D.C. Security, or the lack thereof

Drudge is reporting that Congressional leaders were briefed on a number of likely terror scenarios.

A surveillance report notes windows behind the six columns in front of the New York Stock Exchange building make it appear “a little fragile.” Operatives specifically discuss using “usual methods” such as a heavy gas truck or oil tanker to attack facilities.

Thats pretty frightening. But this picture is even more so. I took it Thursday. Thats a gas/oil truck, turning off 18th St, NW onto G Street. The building to my right is the IMF. If you remember, the IMF was subject to a pretty intensive security alert last week. I watched this truck drive up 18th and no where along the route was it stopped and examined.

Operatives noted it might be difficult to drive a truck or van into the Prudential’s underground parking garage. So they proposed acquiring a black limo, gutting all but the front seat and presumably filling the empty portion with explosives, TIME reports. They also discussed using an oil truck to ram through the front entrance.

In light of that, this next photo is pretty bad too.

Thats a parking garage across 18th Street, NW from the IMF. It was also taken on Thursday. Turns out, any inspection of vehicles, especially oil trucks the one pictured, or of black limousines, is going to take place underground. Know, do you want to guess what would occur if a vehicle blew up underground?

For what its worth, there are far, far more glaring security concerns and loopholes present in D.C. Everyday at work I go walking around town, and everyday I am shocked by what I encounter (or more precisely don't encounter). I'm not going to list any other problems here because I don't want to give the terrorists an idea. However, perhaps these two pictures are enough to shock Mayor Williams and his incompetent Police Chief Ramsey to actually take some of the terror threats seriously. Williams and Ramsey might not like the situation on Capitol Hill, but at least the Capitol Police are taking this way seriously.