[extropy-chat] TECH: Fuel cells and terrorism

Adrian Tymes wingcat at pacbell.net
Sat Jun 26 22:33:45 UTC 2004


--- Spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:
> No.  The military was well aware of the risks of
> planes
> being used as bombs before 2001.  I was at an
> engineering
> conference in 1995 where it was discussed, along
> with some 
> other classic soft points in our infrastructure,
> such as 
> subways.

It can be difficult to say that a large institution
like "the military" is or is not definitely aware of
any given thing.  You were at a conference where some
people in the military discussed this topic.  Does
that mean the people who planned the defense of the US
in 2000 took this factor into account?

It's likely that Homeland Security is aware of the
risk of, say, someone sending a shipping container
with a nuclear bomb inside through the larger ports,
but does this mean they are aware of every possible
vector for smuggling nukes?  Someone could cross the
Atlantic in a powerboat with a suitcase nuke, claim to
be headed for some small private pier, head up the
Potomac, and detonate well within range of the White
House.  (Okay, they're probably on the lookout for
that in D.C., but what about other major cities?  Or
minor ones or uninhabited beaches - land, transfer to
a car or unpack a motorcycle, and drive off?)



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