Nuclear Threat within US Possible (My Title)

FoxNews | October 30, 2001

[PrivacyChampion]

FOX NEWS just reporting that there is a potential risk of a nuclear terrorist attack against the US, maybe within the Continental borders with a 'dirty nuke' that has been smuggled across the Mexican border.

This is the threat that AG Ashcroft warned about yesterday.

[Diddle E. Squat]

re: dirty nukes - Paranoia is the goal, not loss of life.

Actually severe economic disruption is the far larger goal. What if downtown DC, NYC, & Chicago are hit with dirty nukes and cordoned off for at least a month for decontamination? How do you think that would effect the economy?

[republicandiva]

Is this the same type of device found on a terrorist in Israel recently?

[PrivacyChampion]

There was an article over the weekend that told of two Middle Eastern-types who were under a police search in the mountains outside Phoenix area. I just did a search for the article and post, but couldn't find it.

Does anyone have this article or know where it's at? It's germaine to this posting, in light of the World Series, etc.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Exactly. Recall JFK's warning during the Cuban missile crisis... Any such strike on an American city and we bounce the rubble in Baghdad.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

Basically it's where you take a used radioactive material like Cesium (used in X-Ray machines) and put it in a drum or container, wrap it with conventional explosives and detonate it. What it does is create a radioactive cloud of dust which irradiates several square miles (potentially) while doing little physical damage. It is dangerous as our ability to prevent such an attack without inside intelligence information is about nil.

[blam]

"Suddenly I'm not very thrilled about living in a large city near Mexico that may be hosting a World Series game or two this weekend...."

I suppose everyone has someting in their area to be concerned about. I'm less than 20 miles from the USS Cole. It took two attempts to down the WTC, maybe two attempts on the USS Cole, huh? See how the mind works?

[Kakaze]

" This certainly ups the stakes. To pre-empt this as a possibility our administration might issue a statement that any use of nuclear weapons on Americans would put all cities in terrorist friendly states at risk of non-existence. "

I WOULD HOPE SO!

It's past time to use small tactically nuclear weapons.......time to give them all an example of just what we can do!

I know this is going to be a very long war maybe a 3rd world war.......I don't want my nieces and nephews to live through this and have to finish it.....so its time for us the 30 plus year olds to fight it!

[Joe Hadenuf]

maybe within the Continental borders with a 'dirty nuke' that has been smuggled across the Mexican border.

Would anyone be surprised by this event? Is anyone outraged that this could happen to our country? Is anyone awake to the fact that our borders and immigration policies are a "free for all"?

Our borders and immigration policies have become a national disgrace and now a complete national security nightmare to all of us.

[watchwoman]

Can't vouch for this news source, but this is interesting:

http://www.unitedstates.com/news/farticle/623135?20011029223847

[ambrose]

"THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING!

[PrivacyChampion]

ANOTHER FAILED LIBERAL DEMOCRAT POLICY.

[Chick-with-a-brain]

Hey, nevermind those smart comments, I work in the industry and I just had a conversation the other day in my office with someone who thought a dirty nuke and a tactical nuke are the same thing. They're not at all the same. (This person also works in the industry, so don't feel bad).

It is possible that terrorists could have enough radioactive material to make a dirty nuke. And depending on what type of material and how much, yes, there could be loss of life from radiation exposure. Radioactive material put in a dirty nuke is a far cry from the precise, high grade nuclear material with which an atomic bomb is built.

I think of it often, that when I was in college, a large percentage of the Nuclear Engineering graduate department was foreign nationals of middle eastern decent.

[Petronski]

The term 'dirty nuke' is not the most accurate term. It is more accurate to refer to a radiological bomb, which uses conventional explosives to spread radioactive material. The goal is not a big blast, but rather a big hot spot.

[Ham Hock]

This is a description of the back pack dirty nuke that was discussed yesterday from here. This is what the Palestinian was trying to smuggle into Israel on Sept. 27 of this year.

"The improvised radioactive bomb here was a ordinary small bomb which was wrapped in radioactive material. The explosion of a charge like this would not cause by itself the effect of a nuclear bomb. However it would create a wide area of toxic radioactive contamination which would cause the slow and painful death of people who are found in the contaminated area."

 

[PrivacyChampion]

But, she was hit on the head. LOL

[blam]

"They didn't give a descriptive, other than it apparently may be linked to a car theft in which the 'detonator' was stolen from a Mercedes-Benz and then smuggled through Mexico."

It doesn't need a 'special' detonator. It's just some radioactive waste bundled up with any conventional explosive. It could be any size.

[MarMema]

I recall the thread but not the heading for it. I'll keep thinking on it.

[Cyber Liberty]

"See how the mind works?

I've been told fairly often that I don't have one of those pesky things...I lost mine years ago.

[PrivacyChampion]

Yes. And, there was also a story reported of 2 hikers in a National Park in Arizona that authorities were looking for and couldn't find...there was some concern about what they had. But, no further details and now I can't find the post.