Steven Vlad

Rheumatology/Epidemiology

Red Alert! – a correction

I try to admit when I’m wrong and it looks like my interpretation of the kerfufle after Britain’s terrorist arrests may have been premature.

I’m listening to NPR and am learning that in fact, Pakistan had arrested one of the plot coordinators a week before the big arrests, and that soon after this Brit intelligence intercepted a message telling the remaining plotters to move up the time of the attack. And since the Brits were not in fact sure that they got all the plotters, it looks like the increased security and raised terrorism alerts were probably appropriate.

However, I still stick by my assertion that if liquid explosions have been a concern for over a decade, then why have we not developed better methods of detection or why haven’t they been banned long before.

I still think that the government jumped onto a bunch of stop-gap security measures right after 9/11 without a lot of thought, and I’m not convinced that these measures have proved to be very effective.

But mea culpa for whatever it’s worth.

Steven Vlad

One response to “Red Alert! – a correction”

  1. takerofnames Avatar
    takerofnames

    I agree with Carpus above, but have to say that I think we may be barking up the wrong tree with our approach to the terrorist threat. I want to point out something I discovered in CNN’s coverage of the plot (the passage of note is marked with an asterisk):

    “LONDON, England (CNN) — British police say they have arrested 21 people in connection with a terrorist plot to blow up aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States.

    The plot was “intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale,” Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said. The UK’s threat warning level has been raised to “critical” — meaning “an attack is expected imminently.”

    London Heathrow — one of the world’s busiest airports — was closed to most European flights, causing chaos for thousands of travelers. British Airways canceled all its flights between the airport and points in Britain, Europe and Libya. (Full story)

    The plot involved hiding liquid explosives in carry-on luggage, and six to 10 flights would have been targeted, U.S. officials said.

    *A senior U.S. congressional source said it is believed the plotters were to carry a “British version of Gatorade” onto the planes and then mix it with a gel-like substance. The explosives were to be triggered by an iPod or a cell phone, the source said.

    Some flights would have been heading from the UK to New York, Washington D.C. and California, the officials said.

    The plot involved Continental, United, and American Airlines, according to an administration official who noted that the list was not exclusive.

    The intelligence that uncovered the plot “makes very strong links to al Qaeda,” a senior U.S. administration official told CNN. The official said it is believed the plot was close to being operational.

    U.S. President George W. Bush said the plot was “a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation.”

    I just want to show that if the “British Version of Gatorade” can be detonated and become such a threat, shouldn’t we ban the American version? Usually the difference between American and British goods is small, such as a letter misplaced (usually the Brits trying to cheat at Scrabble for added points) such as in “colour” or “Oesophagus” but here there is no mispelling and I think we should all contact Lou Dobbs or other pundit and point out that all a would-be terrorist has to do is go to a Store 24 and detonate the refrigerated beverage area.
    My questions for Homeland Security:
    1. Are all versions of Gatorade explosive?
    2. Is there evidence that Gatorade knock-offs like Powerade pose a similar risk?
    3. What about Red Bull i.e is the whole campaign about “Red Bull gives you wings” really just an Al Quaeda training video?

    America, I’ve got your back.
    The TakerofNames

    Reply

Leave a reply to takerofnames Cancel reply