The next terrorist attack

[Doc]

was watching something last night, might have been fox, don't really recall.... but it was interesting regardless. Was discussing the potential for Ebola being used as a mechanism for terrorism and how easy it would be. I have to agree. Consider if somebody intentionally infected themselves with the virus then traveled to this country during the 3 week incubation period. They would be asymptomatic and I imagine it would not be too difficult to hide their travel past. Once you started showing signs and became infective, then you do anything and everything possible to spread the disease including suicide bombing where body tissue is detonated in a large public area.

Somewhat of a scary though, and not one that I'd put past a radical intent on killing as many people as possible and who is willing to die to do so.

[suncat05]

Well, aren't we just full of all kinds of holiday cheer already? Geez, Doc...........but then again, realistically, that's one way to do it. Among many others.

This stuff makes you think, doesn't it?

[MickintheHam]

was watching something last night, might have been fox, don't really recall.... but it was interesting regardless. Was discussing the potential for Ebola being used as a mechanism for terrorism and how easy it would be. I have to agree. Consider if somebody intentionally infected themselves with the virus then traveled to this country during the 3 week incubation period. They would be asymptomatic and I imagine it would not be too difficult to hide their travel past. Once you started showing signs and became infective, then you do anything and everything possible to spread the disease including suicide bombing where body tissue is detonated in a large public area.

Somewhat of a scary though, and not one that I'd put past a radical intent on killing as many people as possible and who is willing to die to do so.

We have some who say this is overblown.

[KeithKSR]

If a dozen of these suicidal nuts are infected and dispersed around the Western World and do not seek any medical attention and infect as many metro areas as possible we have a pandemic situation.

[jazyd]

It's a serious problem and potential. Take Tylenol before getting on a plane and again before landing to beat a fever. Then do your thing

Sneeze, cough, pee on toilet lids, get hot and sweaty and rub against people going on a subway, bus stop, anywhere

But bakert says it is way overblown dws

[CitizenBBN]

It's an obvious strategy, and a perfect fit with the suicide bomber approach. IMO they're fools that they haven't done it already. The only reason I can think they haven't to date is it's not as good for TV. Claiming they infected the nation with an Ebola epidemic isn't as grand and clear and provable as flying planes into buildings.

[Doc]

It's an obvious strategy, and a perfect fit with the suicide bomber approach. IMO they're fools that they haven't done it already. The only reason I can think they haven't to date is it's not as good for TV. Claiming they infected the nation with an Ebola epidemic isn't as grand and clear and provable as flying planes into buildings.

But I think that the panic induced by 1 death and 2 infected individuals only shows how effective such a strategy could be. IMO it could have a great impact than a one time event like the WTC.

[suncat05]

The potential to induce mass casualties by introducing numerous subjects in many different locales is a very real danger. And what's to stop them? We're not stopping anybody coming straight from west Africa. And we're damn sure not stopping anybody anywhere along our southern borders. So the potential is many times higher than it should be just because the federal government isn't really concerned with protecting its citizens.
And biological weapons are not the only concern either. Chemical weapons are available, as well as some limited nuclear weapons. But the biological weaponry concerns me a great deal. Fairly easy to make, a little difficult to introduce into use, but if you have a willing martyr who is willing to be the carrier, then God only knows where he/she can go to spread the virus. Shopping malls, sporting events, trade shows, conventions, lots of places with human contact unabated. The potential is almost unlimited.

[dan_bgblue]

The opportunity for mayhem like this has existed for a long time, a really long time. Is the danger greater today than it was 30 years ago for someone to poison a water supply, get in a crop dusting plane and infect crops on the sly with pathogens, or blow up a place were large numbers of people gather?

I posit that the chances of that happening today is actually less than it was 30 years ago since people are much more alert to suspicious activities of people they do not know.

[KeithKSR]

The opportunity for mayhem like this has existed for a long time, a really long time. Is the danger greater today than it was 30 years ago for someone to poison a water supply, get in a crop dusting plane and infect crops on the sly with pathogens, or blow up a place were large numbers of people gather?

I posit that the chances of that happening today is actually less than it was 30 years ago since people are much more alert to suspicious activities of people they do not know.

It doesn't matter how alert or suspicious we are vs 30 years ago. In today's world dangerous biological materials are more readily available and there are third world groups that are actively recruiting our citizens, that wasn't a factor 30 years ago.

It's not a matter of "if" an attack occurs, but a matter of "when" it occurs.