Turkish police seize weapons-bound uranium

Ireland Online ^

[eabinga]

Turkish police seize weapons-bound uranium 28/09/2002 - 11:04:38

Paramilitary police in Turkey have seized 15.7 kilograms of uranium and arrested two Turks who they said planned to sell the weapons-grade substance, the Anatolia news agency reported today.

Police, acting on a tip, stopped a taxi near the south-eastern city of Sanliurfa, Anatolia said. They found the uranium in a secret compartment under one of the car seats.

Police in Sanliurfa confirmed the arrests but refused to give further information.

Anatolia said the uranium was enriched for use in weapons. Police believe it was smuggled from an eastern European country.

The agency did not say when the arrests were made.

Sanliurfa, 480 miles from the capital Ankara, is close to the Syrian border.

[backhoe]

No argument from me... we musn't forget that the old A-bomb was "cutting-edge" technology- of the 1940's! Today you can buy off the shelf machine tools that can easily be programmed to do what was nearly impossible then. Like machine complex implosion devices...

[Nita Nuprez]

Thanks to all for the interesting information.

[redhead]

bumping for follow-up...

[Hipixs]

Captured weapons-grade uranium weighing more than 33 pounds is on display at the paramilitary police headquarters of southeast province of Sanliurfa, Turkey, September 28, 2002. Turkish gendarmes seized the uranium and detained two men accused of smuggling the material, Anatolian Agency said. Authorities believe the uranium came from an eastern European country and has a value about 5 million U.S. dollars. (Anatolian/Reuters)

[aruanan]

If they find 1 in 10 of every smuggled shipment of uranium that leaves about 150 Kg still out there.

You mean 1/10 of "every smuggled shipment" or "1 in 10 of" all smuggled shipments of uranium?

And if we had some bread we could have a ham and cheese sandwich, if we had some ham and cheese. "If" doesn't mean the same thing as "since". Your use of probabilities is meaningless. Why not say 1 in 50 or 1 in 100 to make it even scarier? It is only if the probabilities are already known that such a statement has any significance.

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

"It was not immediately clear when the operation was carried out. Anatolian only gave the first names of the suspects, which appeared to be Turkish."

DNC talking points: There is no evidence that this weapons-grade uranium was going to Iraq. The arrests were made in Turkey and the suspects are Turkish. Turkey is supposed to be our ally. Maybe we should focus on Turkey instead of Iraq.

[mikegi]

From fas.org's Nuclear Weapon Design page:

Manhattan Project scientists were so confident in the performance of the “Little Boy” uranium bomb that the device was not even tested before it was used. This 15-kt weapon was airdropped on 06 August 1945 at Hiroshima, Japan. The device contained 64.1 kg of highly enriched uranium, with an average enrichment of 80%. The six bombs built by the Republic of South Africa were gun-assembled and used 50kg of uranium enriched to between 80 percent and 93 percent in the isotope U-235.

[Flyer]

It is only if the probabilities are already known that such a statement has any significance.

Yeah, I just made up a number, but "1 in 10" is much more likely than the probability that every smuggled shipment of uranium is stopped.

Yes it is scary and anyone that assumes we are safe now because of this interception should have a look at the fraction of illegal aliens and drugs that are stopped from coming over our borders.

---

[Mark17]

Nita, here is more info.

http://www.csi.ad.jp/ABOMB/data.html

[Maigret]

If NYC or DC were hit, the dems would lose a lot of voters

One can only hope so, we'll see how much they learned in a few weeks! If they don't turn Democrats out wholesale, then 9/11 taught them nothing.

[ChadGore]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020928/170/2c94q.html

Captured weapons-grade uranium weighing more than 33 pounds is on display at the paramilitary police headquarters of southeast province of Sanliurfa, Turkey, September 28, 2002. Turkish gendarmes seized the uranium and detained two men accused of smuggling the material, Anatolian Agency said. Authorities believe the uranium came from an eastern European country and has a value about 5 million U.S. dollars. (Anatolian/Reuters)

[EternalHope]

Even with an inefficient design, Saddam could make several bombs with this.

In other words, if this had gotten through, he would have had the bomb in 90 days.

Have we been able to stop 100% of these attempts?

Dear puff Dasshole...

[ChadGore]

Saddom has got to be the dumbest guy on the planet right now.

[null and void]

Paging Mr. Dasshole...paging Mr. Bonior...

I think the Democrats would be glad if Iraq did obtain nuclear material. If it did, then the US couldn't go after Iraq at all because the risk would be too high.

And then the Dems could go on forever over how ineffective this administration was with Iraq.

BINGO!

[EternalHope]

All it takes is for ONE shipment like this to get through. Are you saying you think ALL of them have been intercepted?

Unless we intercept them ALL, it does not matter what the odds are.

[antivenom]

HMMMMMM Made in W. Germany...HMMMMMMM

[Teacher317]

Good eye!

[Turk2]

No they don't. Turkey does not possess Nuclear, Biological or Chemical weapons of any kind and has no intetions to acquire such capabilities in the foreseeable future.

[AgentEcho]

...from an eastern European country

Does that say Made In W. Germany?

Does that strike anyone as odd?

[johnb838]

But didn't you hear Senator Byrd stress that we didn't have the money to attack Iraq

D'ya spose the dims would be for the war if W wanted to raise taxes to fund it?