty bold statement to make- for starters, where is his evidence? And why isn't the CIA on the case of these scientists who Williams "knows" have been paid? If ever there was a case for targeted assassination then this is it- helping to plan a nuclear attack on US soil. While I could believe that nuclear scientists from these countries might be helping maintain Al Qaeda nukes, I have to ask why? Are they motivated by jihad too or are they just in it for the money? If it's the latter then surely they could make substantially more by selling out Al Qaeda to the US? As for the notion that ex-Spetsnaz would be in cahoots with Al Qaeda- I find that hard to believe, particularly given the histroy of the unit in fighting Islamists in Chechnya. Why would either Al Qaeda or the Spetsnaz operatives want anything at all to do with one another?

Williams goes further to assert (as if he is privy to the facts at hand and not simply making informed speculation)- "The next attack, according to al-Qaida defectors and informants, will take place simultaneously at various sites throughout the country...Designated targets include New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Houston, Las Vegas, and Valdez, Alaska, where the tankers are filled with oil from the Trans-Alaska pipeline."

Again, a chilling view of what the future might hold. Now, I haven't read Williams' book but I think it's worth checking out. However, let's just stick with these statements for now. First off he talks of "Al Qaeda defectors and informants". Defectors? That's a totally new concept to me- has anyone else heard of anyone defecting from Al Qaeda, in essence renouncing jihad? Are these informants giving information to journalists or the intellgience services. If it's the former, then have the journalists made them known to the intelligence services? If the latter, how does this guy know about it?

And finally, let's just look at the notion that Al Qaeda has at least one suitcase nuke already in the US. They could detonate this device in any city they wanted, drive it in a van into the heart of Washington and explode it as they drive by the White House. Are we seriously supposed top consider that they are forgoing such a devastating attack in favour of the possibility of co-ordinating a large scale, country-wide attack using many more people, and thus more easy for the intelligence services to find out about? Bin Laden has two options- either to go ahead with a stunning, terrifying nuclear attack on American soil which would have an even greater effect than 9/11, or try to launch a multi-pronged nuclear assault on America in the hopes that he could criple the country. I don't think he has enough or powerful enough nukes to do the latter. In either case, the result would be sure- America's vengence would be swift and entirely without mercy.

Bin Laden has already carried out a shocking terror attack on the US- 9/11. The result was that Afghanistan was invaded and the Taliban overthrown, forcing Bin Laden into hiding. For a time the world rallied around the US and public opinion was almost solid- America must be avenged. Time has changed that and the Iraq war in particular has divided public opinion. An even worse attack than 9/11 would amplify those immediate post-9/11 feelings a hundred fold, particularly if a nuke was used. Could Bin Laden trade on the Iraq-split after a single nuke attack? Possibly- if he released a statement calling for American withdrawal from Iraq and all other "Muslim lands" you can be sure that some moonbats would want to throw their hands up and surrender. Such an attack could theoretically gain him an advantage. However, I think that a multi-pronged attack would not aid him - in anything other than waking even more Americans from their slumber.

The question that has to be asked (and which is so hard for the rational mind to answer) is- which outcome will Bin Laden prefer? Would he prefer to strike at the US with a single devastating bomb which will terrorise the entire Western world or will he put all his eggs in one basket and risk everything simply to deliver an even bigger blow to the US? Is he basing his decisions on long term strategic plans or is he simply trying to kill as many infidels as possible? Would he prefer the "Al Qaeda trademark co-ordinated attacked" or will he keep his weapons in reserve to strike at America as and when he can?

Whatever Bin Laden's twisted dreams may be, let's just hope that they never come to fruition in any way, shape or form.