It's a hoax, Stimpy!!

So you get this piece of email which begins something like this...

HOW, WHY AND WHEN TO DESTROY THE UNITED STATES

The following interview was conducted by a reporter for the Al-Jazeera network with the third-in-command of the Al Queda organization, Mr. Mohammed Al-Asuquf. Al-Asuquf's background is impressive; a doctorate in physics and masters in international economics. In the interview, he talks of Al Queda's plans with total detachment, with deep knowledge and an unshakeable commitment to his cause. This interview was sent to Abel-Bari Atwan, chief editor of Al Quds, an Arabic-language newspaper published in London, but was never printed, due to its highly revealing [inflammatory?] contents. A copy of the interview came to Foz-do-Igua�u, and was translated into Portuguese by a university professor in the city's Arab community. This is probably the only existing version of this interview not in Arabic.

It then goes along to detail some "shocking truths"; some horrible information, including the fact that there are 7 nuclear bombs in place by Al Qaida and they're just waiting (bwahahah) to set them off.

It's a hoax.

The full (mindnumbingly dull nonsense) is found here:
antivirus.about.com...

It continues:

And Iraq's Saddam Hussein, says Al-Usuquf, is not one of these people, "but just a collaborator, represented by Abdul Tawab Hawaish, his vice prime minister and responsible for Iraq's arms program".

Al-Usuquf says that the bombs cannot be detected by US authorities. "Even if they are old, they were modernized and are very well hidden. Even if they were located, they have autodetonation mechanisms in case something or someone gets close. Even an electromagnetic pulse is not capable of deactivating them." The bombs allegedly cannot be detected because "they are enveloped in thick layers of lead". They could be detonated "by various methods - cellphone call, radio frequency, seismic shock or by their regressive clock".

Al-Usuquf details the whole plan. "First, one head would be detonated, which would cause the deaths of 800,000 to 1 million people and a chaos never seen before. During this chaos, two or three planes, which are now disassembled inside barns near empty roads in the US countryside, would take off in suicide missions to pulverize another two or three big American cities with chemicals. Once the disease was identified, all seaports and airports would be quarantined. Land borders would also be closed. No plane, boat or car would enter or leave the US. This would be total chaos." The first target would be the city "that would offer the best conditions, for example bright sky and winds of eight or more miles an hour blowing towards the center of the country, so radioactive dust can contaminate the largest possible area".

The hoax first appeared as truth (someone's been believing everything that shows up in their in-box) on WorldNet Daily and then on some other sites. The story was quickly withdrawn as red-faced reporters found out it was indeed a hoax.

FYI, folks... FYI.

Thanks Byrd!! Thats wonderful news! I reported on it in the terrorism forum, but you know, its one of those things that I will happily say "Doh! Its a hoax!!"

How about we make a whole topic on hoaxes... And let Byrd do the work (post hoaxes, and why they are so etc)
I think he would enjoy himself doing it...