Phares Says the Three-Letter Word: EMP

Oh s***...

On the heels of a boast by an Osamaton blogger (see my post below) that another massive blackout is being planned by OBL's merry pranksters here North America comes an op-ed by Walid Phares at Family Security Matters warning of the danger of an EMP, or electro-magnetic pulse, attack originating in Iran.

Over the past seven months, I have been interacting with U.S. Homeland Security and European defense officials and experts on the next potential threat to the West, more particularly against mainland America. The signature of that strategic menace is EMP, or electro magnetic pulse - a weapon of the future but already available in design, construction and possible deployment. As eyes are focused on the Iranian nuclear threat, and as we began recently to understand that missile advances are as important as fissile material development, private sector projects and some in the defense world are now paying attention to what can cause a wider circle of damage to the U.S. and thus be more crippling to U.S. national security...

Even if a high-altitude EMP kills nobody at first, it would paralyze a large section, if not most of, of the United States. The lingering practical and economic effects would take anywhere from hours to years to resolve: when secondary effects are considered, such as the unavailability of food, an EMP could be even deadlier than a direct nuclear strike against the mainland.

For those unfamiliar with EMP-related concerns, Phares provides a link to a useful overview at http://shieldamerica.org/ . Basically, an EMP attack causes its most significant devastation not through blast damage or radiation, but via long-term crippling of the target nation's electrical infrastructure. Detonation of a nuclear device at extremely high altitude over America would create a shockwave knocking out electrical power, communications, transportation, the ability to supply water, food, and heat -- in short, casting this country backwards more than a century in technological time. As Phares observes, the missle threat from Iran is diverse. Theoretically, at least, it could be used to deliver a chemical, biological, or EMP strike as well as a "conventional" nuclear attack against major city or other significant target.

Geopolitical projections, including developments which may take place in Iraq and Afghanistan, tell us that Iran may find itself free from constraints to equip itself with long range missiles able to reach the U.S. mainland at some point in the near future, not only from mainland Iran, but also from other locations closer to America, including from the hands of terrorist forces in the open seas and elsewhere.

Is The One aware of this form of nuclear weaponry, or has he been made aware of it in the course of his post-election security briefings? Assuming he has, how will he play this hand in his talks with the Ahmadhimmijerker?

Read it all at Phare's website.