rumors of a dirty bomb attack, 7 NFL stadiums would be the targets of alleged plot

#1
OrangeEmpire

OrangeEmpire

The White Debonair
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#1
CTV.ca | U.S. doubts 'dirty bomb' threat to NFL stadiums=

U.S. doubts 'dirty bomb' threat to NFL stadiums

Updated Wed. Oct. 18 2006 11:47 PM ET
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- A website is claiming that seven NFL football stadiums will be hit with radiological dirty bombs this weekend, but the government on Wednesday expressed doubts about the threat.

The warning, posted Oct. 12, was part of an ongoing Internet conversation titled "New Attack on America Be Afraid." It mentioned NFL stadiums in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland, where games are scheduled for this weekend.

The Homeland Security Department alerted authorities and stadium owners in those cities, as well as the NFL, of the Web message but said the threat was being viewed "with strong skepticism." Officials at the NCAA, which oversees college athletics, said they too had been notified.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said there was no intelligence that indicated such an attack was imminent, and he said the alert was "out of an abundance of caution."

"The department strongly encourages the public to continue to go about their plans, including attending events that involve large public gatherings such as football games," Knocke said.

The FBI also expressed doubt about the threat.
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Would you go after a stadium full of people?

I am sure the panic in the stadium afterward would be worse than a bomb.....even better for the bad guys if the game is on tv..........
 
#2
#2
Getting really close to elections now aren't we? Vote Republican or DIE!!

all-aboard-terror-train.jpg
 
#3
#3
I don't understand why you would attack NFL stadiums as opposed to college stadiums. You could hit 7 college stadiums that hold 90,000+ or 7 NFL venues that hold around 80,000. Also, why would you use radiological dirty bombs. You could smuggle 8 to 10 guys into Neyland with some C4 and have themselves detonate next to the 10 main support pillars of the stadium.

Bottom line: Terrorists are not evil geniuses, they are evil morons.
 
#5
#5
ESPN.com - NFL - Homeland Security: NFL stadiums threat not credible

WASHINGTON -- A threat of dirty bomb attacks against NFL stadiums was deemed not credible by federal security officials, and none of the seven teams named in the Internet posting indicated there would be any noticeable uptick in security for Sunday's games.

With nothing to indicate an imminent attack, local authorities and stadium owners were alerted "out of an abundance of caution," Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said Wednesday. He said the message was being viewed "with strong skepticism."
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#6
#6
Having radiation and the means to convert some form of it to bombs drums up a little more fear than taking down part of a stadium. It doesn't take much to acquire C4 or similar explosives. But having something harder to obtain makes people think far worse of terrorism. Do they have access to more? Where did they get it? Do they have an actual bomb? Etc. Etc.
 
#7
#7
I understand it drums up more fear. However, it makes the operation that much more complicated, and thus makes the job of our intelligence operatives easier. Just as much damage could be done with C4 in a packed stadium as could be done with a radioactive dirty bomb.
 
#9
#9
Working on the success they had last time, they should just enter the stadium with Swiss Army Knives and begin forcing fans to jump over the edge of the stadium.

On a serious note, the easiest way to accomplish said goal would be to load their cars with C4, and park them in parking garages where people tailgate and in other large tailgating spots.

With that being said, I will be expecting a call from the FBI, CIA, and/or NSA at anytime now.
 
#10
#10
Again, you get more terror value and fear out of radiation than C4. You're trying to do more than just kill a large amount of people. You get dust everywhere, people poisoned, panic from the detonation, lockdown, stampedes, and not to mention a post-event crisis sending every government agency into a panic of how this occurred. The blame game of unsealed borders and more radioactive bombs floating around, etc.

This is about terror. People already expect conventional explosives from terrorists. Up the ante with a new type of bomb and radioactive at that and the dynamics of security chane altogether. I think the blame game and witch hunt for failures in government would tie us up endlessly.
 
#12
#12
CSpindizzy said:
Again, you get more terror value and fear out of radiation than C4. You're trying to do more than just kill a large amount of people. You get dust everywhere, people poisoned, panic from the detonation, lockdown, stampedes, and not to mention a post-event crisis sending every government agency into a panic of how this occurred. The blame game of unsealed borders and more radioactive bombs floating around, etc.

This is about terror. People already expect conventional explosives from terrorists. Up the ante with a new type of bomb and radioactive at that and the dynamics of security chane altogether. I think the blame game and witch hunt for failures in government would tie us up endlessly.
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I have a feeling that people would be more terrorized at a death toll of over 50,000 than a death toll of around 10,000 but radioactive. That is just my opinion though.
 
#14
#14
CSpindizzy said:
How do you see 50K dying? That's essentially half of the stadium.
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The way I look at it, is as follows:
If the terrorist was forced to choose between the same amount of weapons grade nuclear material or conventional explosives, the choice is easy: nuclear.

However, that is not the case. A network of 20 men could attack 4 different college venues with vans filled with fertilizer bombs or C4. 5 vans placed strategically at tailgating spots, mainly parking garages, on these campuses, and the death toll would easily approach, if not surpass, 50,000.

Or, 20 men could use all their time and resources to smuggle in a small quantity of radioactive material. Smuggle that dirty bomb into 1 parking garage or tailgating area, and then hope the bomb actually works (kind of hard to test fire dirty bombs.) If it works, you might be lucky to kill 10,000.
 
#15
#15
Basically, the opportunity is available at this moment to hit a large amount of stadiums and kill a large amount of people. If they opt to hit 1 stadium with a dirty bomb, then the opportunities to hit other stadiums in the future is greatly diminished. So, they had better make the most of that one attack.
 
#16
#16
Well since there is talk of numerous stadiums at one time, you figure they've taken the "as many at one time as possible" thought already. Again, you will get more of a reaction and more fear from radiation than conventional. They're not necessarily about body counts as they are the related effects. 9/11 crippled our economy, shut down stock trading for a few days, sent the markets down, changed everything we know about airline travel, etc. The lingering effects were far greater than the 3,000 that died.
 
#20
#20
GAVol said:
So you mean this was actually a credible threat and not something that Karl Rove made up? OWB is going to be devastated.
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How do you know that the administration didn't "employ" him? You don't.
 
#22
#22
OWB said:
How do you know that the administration didn't "employ" him? You don't.
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I could just as easily claim that Howard Dean hired him in a ploy to prove that America isn't safe . . . but I wouldn't because that would be ridiculous.
 
#23
#23
Did yall hear that a couple of weeks ago Al Jazeera requested press creditinals from the Philly Eagles. Coincedense, I really dont think so.

The Eagles issued some 737 press credentials for the return of T.O. game, a good 200-plus more than a typical regular-season home date. The most surreal moment of the week? Eagles public relations man Rich Burg said it was when the credential request from Al Jazeera -- the Muslim TV network -- came in.

Can you really turn down a Al Jazeera credential request? I mean, even if you wanted to?

the actual story

Isn't it ironic? - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
 
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