Can they keep a lid on this ? ( Radioactives Selling )

Georgia detains six over alleged plan to sell uranium.

Tbilisi (AFP) - Georgia has arrested three of its nationals and three citizens of Armenia for trying to sell the radioactive substance uranium-238, the ex-Soviet country's security services said Monday. "They were planning to sell the nuclear material, the uranium (U238) for $200 million in Tbilisi," Georgia's State Security Agency said in a statement. "They have been detained," the statement said, adding that a court had ruled all six suspects be remanded in pre-trial detention. The statement said an unspecified amount of the substance was found stored in a container in the home of one of the suspects. The interior ministry declined to provide further details. If charged and found guilty, the suspects face up to 10 years in prison. Uranium-238 -- the most common isotope of natural uranium -- cannot undergo nuclear chain-reactions, but can be used for the production of a fissile substance, plutonium-239. The case highlighted concerns that unsecured nuclear materials across the former Soviet Union could be sold to violent extremists. Over the past five years, Georgia and Armenia have reported numerous cases of their citizens trying to sell radioactive substances. In 2012, Armenia foiled a deal to sell radioactive strontium-90. In 2010, Georgia thwarted sale of another radioactive substance, caesium-137. Also in 2010, Georgian police arrested two Armenian men accused of smuggling 18 grammes (0.6 ounces) of highly enriched uranium from Armenia to Georgia and trying to sell it to an undercover agent posing as an Islamist extremist.

www.yahoo.com...

europe.newsweek.com...

So it begins.

a reply to: skywatcher44

there are some heartless bastards out there... selling substances like this and other deadly weapons and making a fortune off it? that's about as slimy as it gets, right up there with human trafficking

Sounds like Georgia has some issues.

This has been going on since the fall of the Soviet union.
It's fine them buying this stuff.. But having the knowledge and equipment so they can actually do something with it is another thing..

I made a thread a few years ago about a doomsday cult and an alleged nuclear explosion in the Australian desert.. It's an interesting story.

Here it is.. It's got 169 flags so is a good read..
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: skywatcher44

Uranium-238 -- the most common isotope of natural uranium -- cannot undergo nuclear chain-reactions, but can be used for the production of a fissile substance, plutonium-239.

In a reactor. Then the spent fuel needs to be processed, PU separated, enriched, refined, smelted, cast, the bomb parts constructed… its expensive, technical and precise.

Let alone toxic. Not something your average terr can come close to producing and or delivering to a target.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: skywatcher44

Uranium-238 -- the most common isotope of natural uranium -- cannot undergo nuclear chain-reactions, but can be used for the production of a fissile substance, plutonium-239.

In a reactor. Then the spent fuel needs to be processed, PU separated, enriched, refined, smelted, cast, the bomb parts constructed… its expensive, technical and precise.

Let alone toxic. Not something your average terr can come close to producing and or delivering to a target.

You'll have to forgive my ignorance on the topic, but couldn't they make a dirty bomb from this with comparatively little skill?

a reply to: BelowLowAnnouncement

They could, but Uranium-238 is very weakly radioactive. You don't want to snort a bunch of it, but a U-238 dirty bomb would be about as dangerous as a lead bomb. It is a toxic heavy metal, but it's barely radioactive.

I'm just saying that from the long-ago memory vaults of Physics and Chemistry courses, so I figured I should find at least one source to explain a bit better. This one is a fairly simplified, but clear explanation: U-238 Weak Radioactivity

originally posted by: BelowLowAnnouncement

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: skywatcher44

Uranium-238 -- the most common isotope of natural uranium -- cannot undergo nuclear chain-reactions, but can be used for the production of a fissile substance, plutonium-239.

In a reactor. Then the spent fuel needs to be processed, PU separated, enriched, refined, smelted, cast, the bomb parts constructed… its expensive, technical and precise.

Let alone toxic. Not something your average terr can come close to producing and or delivering to a target.

You'll have to forgive my ignorance on the topic, but couldn't they make a dirty bomb from this with comparatively little skill?

More likely, depending what form the material is in. Still a problem though, transporting it around sets off detectors, 'spreading it' sufficiently to affect enough people to give enough of them health issues all at once is problematic, too.

