Homeland Security warns against Al Qaeda poisoning of salad bars and hotel buffets

[somone]

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2010/12/terror-threat-involves-hotels-and-restaurant-buffets/135823/1

Al Qaeda threat involving hotels buffets 'credible,' report says
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY

According to a Monday CBS report receiving much attention today, al Qaeda terrorists have talked about poisoning salad bars and hotel buffets at various U.S. hotels and restaurants over a single weekend. Department of Homeland Security officials have deemed the threat as a "credible" one.

While the report says that hotel industry security officials have been briefed about the potential threat, Joe McInerney, who runs the industry's chief association in Washington D.C. - said that federal officials say that "there is nothing specific" in terms of a potential threat against hotels so the industry isn't immediately worried although it is taking action...

CBS quoted Susan Ford, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at St. John's University. She said that initially, the effect of ingesting poison in this manner could "look very much like food poisoning." CBS also quoted former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff as saying that, based on this threat, it's important to tell public health officials that what looks like food poisoning could be the result of a terror attack...

The hotel industry, he notes, is well aware that it's considered a "soft target" for terrorists, and is already taking other actions. In the coming months, for instance, hospitality employers will be able to start including "See something, say something" cards - developed in conjunction with Homeland Security - in its employees' payroll stubs to instruct them on what to do if they see anything amiss, McInerney said. Some 1.8 million people work in hotels in the USA, McInerney said....

[htuttle]

1. I think you're always taking your life in your hands at a salad bar or hotel buffet

[Hannah Bell]

19. at any restaurant. how hard is it to place someone at mcdonalds?

[emulatorloo]

2. I can see that happening.

The whole "buffet" and "salad bar" thing has always seemed a little problematic to me

ON EDIT - yeah, what htuttle said.

[DeschutesRiver]

31. We are just past the 26th year anniversy of the 1st bioterrorism act in the US, in a salad bar in OR

It is considered the first act of bioterrorism in the US, and it wasn't hard to accomplish at all. Contaminating salad bars/buffets is a low cost, low tech method, with a proven track record right here in the US already, so wouldn't surprise me at all that it is being considered for use again. We oldsters are pretty aware of this in Oregon, as it happened on our turf, but I don't think most of America paid much attention to it at the time (it was considered an isolated incident not likely to be repeated).

Poisoning the salad bars in The Dalles restauarants was a trial run before they did the same to the water supply there. A firm out of Seattle sold the salmonella bacterium to the Rajneesh, and it was a successful trial run - almost 800 people were sickened, and 45 were hospitalized.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2009/10/-for-the-first-12/

[T Wolf]

3. What hotels will they target? I am sure that Motel-6 and the like will be safe while they go after

the luxury inns that cater to the elite.

Works for me.

[plcdude]

5. consider this possibility

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek7ZHenQnu4

[pitohui]

23. motel 6 doesn't have restaurant/buffets

sheesh isn't it wonderful when folks who don't travel and have no idea what they're talking about talk about it anyway?

[T Wolf]

32. I stayed in Motel-Six(es?) when I drove my dughter back from California. They were one

of the few that allowed pets.

And my point, even if not precisely correct, is that I would hope that attacks, if they do come, would be targeted at the top of the food chain instead of sites where real people stay.

Go after those with money and power - leave the people alone.

[katsy]

4. monsanto & their ilk poison our food all the time.

Will they go after them also? Pesticides kill.

[Desertrose]

24. +1

So true!!!

[Hawkowl]

6. Al Qaeda is hiding under your bed!

Boo! To combat this new threat, every household will have a camera installed in their bedroom to thwart aforementioned Al Qaeda.

Home of the brave my fucking ass. A nation of couch potato wussies.

