Analyst's note: Absolutely must read. An electromagnetic threat is in my opinion the greatest strategic threat we have to this nation ... it can come from nature or by man. A single electromagnetic pulse could disable the entire United States, destroy America's critical infrastructure and reduce the US to a state of starvation and anarchy overnight. I highly recommend you read The Club-K: A Deadly Pandora's Box of Cruise Missiles and do an internal site search on the term "Electromagnetic Pulse". You will also want to read America has AT MOST 33 mins from launch to impact: Then total silence by The Heritage Foundation and A Game-Changing Weapon ... ~90% dead in months
Our government has known about this threat for at least 50 years. The threat includes more than an enemy with a nuclear bomb and a cheap launching system. It is also known to include the sun's geomagnetic blast (7% risk in the next 10 years) which could knock out U.S. power. Valid studies indicate that entire civilizations would likely erode if electric grid went down for whatever the reason."
There are thought to be solutions to include include mechanical fixes and local self-reliance, but the action must be taken BEFORE one suffers the damage. Just one "[...] monster blast of geomagnetic particles from the sun could destroy 300 or more of the 2,100 high-voltage transformers that are the backbone of the U.S. electric grid, according to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Even a few hundred destroyed transformers could disable the entire interconnected system." The replacement for such transformers (big as a small house and weighing 500,000 pounds) could take years.
We will soon have, as a minimum, China & Iran operating submarines off our coast lines. Drug cartels are already operating subs off our shores.
A nation-wide Electromagnetic Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack and attacks against our remaining off-shore oil rigs -- or both simultaneously -- are some of the potential attacks from which our nation must be protected. This reality, added to our current Administration & Congress, and the potential outcome of their super-committee, is NOT great timing for our national security to be at such risk. The potential impact is chilling. We are seeing the growing impact and negative potential of a national defense dependent on "hope" and "change."
I've not even mentioned the potential impact associated with pipelines on our ocean floor nor our ".... undersea communications cables vulnerable to virtually unstoppable sabotage." The potential devastation also extends to modern mines and unmanned underwater vehicles. Please read the entire original article.
Despite what you may think, our federal government is NOT providing for our common defense as required by our U.S. Constitution. They are have been preparing to do even less. You owe it to yourself and your children to watch these films.
Let me get straight to the point. I am very concerned about the reality of those who planning an electromagnetic pulse attack against this United States. At this point, we are totally defenseless against such an attack.
While our politicians are "politicking" and spending our tax money and that money coming from our children yet unborn, the ability to essentially "unplug" this nation for an extended period of time and create a new dark age is known to exist. The only thing that seems to explain their inaction beside their greed and desire for power is either they are scared into inaction or they believe they should simply "... be merry, for tomorrow they die." In either case, the American people stand to lose it all. The Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), of which I'm speaking about here, could come from a naturally occurring solar flare from our sun according to NASA (we've already been known to have one such natural event in the 1800's) -- or according to other multiple sources -- from a single a high-altitude nuclear weapon exploded over the United States.
Such a weapon could be launched from ship(s) off our shores from a second-rate missile system. A Russian company is marketing a devastating new cruise missile system which can be hidden inside a shipping container
This is not a newly recognized threat. We now have Iran building nukes (some experts actually believe they already have 30 to 40 simple nukes -- see BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS...), and N. Korea already has them.
It is estimated that 9 out 10 American would die within a few short months of an EMP attack. The impact would be almost unbelievable.
We learn the following from U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, (R- MD) "While one part of the federal government was warning us of possible solar electromagnetic pulse (EMP) damage to our electric grid, a key Senate commission approved a bill to ignore this threat," Bartlett has estimated that $100M could do much to save America from such damage. If we wait till after the fact the cost could be $1 trillion to 2 trillion,
"What happens to our society if we lose all electricity? A new TV show premiering next month, Revolution, will explore that question. It will be set in a world “where every single piece of technology—computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights—has mysteriously blacked out forever.”
