NP: Reality Check

[barbara100 at jps.net]

Somehow I don't think they'd be terrorists anymore if they had that kind of power and weaponry.  Isn't that why they're terrorists to begin with? because they're so powerless?  

Original Message:
-----------------
From: jbor jbor at bigpond.com
Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2002 08:56:55 +1100
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: NP: Reality Check


What I find sobering is the thought of what terrorists would do with it if
they possessed such weaponry technology and capabilities.

best


on 6/4/02 1:12 AM, Judy Panetta at judy at firemist.com wrote:

> I received this from my father-in-law this morning...a
> retired AF pilot. I found the descriptions oddly fascinating
> and indeed sobering.
> 
> "Some of you might be interested in this or have family that
> you could inform.  I Never dropped anything like this. Bill
> B.
> 
> "Subject: Daisy Cutter, This was circulating in USAF
> circles - written by a retired two star.
> 
> "Since daisy-cutters (aka BLU-82s) are in the news these
> days, thought you might be interested in a little discussion
> of their application to terrorists. Just a little
> explanation of some of our capabilities: The BLU-82
> 'daisy-cutter' is not some esoteric form of cookie cutter.
> The moniker is a nickname, given by military men who handle
> them, to hypo barometric fuel-air mixture bombs. Nicknames
> being ephemeral, they are often called f-a's as well, short
> for "fuel-air".
> 
> "Hypo-barometric refers to the fact that these things are
> activated above ground surface at a given atmospheric
> pressure calculated to clear the surface of structures and
> life. Everything within a 600 yard radius, 1200 yard
> diameter, is incinerated; all protoplasm within a 1 mile
> radius, 2 mile diameter, is essentially pulverized by the
> extreme overpressure, which requires that the bomb be
> dropped from a special operations C-130 Hercules from at
> least 6000 feet.
> 
> "The 'fuel-air' mixture is dispersed (by an appropriate
> charge detonated first) into a cloud in the atmosphere where
> it mixes with the surrounding air producing a chemical (vice
> nuclear) explosion burning all available oxygen within 600
> yard radius to produce a rapid expansion of gases. The first
> generation of daisy cutters used gasoline, making them a
> HUGE Molotov cocktail. The second generation, in current
> use, uses aluminum powder which is highly explosive and
> burns extremely hot. They cover a mile wide diameter when
> detonated and reach temps circa 10,000F. The blast generates
> pressures sufficient to crush underground tunnels, even
> reinforced arches 12 feet deep are crushed.
> 
> "Third generation daisy cutters use uranium powder which
> burns even hotter, etc. Note: this is still not a nuclear
> device but both 2nd and 3rd generation fa's are easily
> mistaken for such as they produce a similar mushroom cloud.
> Initially the blast uses up all nearby oxygen, vaporizing or
> melting everything. When the atmospheric oxygen does finally
> rush back in, approximately 15 seconds later, every organic
> compound ignites spontaneously creating another smaller
> explosion contained within the mushroom cloud. The ground
> blast pattern yielded resembles that of a daisy shaped
> cookie cutter."
> 
> 

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