[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

This is pure sophistry; just another form of creating a state of denial.

No, I'm not in denial. I do worry that we're not taking nuclear weapons security seriously enough--and that others are taking it even less seriously. That's a lot different from worrying about Osama's 2 (or is it 10? A dozen? 30? Maybe the original two were a breeding pair) suitcase nukes that he got in 1998 (if you believe Paul Williams and WorldNutDaily). If he's got them in usable condition, it's too damn late. What we can and should do is put a lot more effort into keeping them out of irresponsible hands in the first place.

[HipShot]

"No, I'm not in denial. I do worry that we're not taking nuclear weapons security seriously enough--and that others are taking it even less seriously. That's a lot different from worrying about Osama's 2 (or is it 10? A dozen? 30? Maybe the original two were a breeding pair) suitcase nukes that he got in 1998 (if you believe Paul Williams and WorldNutDaily). If he's got them in usable condition, it's too damn late. What we can and should do is put a lot more effort into keeping them out of irresponsible hands in the first place."

I fully agree with you about the security aspect. Beyond the simple mistakes that are made when security is not taken seriously, there are the "Savannah River" and "Rosenberg" type of mistakes. No man can serve two masters.

I'd like to point out that we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater here. We can decide what value to assign to statements based on our personal beliefs or sense of judgement of the messenger, but we need to focus on the physical reality and potential. We don't have access to the intel necessary to make an informed judgement, but we can certainly apply reasoning to the situation.

Does Osama want us destroyed?
How would he best go about it?
Does he have the financial resources?
Was there a time when anything Ivan had was for sale?
Is there another source?
Would anyone in the Pakistani or Iranian systems answer his call? (A la Savannah River or Rosenberg)

It becomes a little easier to ignore anyone sensationalizing for any reason, be it attention or book sales.

Expect the best, prepare for the worst. I'm personally FAR more concerned about the Chicoms and their theft of our warhead technology. I won't ignore anything else, however.