Possible Plutonium Find Has Wide and Disturbing Implications

STRATFOR ^ | Apr 10, 2003

[struwwelpeter]

Someone set them up (with) the bomb.

[Born in a Rage]

That indicates that most of the radiation is probably not beta or gamma radiation, but alpha radiation, plutonium-239's calling card. Since the people who discovered the radiation at Al Tuwaitha have reported no health problems, the plutonium is most likely purified -- and therefore usable in a weapons program.

BUMP

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[tallhappy]

It also may mean the regime is waiting to set off a nuke as a suicide operation in Tikrit as US troops move in.

That is a big "may", but conveivable.

I have to acknowledge another freeper on another thread who made this initial suggestion. It's not original with me.

[cicero's_son]

If Iraq has obtained the equipment to manufacture or extract plutonium, it must either have some quite complex -- and highly restricted -- technology or a functioning nuclear reactor.

There's a third, and perhaps even more disturbing possibility: that the plutonium was produced elsewhere (say, Russia or France) and shipped in its purified form to Iraq.

[jmstein7]

It could also have been stolen. It would have helped if there was a DeLorean parked in front of the facility :)

[Clean_Sweep]

I think they would rather nuke somewhere in the USA instead of their home turf.

[Ford Fairlane]

Or North Korea

[Dog Gone]

If Iraq has obtained the equipment to manufacture or extract plutonium, it must either have some quite complex -- and highly restricted -- technology or a functioning nuclear reactor.

Not necessarily. Look for a MADE IN FRANCE, RUSSIA, or NORTH KOREA sticker somewhere on the specimen.

[oceanview]

Whatever comes of this, we aren't going to be able to keep the nuclear genie in the bottle forever. The rogue states can get the technology and material, they know how to build facilities deep underground or inside mountains to avoid conventional bombing. We need a new strategy on how to deal with this. I'm think we should be developing small portable nukes of our own, that can be planted by intelligence operatives to destroy single targets, providing 100% deniability for the US. If that plant in Libya went up or the one in North Korea, we could just say it was a local accident. Oops..

[myself6]

Could it be that THIS is really why we went in? If true, the implications are mind-boggling.

How did they get the plutonium? Did they make it or was it given to them?

How did they make it? Who gave them the equipment to make it? who built the reactor if that is how it was made?

If it was given to them, who gave it to them? Why?

Why, all of a sudden, is the UN saying they knew that "Uranium" was there all along? and they didnt remove it because they had put seals on it (think North Korea) plus it wasnt easy to make a weapon with.

If this actually proves to be weapons grade PLUTONIUM, I think we have a huge fight ahead of us.

I wonder if people here in the states will get a bit "paniky" if this is true?

[fooman]

I was thinking the same thing today. We could imply that we would use these on China unless they massed the PLA on the alu river to take the koreans. With four us aircraft carriers parked there....

[BP2]

It could also have been stolen

I agree with this hypothesis. It would have been relatively easy to smuggle this out of the former Soviet Union. They may have had this stuff for decades or right after the fall of the FSU, using it for experimentation for further P239 development. But I'm sure it wasn't for some Badhdad University post-graduate physics project.

[Brett66]

I wonder how much they had and what it's purity was? IOW did they have enough to produce a nuclear weapon?

[Grut]

"Initial reports", "may", "could"... let's wait for something a little more solid before we let slip the cats of conjecture.

[Cachelot]

I think they would rather nuke somewhere in the USA instead of their home turf.

I think they already tried.

Remember the container ship flap? Where alpha radiation was detected?

And where after a great deal of searching and strange activity the source was supposedly "trace elements in a consignment of tiles"?

[DainBramage]

Hey Chirac, we know your name is on this somewhere..

[cicero's_son]

We need a new strategy on how to deal with this

I agree. Perhaps we should declare the scientists who work on these programs to be "enemy combatants," and let it be known that we consider them legitimate military targets.

[Bob J]

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