180 pounds of nuclear material missing in Canada

WABC | November 7, 2003 | John Loftus

[Allan]

John Loftus now on Batchelor Alexander WABC reports: A student of Nuclear Engineering at McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario. has disappeared along with 180 pounds of nuclear waste stolen from the university's nuclear reactor. This happened several months ago but an alert has been ordered tonight in the USA and Canada. His name is ? Adnan al-ShoukriJumai, 27 years old, a Saudi national. A search is underway. The fear is that they may hijack a cargo plane in Canada. I hope to provide further details later on this thread.

[jimbo123]

Radioactive 'dirty bomb' material seized in Thailand

By Philip Shenon
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
June 14, 2003

WASHINGTON - Authorities in Thailand, acting on information from U.S.
investigators, seized a large amount of radioactive material from a Thai
man, breaking up a plot to sell it to terrorists.

He was peddling it for use in "dirty bombs," according to U.S. law
enforcement officials.

U.S. officials said the seized material - which Thai authorities said was
cesium-137, a radioactive byproduct of nuclear power plants commonly found
in medical equipment - was believed to have originated in Russian stockpiles
and been taken to Thailand through Laos. It could easily have been used in
terrorist weapons, the officials added.

Law enforcement officials and terrorism specialists said they were alarmed
that so much of the material - as much as 66 pounds, according to initial
reports - apparently was available for sale on the black market. Even a
dirty bomb with only a few grams of cesium would be deadly, experts said. It
was particularly troubling that the material had turned up in Thailand,
which the al-Qaeda terrorist organization has long used as a hub in
Southeast Asia, they said.

This week, three men suspected of being Muslim terrorists were arrested in
southern Thailand and accused of plotting to blow up foreign embassies and
U.S. interests in Thailand.

"This enforcement action represents an outstanding example of international
cooperation in disrupting the proliferation of radiological material," said
Tom Ridge, the Homeland Security secretary, whose department was responsible
for the U.S. part of the cesium investigation.

The man arrested yesterday, Narong Penanam, 44, of Thailand's Surin
province, was taken into custody in the parking lot of a Bangkok hotel. U.S.
officials said his accomplices were still being sought by the Thai police,
but that he had no known ties to terrorist groups.

Earlier this month, they said, the man had provided undercover Thai police
officers with a metal box containing at least several pounds of what he
described as weapons-grade uranium, as a sample of what he said he could
provide them later in larger quantities.

An analysis of the material by the Thai Atomic Energy Commission revealed
that it was not uranium, but cesium-137, which experts say could easily be
used by terrorist groups to make dirty bombs, in which radioactive material
is wrapped around conventional explosives. Police officials in Thailand said
the man had expected to be paid $240,000 for the material.

Cesium-137 is the most common radioactive form of the metal cesium. It is
commonly used in radiation treatment of cancer and in a variety of gauges in
the construction and drilling industries.

In Washington, the Department of Homeland Security, which became responsible
for the investigation after the department took over the Customs Service
this year, said yesterday that the inquiry began last October, when customs
investigators based in Bangkok received information about the possible sale
of weapons-grade uranium. Such material could be used in fission weapons
capable of destroying entire cities.

In an announcement of yesterday's developments, the department said the U.S.
agents "immediately began working with the Royal Thai Police and the U.S.
Embassy on an investigation into this matter" and set up undercover meetings
with suspects in the case. Earlier this month, U.S. officials said, the key
suspect provided undercover Thai police with the metal container as a sample
of what was available.

After testing showed the material was radioactive cesium, U.S. officials
said, Thai police moved yesterday to make the arrest.
A statement from the Thai Royal Police in Bangkok yesterday said that Narong
had told them that the metal box with the cesium had been brought to
Thailand from Russia, and that it had been stored for a time in Laos.

Nuclear experts said they would not be surprised if the material came from
Russia or other parts of the former Soviet Union, which have been the source
of much of the radioactive material seized on the black market in recent
years.

The specialists said they were startled by reports of the amount of cesium
found in Thailand.

"Pounds? Most studies of dirty bombs start off describing weapons with an
ounce of cesium," said Joseph Cirincione, director of the Non-Proliferation
Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

"Cesium-137 is serious stuff, highly radioactive," he said. "You put it
alongside 10 pounds or more of dynamite, and you've got a really dangerous
terror weapon. It might not kill many people, but it would terrify a city."

Charles D. Ferguson, a physicist at the Monterey Institute's Center for
Nonproliferation Studies, said the investigation in Thailand was "very
significant - cesium-137 has been high up on my list of radioactive isolates
to be concerned about for dirty bombs."

[JustPiper]

Cargo Of Terror: Warning On Al-Qaida Plane Plot - Attack Possible On Nuclear Plants, Bridges, Dams

[JustPiper]

Ping to post # 321

[Calpernia]

See post 321. Thanks JustPiper.

[First Amendment]

Islam has declared war on civilization. When I say that, they want the whole world to be muslim.

This is not your opinion; I have read many statements by Islamic leaders stating these exact objectives. Maybe the run-of-the-mill Muslims living down the street don't feel this way, but they listen to the mullahs and clerics who do. It is very regrettable that ordinary non-violent Muslims don't reject the jihadist type Muslims. Maybe they are afraid of them, and of course, get influenced. And the jihadists are making a big effort to indonctrinate the children now, into the suicide, hateful, dominating philosophy.

