NORAD Returns to Cheyenne, Warns of EMP Attack

Henry F. Cooper and Peter Vincent Pry, 2 former Reagan era government officials are apparently sounding the alarm on the potential for an EMP attack most likely by Korea or Iran. With that being said, the potential of a devastating attack to the US power grid by nuclear states such as North Korea or Iran has prompted the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to return to its former location inside Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In the Journal, Cooper and Pry reiterate that "Iran should be regarded as already having nuclear missiles capable of making an EMP attack against the U.S.," noting, "Iran and North Korea have successfully orbited satellites on South-Polar trajectories that appear to practice evading U.S. missile defenses, and at optimum altitudes to make a surprise EMP attack."

There is no comparable effort under way in Washington to protect civilian electronic infrastructure, even though a prolonged nationwide blackout could result in chaos and death on a massive scale, according to findings of a national EMP Commission authorized by Congress.

"Yet President Obama has not acted on the EMP Commission’s draft executive order to protect national infrastructure that is essential to provide for the common defense," Cooper and Pry write. "Hardening the national electric grid would cost a few billion dollars, a trivial amount compared with the loss of electricity and lives following an EMP attack."

This may amount to mere fear mongering but it's an important development, nonetheless, and we should take note. I wonder what information is known behind the scenes that we in the public sector aren't privy to ? This could be an important development. What says ATS?

www.newsmax.com...

Every single senior military person I've spoken with or read an interview of that addresses an EMP attack says we are overwhelmingly unprepared for it and it is one of the scariest things they have to contemplate.

I would say that's not a good sign.

Can you point out where NORAD is warning of an EMP attack? The headline would seem to be a bit misleading since it is a couple of "Star Wars" era officials who seem to be doing the warning.

The possibility of such an attack is hardly a new development. Nor is the tendency for opponents of the administration (which ever administration) to use any event, no matter how unrelated, to criticize that administration. Is it something that's important? Yes, and not just in the context of an attack. Though not the same as an EMP attack, a severe geomagnetic event could also be very damaging to our electrical infrastructure. Thing is, it's expensive "a few billion" is probably an understatement.

A threat of an EMP has always been something military leaders were concerned about, so this is isn't really anything new.

From what I have read, there were more concerns about NORAD's efficiency since being located at Petersen AFB.

originally posted by: introvert
A threat of an EMP has always been something military leaders were concerned about, so this is isn't really anything new.

From what I have read, there were more concerns about NORAD's efficiency since being located at Petersen AFB.

Good point, I should've included that in my first comment.

"They've been warning about it for well over a decade now." I think the first time I heard a direct comment was in the mid to late 90s. So yea.

This could be a non-occurrence . Undermountain was abandoned after SAC and NORAD was changed to SC Strategic Command).Undermountain was designed to withstand as much as a very close 20 mt thermonuclear explosion.I would say the government would have moved back EMP threat or not.

The chances of an EMP attack is actually pretty good. A few missiles way up high or a satelite that drops down over the US and blows up could knock out a lot of power. I think the US government would do this to us if the Economy crashed badly then blame it on someone else. If we can't communicate with each other, we can't organize.

Oh sorry, I guess I should stick to the subject about some other nuclear state like NK doing this to us.

originally posted by: rickymouse
The chances of an EMP attack is actually pretty good. A few missiles way up high or a satelite that drops down over the US and blows up could knock out a lot of power. I think the US government would do this to us if the Economy crashed badly then blame it on someone else. If we can't communicate with each other, we can't organize.

Oh sorry, I guess I should stick to the subject about some other nuclear state like NK doing this to us.

Maybe they know its on the verge of crashing and they have something in mind. Hence, the rumor mill.

Is the US in trouble and is a crash likely. I don't know. Somethings brewing!

The cold war is being stoked again, so why not return to burrowing into mountains?

Good luck with that, Russian and Chinese targeting systems have improved somewhat in the interim.

originally posted by: Phage
Can you point out where NORAD is warning of an EMP attack? The headline would seem to be a bit misleading since it is a couple of "Star Wars" era officials who seem to be doing the warning.

