Re: Suitcase nukes

[JPreisig@AOL.COM]

Hello radsafers:


      From:   JPreisig@aol.com


      I am sorry to hear about all the devastation in the Washington, DC area,

Pennsylvania and New York City.  I hope more lives can be saved.  The explosions

involved, dropping great distances and the landing of considerable concrete

and steel on these victims makes me think that not many more survivors

will be found.


     The topic of suitcase nukes was raised a while ago on the radsafe

website.  Consult the archives for what was said.  I had seen a report on

60 Minutes (another radsafe person said it was on another TV program) where

a Russian General suggested that 20 suitcase-sized nuclear weapons were

not accounted for in the Russian (or USSR???) inventory.  I assume that these

missing weapons are on the market.  Clearly some terrorist groups could 

afford one or more.  I guess the weapon yields would be relatively low, due

to the small size of the weapon.


     Clearly, if people can get massive quantities of drugs past the US

government, then a suitcase-sized device wouldn't be too hard to get into

the USA.  If one or more are already here is another matter.  The US 

government has means of isolating such devices.  


      Clearly, there is much work to be done in this area.  I am all for 

arming pilots and flight crews.  To date these people have been relatively

defenseless.  This should not be the case.      Peace....


                           

                                                       J.R. Preisig, Ph.D.