Dirty bomb threat at NFL Stadiums this weekend

Developing.

CNN is reporting a threat to several NFL stadiums this weekend. A poster on a web site has stated that dirty bombs, delivered by truck, will be detonated. The cities being warned are New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland. All have home games this weekend.

The origional warning post was made on thefriendsociety.com (very slow right now).

www.rawstory.com...

More info found on the CNNSI website.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com...

The Homeland Security Department alerted authorities and stadium owners in those cities, as well as the NFL, of the Web message but said the threat was being viewed "with strong skepticism." Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said there was no intelligence that indicated such an attack was imminent, and that the alert was "out of an abundance of caution."

[edit on 18-10-2006 by sensfan]

[edit on 18-10-2006 by sensfan]

[edit on 18-10-2006 by sensfan]

I'm not a football person, but I watched (from the FLYERS Ice Rink) as the Eagles raised their new stadium - Lincoln Financial Field - in Philadelphia. It's right next to where the Flyers play.

The stadium is HUGE. HUGE HUGE HUGE. And it's sitting ON TOP OF I-95. I'm serious. I'm deadly serious. Many times I have driven by the stadium while the Eagles have been playing and I've been able to look between the stands and see them out on the field.

The stands are right next to the highway. This is a major highway. It would be NOTHING for a truck of explosives to drive next to the stands and be set off. And it would be nothing for a truck of explosives to drive off the highway and into the stands and then explode.

My husband and I often wondered why the heck the Eagles stadium was built so carelessly next to I-95 .. considering that Philly just tore down the old Veterans stadium and the Eagles could have built there instead.

It's wide open for whoever wants to hit it.

NOT GOOD!

Edited for spelling

[edit on 10/18/2006 by FlyersFan]

Virtually any sports stadium is an open target for a large enough attack. Drive a dirty bomb, or large conventional bomb into the parking lot as close to the building during a game as you can, and boom...how could it possibly be stopped?

I don't know, this threat seems quite obvious and expected, they've been warning of attacks during ramadan, major sporting events have always been a target since 9/11 and well given that security will be bumped up a bit, I think everything at the stadiums will be fine.

perhaps this a distraction, get us to pay attention and use resources at the stadiums while they target somewhere else?

The first attempt was last year with the suicide bombing at a University football game. They should take this as a very credible threat, as it would be a massive casualty count with literally over 70000 fans and employees in attendance. I always thought it would be college games since security is more lax.

I just read this over on drudge.
I am going to call BS on this one. Seems like a scare tactic.
But, I could be wrong.

Originally posted by worldwatcher


perhaps this a distraction, get us to pay attention and use resources at the stadiums while they target somewhere else?

I was just thinking the same thing worldwatcher. Warn specific stadiums, but then hit other stadiums not mentioned in the warning.

NASCAR pulls more people into a stadium than football. What's going on with NASCAR races these days? Anything coming up?

I guess I'm glad that I'm a hockey fan. Our hockey arena, when fully loaded, only reaches 20,000. NASCAR (taladega I think) goes to what??? 100,000? Something like that.

Considering how the Flyers are playing this year .. they'll be lucky to bring in half that 20,000. Geeeeze! LOUSY YEAR!!

A truck is a very possible delivery system. However, so is a small plane. When I first heard about this threat, to be honest I didn't really feel it was very credible. But you never know.

NASCAR is one race a week, football stadiums are in each city. You have a choice of 15 each weekend that you can hit. I would still think that college stadiums would be easier because of security. Not happy the Bucs are at home this weekend, and CENTCOM/SOCOM is 4 miles away from there. Do worry, Philly is down here this week.

Maybe this is the "October surprise" that K. Rove was alluding to showing how efficient the administration is at protecting the citizenry. Just in time for Nov 7.

Almost as convenient as the Foley resignation. I can't believe anything anymore.

Im with lardo5150 on calling BS on this one too.

When will the alert go to "yellow" or is it "orange" I forget?

The Bears have a bye this weekend.




Realisticly speaking, a dirty bomb is a phychological weapon at best.

It would be very difficult to obtain and use any practical amount of material to have a real and measurable affect. Even close to a stadium.

They would most likely detonate dirty bombs on windy, rainy etc. conditions to make the dirty bomb more deadly...

But why would someone send out a threat causing heavier security measure... it could just be someone who trying to cause panics.. but then again...

[edit on 18-10-2006 by IspyU]

Windy, rainy conditions would tend to keep the airborne particulates down. Not what you want.

If you wanted to know what the big deal is:

justcurio.us...

This is the one they showed on CNN. Funny that they state that they will not tell you the site but this was easy to google with just the phrase: "Global economies will screech to a halt."

-bw

Actually, I would think the rain would become contaminated and then fall, as the wind blows, causing more dispersal?

Seems no one wants to call this one credible, not the Whitehouse, Homeland Security of the FBI. Even Foxnews isn't screaming alert every 10 seconds.

Karl must be so sad, his october surprise seems to have fizzed out like a North Korean Nuke. I mean seriously, terror threat 3 weeks before the election, that is sooo 2004.

This kind of thing is impossible to dismiss, but it sounds more likely that someone saw "The Sum Of All Fears" and figured they'd turn it into a threat.

Given that this is in the public sector, there should be heightened security at these areas.

one question, does anyone know were important US political figures are going to be this weekend?

Originally posted by FlyersFan
NASCAR pulls more people into a stadium than football. What's going on with NASCAR races these days? Anything coming up?

I guess I'm glad that I'm a hockey fan. Our hockey arena, when fully loaded, only reaches 20,000. NASCAR (taladega I think) goes to what??? 100,000? Something like that.

Considering how the Flyers are playing this year .. they'll be lucky to bring in half that 20,000. Geeeeze! LOUSY YEAR!!

AS I said before, who supports the Flyers????? Support a better team like... Colorado!! .. well any team except the Red Wings.