Think Fallujah. American military used hundreds of tons of Depleted Uranium munitions there, the place is a hell hole, a direct result of all the radioactivity…

graphic images

its being happening for years.
since the collapse of the ussr, the satellite states have long been selling off radioactive and biological weapons.
throw in india and pakistan's likely sales and the world is (was) probably awash wish bona fide weapons grade material.
fortunately, terrorists as a rule suck at high level attacks, getting lucky very rarely, for the brighton bombing the ira carried out their own goals were (hilariously) more frequent.
al qaeda got lucky once, but have they managed anything close to 9/11?

for every hotel or office shot up, security services up their game, making anything big harder to pull off.
will terrorists get lucky again?
probably, but you can't live in fear waiting for it.

a reply to: intrptr

Horrid images, poor peoples. When you mentioned Iraq I remembered a similar thread story from last year..

Iraq Searching For ‘Highly Dangerous’ Radioactive Material Stolen Last Year..

Baghdad reported the stolen material to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but has not requested assistance to recover it.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

a reply to: skywatcher44

Reports of stolen materials crop up from time to time. Radio isotopes for the medical field are mostly short-lived material.

The point about Fallujah was a dump truck or two of dust collected there and dumped in a city water supply or on city streets could be disastrous. Not hard to collect or concentrate and in "ISIS territory", lets alone all the other misallocated radiological weapons residue littering the ground in multiple countries…

Okay and then theres the whole open air radiological experiment going on at Fukushima.

I am afraid that a fifty pound sack of HE smothered in ball bearings is much more effective and sensational tool for these nutters.

originally posted by: galaga
So it begins.

Nothing is beginning. Pu239 is still very very difficult to make and requires reactors and deep knowledge of the processes involved. It's also very dangerous. No terrorist cell is capable of making fissionable material from U238. You can rest easy. How can I be so sure? I have read a lot about nuclear material manufacture, kind of a hobby of mine.

As for suitcase bombs...unlikely. The critical mass of the materials needed make those close to impossible to build. Unless they sent with transneptinium elements which would cost them billions and take years to create enough.

The only thing to be afraid of is a dirty bomb. Even then uranium isn't that dangerous. The city will be contaminated, sure, but I'd worry more about a Pu dirty bomb. Fortunately, Pu is hard come by although it's toxicity and danger rating have been massively over hyped.

originally posted by: dogstar23
a reply to: BelowLowAnnouncement

They could, but Uranium-238 is very weakly radioactive. You don't want to snort a bunch of it, but a U-238 dirty bomb would be about as dangerous as a lead bomb. It is a toxic heavy metal, but it's barely radioactive.

I'm just saying that from the long-ago memory vaults of Physics and Chemistry courses, so I figured I should find at least one source to explain a bit better. This one is a fairly simplified, but clear explanation: U-238 Weak Radioactivity

Exactly. Uranium is not especially dangerous. It can be found on every commercial airline as counterweight dud to its density.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: BelowLowAnnouncement

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: skywatcher44

Uranium-238 -- the most common isotope of natural uranium -- cannot undergo nuclear chain-reactions, but can be used for the production of a fissile substance, plutonium-239.

In a reactor. Then the spent fuel needs to be processed, PU separated, enriched, refined, smelted, cast, the bomb parts constructed… its expensive, technical and precise.

Let alone toxic. Not something your average terr can come close to producing and or delivering to a target.

You'll have to forgive my ignorance on the topic, but couldn't they make a dirty bomb from this with comparatively little skill?

More likely, depending what form the material is in. Still a problem though, transporting it around sets off detectors, 'spreading it' sufficiently to affect enough people to give enough of them health issues all at once is problematic, too.

Think Fallujah. American military used hundreds of tons of Depleted Uranium munitions there, the place is a hell hole, a direct result of all the radioactivity…

graphic images

A lot of those images have nothing to do with DU. The first doesnt even. That first image I'd a baby born with harlequin disease. It's awful.

a reply to: skywatcher44

LOL... U-238 is simply depleted uranium (DU). You can't make a dirty bomb of it, or else the Amireagan will have to answer to their extensive use as penetrating bullet in place like Iraq.

People don't have a clue what they're discussing when it comes to radioactive contamination in the environment.

originally posted by: intrptr

People don't have a clue what they're discussing when it comes to radioactive contamination in the environment.

And you do? You posted images that have nothing whatsoever to do with depleted uranium.

originally posted by: 3danimator2014

originally posted by: intrptr

People don't have a clue what they're discussing when it comes to radioactive contamination in the environment.

And you do? You posted images that have nothing whatsoever to do with depleted uranium.

Let me add, some are covering up the truth about Depleted Uranium used in warfare.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: 3danimator2014

originally posted by: intrptr

People don't have a clue what they're discussing when it comes to radioactive contamination in the environment.

And you do? You posted images that have nothing whatsoever to do with depleted uranium.

Let me add, some are covering up the truth about Depleted Uranium used in warfare.

Right...so its a conspiracy, but you have no proof. OK