You're right Leigh. Our knee-jerk reaction may be to lay waste to the cradle of civilization.

MAD, or Mutually Assured Destruction rests on the principle that both entities care about their existence. Extemists/Fundamentalists who are already prepared to face their maker really don't care, so you are left with only 1 party and a broken paradigm (to use an overly-abused term).

If the West was to retaliate against several targets in the Middle East for razing... Chicago and London let's say, we would be annihilating countless millions. Is it the right thing to do if they support or at least tolerate the terrorism that got us to this point? We are still debating the necssity of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 50 years later, so I don't expect an answer.

But I do fully expect to see someone drop or detonate a nuclear device within my lifetime (hostile, not test). And once it does, we'll find radiation gear at Wal*Mart. Made in China, of course. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I should not post this but:

A small nuke on a small plane, detonated over a large city, would have the greatest effect. Air bursts are more effective than a ground burst as any web site about nuclear war will reveal.

There may or may not be soviet briefcase nukes in the US. They may or may not be in the hands of radicals. They may or may not have access to small airplanes.

They do have access to a lot of money that can get them things we do not want them to have.

> But what is the likelihood of a single bomb?

"I'm not afraid of the man who wants ten nuclear weapons, Colonel. I'm terrified of the man who only wants one." - From The Peacemaker.

I'm not afraid of the man who wants ten nuclear weapons, Colonel. I'm terrified of the man who only wants one."

In certain situations, that is true. Esp if you have one hated enemy and you are the one he hates most of all.

But I would suspect that terrorists may think differently: DC, NY, LA, Chicago, etc. "In for a penny, in for a pound".

Sue

Yep, you got a point, Sue. Airliners have been hijacked or have been attempted to be hijacked SEVERAL at a time, instead of just "one," if you wanted to use that as a comparison. But if my memory serves me correct, I recall once well over 20 years ago where a college student here in the U.S. made his own 'nuclear bomb' and the feds had to confiscate it. On the news one night, gone the next. You never can tell what some "nut" might do.

Guess what I've got in my basement!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Guess who might be on the way to your house? IOW, watch yer mouth, junior. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Reading your message while clipping rounds into the magazine.......<img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Reading your message while clipping rounds into a magazine.......<img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Not talking about me visiting, Jim. Maybe Yoduh, wants to though, I noticed his mouth watering, LOL. Besides, with the way you noticed us "Yanks" would carry out an assault, you wouldn't stand a chance LOL.....neither would your whole house....LOL

AND BESIDES -- What is a 16-yr old in the Netherlands doing with a firearm also?LOL

BTW, "Yanks" is a misnomer where I come from as you probably already gathered. I know, I know, what can I say, I am the direct descendant of three Confederate Soldiers.

Later dude,

Simon. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />