US Ability To Identify Source of Nuclear Weapons Decays

Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times covers a report released by the National Research Council, which says the ability of the US to identify the source of a nuclear weapon used in a terrorist attack is fragile and eroding. The goals of the highly specialized detective work, known as nuclear attribution, is to clarify options for retaliation and to deter terrorists by letting them know that nuclear devices have fingerprints that atomic specialists can find and trace. 'Although US nuclear forensics capabilities are substantial and can be improved, right now they are fragile, under-resourced and, in some respects, deteriorating,' the report warns. 'Without strong leadership, careful planning and additional funds, these capabilities will decline.' The report calls on the federal government to take steps to strengthen its forensic capabilities and argues for the necessity of better planning, more robust budgets, clearer lines of authority and more realistic exercises."

Comments

Re:What they're really saying with this story

[Wyatt Earp]

United States Strategic Bombing Survey: Summary Report (Pacific War) was more of a argument in favor of funding for bombers over carriers than a definitive source to predict the outcome of an Allied Invasion of the Japanese Home Islands.

My sources for this subject include, but are not limited to
Douglas J. MacEachin, The Final Months of the War with Japan: Signals Intelligence, U.S. Invasion Planning, and the A-Bomb Decision

J.C.S. 1388 “Details of the Campaign Against Japan”

D. M. Giangreco "Operation Downfall (US Invasion Of Japan) US Plans And Japanese Counter-Measures"

Joint War Plans Committee, Details of the Campaign Against Japan

General Headquaters, US Armed Forced Pacific, Military Intelligence Summery, General Staff “Amendment No. 1 to G-2 Estimate of the Enemy Situation with Respect to Kyushu (dated 25 April 1945), 29 July 1945

Mod parent up

[cbraescu1]

Since he's very right. I'm tired of morons twisting well-known historical facts just to fit into whatever flawed ideology they support.

The Japanese (be they military or civilians) were ashamed and forbidden to surrender yet had no way of avoiding defeat. The only possible outcome from an American invasion of the mainland Japan would have been millions of killed and suicided Japanese (both military and civilians) and hundreds of thousand of US forces being killed in the process. The only way out was the word of the Emperor himself - considered God-like. And the only way to force the Emperor to make his voice heard in public for the very first time was to raise the stakes with the 2 atomic bombings.

Ugly? Yes. Necessary under that particular situation? Absolutely.