Nuke attack diagrams on the NRC Web 1

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--> --> Nuke attack diagrams on the NRC Web News out of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today is disturbing. As if there's not enough anthrax around to keep Americans on the edge of their collective seats, the NRC has had a 119-page report hanging around its reading room that identifies in precise detail the vulnerabilities of U.S. reactors to a jetliner crash. NRC spokesman Victor Dricks said today the agency has removed the document from its reading room and was also deleting from its public Web site similarly sensitive materials that could benefit terrorists. "Clearly we've begun our effort with our Web site which we know is the vehicle through which one is most easily able to access information, technical reports and documents. That's our first priority." Thanks Victor. Maybe the NRC's first priority should be to read a newspaper or take a gander at CNN. U.S. officials have known at least since the mid-90s that terrorists were targeting nuclear power plants. The Associated Press reported that Ramzi Yousef, the convicted mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, encouraged followers in 1994 to strike such a plant. An FBI agent has testified in court that one of Yousef's followers told him in 1995 of plans to blow up a nuclear plant. And in 1999, the NRC itself acknowledged to Congress it received a credible threat of a terrorist attack against a nuclear power facility. The report includes a chart that identifies the speeds at which a jetliner would begin to transfer its force into the primary containment wall and interior structure of a nuclear reactor. Clearly we have a lot to learn about fighting this new war. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission gets a front row seat when school starts. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing