The Democratic Republic of Congo's top atomic energy official is being held over allegations of uranium smuggling. Atomic energy centre director Fortunat Lumu and an aide have been questioned since their arrest on Tuesday.Oopsy. I mean, what are you gonna say, huh? I think one very important thing to note is that there is little chance that any entity other than a state could support the infrastructure needed to build a nuclear weapon. This must be understood and acknowledged. The implication of that simple fact is huge. It means that, if we ever get hit by a nuclear weapon detonated by a terrorist organization, there are only two ways they could have gotten their hands on that weapon:
A large quantity of uranium is reported to have gone missing in recent years, although state prosecutor Tshimanga Mukeba did not reveal any figures. He told the BBC an "important quantity" of uranium was taken from the nuclear centre and they were investigating.
DR Congo's daily newspaper Le Phare reported that more than 100 bars of uranium as well as an unknown quantity of uranium contained in helmet-shaped cases, had disappeared from the nuclear centre in Kinshasa as part of a vast trafficking of the material going back years.
1) a massive breakdown in security by a nuclear state
2) a nuclear state willfully gave a nuclear weapon into the hands of terrorists
In either case, if we ever get hit by nuclear terror, the only reasonable response would be to hold the state at fault to the strictest responsibility for their "failure." My opinion is, the only reasonable response would be to take out the state we suspect to have created the situation. In other words, what I am saying is, while it may seem on the facade that a state can not be responsible for a terrorist organization, it is a mistake to believe that.
Our doctrine must continue to be Mutually Assured Destruction. Ultimately, it is the only way to deter any nuclear strike.
Reliapundit adds: The only reason someone stole/hijacked/illegally bought this uranium is to give it to a state which can REFINE it and enrich it. And the only reason to do this UNDER THE TABLE is to enrich it to make NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
There is NO reason a legal user of uranium wold seek to get it on the black market. NONE.
The fact that this quantity is missing means that - if we are rational - we should fear a nuclear attack from a rogue nation - like Iran, or from jihadoterrorists. And it proves that we should be taking POSITIVE steps to prevent this. Like preemptively destroying any and all "rogue" nuclear facilities which might be used to refine and enrich this black market uranium. Like those in North Lorea and Iran - for starters.
ALSO: This news PROVES that uranium in Africa can be gotten surreptitiously - and that it can be kept a secret from our "special investigators" like JOE WILSON and his wife VALERIE PLAME.
Our doctrine must continue to be Mutually Assured Destruction. Ultimately, it is the only way to deter any nuclear strike.
Reliapundit adds: The only reason someone stole/hijacked/illegally bought this uranium is to give it to a state which can REFINE it and enrich it. And the only reason to do this UNDER THE TABLE is to enrich it to make NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
There is NO reason a legal user of uranium wold seek to get it on the black market. NONE.
The fact that this quantity is missing means that - if we are rational - we should fear a nuclear attack from a rogue nation - like Iran, or from jihadoterrorists. And it proves that we should be taking POSITIVE steps to prevent this. Like preemptively destroying any and all "rogue" nuclear facilities which might be used to refine and enrich this black market uranium. Like those in North Lorea and Iran - for starters.
ALSO: This news PROVES that uranium in Africa can be gotten surreptitiously - and that it can be kept a secret from our "special investigators" like JOE WILSON and his wife VALERIE PLAME.
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