How the US Government would deal with a terrorist nuclear attack

[James G]

I was reading this earlier: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Response_Scenario_Number_One 
It is apparently the outline of how the US Government would deal with a nuclear terrorist attack against a city: most likely either DC or New York.
The scenario is a 10kt backpack, or van, bomb at ground level in the heart of a city. That is a favourite of fiction writers (I've even done one).
Tens of thousands dead either outright or soon afterwards.
300 square miles of ruined, poisoned land.
National economic upheaval, a shadow government, wartime footing etc.
It is pretty scary stuff.

[lordroel]

Jul 24, 2021 19:45:40 GMT James G said:

I was reading this earlier: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Response_Scenario_Number_One 
It is apparently the outline of how the US Government would deal with a nuclear terrorist attack against a city: most likely either DC or New York.
The scenario is a 10kt backpack, or van, bomb at ground level in the heart of a city. That is a favourite of fiction writers (I've even done one).
Tens of thousands dead either outright or soon afterwards.
300 square miles of ruined, poisoned land.
National economic upheaval, a shadow government, wartime footing etc.
It is pretty scary stuff.

Would the reaction be like 9/11, the closest we ever come to a 1K+ terrorist attack.

[Zyobot]

Jul 24, 2021 19:52:04 GMT lordroel said:

Jul 24, 2021 19:45:40 GMT James G said:

I was reading this earlier: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Response_Scenario_Number_One 
It is apparently the outline of how the US Government would deal with a nuclear terrorist attack against a city: most likely either DC or New York.
The scenario is a 10kt backpack, or van, bomb at ground level in the heart of a city. That is a favourite of fiction writers (I've even done one).
Tens of thousands dead either outright or soon afterwards.
300 square miles of ruined, poisoned land.
National economic upheaval, a shadow government, wartime footing etc.
It is pretty scary stuff.

Would the reaction be like 9/11, the closest we ever come to a 1K+ terrorist attack.

I think it was almost 3,000 people killed, actually.

Or, did you mean to say ~10,000?

[lordroel]

Jul 24, 2021 19:54:14 GMT Zyobot said:

Jul 24, 2021 19:52:04 GMT lordroel said:

Would the reaction be like 9/11, the closest we ever come to a 1K+ terrorist attack.

I think it was almost 3,000 people killed, actually.

Or, did you mean to say ~10,000?

Sorry should have say 3K +.

[Zyobot]

Jul 24, 2021 19:55:51 GMT lordroel said:

Jul 24, 2021 19:54:14 GMT Zyobot said:

I think it was almost 3,000 people killed, actually.

Or, did you mean to say ~10,000?

Sorry should have say 3K +.

No problem.

[gillan1220]

Reminds me of this video I watched before.

Nuclear Nightmare in Washington

[James G]

Jul 27, 2021 12:05:57 GMT gillan1220 said:

Reminds me of this video I watched before.

Nuclear Nightmare in Washington

I saw the name William Perry at the end of that. Former SecDef, not a nobody and no one's fool. 

[halferking]

Report from CNN on a government study of what would happen if a 10 kiloton bomb went off in Washington DC.

[halferking]

I don't know how scientific this is but here is a map that might help you get an idea of the destruction a 10kt bomb would do to various cities.

nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

[James G]

Jul 27, 2021 19:15:42 GMT halferking said:

I don't know how scientific this is but here is a map that might help you get an idea of the destruction a 10kt bomb would do to various cities.

nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

I like that site: I've blown up a lot of places to be fair.

[1bigrich]

On 9/11, US nuclear bombers were in the air, SSBN were heading for launch positions and silo doors were opened in the continental US.
Strategically, there was a lot of speculation a Soviet/Russian attack would see a number of terrorist attacks first to disrupt the US military and spread chaos.
As I recall, when word of the attacks got out, Quadaffi's Libya immediately communicated they had nothing to with them.

