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Romney's statement on Iran

djinwa

Well-known member
I was researching Romney's Iran stance based on another thread, and came across several references like this regarding what he said last month. Pretty basic fear-mongering, since it doesn't make sense.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2012/09/21/mitt-romney-iran-and-dirty-bombs-so-very-very-wrong/

In a secret video released early this week by David Corn of Mother Jones, Mitt Romney said:

“…if I were Iran – a crazed fanatic, I’d say let’s get a little fissile material to Hezbollah, have them carry it to Chicago or some other place, and then if anything goes wrong, or America starts acting up, we’ll just say, “Guess what? Unless you stand down, why, we’re going to let off a dirty bomb.” I mean this is where we have—where America could be held up and blackmailed by Iran, by the mullahs, by crazy people. So we really don’t have any option but to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”

This is wrong on so many levels. Iran is not a dirty bomb threat in the least. Dirty bombs have nothing to do with nuclear bombs, nothing to do with fissile material like enriched uranium or even plutonium, and nothing to do with having a weapons program.

U and Pu are the least effective materials to use in a dirty bomb, emitting the wrong kind of radiation, occurring in the wrong form to disperse, are well-tracked and extremely expensive, and are much more valuable in a real nuke. Even the stupid terrorists know this.

But more troubling for a Presidential candidate is that Romney doesn’t seem know which of the two routes Iran has chosen to make their nuclear weapon: 1) enriching uranium, which doesn’t require a nuclear reactor, or 2) extracting plutonium which does require a nuclear reactor, specifically a weapons reactor. Iran has chosen the first whereas DPRK (North Korea) has chosen the second.
 

Steve

Well-known member
In a secret video released early this week

this actually says bit more .. then the rest... most of those commenting are speculating...

Romney's comment may have been in reference to a specific question..

while he may have a few facts technically wrong.. but Romney is not so far off that I would make a huge deal out of it.

WHAT IS A 'DIRTY BOMB'?
TIME Pentagon correspondent Mark Thompson explains:

"Dirty nukes are what you may choose to build if you're unable to create a real nuclear bomb, i.e. one whose explosion is based on a nuclear reaction. A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive salted with radioactive isotopes in order to spew out that nuclear material and contaminate a wide area. The military usefulness of such devices have always been in dispute. In fact, the TNT in such a bomb may still be more dangerous than the nuclear material. Its destructive power would really depend on the size of the conventional bomb, and the volume and nature of the nuclear material.

"The assumption has been that forces who would build a dirty nuke would do so because it's far, far easier than to build a nuclear bomb. It's unlikely to kill 10,000 people, but any bomb that killed people and set off Geiger counters would terrify a whole city. It's ultimately a pure terror weapon."

it really doesn't matter what material is used as long as it sets off a geiger counter... witch enriched uranium would do well...



Since uranium is available on the spot market for about $70 per pound, the asking price of a million a pound should raise suspicions. This price might be justified if the uranium were enriched, that is, mostly uranium-235. If the uranium were enriched, it would be a huge story.

it seems as if the "experts" are wrong as well, as several articles (101,000) show the danger of enriched uranium on the black market...

most say it isn't ideal.. cesium-137 is much better.. but all feel it would have the same "terror" effect...

add in that the article you quote "splits hairs" and uses the term ..."low enriched uranium".. which sells for about $70 a pound.. and is the base for further enrichment.. and would not be overly effective

Iran is well past that stage in the game... .

this article on Romney is just another smear attempt...
 

Steve

Well-known member
RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
Building a dirty bomb is relatively simple. All that is needed is a few sticks of dynamite, a detonator, and some low-grade nuclear waste. Any average fanatic terrorist could build one. Radioactive waste material is present at hospitals, nuclear generators, food irradiation machines, x-ray clinics, and a whole host of other places. Cesium-137 or cobalt-60 are common nuclear materials found at these types of places.The radioactive waste will probably be either in powder or pellet form. The powdered form is preferred because it disperses the best when the bomb goes off.

Radioactive cesium-137 is produced when uranium and plutonium absorb neutrons and undergo fission. A good example of this process is the fission produced in nuclear reactors. The splitting of uranium and plutonium in fission creates numerous other radioisotopes such as americium-241, californium-252, iridium-192, plutonium-238, strontium-90, and cobalt-60.

AL QAEDA
Al Qaeda has access to nuclear materials through a variety of terrorist-friendly sources including Iran and Pakistan.

an article worth reading
http://survivaldisasterplan.com/dirty-bombs/
 

smalltime

Well-known member
I think we would be better if we as American's, had a clear policy that if we are attacked in any of these ways ,the response will be total nuclear destuction of the country resposible.If you cant control your"radical element" You may be in line for destruction.
 

okfarmer

Well-known member
Yes, because killing everyone would make so much more sense than holding someone responsible for their own actions....

Kinda like when someone passes you on the highway speeding, I think the state trooper should give everyone on the highway a ticket.

Or when someone robs a bank, I think the police should just jail everyone.

Or when someone commits murder, everyone in the town should get the death penalty.



and I also think the Iranian dictator is just misunderstood. I'm pretty sure he has our best interest at heart since he makes statements about destroying us. I think he is just afraid of letting his true feeling show.

And I'm absolutely sure that a small country with an endless supply of oil needs nuclear capability for energy purposes. Probably because they are worried about global warming and such. And the cost of a nuclear plant is soooooooooooo much cheaper than a new refinery.

djinwa, I have a care basket I would like to send over and was wondering if you would deliver it for me. I'm sure you could hold hands while there and maybe sing a little Kum ba yah. I heard they really like Kum ba yah and jokes about Moo ha med.
 
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