Uncle, in regard to the
tiny cascade, it may well be true that they are prototyping now, but they have some 30 sites we know about, many a thousand miles apart. If it's secrecy they're after, a desolate country larger than all of Western Europe combined is a damn good start.
And, I keep hearing they are in the 60,000 range for centrifuges ... that we know about. The surplus equipment available from the Russkis alone is scary.(Plenty scary to operate, too, I'd wager!) Not to mention the eminently buyable Paki-tech, CHICOM-tech, NoKo-Tech, displaced East German scientific-tech, and hundreds of tons of yellow cake from ... you guessed it ....Niger.
My guess, two years for home-boy production of weapons-grade uranium. Buying enough to build a couple of bombs? Probably already done. Enough dirty-bomb fixins to poison a city ... got it now.
Do not sell the Worthy Oriental Gentlemen short, Unc. We don't have that much breathing space here.
"Do not sell the Worthy Oriental Gentlemen short, Unc. We don't have that much breathing space here."
You guys really are probably right. I guess I just wanted to at least give some explainations as the steps that must be taken and possible times that may be involved.
I have no data other then what we read at sites and the occasional verbals given by some being interviewed on the issue (pro/con).
I hope I have not diminshed what I also recognize as being a real problem.
My initial reactions where toward those that think they can start making weapons in short time, if they do not have the fissle materials on hand, and had to produce the stuff from a more or less starting point.
I to am very concerned with how things are going. And I would not be surprised if one day we hear they loose all their known nuclear oriented sites in quick strikes.