Al-Qaida terrorists to gas U.S. subways?

[Missouri Mule]

WAR ON TERROR
Al-Qaida terrorists
to gas U.S. subways?
Homeland Security memo warns of device that uses cyanide to asphyxiate its victims

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 25, 2003
9:00 p.m. Eastern


By Paul Sperry
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON – Al-Qaida terrorists have developed a crude device designed to spread deadly cyanide gas through the ventilation systems of crowded indoor facilities such as subways, according to a closely held security directive issued to law enforcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and obtained exclusively by WorldNetDaily.

"Al-Qaida remains intent on using chemical or biological agents in attacks on the homeland," says the internal warning. "Terrorists have designed a crude chemical dispersal device fabricated from commonly available materials, which is designed to asphyxiate its victims." ...

(SNIP)

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35825

[KWJams]

Cyanide is very readily available. :(

As a gas weapon it would not be that practical unless you can lock the victims into an area long enough. It does not remain concentrated but disapates very rapidly.

If ingested it would only take an amount about the size of a grain of rice to be fatal.

When prisoners were executed in gas chambers pellets of cyanide were dropped into a bucket of bleach which became a gas which is heavier than oxygen.

Remove the victim to fresh air and the survival rate is very likely if done soon enough.

[Missouri Mule]

It would still create a panic that would dominate the news for days, which is one of the terrorists's aims.

[KWJams]

No doubt,,,,,, there was a news item this morning about a strange smell on a subway car :confused:

Cyanide smells like almonds -- I always heard there was all kinds of strange smells in subway cars.

<-Cyanide Facts-> (http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/eh/ChemFS/fs/cyanide.htm)

[gyrader]

I live in NYC. I have to say, I'm a relatively rational person. Following 9/11 I was paranoid for a while. I found comfort in some reading I did which reaffirmed my thought that chemical attacks in a subway are not nearly as effective or deadly as one might think. the subway cars moving create huge pistons which move air quite rapidly and despite common perception, the subways are decently ventilated. No doubt a large attack would sicken and kill many, but considering that there are well over 200,000 people on the subways during peak hours, the statistical risk is quite low.

Or at least, that's what I keep telling myself.:rolleyes:

[Missouri Mule]

How do the NY subways compare to the Tokyo subways where a cult figure used Sarin gas and about a dozen people were killed a few years ago?

http://www.terrorismanswers.com/weapons/sarin.html

[gyrader]

Honestly, I don't know the technical differences between NYC and Tokyo. I do know that the Tokyo subways are more crowded during rush hours (higher population density, higher fuel prices, etc. - as a matter of fact, guards will PUSH people into the trains to make room for others). But I haven't found any real discussion as to the way they're built. Obviously, 12 casualties is 12 too many, but that could have been far, FAR worse. And, of course, many more suffered long-term health effects. There's a great book about it that interviews quite a few survivors. Will post the name when I find it on my shelf...

Guy

[Simon666]

Originally posted by KWJams
When prisoners were executed in gas chambers pellets of cyanide were dropped into a bucket of bleach which became a gas which is heavier than oxygen.
What gas would that be? HCN is lighter than oxygen or O2, the sum of molecular weights is:

H + C + N = 1 + 12 + 14 = 27
O + O = 16 + 16 = 32