alt.war.nuclear

On Feb 9, 1:49=EF=BF=BDpm, "Carey Sublette" wrote:
> wrote in message
>
> news:27004365-5441-43c6-807c-e4a56d51d57b@h11g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> >> I had thought that we were still a long way from the latter scenario
> >> being plausible.
>
> > The latter scenario at this stage is still just a theoretical
> > possibility at the moment, the nessacary(sic) equipment and the
> > experienced personal to use them is just simply not widespread enough
> > to do this but if you look at say 10 even just five years in the
> > future. I think you'll find the knowledge base and resulting mass
> > produced automated equipment will exist given how rapidly this field
> > is developing(just look at the field of DNA profiling in 1985 as to
> > now over 20 years later-it's probably being used now in ways with
> > great regularity now that its developers never imagined).
>
> The smallpox genome is 186 kilobase pairs (186 kbp, one of the largest of
> among viruses), the recently synthesized mycoplasma genome is 583 kbp. Erg=
o
> the technology to synthesze smallpox de novo already exists. =EF=BF=BDAlth=
ough his
> was a major research effort today, Venter and company are hardly unique in=

> having the facilities to do this.
>
> An infectious polio virus, OTOH, was synthesized six years ago, but it was=
a
> measly 7.5 kbp.
>
> Today you can buy synthesized genes from commercial firms (GenScript for
> example) of 45 kbp "starting at $0.66/bp".
>
> The technology is only getting better, cheaper, faster and more accessible=
.

Coimng at this thread from the fire fighting angle can say there are
simple /cheap means of causing death
and mayhem - ie FIRE!

In recent years been number of incidents of tanker truck roll over and
fires on overpass warping the steel
and causing bridges to collapse. (I880 - San Francisco 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Maze
I 95 Shelton CT 2004 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_95_in_Connectic=
ut)

Propane tankers are another source for terrorists to consider - the
"gas limo" plot of few years back were based on this - idea was to
use limos loaded with propane cylinders to drive into underground
parking
garages of buildings in New York/Newark/Wash DC).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Financial_buildings_plot

Plots in London/Glascow last year were variation on this. Doesn't
take a lot of money or genius in chemistry
to carry out something like this. Image trying to rig the George
Washington Bridge in NYC with explosives =3D
would take thousands of pounds and days to carry out. Now figure a
tanker truck "accident" and fire
of gasoline tanker - the damage inflicted and resulting disruption
would be immense.