Eric Kripke, one of the show’s executive producers, said, “We did our homework and came up with something that’s actually plausible.” He’s right.
Though the cause of Revolution’s blackout will be revealed in the course of the show, it certainly points to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—a threat that is, in fact, plausible and for which the United States is unprepared.
On August 15, 2003, a major blackout occurred throughout the northeastern U.S. and Canada, offering more than 55 million people a glimpse of what life could be like after a large-scale EMP. In that case, most services were restored within a day, but that would not be the case after an EMP. Damage to lives and property would be immense, and the ensuing devastation would continue for years, if not decades. Unfortunately, many in the media have dismissed the idea.
The good news is that the U.S. can do a lot to protect itself from the effects of a deliberate EMP attack by an enemy or an EMP caused by space weather, such as a large solar flare. But local, state, and federal governments have a lot of work to do. The Heritage Foundation has urged Congress to establish August 15 as National EMP Awareness Day, to educate the public and lawmakers on the threat and the need for action.
Where Would an EMP Come From?
An EMP affecting the U.S. could come from two sources: the detonation of a nuclear weapon at a high altitude, or a naturally occurring space weather event, such as a large solar flare.
A rogue state would not need a long-range ballistic missile to deliver a nuclear warhead. Even short-range ballistic missiles carrying an EMP device or a nuclear warhead launched from a ship off the U.S. coast could impact millions. Today, more than 30 countries, including Iran and North Korea, possess ballistic missile capabilities.
What Would Happen?
Heritage’s Michaela Bendikova and Jessica Zuckerman have written about the impact of an EMP:
A successful EMP attack – a high-intensity burst of electromagnetic energy caused by a rapid acceleration of charged particles – would fundamentally change the world. Airplanes would fall from the sky; most cars would be inoperable; electrical devices would fail. Water, sewer, and electrical networks would fail simultaneously. Systems of banking, energy, transportation, food production and delivery, water, emergency services, and even cyberspace would collapse.
It would take years – possibly decades – to restore the U.S. electricity supply. Recovery abilities would be critically limited, and the country would be challenged to support current population levels. Millions would likely die.
What Can We Do to Prevent It?
Interest in the EMP threat dropped after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and today, the Department of Homeland Security does not have a national recovery plan for the event of an EMP attack. There are a number of things the U.S. military and Homeland Security could do to protect our critical infrastructure from devastation. Bendikova and Zuckerman write that America should:
Improve and restructure U.S. missile defense programs, including our ability to intercept ballistic missiles while in flight.
Demand that the Administration develop a National Recovery Plan. The first focus should be improving the infrastructure on which all other sectors are dependent, such as electrical power and telecommunications.
Determine which countries could attack. The U.S. should produce a national intelligence estimate on which countries are pursuing EMP weapons or are already capable of launching an EMP attack.
Prepare and protect the nation’s infrastructure. Cyber infrastructure, for example, is dependent on the power grid—which makes it a unique challenge in an EMP scenario.
Require more research. In addition to raising national awareness, more research is needed on the risk associated with an EMP attack to ensure that the nation understands the full scope of the threat and how to close critical vulnerability gaps.
To learn more about the EMP threat and what the U.S. needs to do to prevent it, see Preventing Catastrophe: Time for a National EMP Awareness Day."
Previous stories:
Maybe Congress is thinking about addressing EMP threat. Finally!
When the Power Grid Goes Down, You Better Be Ready!
EMP greatest strategic threat to U.S.
EMP Nightmare: How Iran or North Korea Could Destroy America with a Single Bomb
Who will you call when EMP shuts down U.S.?
Low-tech EMP to send U.S. back to ‘Stone Age’?
Solar bullet misses earth, again
Gingrich warns EMP greatest strategic threat to U.S.
Scientist to Congress: U.S. risks ‘catastrophe’ in nuke EMP attack