I would think if it were a scenario like September 11th, where the US finds the responsible party/parties are being sheltered by a given nation, there would be an ultimatum: Turn the suspects over or you capital will be hit by a counter-strike.

My thoughts,

[gillan1220]

Aug 1, 2021 22:51:26 GMT 1bigrich said:

On 9/11, US nuclear bombers were in the air, SSBN were heading for launch positions and silo doors were opened in the continental US.
Strategically, there was a lot of speculation a Soviet/Russian attack would see a number of terrorist attacks first to disrupt the US military and spread chaos.
As I recall, when word of the attacks got out, Quadaffi's Libya immediately communicated they had nothing to with them.

I would think if it were a scenario like September 11th, where the US finds the responsible party/parties are being sheltered by a given nation, there would be an ultimatum: Turn the suspects over or you capital will be hit by a counter-strike.

My thoughts,

The E-4B Nightwatch (or NEACP) was airborne above D.C. after 9/11.

Even Saddam offered his condolences and denied Iraqi involvement. I remember back then even as a kid, Saddam was the suspect to 9/11. People thought there was a connection between OBL and Saddam but that was the opposite. OBL did volunteer with Afghan War veterans to fight Saddam's forces during Desert Storm but was denied by King Fahd who prefered the U.S. instead. OBL saw this as desecrating the Holy Land of Islam.

[James G]

Aug 2, 2021 3:16:01 GMT gillan1220 said:

Aug 1, 2021 22:51:26 GMT 1bigrich said:

On 9/11, US nuclear bombers were in the air, SSBN were heading for launch positions and silo doors were opened in the continental US.
Strategically, there was a lot of speculation a Soviet/Russian attack would see a number of terrorist attacks first to disrupt the US military and spread chaos.
As I recall, when word of the attacks got out, Quadaffi's Libya immediately communicated they had nothing to with them.

I would think if it were a scenario like September 11th, where the US finds the responsible party/parties are being sheltered by a given nation, there would be an ultimatum: Turn the suspects over or you capital will be hit by a counter-strike.

My thoughts,

The E-4B Nightwatch (or NEACP) was airborne above D.C. after 9/11.

Even Saddam offered his condolences and denied Iraqi involvement. I remember back then even as a kid, Saddam was the suspect to 9/11. People thought there was a connection between OBL and Saddam but that was the opposite. OBL did volunteer with Afghan War veterans to fight Saddam's forces during Desert Storm but was denied by King Fahd who prefered the U.S. instead. OBL saw this as desecrating the Holy Land of Islam.

Are you sure about Iraq there? Libya, Cuba, North Korea, Iran etc yes, but Iraq?
I remember that murual in Iraq of the Twin Towers and Saddam with his cigar.

[halferking]

Aug 1, 2021 18:20:00 GMT James G said:

Jul 27, 2021 19:15:42 GMT halferking said:

I don't know how scientific this is but here is a map that might help you get an idea of the destruction a 10kt bomb would do to various cities.

nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

I like that site: I've blown up a lot of places to be fair.

You're welcome.

[gillan1220]

Aug 2, 2021 6:55:53 GMT James G said:

Aug 2, 2021 3:16:01 GMT gillan1220 said:

The E-4B Nightwatch (or NEACP) was airborne above D.C. after 9/11.

Even Saddam offered his condolences and denied Iraqi involvement. I remember back then even as a kid, Saddam was the suspect to 9/11. People thought there was a connection between OBL and Saddam but that was the opposite. OBL did volunteer with Afghan War veterans to fight Saddam's forces during Desert Storm but was denied by King Fahd who prefered the U.S. instead. OBL saw this as desecrating the Holy Land of Islam.

Are you sure about Iraq there? Libya, Cuba, North Korea, Iran etc yes, but Iraq?
I remember that murual in Iraq of the Twin Towers and Saddam with his cigar.

First America's enemies did celebrate but later offered their condolences and condemnation.