Re smallpox: <The only choice would be to burn it in a Thermonuclear Hellfire. >
Lindy, wouldn't that make a mess in Los Angeles, New York and Washington?
It might be better to do some vaccinations, so that the disease can't propagate.
I don't believe the USA intelligence services think that Saddam or anyone who matters has got smallpox.
If they did, they would have started vaccinations of the USA population a year ago. * Note 1.
When planning to attack and kill Saddam, I'm sure they know that he will do a Hitler and take everything possible with him. He has had over a decade to get ready - now 12 years.
To prepare, I would pay some suicide carriers to carry my smallpox jars into the USA. They would get aerosol dispensers ready. Then wait.
As the American forces approach Baghdad, I would announce my evil plan to persuade the forces to stop. I would demonstrate by perhaps posting a few smallpox sealed in an envelope, from Peoria or Santee to the Centre for Disease Control, so that could agree that yes, somebody does indeed have some feral smallpox in the USA.
Then, the President of the USA could decide whether to risk a few million or 10s of millions of American deaths to gain control of some oil fields. Even if they could avoid death [and sickness] the economic impact of quarantined cities, towns, businesses, people, would be stupendous.
Thermonuclear Hellfire, while a lot of fun, might not be all that good an idea for handling smallpox. One doesn't use a Howitzer to shoot a sparrow. Nuking smallpox is going over the top too.
He might not actually tell you where he is hiding it you know. The bad guys are funny like that.
Mqurice
* Note 1 .... On the other hand, it was obvious that cockpit doors should be closed to stop people taking over aircraft, but people including Condoleezza Rice were apparently surprised that some terrorists figured that commandeering a dirty great jumbo jet and crashing it into buildings was a good idea. So maybe military intelligence isn't all that it might be and they'll be amazed when Saddam attacks everyone with smallpox. That Johns Hopkins bugs guy seems to think they might well have it. I say shut the cockpit door before the horse bolts again. |
