John Hinderaker of the Power Line blog highlights a new effort to protect the United States against a debilitating electromagnetic pulse attack.
Much of what we read in the news is trivial. This isn’t. I have been hearing about the threat posed by electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) for quite a few years. A high altitude EMP can occur if a nuclear device is detonated over the Earth’s surface. It potentially could wipe out all electrical systems, effectively disabling the United States. Some estimate that an EMP attack could kill 90 percent of Americans. A number of countries, including Russia, China and North Korea, are believed to have the ability to detonate weapons creating one or more EMPs over the U.S.
I have no idea why the federal government has apparently been slow to deal with the EMP threat. But President Trump has finally taken action:
“In the first step of its kind, President Trump has signed an executive order calling for a government wide war on EMP, the types of electromagnetic pulses that can wipe out every computer, electric grid, and jet.
“In joining the voices of those warning of EMP attacks, Trump called on his government to quickly generate a plan to detect EMP, protect critical infrastructure like water and electric sources, and also to recover if a hit lands.”
It seems inconceivable that such action was not taken years ago, but Sarah Sanders says that Trump’s order is “the first ever to establish a comprehensive policy to improve resilience to EMPs.”