The scariest story of the year?

This is from Jan25th News, I made a quick Search. If this has been posted before my apologies.

NY times Source

Russian man with sunken cheeks and a wispy mustache crossed into Georgia and traveled to Tbilisi by car along a high mountain road. In two plastic bags in his leather jacket, Georgian authorities say, he carried 100 grams of uranium so refined that it could help fuel an atom bomb.

What is most worrisome about the two most recent case, nuclear experts say, is the material itself: in large enough quantities, it could provide a terrorist with an instant solution to the biggest challenge in making a nuclear weapon, obtaining the fuel.

An some feedback:

Reader Feedback

In a world of sane editorial judgments, the banner headline ought to scream that “MAN HAD 0.1 KILOGRAM OF BOMB-GRADE URANIUM”.

With only 25kg of HEU, any halfway decent demolitions expert or DIYer with a basement and a welding torch can build a bomb that would kill thousands. A clever couple of grad students could lay waste to a city of millions (not by vaporising it, quite, but by blackening its centre with a radioactive hangover to last centuries). Since HEU is stable enough to carry by hand, transporting it across borders, into buildings or into graduate-quality labs is not a problem for anybody. Oh, and it doesn’t set off metal detectors or bomb-sniffing dogs either, should the enterprising smuggler feel like putting a few pounds in his pocket (it’s extremely dense stuff—you’d be surprised how many pounds you can cram into a small space). I suspect that if Oleg had been a more prosperous fishmonger, he might've flown from, say, Odessa to ... Karachi, Riyadh, London, Tel Aviv? With however many kg of HEU he and his suitcase can carry.

Is There any Posts or Threads related to this? Including the 1994 Uranium Seizure?

In 1994 alone, two seizures involved more than five kilos — 11 pounds — of highly enriched uranium. The I.A.E.A. listed more than a dozen cases of illicit trade in highly enriched uranium, along with dozens of seizures of highly radioactive material.

Talking to friends as to how easy it is to pass this stuff using the North or south border seemed silly and crazy about 4 yrs ago , but now Im even starting to belive it myself.

I have a very hard time believing this... you just don't walk around (at least very far) with weapons grade uranium in your coat pocket...just don't happen... if he did the man would be dead by now.

From NY times link posted above:

The Georgians called for help from American diplomats, who sent in experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Energy, American officials say. Mr. Merabishvili said the Americans shocked them by taking the uranium and simply putting it “in their pocket.” Uranium in that form emits little radiation and presents little or no danger to its handlers.

Exposure to environmental uranium or to uranium at levels found at hazardous waste sites will not be lethal to humans[20] but exposure to some of its decay products, especially radon, strontium-90, and iodine-131 does pose a significant health threat.[

en.wikipedia.org...

A person can be exposed to uranium (or its radioactive daughters such as radon) by inhaling dust in air or from smoking tobacco which have been grown using certain phosphate fertilizers, or ingesting water and food.

[edit on 1/31/2007 by a1ex]

That goes against everything I have ever heard or read about weapons grade urainum... it is its very radioactivity that makes it dangerous.

Ok, there's a MASSIVE disconnect here. Someone is lying outright. If this material doesn't emit strong enough radiation to kill someone carrying it in their pocket how could it a) contaminate a city in the form of a dirty bomb or b) be detected? My understanding was that the highly refined uranium was dangerously radioactive.

I was just going to state that, if that's the actual packaging, the courier was nvts. Weapons-grade uranium in Ziplocs. He had a death wish. No wonder his cheeks are sunken.

Originally posted by brEaDITOR
I was just going to state that, if that's the actual packaging, the courier was nvts. Weapons-grade uranium in Ziplocs. He had a death wish. No wonder his cheeks are sunken.

FEMA's NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EMERGENCY Fact Sheet

Know these facts about a nuclear power plant emergency.

* A nuclear power plant accident would not cause the same widespread destruction as a nuclear weapon.
* Although radioactive materials could be released in a cloud or plume, no fallout is produced to endanger people.
* There may be a radiation hazard in the surrounding areas, depending on the type of accident, amount of radiation released, and weather factors.
* Radiation would be monitored by authorities to determine potential danger and warn the public.
* Local citizens would be evacuated or instructed on how to avoid radiation hazards.

tell that to the people around chernobl.

I have friends from there,

Also didn't you see the blog of someone actually taking abike ride on that town? he took pictures the whole town looks like silent hill. as soon as I find it ill post it here.

.....and here it is:

random.gfxile.net.../photos&startFrom=1

and

www.kiddofspeed.com...



[edit on 1/31/2007 by a1ex]

Originally posted by grover
tell that to the people around chernobl.

Dont take it personally...im trying to get feedback from "facts" vs common sense....

