[kidd]

The description could match pieces of spent nuclear reactor fuel rods — the type of material that could be used in a radiological, or dirty, bomb.

Well, looks like this guy was sold phoney material. Spent fuel, even if it has been allowed to cool for 10 years, is still quite hot (perhaps 10,000 R/hr at 3 feet). A 3 minute exposure at this distance is lethal. There could not possibly be enough shielding in that trunk to allow anyone to carry it around without showing obvious signs of acute exposure.

Looks like another "shiny casing filled with pinball machine parts"

[historian1944]

But he's a defector! And those people never lie or misrepresent, or have an agenda of their own besides desire to help us, right? I'm sure the Iraqui National Congress would never lie or distort in order to induce us to help them. (/sarcasm)

[daviddennis]

The defector's account is credible to me. I really like this guy's account:

Saddam's Bombmaker

The defector in this article is saying things consistent with Khidr's account. Among other things, the Iraqis were so desperate to get their hands on this sort of stuff that they gladly paid silly money for fraudulent products.

But they didn't get ripped off all the time, so you shouldn't dismiss them just because they were easily fooled.

D