Letting down our guard

[azsnowman]

Are we becoming too complacent, too relaxed, too confident since the war in Iraq is all but over? I know things are FAR from over in Iraq as far as that goes, but it just seems to me that we have become so sure of ourselfs that we have let our guard down as far as another terrorist attack here on our own soil. Any thoughts on this?

Dennis 8)

[mf_dolphin]

I guess I'm guilty of a little fatalism when it comes to the terrorist threat. Having worked with some of our finest Special Ops troops while I was in the military, I know that a small, dedicated, and highly motivated group is almost unstoppable. I trust that our counter-terrorism forces are doing all they can to track and kill the active cells. However, we must understand that this is a long term situation and one that we're likely to live with for the rest of our lives. With the thousands of miles of borders and coastlines, there is just no way to stop infilltration. The best thing we can do is stay alert and support the government's continuing efforts to rid the world of these groups! JMHO

[streetsoldier]

Not here...we are still hammering out the details of reinstituting the Missouri State Guard (possibly as an MP auxiliary, such as the Texas State Guard has been employed).

Note that these "State Guards", "State Military Reserves", or "State Defense Forces" (now active in 30 of the 50 states) are troops that fall under the Governor, or the State Adjutant General, and are authorized, and exempt from Federal call-up, under two sections of the United States Code.

No complacency here, ladies and gentlemen.

[Lindaloo]

That is excellent news from your area Bill. I must say though that we were just issued another terror warning a few days ago naming our Nuclear power plants. Then nothing else was said.

[mf_dolphin]

I'm not talking about being complacent, just trying to be realistic in my expectations. A small, highly motivated group is almost impossible to stop in a free society. Our own special forces are founded on this very premise. I believe that tere will be more attacks at some pont in the future. We just have to keep punishing the groups that support them.

[streetsoldier]

I made that point in an application interview with the Cass County ND Sheriff's Emergency Management Office back in 1986; when he stated that his department was "ready for any possibility", I informed him that Fargo-Moorhead ND-MN could be shut down by as few as ten dedicated and trained terrorists...power, water, comunications, etc., all within a five-minute interval, if not precisely timed simultaneously.

He laughed, and had me shown to the door...I wonder if he's still laughing now? :?

[mf_dolphin]

Yep, the hardest ting in the world to stop is a lone terrorist. The more people involved the bigger the chance for a slip. There aren't many people in law enforcement at any level so sure anymore. Signs of the times.

[Constructionwx]

I had not been to a Mall in months until I had to go to a "Major" Metro Atlanta Mall to rent a tux. We found a spot at the Main entrance and on the way in I noticed those oversized cement barriers, they kinda looked like huge planting pots. They were blocking 2 lanes of traffic closest to the doors. After we were through in the Mall, we stopped at a resturant at that entrance. I started studying those things, (where they were placed and the space between them) and you could easily drive a vehicle around them by hopping a 4" curb. I sure do hope that we aren't letting our guard down. :o

[JetMaxx]

RP...shopping malls scare me to death. Granny and me visited Arbor Place mall last Saturday for lunch (I always love to browse Border's books and music); it unnerved me as I sat there eating realizing just how vunerable we were.

The entrances are wide open, and the food court is directly above the mall entrance...where everyone congregates for lunch and dinner. All a crazed terrorist has to do is drive a van or truck packed with explosives through those front doors, detonate it, and everyone in the food court is dead..as it collapses onto the lower level

It wouldn't have the same worldwide visual impact as the World Trade Towers....but on a typical Saturday lunchtime, it could mean a huge body count (hundreds, maybe a thousand or more). Not many of us live near ground zero....we all live near a mall.

The psychological impact on suburban America would be tremendous. A cordinated attack at several malls at the same time could literally shut the U.S. economy down.

[streetsoldier]

I'd be much more inclined to look at college campuses, especaially cafeterias and major collegiate sporting events as "high profile", "soft" targets...UCLA, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, etc. Security is minimal, access is open and (if necessary) escape routes are abundant.

If you recall, a single suicide bomber caused quite a lot of damage, and generated more than a fair share of "media exposure" in Israel choosing a university setting, and this is not lost on the "planning' people.

[azskyman]

This will surely be looked upon in the context of "years" of war against terror...perhaps decades.

