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RE: 'Dirty Bomb' Was Major New Year's Worry



I agree with Sandy.  It seems rather unlikely that a terrorist organization

could acquire a seriously large source without being detected (what are the

chances a food irradiator would fail to notice the source is gone?), without

killing or disabling themselves, and move it to the target location without

being rather conspicuous (especially moving across a major fraction of the

planet).  Reducing the source strength enough to avoid these problems could

actually result in an event that demonstrates to the public how unimportant

small amounts of radioactivity really are.



However, all this talk of dirty bombs overlooks one fundamental concept.

Every terrorist attack in my lifetime has been designed to produce a body

count.  To shift from this to a dirty bomb that harms a location and causes

disruption and economic consequences would indicate a complete change of

personality on the part of the terrorists.  I have seen no evidence to

support this idea.



Bob Flood

NTS Dosimetry





-----Original Message-----

From: Sandy Perle [mailto:sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET] 

Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 1:17 PM

To: Kai Kaletsch; radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu

Subject: Re: 'Dirty Bomb' Was Major New Year's Worry



On 8 Jan 2004 at 14:39, Kai Kaletsch wrote:



> If there is someone running around with a

> bunch of spent fuel or enough Pu to make an effective dirty bomb, then

> the public should know!



I heard an "expert" on TV last night state that food irradiators is 

also a target to obtain a source that could be used to make a dirty 

bomb. My thoughts on anyone using spent fuel, or other high dose rate 

source, such as Co-60 or Cs-137 (high dose irradiator) is how they 

are supposed to actually get to the source, shield it and then move 

it as easily as the "experts" think they can?



I'll speculate that the primary use of a dirty bomb is to cause 

significant emotional stress to a designated population. One doesn't 

need a high dose source to do that. A simple nuclear medicine package 

that spews "contamination" into a downtown area is all that is 

needed. Just look at the fear the public already demonstrates, and, 

this is all compounded by government "experts" who are simply 

agitating the public with their sometimes ridiculous rhetoric!





------------------------------------

Sandy Perle

Vice President, Technical Operations

Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.

3300 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100  Extension 2306

Fax:(714) 668-3149



E-Mail: sperle@globaldosimetry.com

E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net



Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com/

Global Dosimetry Website: http://www.globaldosimetry.com/



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