Uranium And Cyanide Found In Drums At Bin Laden Base

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 12-24-2001 | Barbie Dutter/Ben Fenton

[elfman2]

All I saw was someone doing a little "I told you so, I told you Ben Laden had nukes!" dance after being completely fooled by the story. You say that you well informed about al-Qaeda's nuclear capabilities but you're totally ignorant as to the danger of uranium 238? Right dude...

BTW, suitcase nukes don't actually fit in suitcases, and they have multiple safeguards to prevent exactly what you live to fear.

In 5-10 years, terrorists would have had nukes. And our best bet to stopping them is to maintain a level head along with steal resolved. Fear mongering is exactly what Ben Laden wants and expects of you. It's almost as bad as complacency because it leads others to complacency after wolf has been cried. Think! Be a man.

[go star go]

wouldn't drums of uranium cause radiation burns and death to those around them?

[Smogger]

You say that you well informed about al-Qaeda's nuclear capabilities but you're totally ignorant as to the danger of uranium 238? Right dude...

I never said that I was "well informed" about Al Qaeda's nuclear capabilities. What I do know is that there have been at least 10 reported incidents of smuggling of highly enriched uranium (the type you makes nukes with) from the NIS (newly independant states of the former Soviet Union) since 1991. If their were 10 unsuccessful incidents one can only guess at how many successful incidents their were.

In the 70's we offered the Soviets our design of permissive action links (the "safeguards" to which you refer) which they declined. None of us are aware of what sort of safeguards the Soviet nuclear arsenal is equipped with. What we do know is that the ADM's (Atomic Demolition Munitions) or suitcase nukes were suppose to have fewer safeguards then other types of warheads.

It is hardly fear mongering for the public to speculate in order to attempt to understand and assess Al Qaeda's nuclear capabilities.

[elfman2]

" It is hardly fear mongering for the public to speculate in order to attempt to understand and assess Al Qaeda's nuclear capabilities."

Fair enough. Balanced speculation is reasonable.

[blam]

"wouldn't drums of uranium cause radiation burns and death to those around them?"

The comments on this thread are saying apparently not.

[Anamensis]

That ought to be our first act.

It was certainly MY first reaction. By noon of 9-11 I was pacing back and forth demanding the TV to show me the mushroom cloud over Mecca. I've never felt so murderous in my life.

[steveegg]

'Tis definitely time to start preparing our parting gift for Saudi Arabia. If they want us out, we ought to make sure that they have nothing left to protect.

[EyesWideOpen]

FBI focusing on portable nuke threat