[ RadSafe ] Neutron Bomb used on Fallujah

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

It is sad that people who promote this kind of thing don't bother to
google what they are talking about.  A "neutron bomb" isn't some magic
people-killing-building-leaving device; it is a low yield nuclear
weapon, optimized for neutron production.  If one had been set off in
Fallujah, everyone who was interested would have known about it, and the
evidence would be incontrovertible. 

The first clues would have been pretty distinctive: the mushroom cloud,
really, REALLY loud explosion and flash (even compared to the other
explosions and flashes) and an electro-magnetic pulse that would have
fried most electronics for miles around.  Given that almost every
American in the area was carrying some personal electronics such as cell
phones, computers, GPS units, etc., if there had been an EMP, it would
have been noticed.  Someone would have talked.  In addition to the US, I
would guess there are at least four countries with satellites that could
detect and identify the EMP from a nuke, and probably as many
corporations (and it may be as high as 10 countries).  There would also
be a fairly distinctive blast damage pattern at ground zero. 

Second, given the fairly short range of a neutron dose high enough to be
fatal in the short term (and if you are in the middle of a battle you
don't use thing with latency periods in years or decades, as you want to
kill your targets now, to make them stop shooting at you), the weapon
would have to be detonated fairly close to the ground.  This means LOTS
of fallout.  Easily detectable levels of short lived isotopes would have
been seen probably a couple thousand miles downwind.  No matter which
way the wind was blowing, there are countries that would be willing to
blow the whistle on the event.   

Third, one of the things about neutron bombs is high neutron flux in the
target area (that is the whole point, after all).  High neutron flux
means lots of activation of material in that area, with characteristic
isotopes.  A lot of them are short lived, but there would be enough to
increase the gamma background, and detectable with a hand held gamma
spec device for quite some time after.

No, the best explanation for finding U235 in samples is that it is
naturally occurring.  
-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Terry
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 2:20 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection Mailing List
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Neutron Bomb used on Fallujah

Interesting. 

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/november042011/nuke-weapons-bn.php

Sent from my iPhone
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