Soccer Moms And SUVs: Bigger Terror Threat Than GA?

(Readers Fred W. Scott, Jr. and Jeff Bertsch rework the CBS story with a few tongue-in-cheek twists. What's scary is: It makes more sense than suggesting that general aviation is a threat to national security. Think about it... ed.)

They are everywhere in our fast paced, consumer economy, but are they safe?... large Sport Utility Vehicles driven by small innocent-looking women.

"Every major school building has a paved street right next to it," says Lisa Tutor, a New Jersey school teacher, whose responsibilities include welcoming students being driven to school by their parents. "These streets lead to private garages where all sorts of evil could be perpetrated behind closed doors"

"There's really no security in regards to driving to soccer games in America," says Tutor. "That goes for trips to crowded grocery stores, churches, and  crowded sports stadiums, too. Some of these innocent looking women even have regular access to most of the US nuclear power stations where they have cleverly infiltrated posing as secretaries and engineers. Can you imagine?"

And, as CBS News Correspondent Bob Roar reports, that's the fear. These huge rolling vehicles are an open invitation for terrorists.

"I think it's a real concern," says SUV owner Susie Soca. "I think it's a possibility."

There are millions of Sport Utility Vehicles in the United States, and most are privately owned. Anyone can buy one. There are no special screens or security measures applied to the purchasers or renters of these potential carriers of up to a ton of high explosives, or weapons of mass destruction. We see their use in Iraq by terrorists, almost on a daily basis, yet we let them drive freely into our children's school yards, places of worship, and other places with lots of assembled people.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the government has not ordered any security changes regarding the purchase or use of these SUVs.

"Would-be owners are not screened", says Ms Soca. "No one checks their identity at all. They just get in and go. Just think of the risk that incurs on our society"

"If you have the money, and it doesn't take much, you can own or rent one of these," says Ms Soca.

Ms Soca says she tries to keep a close watch on her fellow SUV drivers and their vehicles, but former National Transportation and Safety Board representative Pat Goebbels says that's not security.

"Homeland Security has to make soccer moms and their SUVs a priority," says Goebbels. "They've got to develop a program, and they're going to have to spend some money on it."

He says terrorists are well aware of the potential for massive destruction onboard one of these large vehicles.

"They watch TV and they saw Oklahoma," says Goebbels. "We know the terrorists can drive, it is much, much easier than flying.  They could simply pull one of these big vehicles up to a school and blow it up.  Or perhaps park one near a downtown mall or sporting event and release hundreds of pounds of poisonous gas."

"We know that they tried this in the past and they have destroyed federal buildings, barracks, and embassies."

Most agree that there is real cause to worry because these vehicles can be packed with massive quantities of explosives, whereas other vehicles, such as small planes, would have such limited if any actual impact. Most are driven by  small and attractive women; this clever illusion makes them appear harmless and actually increases the available cargo space for bomb material.

"A SUV loaded in a remote area - or in a private garage - is going to be virtually untraceable and will suddenly appear in a vulnerable area - into a high population area, and there's going to be nothing we can do about it," says Goebbels.

"Our borders are a concern too.  There is no way we can perform a detailed inspection of every vehicle crossing the border.  What's more, some SUVs may have legitimate reasons for carrying very toxic materials... garden sprays, cattle wormers and vaccines, and toilet cleansers, for example. Our worst nightmare would be for one of these SUVs carrying toxic gas to be ruptured in the wrong place - and again, there is nothing the authorities can do about it," laments Goebbels.

"We need to make it a real concern and deal with it and try as best we can so that it will never happen," says Ms Soca.

Until then, vulnerability will be the price for our consumer driven society.

FMI: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/14/eveningnews/main593216.shtml