'New urgency' over Saddam: Baghdad makes 'recent breakthrough' in production of nuke bomb

Insight Magazine ^ | 9/30/02 | Kenneth R. Timmerman

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I am so sick of people arguing with me about the urgency factor. I warned people that time lines don't apply with Saddam because his back is to the wall. Now I have a sick feeling inside.

[mhking]

Can you say "pucker factor" boys and girls?

[b4its2late]

Can't be. Our two demorat congressmen told us it ain't so.....

[Poohbah]

Yo, friend...couldja slide me another Vanilla Coke? My throat just got very parched all of a sudden...

We're at Maximum Pucker (P_m), folks...

[COBOL2Java]

Hmmmm. Wonder if x42's buddy Bill Trie handled any campaign contributions from Iraq? Just a thought...

[glorgau]

Now, if Saddam had a nuclear bomb, wouldn't it be in his interest to detonate one as a test? I'm sure that would complicate any invasion plans. Since he hasn't tested, or demonstrated, I think any else is pure speculation.

[sharktrager]

If Mandela is helping Sadaam build a bomb, it seems reasonable to assume he is doing the same for Qudaffi, whom he considers a close personal friend.

It would explain why Libya has been so quiet recently. If I was working on a bomb I'd want to be left alone as much as possible.

[IncPen]

I fear that for some people that radioactive London wouldn't even be enough...

[SeenTheLight]

...and how's about that tube of uranium that was just intercepted on it's way to Turkey? The dots have been connected---let's get on with it!

[anniegetyourgun]

Gulp....

[Uncle Miltie]

But we need more time for a long and reasoned debate. And more time yet to wait for our good friends the French, Germans, Russians and Chinese to come along in the coalition. And, we can't have this debate become political before the elections. So we have to wait.

Right, Senator Daschle? /sarcasm

Prospects of nuclear war are insufficient to shift the Democrats political calculations. They would rather risk your family's life (and millions of others) than lose one Senate seat right now. Traitors.

[iceskater]

There is a lot to think about from this article. Sobering, very sobering. The connection between Iraq buying enriched uranium and Nelson Mandela's recent outburst was especially interesting. Now his hissy fit makes sense.

[truthandlife]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-turkey-uranium1001sep30,0,1420147.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

Report: Seized Material Not Uranium

By Associated Press

September 30, 2002, 8:43 PM EDT


ANKARA, Turkey -- Atomic energy officials said Monday that a substance seized by police near the Syrian border was not weapons-grade uranium as Turkish officials first reported, according to the Anatolia news agency.

Atomic Energy Institute chief Guler Koksal said the material was harmless, containing zinc, iron, zirconium and manganese.

[MadIvan]

I am astonished at the level of French and German involvement in this. To use the American phrase, Chirac and Schroeder have some "'splainin' to do".

Regards, Ivan

[Zathras]

A simple gun weapon is really pretty simple to build assuming you have weapons grade U235 and a reactor.

First you need to transmute Bismith into Po 210 for the initiator. This is combined with Beryllium to act as the neutron source required to get the reaction started.

Even a fizzle would yield around 1kt with a maxiumum of 10kt assuming ~40lbs weapons grade U235.

[Centurion2000]

If Saddam does detonate a nuke, the democrats are dead for a long time as a political force.

If he manages to get on into the US, the dems are dead forever; of course, so will most of the Middle East be as well.

[Desdemona]

This is not good.

[The Duke]

Over the past few years I've learned to raise my level suspician with the length of the article/diatribe posted - and this one ranks right up there.

Personally, I favor allowing Saddam to die of old age, and instead focus on sealing the borders and focusing on the folks here at home.

I'm not concerned about Saddam Hussein.

[ex-snook]

Stock Market opinion:

"Blue-chip stocks soared more than 300 points in the final hour of trading, following news that Iraq had reached agreement to allow the return of U.N. weapons inspectors; an advance team is due in Baghdad in about two weeks. The development dampens war prospects and also helped push a weak manufacturing report out of the picture."