ZOID ZODIAN
04-25-2004, 12:20 AM
I hope this scenario will turn out to just be a mental exercise, but I'm afraid it won't be. I'm actually more worried about this than I ever was about the Russians attacking us.
So here goes...
I believe the Islamic extremists worldwide, be they Hamas, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, or some new group, are actively trying to obtain nuclear weapons. If they are not, then as our enemy they are not doing all they can to defeat us. I have read article after article on the internet and elsewhere that the Russians may be missing some of their nuclear material. This is not to mention the fact that Iran and South Korea are alleged to be working on nuclear power, so I believe it will just be a matter of a few years--if that--before the Islamic extremists obtain one or more nuclear bombs.
When they do, their primary goal will be to deliver them to targets within the US. There are several ways they can do this; I won't detail them here. Suffice it to say that if the liberal media can question "holes" in our security then our enemies have already gotten wind of them.
So here's the scenario:
Using several different methods, either cargo carriers in seaports, airplanes, or smuggling up through Mexico, let's say that in the year 20XX that several nuclear bombs with roughly the yield of the Hiroshima bomb find their way into several major US cities. On (month) (day), 20XX, at promptly 9 am, the terrorists coordinate the detonations as precisely as possible. By 9:01 am New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, and (fill in city here) have ceased to exist.
The country is in chaos. Local television is able to go on the air as much as possible, but national network feeds are gone. National news services are gone. It takes local media in all markets from a few minutes to several hours to inform the public what has happened.
Military and law enforcement are suddenly faced with a nationwide panic. It is not known how much, if any, of our three branches of government have survived.
As the hours go by, it becomes apparent that the national infrastructure has suffered a blow as well. There are major power outages in various places around the country, not to mention the lingering death from the initial attacks, coupled with radiation poisoning, fallout, etc.
As the full implications of what has happened begin to sink in, various factions around the country, including criminal gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips, begin to see this as their chance to take over their "territories." Major gang wars erupt around the country as every two-bit street gang sees this as an opportunity to consolidate its power.
Meanwhile, enough of our military is left, be it nuclear submarines or military units stationed overseas that our former enemies such as Russia and China decide not to "finish us off" since we have enough capability to retaliate that they would not survive without major casualties.
The military, however, is kept busy. Whatever is left of our country's federal government decides immediately to call all troops home from wherever they may be stationed in other countries. Germany is abandoned; South Korea is on its own. Despite the best efforts of various law enforcement and other agencies in the continental US to maintain order, the genie is out of the bottle. Citizens in various sections of the country have to form groups just to survive and fight back against the various gangs and other factions trying to take over. Refugees flee to Canada and Mexico. Anyone with the ability to seek safe haven in another country heads for whatever ports and airports may be in operation.
The government has no choice but to declare martial law. Food lines form as the normal channels of distribution have broken down. Major segments of the economy are missing. For some commodities, only computer records can be used to try to rebuild the supply chain. The only problem is, in major areas of the country the EMP from the nuclear blasts has disrupted all electronic devices, leaving computers, communications, etc., unusable.
The new president of the U.S., Joseph Survivingsenator, cautions people that it may take several weeks or months to restore order. The only way this information has gotten to you is through a badly damaged videotape that you somehow got your hands on through a person with "connections." You also learn that the government is so desperate to restore order that they have begun setting up "concentration camps" and "processing centers" to try to weed out anyone who may present a continuing threat to the country. You wonder if you fit any of the "categories". Your only salvation is that they may be too busy elsewhere to bother you for a while.
You now know that the average citizen in the U.S. is on his own. As word gets around, even normal law-abiding citizens become reduced to animals, looting and pillaging just for basic supplies. The smart people have headed for isolated areas away from the major cities--hopefully to places where they can barter or work for sustenance with someone they know. Some head for the hills just to hide out with relatives or people they know until it all--someday--blows over.
But you--you don't know anyone up in the hills. All you have to work with is what is in your area. You were smart years ago to stock up on weapons and ammunition, but somehow you don't think your small stock of food will last you very long. You need to do something to protect and feed yourself and your family. You also don't know how long this "anarchy" is going to last.
The entire country has come apart and killing, looting, and pillaging are everywhere. This is part of what I call "The Ultra-Violence."
What will you do?
(Okay, a couple of things:
First, some people will say that this scenario is paranoid or that it can't happen. You have a perfect right to your opinion, and it is noted. I'm chalking this scenario up to being somewhere between improbable and likely, in other words, JUST possible. I have based this scenario on information I have obtained from any number of public sources. All I've done is link them together.
Second, I know this scenario is probably full of holes, and that's one of the reasons I started this thread. I WANT someone with knowledge to point out what's wrong with this scenario. Maybe we can then all breathe easier. :)
Third, I don't believe I am giving the terrorists ideas. A lot of my scenario comes from radio talk shows right here in the US. My point is: if several people who call in to radio talk shows can think of these things, then I'm sure the terrorists already have as well. :) I firmly believe that the terrorists have already thought of using nukes on us and are actively working on it. That's why this is so scary.)
