Bin Laden Nuke Bomb Shock ( "dirty bomb" was a factor in the terror alert )

skynews ^ | 12/04/2001 | Staff

[KQQL]

Bin Laden Nuke Bomb Shock

Evidence has emerged that Osama bin Laden is closer than first thought to developing a crude nuclear weapon. Fear that bin Laden's al Qaeda network might be close to developing a "dirty bomb" was a factor in the United States' decision to issue a new warning of possible attacks, the Washington Post reported.

Fuel rods

The so-called dirty bomb could be made by taking highly radioactive material, such as spent reactor fuel rods, and wrapping it around readily-available conventional explosives.

The newspaper said the alert was raised from interrogation of captured al Qaeda members and evidence gathered in the last month at al Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan by CIA officers and US special forces.

It said a diagram of a "dirty bomb" was found in a Taliban or al Qaeda installation in Afghanistan in recent weeks.

'Radioactivity'

"US intelligence agencies have recently concluded that Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist network may have made greater strides than previously thought toward obtaining plans or materials to make a crude radiological weapon that would use conventional explosives to spread radioactivity over a wide area," the Post said, quoting US and foreign sources.

"The concern is sufficiently deep that some countries have adopted extreme security procedures at their borders, including the increased use of devices that measure radioactivity."

[FreeAtlanta]

Large fuel rods, yes, I agree with you. However, what about rods from research reactors, or Cesium or Cobalt irradiation rods. It would take a lot of lead to transport, and the handlers themselves would probably receive a lethal dose (they are suicidal anyway), but it is a threat.

[FreeAtlanta]

Somewhat true, but what if the highjackers that went into the WTC and Pentagon had a few 3 or 4 foot long Cobalt rods in their checked luggage? As long as it is taking to clean up the WTC, you could multiply that time by 10 fold if you added a radiation threat.

[concerned about politics]

to locate two missing computer hard drives containing U.S. nuclear secrets, officials say. The search continues for the missing hard drives.

Ask Clinton. He may have needed additional campaign money.
I'll bet he's still pis*ed about the Al Quata being way too late.
He told them December, they thought he said September.
He should've used Sprint.

[jammer]

Your reply was excellent to the bent mind. Did you ask which agency he draws his paycheck from?

[FreeLibertarian]

Just who do you think has to be evaded and overcome to set one off? Are you really that stupid or are you just pulling my leg?

A "Dirty Bomb" is just a conventional explosive surrounded by radioactive material. Think of a pipe bomb surrounded by hazardous materials. Its explosion would create a hazardous radioactive mess but the explosion would be no larger than the power of the conventional explosives. Critical mass would not be acheived in the detonation. There would be no fissionable or thermonuclear components to the explosion.

The data on the N.E.S.T. hard-drives would not be applicable in this instance. Disarming a "Dirty Bomb" would be similar to handling a conventional bomb in a Hazmat suit. Nothing high-tech just messy and dangerous.

My brother was on the N.E.S.T team several years ago.

[GOPJ]

bump

[freefly]

"Did you ask which agency he draws his paycheck from?"

No, he wouldn't have answered that either.
But it doesn't really matter.
He's working for them whether he gets paid or not.