How the U.S. seeks to avert nuclear terror

Los Angeles Times ^ | January 6, 2008 | How the U.S. seeks to avert nuclear terror

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

About every three days, unknown to most Americans, an elite team of federal scientists hits the streets in the fight against nuclear terrorism.

The deployments are part of an effort since 2001 to ratchet up the nation's defenses. More than two dozen specialized teams have been positioned across the nation to respond to threats of nuclear terrorism, and as many 2,000 scientists and bomb experts participate in the effort. Spending on the program has more than doubled since it was launched.

And an evolving national policy aims to create a system of nuclear forensics, in which scientific analysis could quickly identify the source of a nuclear attack or attempted attack. A key report on nuclear forensics is due next month.

The counter-terrorism efforts are becoming routine. Scientists in specially equipped helicopters and airplanes use radiation detectors to scan cities for signs of weapons. They blend into crowds at major sporting events, wearing backpacks containing instruments that can identify plutonium or highly enriched uranium.

So far, they have not encountered a terrorist. Near the Las Vegas Strip, they investigated a homeless person who somehow had picked up a piece of radioactive material. On the streets of Manhattan, a hot-dog vendor fresh from a medical test triggered a policeman's radioactivity sensor.

But the teams have not become complacent. If the many layers of federal defense against nuclear smuggling break down, these unarmed weapons designers and physicists, along with experts from the FBI, could be the last hope of staving off a catastrophic attack.

[kinoxi]

I’m glad they are there. Is it good to advertise it?

[Nova442]

It’s important that they do. A handful of scientists saddled up like ghostbusters is less likely to stop a nuclear attack than simply stating publicly that we have a defense.

[DrDeb]

There’s a reason (actually, multiple reasons) that we haven’t been ‘hit’ again: THANK YOU President Bush/VP Cheney and ALL of the varied security experts/military personnel who work tirelessly every day to keep us safe!

[kinoxi]

Good point. But disseminating information like this could cause those who wish to do us harm (muslims) to plan a way to work around the stated defenses as well. I’m glad they are there.

[familyop]

"It’s important that they do. A handful of scientists saddled up like ghostbusters is less likely to stop a nuclear attack than simply stating publicly that we have a defense."

...exactly. It's good to try to detect threats, when those threats are already occurring. But it's also like fishing with a few hooks in an ocean. And trying to scare the enemy away in order to buy time might help a little, too. The War won't be won by way of civilian prevention attempts. It's an attempt to take over the world and dominate it for one religion. The War can only be won by destroying the enemy's will to fight--not by hoping that the enemy will eventually be distracted from or forget his goal.

[M. Dodge Thomas]

Account of the 1000lb Harvey’s Resort Hotel bomb mentioned in the article:

http://www.rgj.com/extra/harveys.php

[RightWhale]

I was wondering why so many helicopters are stirring up the sky lately. Good to know they are keeping the tundra nuke-free.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We need them down here....

[kinoxi]

One of the basic cable channels did a show on that one. I saw it a few months ago. I don’t think the terrorists would emulate such tactics but this sort of information being propagated could cause them to put more time and effort into shielding the detectability.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the link.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Ernest.

How al Qaeda Used the Media and the Democrats and Almost Won the War
The Real Revo | January 5, 2008 | R.D.Walker
Posted on 01/05/2008 7:39:40 PM EST by Kaslin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1948965/posts

[Marine_Uncle]

Interesting. One would expect such a program to have been put in place at this point in time.