FBI sent warning after al-Qaida detainee described forest fire plot

[peterh]

<http://www.nola.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0700_BC_ForestWarning&&news&newsflash-national>

PHOENIX (AP) -- The FBI alerted law enforcement agencies last month that an al-Qaida terrorist now in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States.
Rose Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, told The Associated Press that officials there took note of the warning but didn't see a need to act further on it.
The memo noted that investigators couldn't determine whether the detainee was telling the truth.
The newspaper said many forest law enforcement officers it contacted had no idea the warning had been issued.


I’m probably with Rose Davis on this one…..Okey doky….duly noted….NEXT….

[Sal316]

1. {raises eyebrows}

What an odd story.

[patdem]

2. Now wait just a damn minute here....TERRORIST attacks are supposed

to terrorize...not mimic nature??? Forrest fires as terrorist acts....I VERY much doubt that. Lightening causes MOST forrest fires so terrorists think america is suddenly afraid of forrest fires??? :shrug: sounds very very very fishy to me...I guess when you torture someone enough he will say pretty much what you want him to say?

[meisje]

3. lightening is funded by Al-Qaida

bush said so!

[lkinsale]

4. You must not have seen any serious forest fires, my friend

I'm in Santa Fe NM. Three years ago, I watched Los Alamos burn in the Dome Fire. The flames were so huge that I could see them from 40 miles away at night. The sky was utterly black from smoke; it looked like Armageddon for days. The year before that, a fire in the middle of the night came through a mountain town so fast that people barely got out in time, and all the homes burned to the ground.

I have already thought of forest arson as a possible terrorist act. I would be quite unnerved (already am, now that I hear this) to think that terrorists would be deliberately setting fires. And it would not be difficult to do at all. Because of the drought in the west, a concerted plan to start enough fires at the same time, when the ambient temps, wind and humidity were right, where populated areas would be endangered--that would be devastating.

We in the west are highly aware of the danger of fire. It's no joke to stand and watch helplessly while those monsters roll over everything in their path. Don't write this off as silly or fishy.

On edit: the Dome Fire was started by a campfire.

[inthecorneroverhere]

5. agreed

In hot, dry, windy conditions, especially in drought years, forest fires are no joke.

I think it's conceivable there could be eco-terrorism aimed at targeting natural resources and also vacation homes/lifestyle.

[RaRa]

11. Eco-terrorism it ain't

Technically speaking. Eco-terrorism refers to those acts that "terrorize" those who would damage the environment. So, these "terrorists" would never want to set fires. They used this term alot (incorrectly) during the invasion of Iraq.

[janx]

14. Yes we in the West, etc, but

some dolt probably saw how horrible last summer was and started talking out of his ears. It's more sensationalist junk from our ever-present news community.

People are battling fires right now in this state; it happens every year. If we considered that terrorists might be starting them, we'd see a terrorist behind every tree!

[Rose Siding]

6. Time to cut down all the trees

They hate us for our forests :eyes:

[Greyskye]

12. Snarf!

Now look what you did! I have to clean my monitor and keyboard now! :7

[AntiCoup2K4]

7. And so in the name of Homeland Security......

...we must clearcut each and every old growth forest, so Al Qaeda cannot target them. And any environmentalists who oppose this decision MUST be terra sympathizin communist unmurikan bastards!

- A likely BCE response to this manufactured "threat"

[Maple]

8. Forest fires occur

all the time. Whether caused by lightning or careless campers.

Or even the many fires deliberately set, especially in California, for years.

This is just one more thing to alarm people over with no cause.

'Terrorists' don't have to anything in America ever again.

Because you are jumping at shadows all by yourselves.

[lkinsale]

9. They do occur "all the time"

But it's not jumping at shadows. I'm no fool.

[killbotfactory]

10. I figured they would try something like this

It would be easy and cheap to do.

[lkinsale]

13. An example from a DU'er with a wildfire threatening now

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=15951&mesg_id=15951&page=

[Robb]

15. This idea is even older than me...

http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Node/4729/japan.htm