[QQQQQ]

Well, it may or may not turn out to be "red mercury", but 24 pounds of radioactive material is probably enough for a "dirty bomb".

Then the last paragraph talks about terrorists attempting to purchase cesium-137, and in another incident someone was trying to smuggle one pound of uranium out.

Clearly the terrorists are still very actively working on getting hold of nuclear material.

But just remember, we mustn't "humiliate or abuse them" in the process of interrogating them, to find out from them,where they hid the nukes, with which to blow up Manhattand or Washington. (sarasm, naturally, but this is serious. Our lives may well depend on getting some terrorists to talk and it's highly doubtful they will talk, just because we ask them gently.)

[nuconvert]

"red mercury" pong

[AntiGuv]

Sex Abuse Is Poor Interrogation Tool, Israelis Say

[william clark]

Unfortunately, further investigation revealed that it was in fact an orange Chevelle.

[headsonpikes]

Perhaps it's just cinnabar, a red ore of mercury, otherwise known as 'dragon's blood'. ;^)

[SoCal Pubbie]

Sam Cohen, father of the neutron bomb, used to go on and on about the stuff on the George Putnam radio show. I fear, though, that Sam has become a bit, shall we say, unreliable in his old age.

[Constitution Day]

[Sam Cree]

Did they also seize the transparent aluminum?

[Light Speed]

Glowing crumbtrail update...
In February, the IAEA announced that inspectors had found traces of highly enriched weapons-grade uranium that either was bought overseas or developed in Iran, and an isotope of polonium-210, an initiator—or trigger—for nuclear weapons. Inspectors in February also discovered enriched uranium traceable to Russia or one of the former Soviet republics. Last fall, Iranian officials admitted that Iran has been secretly developing a uranium centrifuge enrichment program for the last 18 years and a laser enrichment program for 12 years, both violations of the NPT. Iran failed to reveal to the IAEA that it imported 1.8 metric tons of natural uranium from China in 1991 and stored it at an undisclosed laboratory at the Tehran Nuclear Research Center.
Iranian officials want to mine and enrich their own uranium, which many experts say is costly and unnecessary for the civilian nuclear program that Iran is pursuing. On October 21, 2003, Iran agreed to suspend, but not dismantle, this aspect of its program. Experts point out that Iran did not commit to a permanent suspension. Iran was a client of Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, who admitted last year to selling nuclear secrets abroad.
Iran acknowledged in February 2003 that it was constructing a previously undeclared gas centrifuge uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz. Subsequent IAEA inspections found traces of weapons-grade uranium there. Traces of enriched uranium were also found at a centrifuge workshop near Tehran called the Kalaye Electric Company. Iran also acknowledged in February 2003 that it was constructing a secret heavy water production facility in Arak, just north of Natanz. Heavy water can be used in nuclear reactors to produce weapons-grade plutonium, another fuel for nuclear weapons.

The $800 million Russian-built nuclear power plant at Bushehr, is scheduled to open in 2005 along the Persian Gulf in southwestern Iran. Russian officials say they will continue to build the reactor despite fears that Iran could divert expertise into a nuclear weapons program. Although the plant will eventually produce spent fuel rods that contain plutonium, experts say the substances that will be produced in the Bushehr rector are not ideal for making nuclear weapons. Furthermore, Bushehr will be subject to IAEA inspections. Russian officials have said they will require all spent fuel rods from Bushehr to be returned to Russia.

-- by Esther Pan and Sharon Otterman, staff writers, cfr.org

[GOP_1900AD]

Certainly, it would be in the interests of multiple overtly and covertly anti Western countries and groups for the West to believe the Red Mercury exists. Consider the impact on correlations of forces.

[js1138]

Twenty-four pounds of mercury, dispersed in a bomb, would be pretty dirty.

[Vroomfondel]

Sounds like the Russians have figured out what to do with their nuclear waste: sell it to the terrorists.

Unlike burying it in Yucca Mountain, this scheme turns the nuclear waste into a profit center.

[weegee]

Look for large purchases of thermometers:

[ApplegateRanch]

Stupid me! I always thought "red mercury" was just plain old cinnabar.

[valkyrieanne]

Greek fire. Ooooh.