Tom Clancy inspired bin Laden?

by JanH 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  JanH

  I killed quite a bit of time a couple of years ago reading Tom Clancy's 1996 novel Executive Orders. It is not a particularly good novel, and for having 1200+ pages, it has an anti-climactic ending, IMO, and the protagonist (and author!) seems to be somewhere to the right of Mussolini.

  But the similarities between the plot in this Tom Clancy novel and what has happened in the US since Sept 11 are scary, especially if it is true that the same people who organized the WTC attack is also behind the envelopes with anthrax bacteria sent to media outlets.

  In Executive Orders, a desperate and vengeful pilot crashes his 747 into the Capitol Building, wiping out the President and most of the Cabinet, Congress and Supreme Court. The very recently confirmed vice president, now President, is practically the only part of government left. Quite shortly thereafter, Islamic terrorists starts an epidemic of an airborne brand of the Ebola virus in the United States. Of course, it's much more than this, as the Chinese and Iranians plot to take over the Middle East using the developing crisis...

  Obviously, the story is not the same. In the book, the 747 attack was unrelated to the other events. But isn't it very possible that a terrorist reading this book would be inspired to do the same? Using a passanger plane as a massive missile is there, and also the use of biological weapons. The world situation is surely different, and so is the outcome. But to be these similarities looks like more than a coincidence.

  If the terrorists have followed the book outline, what, then, is next? An assasination attempt on the President and his family. But seriously, I doubt anyone would think the US would be really damaged by the death of George W right now.

  The Islamist's next step in this reality seems to be to use the attack on Afghanistan to create a Jihad against their local western-oriented governments and the west itself. I doubt very much they will succeed in gaining wide popular support for a Talibanization of the whole Islamic world.

  See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0425158632/qid=1002980666/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_7_1/107-0949912-2851763 for info on this book, if you care.

  - Jan
  --
  "Doctor how can you diagnose someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and then act like I had some choice about barging in here right now?" -- As Good As It Gets
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  Thirdson

  Jan,

  I thought the same things. In the book the timing of the crash was helpful having all of government, President, VP and judiciary in the Capitol. I don't think the ideas are particularly unique though and the skill (a subjective term) of the author is spinning the yarn in to something worth reading.

  However, isn't the attack in the Sum of All Fears more scary? The movie version of the book as been shelved for the time being because of the subject matter related to the attrocities commited in the US recently.

  Thirdson

  'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
• 

  idaho

  scary enough close to reality

  Now i'm wondering is how did the book end...and has the terrorists
  read that?

  Inkululeko
  Finn
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  wannahelp

  Wow! Tom Clancy must be part of the F&DS..

  His predictions are closer than the WT ever got :-)
• 

  JanH

  Thirdson,

  However, isn't the attack in the Sum of All Fears more scary?

  Terrorist attacks with nuclear weapons has been among the worst possible scenarios... doesn't take much imagination to come up with it, though. And bin Laden will need technology to create nuclear weapons, or buy them, and I don't think either is likely.

  One point that was very clearly mentioned in Executive Orders, was that an attack on the US with biological weapons is considered an attack with weapons of mass destruction. I have not seen any media sources point out the fact that US doctrine on this is pretty clear: it will justify a nuclear retaliation.

  Idaho, I don't think i'll post the spoiler here... suffice to mention the really bad guy in the book was the religious leader of Iran, and he didn't hide in the mountains.

  - Jan
  --
  "Doctor how can you diagnose someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and then act like I had some choice about barging in here right now?" -- As Good As It Gets
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  Moxy

  hey, you're right! let's kill Tom Clancy so this never happens again!

  mox
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  fodeja

  Wow! Tom Clancy must be part of the F&DS.. His predictions are closer than the WT ever got :-)

  
  Even their writing styles match! Clancy seems to have the occasional bizarre idea, but his books are bloated, boring and badly written. Bah!

  I should add "repetitive", but that would spoil the alliteration.

  f.
• 

  Bendrr

  When the attacks happened, I told the guys at work about Executive Orders. It was really eerie to me, since one plane hit the Pentagon and there were bomb scares at the capitol building.
  My boss and I were talking about it today, the part in Executive Orders about Ebola. They got the virus because an Iranian doctor was working in Africa when an outbreak occured. Then it was simply a matter of getting a supply back to Iran to cultivate.
  With these cases of anthrax popping up, I get worried. Hijacked planes and car bombs scare me far less than bio-weapons. A bomb can be stopped in time and if it does go off, it only goes off once. A bio-weapon is a bomb that can keep exploding, if the agent is contagious.
  In this case, I hope life doesn't imitate art.
  mike.
  p.s. Jan, I enjoyed the books Debt of Honor and Executive Orders.