Terror risk from WMD exaggerated, experts say

[maddezmom]

CANBERRA (Reuters) - The threat that militants could develop and use weapons of mass destruction was exaggerated, international experts said on Tuesday as Australia and the United States warned the risk was real and disturbing.

Lawrence Freedman, professor of war studies at London's Kings College, and the Australian National University's (ANU) Robert Ayson, both played down the likelihood that militants could use weapons of mass destruction in an attack.

Speaking in Canberra at a one-day conference on the threat of weapons of mass destruction, they said while chemical, biological or nuclear weapons could not be ruled out, terror groups were more likely to use conventional bombs and weapons.

"The most likely terrorist threat is likely to be more ordinary and familiar, but still deadly in its own way," Freedman told the conference.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060207/ts_nm/security_australia_wmd_dc;_

[slor]

1. I just watched the nbc coverage of the hearings...

on "first look", and you would have thought that gonzo had deftly handled a bunch of hen-pecking, whining Democrats. I watched the hearings live, so I know how it really went, but the coverage was so edited to put gonzo in the best light that they even failed to mention the lack of swearing in.

On edit: Sorry, this response was for another thread. I had better make more coffee.

[rodeodance]

3. thanks for memo about hearings. sad

[underpants]

5. "He didn't flinch"

That was but one quote from the NBC coverage. Yes I had it on all day as I was home yesterday. Gonzales actually made W look like he was in the loop and relevant.

[lumpy]

6. Can O Fun

has excerpts from the hearings. Leahy's statements were very forceful as well as Feingold, Schumer and Durbin. Gonzale's defense was weak in that he used the same lame reasons for surveillence without FISA court approval. He avoided certain pertinent questions that go to the heart of the query. He certainly comes across as incompetent. His inference that he is purely the councel to Bush should raise some eyebrows. I believe he is sworn to uphold the laws of the US of A not a defense lawyer.

[rodeodance]

2. good headline

[WePurrsevere]

4. Shhhhh... you wouldn't want BushCo to lose their best tactic to

manipulate the American public now would you? :sarcasm:

(**)I sound the alarm!
Terrorists--
Come to kill us all--
Fear! Fear!! Fear!!! FEAR!!!! FEAR!!!!!
~*~
Be AFRAID.. they have (choose one or more... biological, chemical, nuclear) WMDs!! They hate us for our freedom (so we must shove democracy down their throats)!!

:banghead:

**(with apologies for bastardizing the Dog Haiku)

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lochloosa]

8. Welcome to DU

Asshole. There should be a comma between God and I.

[oneighty]

9. For those interested in this headline

Go to; The Federation of American Scientists web site.

There one can read an unbiased view of WMD and other interesting information without the bells, whistles, flags and dramatic posturing.

180