Suitcase Nukes Said Unlikely To Exist

AP via Yahoo! ^ | 11/10/2007 | Katherine Shrader

[zencat]

Members of Congress have warned about the dangers of suitcase nuclear weapons. Hollywood has made television shows and movies about them. Even the Federal Emergency Management Agency has alerted Americans to a threat — information the White House includes on its Web site. But government experts and intelligence officials say such a threat gets vastly more attention than it deserves. These officials said a true suitcase nuke would be highly complex to produce, require significant upkeep and cost a small fortune.

[Perdogg]

I find it hard to believe that a bunch of lawyers in Congress who haven’t been in school in 30 years and cannot even comprehend basic science alone nuclear physics.

[ASA Vet]

This has been known and discussed for years on FR.

[gusopol3]

I didn’t pay a lot of attention to George Tenet’s book, but wasn’t he “worried” about a nuclear device in the days after 9/11?

[jas3]

I find it hard to believe that a bunch of lawyers in Congress who haven’t been in school in 30 years and cannot even comprehend basic science alone nuclear physics.

I think you posted the above before you meant to. Can you restate what you meant please?

jas3

[darkwing104]

Never underestimate the determination of a Jihadi Martyr.

[RightWhale]

alerted Americans to a threat

Then what? If you find one soak it in a bucket of water?

[Brad from Tennessee]

U.S. backpack nukes:

http://www.active-duty.com/BackPackNukes.htm

[Perdogg]

The M-388

[Domandred]

highly complex to produce, require significant upkeep and cost a small fortune

As if those three ever stopped anything from happening.

[BigBobber]

However, we should still be very worried about a cargo van nuke.

[nosofar]

Chemical or biological weapons are much more likely. Easy to transport and there is no real practical physical restriction on how deadly they can get.

[Billthedrill]

It takes serious design work to make them small, but it can be done.

This one weighed at under 100 pounds. Sub-kiloton yield. It's name was the Davy Crockett.

[Dumpster Baby]

[Hazwaste]

These officials said a true suitcase nuke would be highly complex to produce, require significant upkeep and cost a small fortune.

That will be most comforting for the victims' families.

[ThomasThomas]

Maybe if they put it in one of these?

[Joe Boucher]

Physics?
Is that the class Ted Kennedy paid some other guy to take his final for? And got caught.

[OCC]

How big would that be? "Like SUV-sized. Way bigger than a suitcase," she said.

That makes me feel a LOT safer....

[jpl]

The thing about nukes is that nowadays, they're almost impossible to conceal for any significant length of time unless they're way underground.

I think biological and chemical weapons are a much greater threat, though our biosensor technology has made great strides in the last few years.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Does it matter?

They can drive a huge truck in from Mexico.