The possibility of such an attack is hardly a new development. Nor is the tendency for opponents of the administration (which ever administration) to use any event, no matter how unrelated, to criticize that administration. Is it something that's important? Yes, and not just in the context of an attack. Though not the same as an EMP attack, a severe geomagnetic event could also be very damaging to our electrical infrastructure. Thing is, it's expensive "a few billion" is probably an understatement.

The first paragraph of the article:

"The potential of a devastating attack to the US power grid by nuclear states such as North Korea or Iran has prompted the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to return to its former location inside Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colorado, two former Reagan-era government officials write in The Wall Street Journal."

I concur with your posturing, Phage. The article does ring of "shoot down Obama's policies..." but I just want to report the information without getting too political. I wonder about the intel which led to this decision.

a reply to: lostbook

Whatever it is about they are taking all of the cheerleaders into the mountain.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: lostbook
What posturing?

The first paragraph of the article:

Does not say that NORAD is making any warning but the two former officials seem to assume that they know why the return is occurring.

I wonder about the intel which led to this decision.

I would be more concerned about the reasoning behind the initial decision, to move from Cheyenne Mountain. The GAO wondered about it.

Furthermore, DOD's report did not include certain key threats, which we identified in the classified version of this report, and it understated the security issues surrounding the relocation, as detailed in the SEA.

www.gao.gov...

originally posted by: Char-Lee
a reply to: lostbook

Whatever it is about they are taking all of the cheerleaders into the mountain.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

They are being greedy.

a reply to: lostbook

Remember this quote from George W Bush?

Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud."

I have to question every threat coming from our leaders since 911. Unsubstantiated fear can create a false agenda just like the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: lostbook
What posturing?

The first paragraph of the article:

Does not say that NORAD is making any warning but the two former officials seem to assume that they know why the return is occurring.

I wonder about the intel which led to this decision.

I would be more concerned about the reasoning behind the initial decision, to move from Cheyenne Mountain. The GAO wondered about it.

Furthermore, DOD's report did not include certain key threats, which we identified in the classified version of this report, and it understated the security issues surrounding the relocation, as detailed in the SEA.

www.gao.gov...

You're the man, Phage! I do take note that the men making these claims are former Reagan era officials so they are undoubtedly Repubs, and this may be politics being used to stoke our fears. Maybe the real reason for this opening is still unknown. I wouldn't doubt it; nothing surprises me anymore these days.

a reply to: lostbook
I think that the new commander understands it was probably not a good idea to leave in the first place, not that there is any imminent threat.

a reply to: Phage

Something's setting up to happen soon. The environment is slowly collapsing and there are more people than ever on this planet using more and more of the limited resources. The PTB have a plan but the system is set up in a way that the general populous doesn't know what's going on until after the fact. Maybe the opening of Cheyenne Mountain is being announced to get our focus on that while the real secret place is opened in another place somewhere.

a reply to: lostbook

Something's setting up to happen soon.

Yeah.
People have been saying that since...forever. Guess what? Things happen all the time but the things that people think are indications of them don't amount to much.

Change of command: something's going on!
Planned maneuvers: something's going on!
I have a hangnail: something's going on!

originally posted by: rickymouse
The chances of an EMP attack is actually pretty good. A few missiles way up high or a satelite that drops down over the US and blows up could knock out a lot of power. I think the US government would do this to us if the Economy crashed badly then blame it on someone else. If we can't communicate with each other, we can't organize.

Oh sorry, I guess I should stick to the subject about some other nuclear state like NK doing this to us.

Shades of the series Jericho. Two US factions fighting and Texas standing on the sidelines ;-) If you haven't seen it, stream it!

Cheers - Dave

Tech magazines were talking about this back in the 1980's. You could download nuclear blast calculator programs which would tell you what would happen given a particular strength of weapon and target point. Freaky to see that somewhere tens of miles away would be roasted and places even further out would have all electronics fried.

A modern day equivalent is here:
nuclearsecrecy.com...

Enough chaos is caused when there is a network failure with the cash machines or a power failure due to a snow blizzard.