Bush Must Warn Rogue States of Nuclear Retaliation

Josey1

Bush Must Warn Rogue States of Nuclear Retaliation Col. Stanislav LunevMonday, Sept. 24, 2001 Col. Stanislav Lunev is the highest-ranking military spy ever to defect from Russia. He continues as a security consultant to the U.S. government. He filed this report from an undisclosed location in Europe. After the Sept. 11 tragedy, some liberal Americans and many European politicians have expressed serious reservations about U.S. plans to fight a "war" against international terrorists. Clearly, such politicians and pundits do not understand the danger from the most aggressive evil of our day: international terrorism.These groups clearly have received sufficient funds, supplies, support and hospitality from rogue nations - all of whom have close ties to Russia's military and intelligence agencies. Intelligence experts have told me that there are more than 5,000 highly trained terrorists in the U.S. and Europe who are in permanent readiness for new attacks against the civilized world.Now that we are in a full-blown war, the stakes are high for each side. No one can rule out that these terrorists may have biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. No one can rule out their use. International terrorism currently has enough power to challenge the West and, using weapons of mass destruction, perhaps hit us with a devastating blow. The planning, network and resources involved in the operation of Sept. 11 suggests to me that one or more countries were behind this, and also that Russian intelligence agencies were likely aware of the possibility of these attacks.Moreover, I firmly believe that the perpetrators of these acts carefully considered the aftermath of their attacks. The dramatic increase of short-selling American Airlines and United Airlines stocks two weeks before the Sept. 11 tragedy is just one clue. No doubt, the groups also realized America would retaliate. It is after America's retaliation that we must worry about the next attack, which may be an escalation in scope and severity over the ones of Sept. 11. This is why America's response must be swift and wide-ranging: hitting terrorist networks abroad and uncovering other networks here that may have been preparing for years for the "second wave" of attacks. My suggestion is that the U.S. must warn rogue states, i.e., Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya, that if these groups use a weapon of mass destruction on an American city, the U.S. military will not do any investigations, there will be no delay - the U.S. will use similar weapons on their population centers and military targets. This policy is one used by Israel, one that has kept it safe despite many enemies. Also, there is little time to uncover terror networks here in the U.S. I would advise the U.S. government, without delay, to offer a large reward of $5 million to $25 million to any person with any knowledge of planned terrorist attacks against the U.S. or Europe. Right now, the U.S. is using this reward system for the capture of Osama bin Laden, but the reward needs to be offered here. It is very possible that, for such a large amount of money, one of the terrorists, or a friend of a terrorist, will come to the FBI and help them foil a plot.I am surprised this has not already been done. Another caveat: The U.S. is currently moving forces to the Mideast in the area of Afghanistan. I am sure American leaders have no plans to get bogged down in a Vietnam-style war in Afghanistan, as we Russians did. But I am worried about such a large concentration of U.S. forces so far from the homeland of the United States.Please be on guard. America's military is already very weak after 10 years of signficant cuts. Do not concentrate your forces abroad and leave them vulnerable to weapons of mass destruction that terrorist nations may now have.