"In this exclusive story, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports the latest terror attack to America involves the possible use of poisons - simultaneous attacks targeting hotels and restaurants at many locations over a single weekend.
A key Intelligence source has confirmed the threat as "credible." Department of Homeland Security officials, along with members of the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, have briefed a small group of corporate security officers from the hotel and restaurant industries about it.
"We operate under the premise that individuals prepared to carry out terrorist acts are in this country," said Dec. of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Dec. 6, 2010.
The plot uncovered earlier this year is said to involve the use of two poisons - ricin and cyanide - slipped into salad bars and buffets.
Of particular concern: The plotters are believed to be tied to the same terror group that attempted to blow up cargo planes over the east coast in October, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula."
CBS News
At the risk of sounding like I'm rootin' for the bad guys, which I'm not, I've gotta say, it's about time.
Something about the terrorist threat in this country has bothered me since 9/11. First of all, why haven't we been hit inside our borders? Secondly, why all the emphasis on airplanes, what with the groping and scanning and all the other crap?
If I were a terrorist, which I'm not, I wouldn't mess around with planes; too costly, too much planning, too many things to go wrong. If I wanted to pull off an attack of any kind the first thing I'd do is keep it simple...real simple...poisoning a food bar simple. Or spraying a restaurant with automatic weapon fire simple. Or running a car through a crowd simple. Or tossing hand grenades into a grade school simple. (I hope I'm not giving anyone ideas. I'm just making a point.)
So why haven't any of these things happened? We all know, or at least we think we know, that there are terrorist cells active in America. We all know that the very hallmark of America, our freedom, leaves us open to attack just about everywhere. So where's the attacks? Who's holding them back, and why?
It's not like you'd even need a bunch of attacks. Look, the word's out now that the food bars might be hit. People are talking about it. Do they have to hit a bunch of food bars? No. A couple would probably be about right. How fast do you think the restaurant business would feel the pinch? Next time, threaten a mall. Business slows down. Now go all Hitchcock on 'em and don't do a thing. Let everybody relax a bit and then...WHAM!! Blow up a county courthouse in a rural area. You gettin' the idea?
Very little cost, very little risk and big, big effect. America would stop functioning and since we're teetering on the edge of collapse already it really wouldn't take much to push us over.
So if I can figure this out you know the professionals can, too. So what's stopping them?
Something's not right and it hasn't been since we were first attacked. I just don't know what it is.
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