Al-Qaida eyes Montana's Real Estate

AL-QAIDA has its terrorist eye set on Montana's mountains and the real estate that has been built here. 

In a Friday article posted in the Missoulian it was reported that Al-Qaida is suggesting to terrorists that they set wildfires in Montana. The suggestion comes in the Al-Qaida magazine Inspire.

The suggestion apparently was inspired by the bad fire season here in 2000 when wildfires burned nearly 1 million acres and numerous homes. The Inspire article, which includes instructions on how to build a fire bomb that could start the blazes, prompted warnings and promises from Montana law enforcement.

"We are an equal opportunity law enforcement agency," Missoula County sheriff deputy Jason Johnson said in the Missoulian report. "We don't care who it is. If they do anything to harm Missoula County citizens, we're gonna stop 'em."

The Inspire article reportedly noted that America has more houses in the country sides than in its cities and that many of those homes are threatened by wildfire during our summers. Pointing to a fire that burned tens of houses in a small Montana town in 2000, the article asks "Is it possible for us to cause a similar destructive impact using a similar weapon?"

According to the three-page Inspire article, Montana is a perfect place for such activity. "It is difficult to choose a better place other than in the valleys of Montana where the population increases rapidly," it states. 

Inspire magazine just recently reappeared after its founders apparently were killed last year by a US missile strike.

Whoever wrote the article apparently is not too familiar with Montana. For starters more than half of its population are gunowners, so anyone wanting to burn down parts of the state probably should do so carefully. And while the state can have devastating wildfires, Montana also can be a wet place. Some summers there is enough moisture lingering in the forests it is difficult starting a campfire, let alone a wildfire.

Then there is another problem with their scheming. According to the Missoulian, the Inspire article states fires could cause "significant losses to the factories and companies of wooden products and everything that is linked to that trade." Problem is, the recession and current environmental regulations already have shut down much of that industry.

Still, law enforcement is taking the article seriously.

"I'd want to send a message to anybody in our neck of the woods who shares ideas with al-Qaida: We have dedicated forces who will aggressively go after anyone who gets into that stuff," Johnson was quoted by the Missoulian.