Special Ops boarding ship to search for Nuclear Material off the NJ shore

Fox News Alert | 9/12/02 | Brytani

[Brytani]

Fox News just broke in with an alert. Special Op's are now searching a Liberian flagged ship 8 miles off the coast of NJ looking for nuclear material. More information to follow.

[Dog Gone]

This may be a false alarm. If it had been a bomb, I think there would have already been shooting by those bringing it in, or a detonation before it was ordered back out to sea.

That assumes, though, that the ship's crew was comprised of terrorists and they knew what was on board. It's just as possible that they are completely innocent, and even if it's a bomb, it was going to be delivered like any other cargo to someone who planned to use it at a later time.

[DETAILER]

This is VERY interesting. Saw the ship was sent further out into the harbor yesterday and was searched extensively at this time. If they're sending in Special Ops, that ratchets up the seriousness.

I'm thinking it was more like the feds told President Bush they couldn't find the source of the raditation - and he told them to damn well get somebody in there that could. And rightly so.

[Robe]

Thanks,
I'm stuck in a classroom with 23 9th graders taking a test.... This is the only time I get to sneak a look at the outside world ...

[The Vast Right Wing]

I live very close to the port of long beach, ca. I am very very worried. Fortunately I am moving toward point mugu soon. I want to get away from major population centers as much as my job will allow me.

[Poohbah]

NEST = Nuclear Emergency Search Team. Department of Energy outfit with gee-whiz gadgets that can detect nuclear material.

[freeperfromnj]

MSNBC had this up on their web site all morning. Jim Mickleshski broke the story.


http://www.msnbc.com/news/807075.asp

[UCANSEE2]

Did either of you see the part of yesterday's 911 special with Jennings where they took some depleted uranium (to mimic enriched uranium) and put it inside what looked like a pipe bomb and put in in a suitcase. Then they transported on train through Europe using the route smugglers are known to use. They then had it crated up with some pillows and shipped overseas to NEW YORK.

NO ONE checked the suitcase while in Europe. In customs at New York Port Authority, they had detectors, but the detectors have to be held within 4 inches of radioactive material to be picked up. (at least that particular material).

This stuff was X-rayed even, and not noticed by customs agents.

From what they showed, it is very, very easy to smuggle in just about anything, unnoticed. What they seem to be more concerned about is not someone smuggling enriched uranium in today. But that they have been doing so over the past 2-4 years.

I'm gonna go take a shower.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

couldn't find the source of the raditation - and he told them to damn well get somebody in there that could. And rightly so.

Could there be 'residue' from material which is no longer there? If so, the material may already be at its final destination. (Or perhaps was tossed overboard to avoid seizure). I'm just taking wild guesses. This is nerve-wracking.

[michigander]

U.S. Department of Energy Washington, D.C.
ORDER DOE 5530.2 9-20-91
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR EMERGENCY SEARCH TEAM

[AgentEcho]

Nuclear Emergency Serch Team: http://www.milnet.com/milnet/nest.htm

[B-Chan]

Fox also said a NEST Team is boarding the ship...

Uh-oh. If it's a NEST (Nuclear Emergency Search Team) deployment, then the pucker factor increases dramatically. NEST specializes in finding, analyzing, and neutralizing nuclear devices.

This could be the other shoe. Anybody ever see Special Bulletin?

[Peach]

I'm sure you're right; there's a reason that ship is testing positive for radiation and the military can't just say "oops, we don't know, can't find anything."

[bankwalker]

Did anybody see the ABC special last night about how a couple of reporters smuggled nuclear material in a shipping container? What a coincidence! That is, if you believe in coincidences.

[Brytani]

We know from the increase in our threat level that the government was picking up possible attacks against US interests. From what I've gathered from comments and news reports, the threats were against US interests overseas. I actually thought some nut-job would walk into an airport/mall or other public area and either blow himself up or start shooting innocents. I'm thankful my suspicions were wrong.

Could this ship be a big attack many of us are waiting for? Possibly, I doubt we will ever be told everything that is going on with it.

[Black Agnes]

ping! over here!

[Aggie Mama]

I have a liberal friend that doesn't believe this. Can you point me in the directions of some specifics so I can show her?

[piasa]

The presence of the seals is not neccessarily indicative of the seriousness; we use seals boat units on ship interdiction all the time in the Persian Gulf and the Med, etc. That's what my brother used to do.

[Chemist_Geek]

Lead will stop the gammas--but you need lots of low-density material (hydrogen, et cetera) to stop the neutrons.

Really dumb question here: What instrument does one use to detect neutron radiation, how does it work, and how portable and fragile is it?

[cardinal4]

Anybody ever see Special Bulletin?

A great movie done in "real time" news format. Frightening.

[Cyber Liberty]

Shhhhhh! That kid in the fourth row is using crib sheets....