An interesting note - the majority of Muslims in Iraq are happy the US is there and liberated them from Saddam. So not all Muslims hate the US.

[First Amendment]

One problem with Rupert Murdoch's satellite activities is the pornography he funds or transmits into, for instance, India and Nepal. There is a death warrant on him in India because the government is not happy about the porn he broadcasts. Hindus in general have higher standards of morality when it comes to sexual behavior. His reputation is stained because of this.

[tubavil]

Satanic. I can't even look at it.

[Brian Allen]

<< Armchair [Intellectual and Moral Giants -- no Limeys and/or other dead and decadent EURO-peon Neo-Soviet's squalidly socialist satellite staters need apply] have posted their cool little pics of nuclear explosions and suggesting Mecca and Medina be nuked ..... >>

I'd rather Brussels, Paris, Peking, Berlin and Moscow were nuked.

And once-FRee-British Hong Kong.

First rid the planet of the islamofascists' minders inciters, enablers and facilitators.

Followed by the moon-god's Mecca meteor.

/ridiculousness

[browardchad]

The Saudi government is, as usual, splitting hairs, when they deny Shukrijumah is a Saudi citizen. His father was born in Guyana, but the Saudis neglect to mention that Adnan was born in Saudi Arabia, per an article from Carib Voice: "although El'Shukri-Jumah was born to a Saudi mother in Saudi Arabia, he retains Guyanese citizenship. Saudi citizenship is conferred through the father, and since Adnan's father is Guyanese, so are his children, they explained."

Furthermore,the Miami Herald reported that "When his father was transferred to New York City (by the Saudis) to lead a Brooklyn mosque, the family went back to Saudi Arabia." (from Trinidad/Tabago, where the father was stationed previously as a "missionary" by the Saudis).

According to the Sun-Sentinel, "In 1995 he (Gulshair El'Shukri-Jumah) retired after 10 years leading a Brooklyn mosque where at least one suspect from the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 prayed. El'Shukri-Jumah said he testified in a trial in which Abdul Rasheed was convicted of plotting to blow up the United Nations and the Holland Tunnel.

Terrorism is apparently a way of life for this "non-Saudi citizen" family.

[SauronOfMordor]

Keep 5,000 people in bunny suits busy for six months cleaning up a nasty mess? Some people in the immediate vicinity of the dirty bomb blast would be killed by the conventional blast, the number would depend on where it is set off. The health effects on those exposed to any of radioactive material near and downwind of the blast would depend on how long they remained in affected area before vacating and what type of material was used. The real power of this type of weapon is psychological. Ninety-percent of the public would hear 'explosion' and 'radioactivity' uttered in the same sentence and liken it to a proper nuclear explosion which is many times more deadly.

The cute thing is that a dirty bomb would be very ineffective on Manhatten. The dirty bomb just scatters lots of radioactive dust. The problem is that Manhatten is mostly concrete and glass -- the first good rain would wash it all down the sewers and down the river to the sea. Then the people in the bunny suits could bring up power washers to any spot that sets off their geiger counters and handle the residue.

If instead they set off an aerial bomb over the lawns of Silicon Valley or the shore property of Malibu or the Hamptons, they would have much more lingering economic impact

[bonesmccoy]

now I understand where this obsession with US produced skinflicks comes from... they're p.o.'d about the use of women in that fashion... I have to say that I agree.

The victimization of women in the US is ridiculous.

But, the WH won't be interceding in Murdoch's policies for southern Asian satillite feeds. The social norms should be respected in various countries... that is a respect sadly lacking in some corners of international media.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I hope not... that would be a sorry condition... we need to learn to do business with other people...not be trying to masscre them.

I agree. Actually, I give your thought a 95 chance of success min due time. It's the 5% chance of failure RIGHT NOW that concerns me.

[bonesmccoy]

hilarious... no response to your excellent question...

you'd think that there would be limitations on nuclear engineering technology being given to other nations.

[bonesmccoy]

Yes... defending against the 5% risk of catastrophic failure of policy is tough without creating antagonism that could eventually limit the profit in the long-run...

usually the huxster who makes profit from the fighting is the guy instigating the conflict.

figuring out which politician is making profit from instigating conflict is difficult... if FR readers really look for that, you'd see alot... LBJ/Vietnam, FDR/China, Clinton/China

[MarMema]

Also see post 105 here and stock up for a few weeks while you are at it. Canned stuff lasts...

[judicial meanz]

Cesium 137 decays to Barium and has a half life of 30 years. It is a beta emitter.

Pretty nasty stuff.

[JustPiper]

More than welcome Cal

[jerseygirl]

Please add me to your ping list. Thank you.

[jerseygirl]

OK, so if terrorists had several dirty bombs, where would they be likely to place them to maximize the effects on NYC, DC and LA? They'd have to take into account weather factors, but also find locations where they could prep the weapons...

[bonesmccoy]

If they are being really nasty, then they could lace the enviroment with the radioisotopes. It could go unnoticed for a long time (hours to days to even weeks).

But, what would the gain of that be?

There would be no terror effect until the poison was noticed.

Putting the terror device at locations with lots of people would maximize casualties... it would depend on who your targetting and why.

AQ doesn't seem to show that kind of thinking... after all, they wouldn't have taken down the World Trade Center if they were trying to only kill Americans... they ended up killing people who were citizens from alot of different countries. Not exact a surgical strike against America when you have dozens of nationals of foreign counties dying as "collateral damage".