[Karmadillo]

7. BE AFRAID BE AFRAID BE AFRAID or the terrorists win.

nt

[niceypoo]

8. I remember a Homeland Security bulletin during Bush

To be on the lookout for people carrying atlas's

The past is prologue

[drm604]

9. I could be wrong but I just don't see them doing something like this.

They want obvious dramatic carnage. Poisoning people at a salad bar just doesn't fit with their narrative of the "brave martyr dramatically sacrificing himself to dismember infidels".

Terrorism is all about publicity and drama. Weeks of waiting for lab tests to confirm whether it was salmonella or -dramatic music- *something else* just won't do it.

I can't recall any historical precedent for terrorists doing something like this.

[Lint Head]

10. Wow! Underwear, shoes, salad bars the utterly

astounding technological warfare our enemies are utilizing is mind boggling.

[Richard D]

11. You want the salad bar?

Please remove your shoes and all metal objects and step through the scanner and prepare for the full body pat-down and orifice search.

[HopeHoops]

12. At least half of all men (and my wife says the same about women) don't wash after peeing (or worse).

They'll go straight to the buffet or salad bar. Merry Christmas.

[IDemo]

13. Planting ideas in the hope one of them will take? n/t

[aquart]

14. Given up try to top themselves? Going for penny ante?

[burnsei sensei]

15. Osama is just angry because he did not

get a Christmas card this year.
I'm sure if we all send Christmas cards to Al Qaeda, they'll change their minds.

[bullwinkle428]

16. I wish they just recycled the "poison pen guns" and "exploding cow"

threats!

[tammywammy]

17. War on Souper Salad! n/t

[sadbear]

20. They've been poisoning the Golden Corral for years....

I got news for ya, al Qaeda. Your dastardly plot won't work this time. Americans have built up an immunity to buffet poison.

[madrchsod]

18. oh my god...there`s an outbreak of bad sprouts here in Illinois!

i gave up on salad bars a couple of years ago.

[dembotoz]

21. now when i am nagged about not having salad i can claim homeland security

if we ended buffets, would las vegas have to close down???????????

[newspeak]

25. I'm getting tired of the "boo" shite

It seems our government is hellbent on trampling the Bill of Rights and Constitution all with the pretext of keeping us safe. I'm beginning to think that keeping us safe would be not throwing people on the streets after foreclosures or allowing people to maintain a decent job in troubled times or giving people real health care instead of allowing insurance death panels what treatments are approved. It seems a healthy economy and the well being of people and communities should be tantamount to a safe country-and I'm not talking about the well-being of the wall street cabal.

See, they're funneling mass amounts of money to keep us safe, safe enough to live off of the streets and go to food kitchens for a meal, at least for now. After pouring vast amounts of moolah in the war machine and homeland security to keep you safe, there probably won't be enough money to protect the average plebe from hunger or exposure, but hey, you'll be safe from the boogeyman.

[Parker CA]

22. There was a thread in LBN a day or two ago that said officials have denied any legitimate

threat via buffet poisoning exists and that the info is all outdated.

[styersc]

26. This explains that fake "Krab" stuff.

I knew there was some sort of conspiracy involved with that stuff.

[City Lights]

27. Evil lurks underneath every piece of lettuce.

:eyes:

[lunatica]

28. Am I the only one who thinks Al Qaeda doesn't do this sort of actions?

Terrorist groups each have their own style and agenda. Al Qaeda's 'style' has always been to strike at the symbols of the Western world or at government buildings like Embassies and at military bases and ships.

I have my doubts that Al Qaeda would do something that would poison buffets. Other terrorist groups might, but what would be in for Al Qaeda?

But that's just the way I think.

[Vinca]

29. If the e.coli salad doesn't get you, Osama will. Whatever.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. Tell me the chicken wings will be ok

Osama can do what he wants with the broccoli and cauliflower.

Oh, and the spicy meatballs. Don't mess with those. Loves the meatballs.

:hi:

[lame54]

33. Warning or a helpful tip

[sarcasmo]

34. That Al-CIA-DUH sure does know how to scare the sheep,

OH, no! not the buffet.