TERROR OF BIN LADEN'S 20 BACKPACK NUKES developing

Drudgereport.com ^ | drudge

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

PAPER: Osama bin Laden has bought nuclear firepower from renegade KGB agents, Tony Blair and George Bush have been warned... Developing...

[PianoMan]

I figure someone should speak up from the "Sorry, but Osama is still pushing up the daisies where we got him with the daisy cutter" camp. (That would be me.)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Eat More Ovaltine

[toddst]

"The half-life of the triggers for such atomic weapons is typically 60 days, after that, the weapon requires new radioactive material (as well as specialized electronincs maintenance)."

This is correct, as the physics package and associated electronics have a "limited shelf life".

So why couldn't the Russian source have sold refitted bombs that are within the 60 day period? Just wondering.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

thanks guys. That's what I was trying to remember.

[tortoise]

The half-life of the triggers for such atomic weapons is typically 60 days, after that, the weapon requires new radioactive material (as well as specialized electronincs maintenance).

There are compact trigger designs with a much longer shelf-life (measured in years). The principle of operation is substantially different than the ones you are talking about though. And I don't know if this tech was actually used on the weapons in question; we actually purchased critical design components of this technology from the Russians in the early 90s for several million dollars.

If I were the Russians, I would have happily sold them dud nukes knowing that they couldn't really test them. It's all fun and games until someone tries to use it, after which you have a mighty pissed terrorist and the guys who sold it would be long gone.

[mewzilla]

Tabloid is not necessarily a pejorative. The Sunday Express is better than some, worse than others.

[discostu]

Riiiiigggghhht.

FICTION. Why does Drudge put this BS up? Why did you post it? We get the same story every couple of months, nothing's been nuked yet, because this "story" is a work of fiction by some clown somewhere desperate for a by-line.

[PianoMan]

Incidentally, where's the guy with the "BS Meter" picture? It's overdue.

[Diana Rose]

(she heard an urban myth concerning the size of their feet in relation to other body parts)

That old dog died as the result of Clinton's.... never-mind ;)

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I posted it because it's a story. If it turns out to be hogwash, as I figure it will, then great. But we should discuss it and ridicule it as we see fit.

[Diddle E. Squat]

The Red Whale Flies At Night

[blackdog]

Gee, Wiring in new triggers and software updates on clock and oscillator on nuclear weapons is a laboratory endevour, not exactly something you do in the Pashtun Badlands of Islam.

Anyone know where Super Geraldo is? I'm pretty sure he was taking a nuclear weapons course at Newark Tech School last year. Someone send up the Geraldo beacon in the night sky. He will leap from his lair and rescue us. Well, at least entertain us......

[cardinal4]

DEBKA

[Trust but Verify]

Good God. Some half-baked British tabloid writes a screaming headline and we're all atwitter about who and how and where and when and what then?

Let's not forget, "And THAT'S why the President looked like 'heck'."

Get a grip, people. We're going to get stories like this from here to eternity, are we going to play the what-if scenario and soil ourselves every single time?

I swear, you'd think there are people on this forum who actually HOPE this happens one of these days so we have a good reason to "Nuke Mecca and Medina!"

[dennisw]

[monkeywrench]

Owe me a coke bump! This lady don't like Dr. Pepper...>)

[cardinal4]

In Russia, the "Sword and Shield of the Party" controlled the nukes.

You are correct. While the Strategic Rocket Forces controlled the missiles and launch facilities, it was 2 Dzherzhinsky Square who kept the launch codes.

[mhking]

Just damn.

[Rocky]

The half-life of the triggers for such atomic weapons is typically 60 days, after that, the weapon requires new radioactive material (as well as specialized electronincs maintenance).

Easy to fix this. Just join the Trigger of the Month Club.

[Trust but Verify]

I'm with you here. What a colossal waste of time and space.