On Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:55:53 -0700, BCBlazysusan wrote:

[snip]

One to three missiles tipped with nuclear weapons and armed to detonate
at a high altitude — to achieve the strongest EMP over the greatest area
of the United States — would create an EMP “overlay” that triggers a
continent-wide collapse of our entire electrical, transportation, and
communications infrastructure.

[snip]

Wow. This speculated damage would be so much worse than the more certain
threat of nuclear truck bomb attack in a major city. Yeah, why should
the bad guys settle for the sure thing devastation of hundreds of
thousands of casualties and the consequent economic damage when they
could gamble their meager nuclear arsenal in go-for-broke attack 100
miles over our heads?

[snip]


Some studies estimate that 90 percent of all Americans might very well
die in the year after such an attack as our transportation, food
distribution, communications, public safety, law enforcement, and
medical infrastructures collapse.

Or, as Br'er Rabbit said:

"Getting barbecued is a whole lot better than getting thrown in the briar
patch."

Frank Dresser