Who is the "other guy" and how would he protect NYC and LA from the terrorists? What would the "other guy" do so differently?
I'm not exchanging an actual nuclear attack on Iran for a hypothetical attack on the US. I haven't posted a single thing in favor of attacking Iran.
As for tracing the source of the fissile material,Iran reportedly has limited amounts of indigenous uranium.
The Russian-supplied nuclear reactors at the southern port of Bushehr are supplied complete with Russian-made fuel.
For the enriched uranium offshoot, Iran needs to obtain thousands of tonnes of uranium ore which it has to semi-process into a powdered form called yellowcake.
Where can they get uranium? There has been speculations that a deal has been struck with a third nuclear developing state such as Pakistan or North Korea.
Now, just exactly how are you going to place blame if the "signature" is of Russian, Chinese, North Korean or Pakistani origin? Do you "return fire" at any possible source or just Iran?
I don't think the tracing is going to be as simple as some would like it to be.
Nuclear FalloutBut some nuclear explosions do leave an isotopic signature, a DNA-like fingerprint that allows forensic physicists such as Naval Postgraduate School weapons systems analyst Bob Harney to possibly determine the origin of the fissile material in the bomb. Nuclear forensics is not a precise science, Harney warns. Post-attack sites are almost certain to be contaminated with unrelated or naturally occurring radioactivity, and there are numerous, highly enriched uranium stashes in the world with unknown signatures.
But there is no question, according to Peter Huessy, a member of the Committee on the Present Danger and consultant to the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., that Russian forensic experts could quickly detect Russian isotopes, and that highly enriched uranium (HEU) from, say, France could readily be differentiated from American HEU.
But, Huessy warns, distinguishing post-blast residues of Pakistani uranium from North Korean uranium would be more challenging, probably impossible. Because neither country is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA inspectors have been unable to collect from their facilities reliable isotope samples that could be compared to post-attack residues. Even if the uranium were traced, the source nation could claim that the material had been stolen.
If it happens, you can bet the ranch EVERYONE that is even suspected of having nukes will be crying "INNOCENT" at the top of their lungs.
