Free Republic

WASHINGTON — What if we fail to prevent an attack?Assume every line of defense against nuclear terrorism is breached: the efforts to lock up nuclear material abroad, to spy out hidden weapons programs, to deter rogue states and capture terrorists, to detect smuggled bombs at the border or downtown — every preventive measure discussed in the previous five installments of this series. Assume someone, somehow, gets all the way through. It only has to happen once. Assume that this someone puts together a crude atomic bomb, of the “Little Boy” type dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, a heavy and awkward device...

Bin Laden reportedly sought nuclear expert's help Pakistani said to have rebuffed al-Qaeda's appeal to build bomb 12/30/2002 Associated Press ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A leading Pakistani nuclear scientist, barred by his government from talking to reporters, has made it known through his son that Osama bin Laden approached him before the Sept. 11 attacks for help in making nuclear weapons. The al-Qaeda leader was rebuffed, the son, Azim Mahmood, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Basically Osama asked my father, 'How can a nuclear bomb be made and can you help us make one?' " he said....