Terrorists 'Could Make Atom Bomb By Raiding Hospitals'

The Times (UK) ^ | 11-01-2001 | Mark Henderson

[discostu]

Our friendly neighborhood "nuclear watchdogs" are apparently drunk and hooked on crack. First the need to understand the different between an "atomic" bomb and a "radiological" bomb. What they're talking about is that later: a normal bomb packed in radioactive material that will get atomized and spread. Not nearly as dangerous as an atomic bomb (the explosive force is the same as a regular bomb, because it is; and the radiation doesn't spread as far because it doesn't get that added oomph), but definitely nastier than a purely conventional bomb, though also much more dangerous to work with, I don't think most terrorists want to go by radiation sickness.

Second, these guys need to get their head around just how much radioactive material is actually present in hospitals. The answer is: not that much, and it's not that easy to get to; most of it is INSIDE rather heavy equipment, the rest is behind big thick doors in the cancer ward. A much better way to get lots of radioactive material is to rent a lot of appartments that were built in the 70's and early '80's. Most older model smoke detectors have a very small amount of radioactive material in them (look on the inside next time you check you battery, there's probably a little warning label on a small metal box). You could take those out and most folks would never notice, and since you rented the place you even have time and privacy.

Finally, you really need to get off this deportation kick. The bad guys are such a miniscule percentage of the immigrant/ visa/ illegal population it's just stupid to punish the others for it. Obviously we need to enforce the laws, get rid of those who are here illegally. But this deport them all kick has just got to end. You make all of us look like paranoid racist morons.

[Vauss]

I wouldn't worry too much about plutonium dust either from a nuclear blast or from a radiological bomb. Plutonium of just the right particle size to be inhaled is difficult to make, and without special blowers Batelle Northwest laboratory researchers found they couldn't cause cancer in rats because the plutonium plated out on the cage surfaces because of its high density. Plutonium also doesn't react chemically with too many substances, so it is not likely to find its way through the food chain. Injested, Plutonium is about as deadly as caffeine, since it doesn't pass across the gastrointestinal tract very well.

Just as in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the number of deaths from blast and fire from a small nuclear weapon device will vastly outweigh the excess cancer deaths from radiation poisoning over the next 30 years.

[Peach]

I won't even go there; do you think you should contact the FBI?

[father_elijah]

I already did. God bless.