I saw some men who work for the Canadian National Railroad in the general store in town. Did you know the Canadians own the trains and the tracks they run on in the United States?
So I ask what's to keep some terrorist from putting one of those suitcase sized atomic bombs on a train in Canada, and have it come into the heart of any American city? They kind of laughed and said "We have our own policemen." Yeah, I'll bet. They didn't really seem to believe that this would be any great hindrance to anyone wanting to do it.

I jokingly said it's on my bucket list to ride in one of those railcars, and the boss said it's easy--just run alongside and jump on! (He said smiling, while eyeing my walking sticks.)

On CNN the other night I saw another scenario about a way to cause havoc. It was a simulation of the effect of cyber terrorism on the US. Wolf Blitzer hosted, Michael Chertoff, national security adviser chaired the meeting of government officials. (Chertoff is hard to look at--he is bald, has a gaunt bony face and long hawkish nose and paste-y look--he reminds me of Dickens description of Uriah Heep, or someone who's died and been dug up after a week.)

So the gist of the show was what would occur if cyber terrosist crashed the base of the computer systems than run the country. Electric grids would be vulnerable, and with no electricity, everything comes to a screeching halt, including fuel deivery systems. Then it would be martial law, and the government would take over the private sector, with the president having unprecendented power. One official said "The risk is not the feds would do too much--but too little."

Yep, I can tell you from experience after hurricane K. that when the electricity goes off, gas stations close, the banks close, grocery stores close, telephones don't work--all aspects of normal life--everything--immediately stops. That's how terrorist can hurt us the most, and leave us open to assault and attack. Running planes into buildings is nothing compared to what would happen if power were off across the U. S. Cut the power, and we're dead in the water.

susil