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To: HAL9000
I wonder if he could build a more advanced nuclear weapon using tritium boosting. If he can, then he will have 40-50 kt nukes at his disposal. It would not be hard to smuggle them into a large city.
23 posted on 09/06/2002 8:26:21 PM PDT by Brett66
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To: Brett66
It would not be hard to smuggle them into a large city.

That is a nightmare scenario.

However, it is highly dangerous to the person[s] attempting it. First of all, there would have to be a lot of smuggling in order to get enough devices in enough cities to make a serious impact on a large country outside of immediate fear and panic. One device by itself would not be effective militarily; it would be counterproductive like sowing dragon's teeth.

If one such smuggling were detected, all counter-measures around the planet would be activated. This would include full mobilization. Besides catching the smuggling and the smugglers dead or alive in that one case, the smugglers would be identified, the real danger to the perps.

So, it would require several smuggling attempts to do anything series, and the more attempts, the greater the chance of discovery. Once discovered, begin the endgame.

28 posted on 09/06/2002 8:45:47 PM PDT by RightWhale
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To: Brett66
It would not be hard to smuggle them into a large city.
Well, actually, it might be. It may or may not still be classified, but it is not a secret that the US has nuclear emission detectors that can be used to detect the presence of a bomb from several miles away. You do have to aim it right in the direction of the device, but...you can detect whether an aircraft or a ship is carrying such a device.
Now someone who knows this can shield the device by surrounding it with enough water or lead. However, it is then essentially difficult to sneak it to the target. No way can you hide it in the hold of a commercial aircraft. No way can you transport it in a truck.
I don't know whether or not you could successfully put it in the hold of a ship below the waterline and covered with shielding and successfully get it into a port or not. Supposedly the nuclear material that was being smuggled to Israel for their nuclear weapons program was detected on a ship in the Med back when Nixon was President, and that was the reason (again, supposedly) that he put US forces on alert worldwide and caused some excitement. Some of the older members of this forum may remember that. (That Nixon did that, not the part about the detectors, the ship in the Med, the fissile materials, etc. - noone has ever admitted to that.) Of course...I could be completely wrong here. No such detectors REALLY exist, of course.
38 posted on 09/06/2002 9:02:48 PM PDT by dark_lord
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To: Brett66
Does Grand Central Station still have luggage lockers?
91 posted on 09/08/2002 9:57:11 AM PDT by Edmund Burke
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