Yes, it is supposed to be very heavy and generally not moved by less than two people, but capable of being moved by one. I imaging a Swartznegger type could handle 175 lbs quite easily.
FWIW, and this in no way contributes to my belief or disbelief of this 20 suitcase claim, I can deadlift 295 lbs in three sets of 10, seperated by a 1 minute rest period between sets. Now, that's dead lifting, not a lot of walking, you see. However, I have walked around with the weights/bar when they were loaded to around 200lb without too much of a problem, and 175 would be do-able for a quite a distance before I would absolutely, positively have to put it down.
Don't know how much this has contributed, but it is possible for a fit/strong person to carry around this weight for considerable distance.
Now, on to the subject at hand. We'll soon know if any of this is true or not in the next 30 days. Their "government" doesn't have that much time left on this earth, and OBL even less time. If they plan on carrying this out, it would have to be fast.
FWIW, and this in no way contributes to my belief or disbelief of this 20 suitcase claim, I can deadlift 295 lbs in three sets of 10, seperated by a 1 minute rest period between sets. Now, that's dead lifting, not a lot of walking, you see. However, I have walked around with the weights/bar when they were loaded to around 200lb without too much of a problem, and 175 would be do-able for a quite a distance before I would absolutely, positively have to put it down.
175 lbs would be upper end for these devices, 75 lbs lower end. Actually, I suspect that "suitcase bomb" is probably a bit of a misnomer for these. I am thinking that something about the size of a trunk is considerably more credible -- it is indisputably possible to construct a working fission device within a space of those dimensions. Something the size of a trunk and weighing between 75-175 lbs is unlikely to be carried by the handle by one person down the street. Two people could maneuver it into even a relatively small car, however, and from there it could be taken almost anywhere. As for getting it into the country, in addition to car it could be transported by boat, flotation devices could be attached and divers could swim it on to shore, it could be carried in an airplane and parachuted to a remote drop site, etc.