Posted on 10/22/2001 6:20:06 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
This is one of those things we should not lose sleep over. A truck or shipboard container, possibly.
Critical Mass is a non-negotiable figure, as are the well-known public details of implosion device assembly.
Just try to carry such a "briefcase".
Nope, I am going to worry about more immediate things.
Besides, our "No First Use" doctrine would be totally out the window if someone were to do this, and it would give us a blank check to do whatever we wanted. *WE* are not the ones who should be losing sleep over this.
We have one warhead for each WTC victim. Fact.
To use one, or even fifty against us would be the same thing as taking a knife to a gunfight.
Also..... Later in the above article they say they need 110kg (220 lbs) of material - confusing the reader by mixing english/metric units.
You would guess wrong.
It is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN.
I would be very, very surprised if Bin Laden or some other group did not already have a weapon or the materials to make it.
I would not be surprised if one or more cells in place in the U.S. had one.
It does not need to be in a "suitcase". It could be rolled into town in a Ryder van. It could float into a port onboard a freighter.
And, BTW, I am a rocket scientist!
--Boris
In both cases, there has not been any credible information released that shows an attack of this type imminent or even possible by the terrorist organizations that wish to harm us.
Spreading fear on false threats is not the only horrible tactic of big-media. They are also down-playing real threats toward the United States and trying to undercut all preparations for such a threat. The most striking exampleof this is a National Missile Defense System against the growing threat of missile attack from China or North Korea. China and North Korea have been sending strong signals in recent years of their intention to challenge America's military. A couple of the most striking examples was North Korea's missile test in the Pacific and China's threat to nuke Los Angeles in any conflict over Taiwan. These threats are real and are backed-up an incresingly threating military and hard-line attitude toward the United States.
Big-Media's response has been that the system is too expensive, won't work, and would upset other countries.
It would certainly be more expensive to lose Los Angeles or even the entire West Coast. Regardless of the effectiveness of the NMD system, it would be at least as effective as not building any system at all. As for upsetting other countries, I have no doubt that making America stronger would upset our enemies.......who cares!!!?
In conclusion, I rate America's Big-Media coverage of the national security threats against America as a D-. It's really a shame their reporting is so out-of-step with reality.
DISCLAIMER: cheap joke based on a stereotype which DOES NOT apply to my wife -- who is a more judicious packer than I!
Dan
1- They have the money. You can buy anything if you have the money. You don't have to have skill.
2- They may not care about massive retaliation. They may even hope to provoke it. They don't think like we do.
Well I am not going to lose much sleep over it but I did get myself a CD survey meter and some potassium iodate. Just in case.
I fail to understand, then, why these rebels did not use them against the FSU. It would have been easy.
Also, what is the shelf-life of low-shielded compact devices?
Thermal degradation of the implosion charge (These things are *warm* to handle), as well as y and N degradation imposes a "Best if used before...." date on them.
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