[ RadSafe ] " Homeland Security Chief Sees Nuclear Forensic Office as Att...

[NeilKeeney at aol.com]

Radsafers:
 
Who Done it?
 
I thought the methodology (at least in the US) for rapidly  determining 
probable origins of residual nuclear material, vis-a-vis  'indicator isotopic 
libraries', was already a part of the NEST  group 'cook-book' as well as that of 
various  fragmented groups within DoD. Do we not currently have this capability 
or  is this simply a bureaucratic PR announcement / effort?
 
Neil Keeney
RRPT
 
CLAIM-ER
I mean every stinkin' thing I say in my written  communications. My previous, 
present or future employers must  simply acknowledge my First Amendment 
Rights to do so and are, of  course, welcome at any time to express any divergent 
viewpoints or  opinions. So there.
_______________________________________________________________
 
Homeland Security Chief Sees Nuclear Forensic Office as Attack  Deterrent
Aviation Week & Space Technology, 09/17/2007, page 27
Edited  by David Bond

The U.S. Homeland Security Dept. is spending lots of time,  money and
manpower on finding ways to prevent an attack by terrorists using a  nuclear
weapon or dirty bomb. The latest effort: a program at the Port of  Seattle to
enhance radiological scanning of small vessels for nuclear  material. But
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says the agency  needs to take
steps “should our actions fail” and a radiological device is  detonated on
U.S. soil. Toward that goal, an interagency National Technical  Nuclear
Forensic Center has been created, Chertoff tells the Senate  Homeland
Security Committee. Housed within the department’s Domestic  Nuclear
Detection Office, the center would provide “real and robust  forensic
capability” for officials to determine what materials were in the  bomb,
where it came from and who was behind it. Not only would that help  prevent a
second attack, but it would permit a swift and appropriate response  against
the attack’s masterminds. The capability to trace a bomb’s source  could
deter rogue states from thinking they could assault the U.S.  anonymously
through terrorists, says  Chertoff.





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