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I would have never imagined that those idiots would fly planes into buildings however this latest threat has made me think of other ways they could devastate the US. Discuss some of the ways you think a biological attack could go down. methods and implementation. I for one think they could contaminate the water supply. DISCUSS
Homeland Security Unveils Plans To Thwart Small Boat Terror Attacks
April 28, 2008
As boating season approaches, the Bush administration wants to enlist the country’s 80 million recreational boaters to help reduce the chances a small boat could deliver a nuclear or radiological bomb along the country’s 95,000 miles of coastline and inland waterways.
According to a Wednesday intelligence assessment obtained by the Associated Press: “The use of a small boat as a weapon is likely to remain al-Qaeda’s weapon of choice in the maritime environment, given its ease in arming and deploying, low cost, and record of success.”
While the United States has so far been spared this type of strike in its own waters, terrorists have used small boats to attack in other countries.
The millions of humble dinghies, fishing boats, and smaller cargo ships that ply America’s waterways are not nationally regulated as they buzz around ports, oil tankers, power plants, and other potential terrorist targets.
This could allow terrorists in small boats to carry out an attack similar to the USS Cole bombing, said Adm. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard commandant. That 2000 attack killed 17 U.S. sailors in Yemen when terrorists rammed a dinghy packed with explosives into the destroyer. “There is no intelligence right now that there’s a credible risk” of this type of attack, Allen said. “But the vulnerability is there.”
To reduce the potential for such an attack in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security has developed a strategy intended to increase security by enhancing safety standards. The Coast Guard is part of the department.
Today, officials are to announce the plan, which asks states to develop and enforce safety standards for recreational boaters and asks them to look for and report suspicious behavior on the water - much like a neighborhood watch program. The government will also look to develop technology to help detect dangerous materials and other potential warning signs.
The United States has spent billions of dollars constructing elaborate defenses against the giant cargo ships that could be used by terrorists, including strict regulations for containers and shipping.
Source
The Heritage Foundation ran an in-depth report on this in June of last year.
Globally, terrorists have shown an increasing interest in using small boats to attack military and commercial shipping and maritime facilities. The tactics and techniques of using commercial or non-commercial vessels (under 500 tons) or swimmers to emplace or deliver improvised explosive devices have proven effective and exportable. Contemporary operational practices by transnational terrorist groups include refining proven attack methods, sharing lessons learned, and encouraging others to adopt effective tactics. Thus, the possibility of such attacks in U.S. waters should not be ignored.
The small-boat threat needs to be addressed, but rather than focusing on this particular terrorist tactic, Congress and the Administration should invest in assets that improve the overall security of the maritime domain. The maritime sector is a large and diverse field with unique and daunting threats. Efforts should be expanded to improve U.S. situational awareness and law enforcement response rather than fixating on specific attack scenarios involving small boats or other terrorist threats.
The Small-Boat Threat
The definition of “small-boat threat” encompasses a variety of possible weapon-delivery vehicles, tactics, and payloads. Vessels include everything from large craft such as small freighters, large privately owned yachts, fishing trawlers, and commercial tugs to dinghies, jet-skies, and submarines, including mini-submarines like those used by the Japanese in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
An attack could involve suicide bombers, as in the case of the attack on the USS Cole, or vessels on autopilot or remotely controlled. Improvised explosive devices could be delivered or emplaced by boats or swimmers (assisted or unassisted by breathing devices). This could involve placing a “parasite” on the hull of a craft or deploying tethered (anchored to the sea bottom) or untethered (floating) mines in a sea lane, waterway, or port traffic area.
Besides conventional explosives, the bombers could detonate nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological devices. Attacks could occur while the targeted ship is docked at shore, approaching a port, sailing in international waters, or in U.S. or Canadian coastal waterways. In addition to ships, attacks could target port facilities; commercial infrastructure (e.g., an entertainment pier, bridge piling, or pipeline); or public events.
Homeland Security Unveils Plans To Thwart Small Boat Terror Attacks
April 28, 2008
As boating season approaches, the Bush administration wants to enlist the country’s 80 million recreational boaters to help reduce the chances a small boat could deliver a nuclear or radiological bomb along the country’s 95,000 miles of coastline and inland waterways.
According to a Wednesday intelligence assessment obtained by the Associated Press: “The use of a small boat as a weapon is likely to remain al-Qaeda’s weapon of choice in the maritime environment, given its ease in arming and deploying, low cost, and record of success.”
While the United States has so far been spared this type of strike in its own waters, terrorists have used small boats to attack in other countries.
The millions of humble dinghies, fishing boats, and smaller cargo ships that ply America’s waterways are not nationally regulated as they buzz around ports, oil tankers, power plants, and other potential terrorist targets.
This could allow terrorists in small boats to carry out an attack similar to the USS Cole bombing, said Adm. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard commandant. That 2000 attack killed 17 U.S. sailors in Yemen when terrorists rammed a dinghy packed with explosives into the destroyer. “There is no intelligence right now that there’s a credible risk” of this type of attack, Allen said. “But the vulnerability is there.”
To reduce the potential for such an attack in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security has developed a strategy intended to increase security by enhancing safety standards. The Coast Guard is part of the department.
Today, officials are to announce the plan, which asks states to develop and enforce safety standards for recreational boaters and asks them to look for and report suspicious behavior on the water - much like a neighborhood watch program. The government will also look to develop technology to help detect dangerous materials and other potential warning signs.
The United States has spent billions of dollars constructing elaborate defenses against the giant cargo ships that could be used by terrorists, including strict regulations for containers and shipping.
Source
The Heritage Foundation ran an in-depth report on this in June of last year.
Globally, terrorists have shown an increasing interest in using small boats to attack military and commercial shipping and maritime facilities. The tactics and techniques of using commercial or non-commercial vessels (under 500 tons) or swimmers to emplace or deliver improvised explosive devices have proven effective and exportable. Contemporary operational practices by transnational terrorist groups include refining proven attack methods, sharing lessons learned, and encouraging others to adopt effective tactics. Thus, the possibility of such attacks in U.S. waters should not be ignored.
The small-boat threat needs to be addressed, but rather than focusing on this particular terrorist tactic, Congress and the Administration should invest in assets that improve the overall security of the maritime domain. The maritime sector is a large and diverse field with unique and daunting threats. Efforts should be expanded to improve U.S. situational awareness and law enforcement response rather than fixating on specific attack scenarios involving small boats or other terrorist threats.
The Small-Boat Threat
The definition of “small-boat threat” encompasses a variety of possible weapon-delivery vehicles, tactics, and payloads. Vessels include everything from large craft such as small freighters, large privately owned yachts, fishing trawlers, and commercial tugs to dinghies, jet-skies, and submarines, including mini-submarines like those used by the Japanese in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
An attack could involve suicide bombers, as in the case of the attack on the USS Cole, or vessels on autopilot or remotely controlled. Improvised explosive devices could be delivered or emplaced by boats or swimmers (assisted or unassisted by breathing devices). This could involve placing a “parasite” on the hull of a craft or deploying tethered (anchored to the sea bottom) or untethered (floating) mines in a sea lane, waterway, or port traffic area.
Besides conventional explosives, the bombers could detonate nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological devices. Attacks could occur while the targeted ship is docked at shore, approaching a port, sailing in international waters, or in U.S. or Canadian coastal waterways. In addition to ships, attacks could target port facilities; commercial infrastructure (e.g., an entertainment pier, bridge piling, or pipeline); or public events.
