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How To Safeguard Loose Nukes

Posted by samzenpus on from the in-the-wrong-hands dept.

Lasrick writes "The Bulletin has an interesting article about the likelihood of terrorists obtaining nuclear material. 'Since 1993, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has logged roughly 2,000 cases of illicit or unauthorized trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material. Thirty illicit radioactive trafficking incidents were reported in the former Soviet region alone from 2009 to 2011. As Obama said in December, "Make no mistake, if [terrorists] get [nuclear material], they will use it."'"

3 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. As Obama said in December, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Make no mistake, if [terrorists] get [nuclear material], they will use it."

    This coming from the world's biggest terrorist, the Drone Ranger

  2. Radioactive material != Nuclear weapons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    People need to stop conflating radioactive materials and nuclear weapons. The only 3 isotopes that matter for nuclear weapons are U-233, U-235, and Pu-239. These are the fissile nuclides. Get enough of these together and you can level a city. Contrast this with any dirty bomb material. If you get enough of that together and blow it up, you've simply provided contractors with 3 months of decontamination work with pressure washers. Not the same thing.

  3. Re:It's the USA's fault there are so many nukes by confused+one · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If we didn't keep building nukes, forcing other countries to keep building nukes to compete....

    We haven't built any new nuclear weapons in decades. In fact, we've been gradually decomissioning them, in step with Russia, as we reach new treaty agreements.