But How Are We Doing
on catching smart terrorists?
But, like, even those of us who slept through science class should be familiar with the principle that water doesn't run uphill. Lower Manhattan is part of an island called Manhattan. Like all islands, it shares the characteristic of being above the level of the water surrounding it. The Holland Tunnel runs underwater, deep below the surface of the Hudson River, in fact in rock below the bed of the River. Which, obviously, is itself lower than the surface of Manhattan, even lower Manhattan.
See where I'm going here? Even if they could blow a hole in the tunnel, water wouldn't flow uphill to flood lower Manhattan, and, if it did, it would flow back down again into the river, like all the rain that falls on the island. Isn't this obvious?
So why was it that, the first time I heard this story today on NPR, the fundamental absurdity of the terrorist 'plan' went unmentioned? Mightn't the fact that the alleged plotters were so ignorant of both NYC geography and basic physical law be an important part of the story?
When the FBI releases more information, it may turn out that these people really were a threat. I'll wait to hear more details. Coming as it does on the heels of the bust in Miami, I'm not convinced. The fact that the first thing revealed about the plot is fundamentally absurd, and that the second was that it hadn't gone beyond the 'talking' stage, makes me think this will turn out to be another big scary story that turns out to be next to nothing.
And, at this point, why aren't our news providers more skeptical themselves? Obviously, the Daily News has always been big on sensationalism. It's one of the tabloids that gave tabloids a bad name. Why are others picking it up and running it without asking, is there really news here?
So far, it appears that some guys were talking about doing damage to the US economy in an internet chat room, and somebody was talking about a cockamamie scheme involving flooding Wall St. Apparently, US authorities asked Lebanese authorities to detain one of the people involved.
Frankly, I'd be more surprised by the news that US authorities hadn't found some people in a chat room talking about doing bad things to the US. As they used to say, "talk is cheap." (In fact, if I were in charge of our counter-terrorism efforts, I'd sponsor (covertly) internet chat rooms to get angry young men to blow off steam, and surreptitously steer such conversations in directions I'd like. Perhaps I'd even encourage them to spend time and attention on plots that are physically impossible to achieve, just to keep them occupied. Maybe a plot to drop the moon on Chicago. But that's me.)
The thing that scares me about this story, like with the Miami gang, is that the 9/11 crew wasn't stupid. And I can imagine there are other smart guys out there, working on plans that really are feasible. I worry about those guys going undetected while the FBI spends its time rounding up cranks and lunatics who couldn't bomb their way out of a paper bag.
Finding the idiots who want to do us harm is easy, even easier now that years of Bushist foreign policy have pissed off the world. Finding the smart and clever guys who want to do us harm, that's the challenge.
The FBI has uncovered what officials consider a serious plot by jihadists to bomb the Holland Tunnel in hopes of causing a torrent of water to deluge lower Manhattan, the Daily News has learned.This is the opening of an article in the NY Daily News, which has been spread widely this morning in another feeding frenzy of sensational "We caught some terrorists!" reporting.
The terrorists sought to drown the Financial District as New Orleans was by Hurricane Katrina, sources said.
But, like, even those of us who slept through science class should be familiar with the principle that water doesn't run uphill. Lower Manhattan is part of an island called Manhattan. Like all islands, it shares the characteristic of being above the level of the water surrounding it. The Holland Tunnel runs underwater, deep below the surface of the Hudson River, in fact in rock below the bed of the River. Which, obviously, is itself lower than the surface of Manhattan, even lower Manhattan.
See where I'm going here? Even if they could blow a hole in the tunnel, water wouldn't flow uphill to flood lower Manhattan, and, if it did, it would flow back down again into the river, like all the rain that falls on the island. Isn't this obvious?
So why was it that, the first time I heard this story today on NPR, the fundamental absurdity of the terrorist 'plan' went unmentioned? Mightn't the fact that the alleged plotters were so ignorant of both NYC geography and basic physical law be an important part of the story?
When the FBI releases more information, it may turn out that these people really were a threat. I'll wait to hear more details. Coming as it does on the heels of the bust in Miami, I'm not convinced. The fact that the first thing revealed about the plot is fundamentally absurd, and that the second was that it hadn't gone beyond the 'talking' stage, makes me think this will turn out to be another big scary story that turns out to be next to nothing.
And, at this point, why aren't our news providers more skeptical themselves? Obviously, the Daily News has always been big on sensationalism. It's one of the tabloids that gave tabloids a bad name. Why are others picking it up and running it without asking, is there really news here?
So far, it appears that some guys were talking about doing damage to the US economy in an internet chat room, and somebody was talking about a cockamamie scheme involving flooding Wall St. Apparently, US authorities asked Lebanese authorities to detain one of the people involved.
Frankly, I'd be more surprised by the news that US authorities hadn't found some people in a chat room talking about doing bad things to the US. As they used to say, "talk is cheap." (In fact, if I were in charge of our counter-terrorism efforts, I'd sponsor (covertly) internet chat rooms to get angry young men to blow off steam, and surreptitously steer such conversations in directions I'd like. Perhaps I'd even encourage them to spend time and attention on plots that are physically impossible to achieve, just to keep them occupied. Maybe a plot to drop the moon on Chicago. But that's me.)
The thing that scares me about this story, like with the Miami gang, is that the 9/11 crew wasn't stupid. And I can imagine there are other smart guys out there, working on plans that really are feasible. I worry about those guys going undetected while the FBI spends its time rounding up cranks and lunatics who couldn't bomb their way out of a paper bag.
Finding the idiots who want to do us harm is easy, even easier now that years of Bushist foreign policy have pissed off the world. Finding the smart and clever guys who want to do us harm, that's the challenge.
posted by Paul at 7:52 AM |
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