Well all in all this doesn't seem likely to get off the ground then
I'm not really going for a nuclear attack, just something that could cripple commerce and cause power shortages.
If a terrorist group could do this (as noted above, them having the capability is borderline ASB at best), the only reasonable attack would include a number of 'normal' nuclear attacks on cities.
If they have only a few warheads in the 20-100 kiloton range, they cause greater economical devastation with direct EMP than with attack on cities, except if these are on strategic points like the White House, Pentagon or Wall Street.
This is going to be a short TL detailing an EMP attack on the US by detonating two nuclear missiles in the upper atmosphere by an unknown terrorist group.
... they cause greater economical devastation with direct EMP...
If they have the ability to detonate a nuke 50-100 miles over Kansas they have the ability to detonate one in downtown New York or DC. Q.E.D. http://www.carloslabs.com/node/20
Well all in all this doesn't seem likely to get off the ground thenI'm not really going for a nuclear attack, just something that could cripple commerce and cause power shortages.
Well, he was right about one thing:
It was a short TL.
Torqumada
You got that right![]()
Precise altitude to work, eh? Apparently not.
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Wíth two 120 "miles" altitude detonations, continental US and A can be knocked out.
You folks remember how the economy was affected by 9/11? So banks have back up yes but the US and probably much of the world is going to massively loose confidence, tens of millions will flee the cities.
Then, the US governement might retaliate against North Korea, Iran, Pakistan. That alone would have economical effects.
You know, while we Plausibility Nazis(TM) here at AHdotCom may not buy it, this still really works as Summer Blockbuster Disaster Film material, where it's surface-realistic enough to scare the piss out of the average uninformed viewer. Don't shelve the idea...just turn it into a screenplay instead. Seriously, Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer would wet themselves over such a thing.
I honestly think you can sell this, and I say "go for it"!![]()
Thanks for the idea. I'll give something like that a shot!![]()