Iraq operates nuclear weapons assembly line, defector claims

times online ^ | 9/16/02

[PsyOp]

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Ritter!

[JasonC]

He says "I believe there are probably hundreds of copies today". But then why are they paying the highest prices for imported German ones? The answer is they have not made them successfully themselves. Being shown one does not mean you can make them. High speed centrifuges are not bricks. They generate enourmous physical forces on the material, and have to spin exactly right or they wobbly uncontrollably and break apart. They therefore have to be machined with extreme precision. Notice how this guy does not claim that he -knows- there are domestically produced copies that work. And the obvious reason they are still trying to buy them abroad, is they have -not- succeeded in making them domestically.

Also, notice his "hypothesis" about "switching" the precision required? Implausible. Lower precision centrifuges can't be spun as fast. But they are adequate for most civilian uses. But to make U-235 behave differently from U-238 - a tiny weight difference per atom in a dense material - you need the enourmous forces only available at high speeds, only available with very close to perfect alignment. If an importer changes the spec to extreme levels "at the last minute", it is a red flag about the intended use.

We know such shipments are attempted, but also that they are intercepted. And recently. The balance of the evidence, as opposed to this guy's sheer speculation, is that they do not yet have working high tolerance centrifuges in any quantity, but are trying to get them abroad by hook or by crook. It is therefore quite unlikely they have succeeded in enriching their uranium - the hardest step by far in making a bomb. Left alone for long enough, would they succeed? Yes, of course. Have they probably done so already? No.

[JasonC]

Specs don't build the things. The problem is -making- one very close to perfect, not the knowing that you need it to be very close to perfect. The German machine tool industry, the US machine tool industry, they are up to such things. No doubt the Japanese likewise. It is not at all trivial for just anybody.

[alancarp]

Just in case the full impact has been missed: from all accounts (of the dissident doc, as corroborated by our VP), the Iraqis aren't satisfied with simply spreading radiation around with a "dirty" bomb: they are going for the really big enchilada.

I think it may be time to start getting scared, Mr. Daschle.

[aquawrench]

We cant wait for the UN.

[Rumierules]

Does anyone know which countries have nuclear bombs?

[abigkahuna]

I re-read the article after your supposition. My conclusion is that after 1989, when the original centrifuge was set up, the German helped Iraq build a second one. The original was later confiscated by inspectors. (my thought is that it was to be discovered).

Regarding low and high precision specs. Hazma spoke about aluminum tubes only, not centrifuges. Meaning that original orders for tubes were low spec so as to not alarm inspectors eyc, only later afer shipments or tubes became "everyday" would the high spec tubes start arriving..thus not alarming the powers that be...

Just my observation from the information in the article. But according to my reading, high spec tubes have gotten in, centrifuges have been built and stuff is being made.

[glorgau]

I believe the Germans are up to their necks in all this.

What!!!! the Germans have the capability to make nuclear bombs!!!!

I say we have a dire need to invade immediately. We should set up bases there and occupy the country for at least 50 years.

[tomahawk]

That was an excellent and expressive summation of the situation.

[SSN558]

Unless Iraq has a very advanced cooling and air filtration system, the operations would leave a very noticable thermal and radiological signature. It the NSA holding an ace up their sleave ?

[SSN558]

"Why would they need pirated copies of anything - when all you need is a library card or access to the internet - no big deal about specs for centrifuges."

Well for one thing access to certain seamless tubings, maraging steels, etc. might raise a few eyebrows.

[Bogie]

God, didn't you know? Bohr offered the technology to Hitler in 1940. Hitler turned him down saying "The war will be over by 1942, and it won't be needed."

Then, a little too late for Germany, their scientists started to process the necesiary uranium from mines in the Hartz Mountains. In the April of 1945 a U boat was sent to Japan with the uranium and two representatives of Japan. When the captain of the U boat heard that Germany had surrendered he decided to go to the US and turn over his ship. The two Japs killed themselves. The U boat surrendered in Boston, I believe. But don't hold me to that last detail.

[ASA Vet]

Does anyone know which countries have nuclear bombs?

Yes, someone knows.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Where the Freaking Hail are the Iraqi subs? HOW many do they have? Two? or are there more?
Did alqueda buy one, or lease it?
Bush has reason to go full throttle. Daschle is going to mess around and get a chunk of civilians and innocents killed.

Sadaam is giving us the finger... and I suspect there might just be a reason why...

Earth to daschle... wake the freak up and call a special session... get it done NOW dweeb!!! Before we wake up and another city is wasted.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...an assembly line that will regularly produce nuclear weapons...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

IRAQ is using pirated copies of German equipment to process nuclear material in an assembly line that will regularly produce nuclear weapons,

I wonder if the prospect of finding German, French, Chinese, etc. equipment in use in Iraqi nuke/WMD production operations has anything to do with the reluctance of these countries to back the USA in the upcoming assault. Whistling past the graveyard?

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

I have a question for you all. Lets suppose that after the huge build up of troops and weaponry that right before we strike, Saddam lets off a nuke in the Iraqi desert and anounces to the world that Iraw has "the bomb" and will use it if necessary to "defend" his country....do you think we would still attack Iraq knowing this?

[Grampa Dave]

What was the # of that Uboat, you cited?

I saw that very chilling story on the History Channel about a year ago.

The refined uranium that we found on the surrendered UBoat was so good and of enough quality, that we apparently used it for our second bomb if not both bombs.

I think that they took the Uboat to Groton Conn. to surrender it and to hide it in with our subs.

Whenever anyone says that using our atomic bombs were not necessary to get Japan to surrender needs to be told about this uboat, the refine uranium on it and the Japanese work on building a nuclear bomb!

[Grampa Dave]

Actually Da$$hole and Ritter are probably being paid by the same thugs to say what they are saying, by the killer Iraqis and of course Saddam.

Last week on Fox News, they told about Ritter being refused for acceptance with the CIA because he failed a lie detector test. Since then he started changing his story and getting more weird each appearance.

Apparently he has been paid by the Iraqis $500,000 to come with some rope a dope movie/tv special to show that they are innocent. The retired US Army General who is a consultant to Fox News, said that Ritter should be investigate for what he says, why and the funding of this Rope a Dope tv special.

The money that the bad Opecker Princes, the Mullahs of Iran and of course Saddam have sent over here to buy out our mediots and politicians has to be awesome. They bought Jimmy Carter, then the Clintoons, and when Da$$hole, Leaky Leahy and other Rat senators act like Ritter in stupid verbage to defend Saddam. It has to be the money talking!

[Bogie]

You are so right. Ignorance is the only thing behind that (usualy college kid) crowd.

It was also in National Geographic.