Easy Access to Uranium

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-06-01 12:30am

On National Geographic channel they were playing this documentary about post-USSR black market uranium and how incredibly easy it is to smuggle and purchase from various central asian countries.

Supposedly theres a great deal of evidence supporting the theory that terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda have been trying to purchase either entire nuclear bombs, or the materials necessary to assemble a bomb. There have also been meetings between Pakistani nuclear weapons engineers and top Al Qaeda leaders.

Given this, how likely do you believe it is that well funded terrorists will be able to put together a nuclear program and when do you think they will use such a weapon?

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-06-01 12:33am

I don't think they will, to be honest. That is a line you simply do not cross if you want to keep your head.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-06-01 12:35am

are you sure theyre that interested in self preservation if theyre willing to fly into buildings?

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-01 12:36am

You know, counting on bloodthirsty fanatical suicide terrorists to not cross that big red line marked 'APOCALYSE NOW' seems like a rather poor choice to me.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-06-01 12:57am

Terrorists building their own weapon isn't fucking likely. Maybe if they got U-235 pre shaped into then needed spheres and had the detonators and timing devices needed they could put one together, but that’s about it. Working from uranium fuel rods or uranium straight for the mines, it’s a total impossibility. Take a look at the facilities and power requirements of Oak Ridge. Neither has gotten significantly smaller.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-06-01 01:01am

are you sure theyre that interested in self preservation if theyre willing to fly into buildings?

I don't think it would be the poor Saudis with nothing to lose building the nukes. It would be the somewhat educated terrorists who have something to live for. For that matter, I don't think the orders would even come down from the top to do such a thing (I'm assuming that there is some sort of chain of command in terrorist organizations, else they would not really be organized).

HemlockGrey wrote:You know, counting on bloodthirsty fanatical suicide terrorists to not cross that big red line marked 'APOCALYSE NOW' seems like a rather poor choice to me.

I'm not saying it is.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-06-01 01:01am

HemlockGrey wrote:You know, counting on bloodthirsty fanatical suicide terrorists to not cross that big red line marked 'APOCALYSE NOW' seems like a rather poor choice to me.

The brainwashed fanatics who end up doing the dirty work and dieing the process are not the ones who would make such a choice. The choice to employ a nuclear device would be made by someone who's already smart enough to get other morons to kill for him.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-06-01 01:27am

That was my point, although I may not have been so eloquent with it.