DHS' Chertoff: "We didn't plan for an A-bomb, either!"

[moodforaday]

This has just been posted to Dave Farber's "Interesting People" mailing list (http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/ ) - I'm quoting in full, omitting only the sender's email:

From: Lauren Weinstein <email elided>
Date: September 3, 2005 7:22:30 PM EDT
To: <email elided>
Cc: <email elided>
Subject: DHS' Chertoff: "We didn't plan for an A-bomb, either!"

Dave,

My subject line above paraphrases a bit, but in case you missed it,
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made a
remarkable statement at a press conference today. He was asked why
there had not been sufficient planning for a strong hurricane that
could cause failure of the New Orleans levee system.

After first characterizing the question as argumentative, he
appeared to plead that these two events were not reasonable to
associate for planning purposes -- a ludicrous assumption to most
observers. And he noted that they hadn't planned for an atomic bomb
being added to the mix either.

Say what? I was so startled by the bizarre A-bomb reference that I
had to replay it -- but there it was, and here it is -- play it for
yourself:

http://www.vortex.com/dhs-chertoff-2005-09-03.mp3

If Chertoff really believes that this is a valid comparison, then
at least some of the Katrina response failure is explained, and
we should all be even more concerned.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. Gee Mr Chertoff - just what have you spent all that $ on?

Binders?

[SofaKingLiberal]

2. Not reasonably foreseeable?

I don't know how much more of this bullshit I can take.

[moodforaday]

3. Link to original

Lauren Weinstein's blog has the original post:

http://lauren.vortex.com/

[terrya]

4. He'd better start planning for one.

Am I not getting the concept of the Department of Homeland Security after 09/11? I thought this was why we went into Iraq...Saddam was supposedly trying to develop WMD (which, presumably, would have included nuclear weapons). More nations are developing their own nuclear arsenals. The possibilities that terrorist groups could get their hands on materials to create a nuclear device are there.

And this fucking idiot, who is head of the department that presumably would try to deal with this, is NOT planning for it? Criminal incompentence.

[DemBones DemBones]

5. Holy shit! We were planning for an A bomb back in the Fifties

and Sixties when I grew up. Civil defense was important back then, as it should be. We knew where the fall-out shelters were, we knew what to do, though I seriously doubt that we had sufficient stockpiles of food and medications.

Today, we should have BETTER preparation for such an event. Remember when India and Pakistan, both with nukes, were playing chicken a few years back? We'd have gotten that fall-out here and it was obvious to me that nobody much cared.

[SofaKingLiberal]

6. So the bunkers/military command centers are for?

Greenbrier

Gee

NORAD

[Divernan]

7. It turns out to be the Department of Homeland INsecurity.

Chertoff,Bush and Brown are spending all their time covering their butts instead of working on this disaster.

[DRoseDARs]

8. DHS' Chertoff: "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

These people are completely out of it...

[charlie]

9. Heh. Was just thinking that myself

Probably well-prepared for attacks with fresh fruit, though...

[DRoseDARs]

10. Hell, it's like getting pregnant: You don't always plan for it...

...but that's what happens when you fuck around.



Edit: That sounded slightly off-note. Was not meant to be sexist.

[HereSince1628]

11. For this we pay millions of dollars?

Wow. What were they thinking that kept those events separated?


Hurricane...high water levels, high water levels...Levee breach, therefore considering the distributed middle...hurricane...levee breach.

A little piece of logic that EVERY other planner in the region seemed to have no problem constructing.

[DistressedAmerican]

12. I Wonder If He Has Planned On Jail For Him And His Buddies?

[IrkedSerf]

13. In a way they are planning for a nuclear attack.

A possible scenario for what is in store over the next few weeks could well include a nuclear detonation under US military auspices on the coast of the Carolinas under the cover of the anti-terrorism exercise Sudden Response 05, but blamed on Hezbollah or some other alleged Iranian asset, followed by US atomic bombing of Iranian military bases, nuclear sites, and other strategic targets, using nuclear devices of various yields.


http://www.iwilltryit.com/Iran1.htm