Those who would hate America...innocent Americans...for our freedoms and lifestyle and opportunity not only still have those things to grow in their souls, but seeds of hatred have sprouted from our very being on sacred continents claimed as exclusively theirs.

We will see other tragic events...terrible loss...and the darkest side of human nature in the form of terrorist acts. Not a question of if...but when.

Our ability as a nation to muster the courage to see our mission through will be tested in ways equally as painful as September 11th.

Yet in between...we will do some necessary soul searching and house cleaning to reduce that opportunity and at least be better prepared to act and recover.

So..we must smile at our neighbors and hug those around us now. These days are precious gifts we have...and they must not go to waste.

[streetsoldier]

I do not usually grant any credence to ancient prognosticators, but even Michel de Nostradamus (although the attack was "off" by two years; he stated "1999") predicted a Western victory, but that it would take 27 years to win. Which sounds closer to the truth than most want to hear...

[mf_dolphin]

This is going to be a long fight for sure. The rest of the civilized world has lived with this reality for years. It was inevitable that it would find it's way to our shores eventually. I have no doubt that when attacked the American people will come together but I doubt if we will maintain our vigilance. We so love our freedom that eventually we return to the status quo. Already the Democratic presidential candidates are talking about removing the "restrictions" on civil liberties put inplace after 9-11. If you disagree then it's critical that you have your say at the polls next year!

[Stephanie]

Actually, I think it is inevitable that more terrorist attacks will occur, but I do believe that our eyes are opened alot wider now. I'm sure that there have been and will be alot of attempts that were/will be avoided.

I also think that with the victory in Iraq, it has sent a message to those who are supporting terrorist organizations to re-think their positions. It also has probably raised the ire of those who already hated us from day one.

[WidreMann]

Everybody makes it out that we can stop terrorism and have peace for a long time. Well, peace never comes, and certainly not that easy. You can't stamp out terrorism any more than you can stamp out war, corruption or evil. And if we think we can just go after terrorist organizations and make it all "go away", we've got a lot to learn. The best we can do is get to the root of the problem, and even then, there will be people who don't like us and will want to kill us. You can't please everybody. Terrorism has been a problem for a long time and will be a problem for a very, very long time.

[Lindaloo]

yeah just what we need.. another Democrat in office to loosen up our security and then BOOM another Sept. 11th.

[Stephanie]

It's not that simple Lindaloo - they existed no matter what party was in office. I think no matter who's in office now will never forget the lessons learned from Sept 11.

[streetsoldier]

I agree that the security measures we already have must stay in place....but we need to go MUCH farther and effectively seal our borders, tighten up the INS, etc. We are at war...and no small numbers of those who would make war against us use the openness of our untended borders to enter and do just that.

What does distress me is what such as Hillary would do with the machinery as it stands...turn it "internally" against any one, or group she disagrees with. And, they are many.

[Constructionwx]

I agree that the security measures we already have must stay in place....but we need to go MUCH farther and effectively seal our borders, tighten up the INS, etc. We are at war...and no small numbers of those who would make war against us use the openness of our untended borders to enter and do just that.

What does distress me is what such as Hillary would do with the machinery as it stands...turn it "internally" against any one, or group she disagrees with. And, they are many.

OK, I missed something! What the heck did that lady say? I assume you mean the former 1st lady.

[Constructionwx]

RP...shopping malls scare me to death. Granny and me visited Arbor Place mall last Saturday for lunch (I always love to browse Border's books and music); it unnerved me as I sat there eating realizing just how vunerable we were.

The entrances are wide open, and the food court is directly above the mall entrance...where everyone congregates for lunch and dinner. All a crazed terrorist has to do is drive a van or truck packed with explosives through those front doors, detonate it, and everyone in the food court is dead..as it collapses onto the lower level

It wouldn't have the same worldwide visual impact as the World Trade Towers....but on a typical Saturday lunchtime, it could mean a huge body count (hundreds, maybe a thousand or more). Not many of us live near ground zero....we all live near a mall.

The psychological impact on suburban America would be tremendous. A cordinated attack at several malls at the same time could literally shut the U.S. economy down.

Zup PW,

If memory serves me, weren't shopping mall's one of the first "terrorist alerts" to surface? I swear you could drive ANY type of vehicle right to the spot that I was sitting!

But you know what? It really does not bother me. I'm simply pointing out what could happen. If I genuinely thought that I was unable to go about my daily activities without worrying about things like that, then I should raise a white flag!!