[Southack]

"Makes a strong case that there are 20 suitcase nukes in the USA which have been smuggled in through the border with Mexico."

The Williams "case" isn't strong if you know the first thing about Physics (e.g. half-life of atomic elements).

Suitcase nukes are SMALLER than ordinary nukes.

The smaller the nuke, the shorter the shelf life.

The less shielding that you have, the sooner that your electronics and conventional explosives deteriorate from the radiation.

The less fissionable material that you have, the faster you generally need your atomic trigger isotopes to emit neutrons. The faster you emit neutrons, the shorter your half-life. The shorter your half-life, the less time that you have before the nuke simply fizzles instead of booms. Beryllium trigger isotopes can have as little as a 53 day half-life, for instance. Polonium 210, a Man-made isotope that can *only* be created in nuclear reactors or cyclotrons, has a 140 day half-life.

This is simple physics. Moreover, heavy metals like uranium and plutonium are among the most brittle materials known to man, and the slightest bit of humidity turns them into uranium oxide or plutonium oxide (i.e. worthless rust).

So a "suitcase nuke" from 1991 (the fall of the CCCP) is likely little more than a rusted, shattered, fragmented collection of wiring and explosives today.

They *require* a constant, highly professional level of maintenance that needs to be performed in very, very highly advanced clean room labs.

No maintenance means no "Boom."

[mhuye]

Thank God, for you brother, I was wondering how far down to dig my new house and 5 year supply of water and food. JUST KIDDING, what a great answer to a very scary problem.

Michael

[Pagey]

A thank you for that post and a Nomination for 'Post of the day' BUMP! (I've just printed that out to memorize and repeat, the next time I hear this conversation come up around acquaintances. Great link too.)

[redangus]

If they are/were so hard to maintain how did the Commies keep them usable? Did they collect them regularly and ship them back to Moscow or did they have an on-site traveling crew? As I said in an earlier post most of our engineering schools are full of Pakistani and Irani students, a few of which I am sure are true believers and would have the skills and training to take care of these things.

[FBD]

Hey Southack,

I want to thank you for repeatedly injecting common sense, and facts into this hysterical story. (which has been circulating since 9/11)
Too many people are willing buy this BS story, without checking the facts.

Thanks for providing them, again and again, each time this story surfaces.