Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

February 9, 2006

Terrorism: Sobering Report on Las Vegas

Posted by detroit1051

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Las Vegas is not included on the list of American cities most likely to be targeted by terrorists. I believe the Administration and Homeland Security have made a major error.

I'm still not convinced airliners have been made totally safe from terrorist hijackers. What other city has the major airport surrounded by so many mega-hotels?

If the air space is secure, what about conventional truck bombs or chemical? The front entrances to many Strip properties aren't secure from a Timothy McVeigh type attack. One attack on Las Vegas would, in addition to the thousands of immediate casualties, shut down tourism across the country with its associated effect on the entire economy while people wonder whether Orlando or some other destination is next.

It's ludicrous that the 40 million tourists each year weren't factored into the equation rather than using census data of permanent population. Politics as usual!

Las Vegas Not on the List of Potential Terrorist Targets


Categories: Business of Gaming, Business of Gaming, Las Vegas Strip


Comments

Read archived comments (7 so far)
February 9, 2006 1:29 PM Posted by Hunter

No matter what you think about the Bush administration, this is the dumbest thing I've ever read.

Clearly Las Vegas is a target. Clearly.

February 9, 2006 2:34 PM Posted by Adrian

I remember reading something a while back about a plot to crash a plane into the Luxor pyramid.

February 9, 2006 6:44 PM Posted by Tom M

It is mindboggling to me that we would even have a public debate on this issue. We have just told the terrorists what cities we are concentrating on and what ones we are not. So even if the Bush admin is right initially in its assessment that Las Vegas is not a threat, it may now be one. Or any other city left off the list. Osama must be laughing at how stupid we are as a country to discuss this stuff in public forums. And the media in this country has crossed so many lines in my opinion that I am no longer trusting anything they say or write. I think this ends up as political sour grapes by the Nevada delegation to congress that they won't be getting the full piece of the Fed money pie. In the end it is all politics and no real concern over security or we would never have heard of this argument.

February 9, 2006 9:23 PM Posted by socalduck

You do have to wonder if the animosity between Harry Reid and the Bush Administration played a role in this. Common sense tells you that Las Vegas would be an attractive target for any number of terrorist wack jobs, foreign or home-grown. Let's not forget that Atta was holding meetings in the shadow of the Stratosphere prior to 9/11.

February 12, 2006 7:27 AM Posted by cgriff

Tom M. "Osama must be laughing at how stupid we are as a country to discuss this stuff in public forums."

Agreed. This shrill demand from Dems for "transparency" from the Bush administration is dangerous. Keeping secrets that pertain to U.S. national security are vital, but those who have an anti-Bush agenda call this "Nixonesque". Harumph!

Specific to Las Vegas, I think McCarran is one of the safer airports that I have had the opportunity to travel through. I mean, I have not seen some of the lax security at McCarran that I have seen at some other airports. But I also don't stay there all day looking for mistakes.

The federal government cannot be the only entity seeking terrorism prevention. Casino resort designers need to be mindful of security when they construct, and casino management mindful of security as they run daily affairs. For example: Should the Riviera's underground porte-chochere, running directly underneath the casino, be open for use at all?!?

February 21, 2006 2:58 PM Posted by eponymous coward

Read Richard Clarke's piece in the Atlantic a few months back. He spins a very plausible scenario where Muslim terrorists rent RVs and blow up a couple of casinos.

Note: The article is avasilable online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200501/clarke

March 2, 2006 8:48 PM Posted by Matt

Not sure where I heard this, but it's my understanding that Vegas is not considered a potential target due to the large number of very wealthy Arabs that vacation in Vegas.