So I'd love to read people's responses to this. You can tell me I'm dead wrong, but do it respectfully, please. :)
I'd also love to hear what you'd do in this scenario.
So here goes...
I believe the Islamic extremists worldwide, be they Hamas, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, or some new group, are actively trying to obtain nuclear weapons. If they are not, then as our enemy they are not doing all they can to defeat us. I have read article after article on the internet and elsewhere that the Russians may be missing some of their nuclear material. This is not to mention the fact that Iran and South Korea are alleged to be working on nuclear power, so I believe it will just be a matter of a few years--if that--before the Islamic extremists obtain one or more nuclear bombs.
When they do, their primary goal will be to deliver them to targets within the US. There are several ways they can do this; I won't detail them here. Suffice it to say that if the liberal media can question "holes" in our security then our enemies have already gotten wind of them.
So here's the scenario:
Using several different methods, either cargo carriers in seaports, airplanes, or smuggling up through Mexico, let's say that in the year 20XX that several nuclear bombs with roughly the yield of the Hiroshima bomb find their way into several major US cities. On (month) (day), 20XX, at promptly 9 am, the terrorists coordinate the detonations as precisely as possible. By 9:01 am New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, and (fill in city here) have ceased to exist.
The country is in chaos. Local television is able to go on the air as much as possible, but national network feeds are gone. National news services are gone. It takes local media in all markets from a few minutes to several hours to inform the public what has happened.
Military and law enforcement are suddenly faced with a nationwide panic. It is not known how much, if any, of our three branches of government have survived.
As the hours go by, it becomes apparent that the national infrastructure has suffered a blow as well. There are major power outages in various places around the country, not to mention the lingering death from the initial attacks, coupled with radiation poisoning, fallout, etc.
As the full implications of what has happened begin to sink in, various factions around the country, including criminal gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips, begin to see this as their chance to take over their "territories." Major gang wars erupt around the country as every two-bit street gang sees this as an opportunity to consolidate its power.
Meanwhile, enough of our military is left, be it nuclear submarines or military units stationed overseas that our former enemies such as Russia and China decide not to "finish us off" since we have enough capability to retaliate that they would not survive without major casualties.
The military, however, is kept busy. Whatever is left of our country's federal government decides immediately to call all troops home from wherever they may be stationed in other countries. Germany is abandoned; South Korea is on its own. Despite the best efforts of various law enforcement and other agencies in the continental US to maintain order, the genie is out of the bottle. Citizens in various sections of the country have to form groups just to survive and fight back against the various gangs and other factions trying to take over. Refugees flee to Canada and Mexico. Anyone with the ability to seek safe haven in another country heads for whatever ports and airports may be in operation.
The government has no choice but to declare martial law. Food lines form as the normal channels of distribution have broken down. Major segments of the economy are missing. For some commodities, only computer records can be used to try to rebuild the supply chain. The only problem is, in major areas of the country the EMP from the nuclear blasts has disrupted all electronic devices, leaving computers, communications, etc., unusable.
The new president of the U.S., Joseph Survivingsenator, cautions people that it may take several weeks or months to restore order. The only way this information has gotten to you is through a badly damaged videotape that you somehow got your hands on through a person with "connections." You also learn that the government is so desperate to restore order that they have begun setting up "concentration camps" and "processing centers" to try to weed out anyone who may present a continuing threat to the country. You wonder if you fit any of the "categories". Your only salvation is that they may be too busy elsewhere to bother you for a while.
You now know that the average citizen in the U.S. is on his own. As word gets around, even normal law-abiding citizens become reduced to animals, looting and pillaging just for basic supplies. The smart people have headed for isolated areas away from the major cities--hopefully to places where they can barter or work for sustenance with someone they know. Some head for the hills just to hide out with relatives or people they know until it all--someday--blows over.
But you--you don't know anyone up in the hills. All you have to work with is what is in your area. You were smart years ago to stock up on weapons and ammunition, but somehow you don't think your small stock of food will last you very long. You need to do something to protect and feed yourself and your family. You also don't know how long this "anarchy" is going to last.
The entire country has come apart and killing, looting, and pillaging are everywhere. This is part of what I call "The Ultra-Violence."
What will you do?
(Okay, a couple of things:
First, some people will say that this scenario is paranoid or that it can't happen. You have a perfect right to your opinion, and it is noted. I'm chalking this scenario up to being somewhere between improbable and likely, in other words, JUST possible. I have based this scenario on information I have obtained from any number of public sources. All I've done is link them together.
Second, I know this scenario is probably full of holes, and that's one of the reasons I started this thread. I WANT someone with knowledge to point out what's wrong with this scenario. Maybe we can then all breathe easier. :)
Third, I don't believe I am giving the terrorists ideas. A lot of my scenario comes from radio talk shows right here in the US. My point is: if several people who call in to radio talk shows can think of these things, then I'm sure the terrorists already have as well. :) I firmly believe that the terrorists have already thought of using nukes on us and are actively working on it. That's why this is so scary.)
So I'd love to read people's responses to this. You can tell me I'm dead wrong, but do it respectfully, please. :)
I'd also love to hear what you'd do in this scenario.