On Sun, Dec 09, 2007 at 04:22:23AM -0500, wouter van ooijen wrote:
> > In summary it would exceedingly difficult to coopt
> > someone on the inside to steal plutonium,
> 
> If that is too difficult, get it with force

There only needs to be a limited number of these type plants. Use heavy
force to protect them.

> 
> > get it to the
> > terrorists without it being noted as missing
> 
> why cares if it is noticed or not? being noticed might be part of the
> scheme.

Again it's not impossible to secure such facilities. If they have a 15 km
patrolled border and sufficient surveillance, how is someone going to
actually pull off getting in and out of such a facility.

> 
> > then to
> > actually make a useful explosive device from it.
> 
> from a terrorist point of view even a conventional explosive what
> spreads plutonium is very 'useful'.

It would cause terror I agree. But in terms of actual damage it wouldn't be
as harmful as you think.

I again point you to Dr. Cohen's book where he outlines this exact scenario
and that expected impacts from them.

> 
> > Even then
> > the yield would not be that devestating even if you could
> > pull it all off.
> 
> I don't care whether the yield it let's say 1/10 of a conventional bom.
> Especially not after it exploded near me.

The point is that it's a Rube Goldberg type setup that has very little
chance of being pulled off. Truthfully if you really wanted to terroize
people, conventional explosives, chemical, biological, or other methods
are both more devestating and a lot easier to actually accomplish. So given
that these agents can be used to terrorize populations, should we simply
stop using chemicals and explosives too? Car bombs can happen. So we should outlaw
vehicles too?

The risk is minimal and can be mitigated in a number of ways. If we
continue to pull out the worst case scenario with a trillion to 1 shot of
actually happening and using it as a bully pulpit as to why to not
implement something so useful due to undue fear, then we as a species are
destined to fail.

BTW in the scenario you outline above you really don't need a breeder
reactor. Uranium, radium, and radon can be found naturally in and on the
ground. Simply scoop some up and disperse it.

We all perform risky activities on a daily basis. But somehow radiation has
gotten some special chair of honor when it comes to spreading fear in
populations of humans. I really don't understand it.

BAJ
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