[edit on 1/31/2007 by a1ex]

All the comments here about how dangerous Uranium is makes me want to cry like a little girl

Firstly, What filmakers in Hollywood tell you about Uranium is not true! SHOCK HORROR !

Secondly, I've done a fair bit of Nuclear Chemical and Biological training. I'm not a scientist but I've been taught what's what. Uranium's Isotopes certainly aren't nice and I wouldn't like a spoonful in my tea, but thinking that the guy will start glowing green and die after a couple of hours is just wrong.

I wish people would Deny Ignorance and realize that films are not real life

The Info is out there, help yourself to it!!!

www.atsdr.cdc.gov...

Be safe

Originally posted by Jimmy1880
All the comments here about how dangerous Uranium is makes me want to cry like a little girl

Firstly, What filmakers in Hollywood tell you about Uranium is not true! SHOCK HORROR !

Secondly, I've done a fair bit of Nuclear Chemical and Biological training. I'm not a scientist but I've been taught what's what. Uranium's Isotopes certainly aren't nice and I wouldn't like a spoonful in my tea, but thinking that the guy will start glowing green and die after a couple of hours is just wrong.

I wish people would Deny Ignorance and realize that films are not real life

The Info is out there, help yourself to it!!!

www.atsdr.cdc.gov...

Be safe

From the Site you Gave:

How likely is uranium to cause cancer?

Humans and animals exposed to high levels of uranium did not have higher cancer rates. The Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR IV) reported that eating food or drinking water that has normal amounts of uranium will most likely not cause cancer.

Uranium can decay into other radioactive substances, such as radium, which can cause cancer if you are exposed to enough of them for a long enough period of time. Studies have reported lung and other cancers in uranium miners; however, the miners also smoked and were exposed to other substances that cause cancer, such as radon and silica dust.

- Emphasis added

With all due respct, Jimmy, the link you provided (though quite informative) discusses uranium in naturally occuring or very low concentrations. We're talking about two ZipLoks full of concentrated, weapon grade uranium. If this stuff has no 'dirty bomb' capability and is not dangerously radioactive then who should care about it? And if DU is such a non-issue then whay all the international outcry about it?

Originally posted by jtma508
With all due respct, Jimmy, the link you provided (though quite informative) discusses uranium in naturally occuring or very low concentrations. We're talking about two ZipLoks full of concentrated, weapon grade uranium. If this stuff has no 'dirty bomb' capability and is not dangerously radioactive then who should care about it? And if DU is such a non-issue then whay all the international outcry about it?

Like I said the info is out there!

Uranium is dangourous when tiny particles of it are breathed in as most of the radiation given off Uranium can't penertrate the skin, If uranium gets into the bloodstream then the radioctivity can affect all off the body. Thats why a dirty bomb is dangerous! but even still they are not as dangerous as the media is told to portray them.

An atomic bombs destructiveness comes from the energy inside the atoms, the radiation is a pretty much unwanted byproduct. and then the radiation is dangerous because it's in nanoscopic particles that get into averything, food, water and air!

Jimmy is correct. Its largely only dangerous if inhaled or ingested. This includes weapons grade uranium.

Read the last paragraph:

web.ead.anl.gov...

Thanks Vor78,

But getting back on topic, It is quite worrying that a man can get hold of this and drive across a border, I personally think that this happens tens of times a year. Uranium isn't all that difficult to aqquire but to make a bomb is immensly difficult.

Going off topic again...

I thank god that the highest concentrations of Uranium are in Canada, the loyal and brave but mostly unappreciated ally of the commonwealth. I couldn't think of a safer place to keep it!


[edit on 31/1/07 by Jimmy1880]

I think people may also be confusing Uranium and Plutonium.

Plutonium is far more toxic.

The Uranium would be emitting only alpha radiation, which can be stopped by a piece of paper, and is only dangerous if the material emitting the alpha particles is ingested or inhaled.

While this is bad, 1 gram of weapons grade uranium is a tiny fraction of what would be needed for a bomb.

If anyone really wants to know everything there is to know about radiation exposure, I have uploaded a scanned document created by a Department working for the US government.

It's long but if your interested in this it makes good reading!

Dont hate the player, hate the game

www.filefactory.com...

Originally posted by Jimmy1880

I thank god that the highest concentrations of Uranium are in Canada, the loyal and brave but mostly unappreciated ally of the commonwealth.

I couldn't think of a safer place to keep it!

This is so true....

Highly enriched uranium (HEU) is highly radioactive, but you can actually handle it with rubber gloves on. As long as it doesn't touch you, and none of it goes in your body, you will not be poisoned. When you breathe in small particles, you will be poisoned. As scary as it is, you can have a plastic bag of HEU in your pocket, and as long as none comes out, you are good to go.