Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Mr. Superbad · 04-10-2003, 05:14 PM

I'd like to know what in the report led Fox News to believe that it was weapons grade plutonium? Can geiger-counters distinguish weapons-grade plutonium from other nuclear waste?

matthias j. · 04-11-2003, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Loren Pechtel
No satellite can detect uranium under hundereds of meters of solid rock. The satellite could be hunting for geological features or other surface things that hint as to where it might be.

My mistake, I guess I should inform myself somewhat more thourougly.

lpetrich · 04-11-2003, 04:38 AM

And there is the question of why the remaining Iraqi military units have not deployed any chemical or biological weapons -- one would expect the surviving Iraqi troops to want to use such weapons.

Consider the tactics that the losers of WWII had employed toward the end of that war -- Germany had teenage boys and old men defend Berlin, while Japan used piloted-airplane-as-cruise-missile attacks.

PsycheDelia · 04-11-2003, 08:55 AM

Experts Say US Discovery of Nuclear Materials in Iraq was Breach of UN-Monitored Site

Quote:

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, which has inspected the Tuwaitha nuclear complex at least two dozen times and maintains a thick dossier on the site, had no immediate comment.

But an expert familiar with U.N. nuclear inspections told The Associated Press that it was implausible to believe that U.S. forces had uncovered anything new at the site. Instead, the official said, the Marines apparently broke U.N. seals designed to ensure the materials aren't diverted for weapons use or end up in the wrong hands.

''What happened apparently was that they broke IAEA seals, which is very unfortunate because those seals are integral to ensuring that nuclear material doesn't get diverted,'' the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Army Times, meanwhile, reported that troops with the 101st Airborne Division have unearthed 11 shipping containers, filled with sophisticated lab equipment, buried at a chemical plant in Karbala. It said the equipment's value and evidence that some of it may have been smuggled into Iraq raised suspicions that the facility had been used to manufacture chemical weapons.

U.N. arms inspectors visited a facility in the immediate vicinity of the chemical plant Feb. 23, but did not find the buried equipment. Officials at the U.S. Central Command suggested that no conclusions should be drawn.

Several tons of low-grade uranium has been stored at Tuwaitha, Iraq's principle nuclear research center and a site that has been under IAEA safeguards for years, the official said. The Iraqis were allowed to keep the material because it was unfit for weapons use without costly and time-consuming enrichment.

Tuwaitha contains 1.8 tons of low-grade enriched uranium and several tons of natural and depleted uranium.

The uranium was inspected by the U.N. nuclear agency twice a year and was kept under IAEA seal at least until early this week, when the Marines seized control of the site.

The U.N. nuclear agency's inspectors have visited Tuwaitha about two dozen times, including a dozen checks carried out since December, most recently on Feb. 6. It was among the first sites that IAEA inspectors sought out after the resumption of inspections on Nov. 27 after a nearly four-year break.

On at least one occasion, inspectors with special mountaineering training went underground there to have a look around, according to IAEA documents.

Ab_Normal · 04-11-2003, 11:49 AM

Questions:

Did the Marines know that the site had been inspected and sealed by the IAEA? If not, why not? If they did have that information, why did they break the seals?

On the seals: Was it obvious that they were from the IAEA? Again, if it was obvious, why the hell did they break them?

I don't know enough about rad waste to make any judgements, but I'm afraid we may have some irradiated Marines.

Mr. Superbad · 04-11-2003, 12:50 PM

Here is the bunker POSSIBLY leading to the vast underground nuclear facilities on the verge of building a nuclear arsenal that would plunge the world into death filled chaos.

Yeah, the inspectors missed that. Sure.

ex-idaho · 04-12-2003, 01:09 PM

I cannot believe how irresponsible the US media has been in reporting unsubstantiated claims and here say. Fox of course being the biggest offender of all with its blatant attmepts to mislead the public by making claims of "smoking guns" being found. I wonder why no one has conducted a poll of the US public to determine if the people feel Bush has been redeemed in the eyes of the public.

Happy Wonderer · 04-12-2003, 05:52 PM

And CNN has now been Foxed.

Breaking news! Chemical warhead found!
Suspected chemical warhead found!
Some guy said this was a chemical warhead
Er, later tests show nothing but it might be a warhead. Waiting for experts. Look at all those guns in that armory... Say, did you know that Jennifer Lynch was back in the US?

hw

Suspected chemical warhead found

yaktldg · 04-12-2003, 06:06 PM

That's funny.

joedad · 04-12-2003, 07:08 PM

I suppose we'll soon be finding those elusive entrances to the Baghdad subway where all the wmds are stored.

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04-10-2003, 05:14 PM	#21
Mr. Superbad Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Well fortified mountain bunker Posts: 3,567	I'd like to know what in the report led Fox News to believe that it was weapons grade plutonium? Can geiger-counters distinguish weapons-grade plutonium from other nuclear waste?

04-11-2003, 04:38 AM	#23
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	And there is the question of why the remaining Iraqi military units have not deployed any chemical or biological weapons -- one would expect the surviving Iraqi troops to want to use such weapons. Consider the tactics that the losers of WWII had employed toward the end of that war -- Germany had teenage boys and old men defend Berlin, while Japan used piloted-airplane-as-cruise-missile attacks.

04-11-2003, 11:49 AM	#25
Ab_Normal Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,842	Questions: Did the Marines know that the site had been inspected and sealed by the IAEA? If not, why not? If they did have that information, why did they break the seals? On the seals: Was it obvious that they were from the IAEA? Again, if it was obvious, why the hell did they break them? I don't know enough about rad waste to make any judgements, but I'm afraid we may have some irradiated Marines.

04-11-2003, 12:50 PM	#26
Mr. Superbad Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Well fortified mountain bunker Posts: 3,567	Here is the bunker POSSIBLY leading to the vast underground nuclear facilities on the verge of building a nuclear arsenal that would plunge the world into death filled chaos. Yeah, the inspectors missed that. Sure.

04-12-2003, 01:09 PM	#27
ex-idaho Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Spudtopia, ID Posts: 5,315	I cannot believe how irresponsible the US media has been in reporting unsubstantiated claims and here say. Fox of course being the biggest offender of all with its blatant attmepts to mislead the public by making claims of "smoking guns" being found. I wonder why no one has conducted a poll of the US public to determine if the people feel Bush has been redeemed in the eyes of the public.

04-12-2003, 05:52 PM	#28
Happy Wonderer Veteran Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Washington, the least religious state Posts: 5,334	And CNN has now been Foxed. Breaking news! Chemical warhead found! Suspected chemical warhead found! Some guy said this was a chemical warhead Er, later tests show nothing but it might be a warhead. Waiting for experts. Look at all those guns in that armory... Say, did you know that Jennifer Lynch was back in the US? hw Suspected chemical warhead found

04-12-2003, 06:06 PM	#29
yaktldg Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: usa Posts: 300	That's funny.

04-12-2003, 07:08 PM	#30
joedad Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: PA USA Posts: 5,039	I suppose we'll soon be finding those elusive entrances to the Baghdad subway where all the wmds are stored.

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