ISIS destroys shrines and mosques

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07...ghts-on-mecca/

ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca
By Perry Chiaramonte
Published July 09, 2014
FoxNews.com


ISIS is leaving a path of destroyed churches, shrines and mosques in its wake as it storms across Syria and Iraq, and has even set its sights on Mecca -- Islam's holiest site.

The nihilistic jihadis, led by self-proclaimed descendant of Prophet Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have already bulldozed or blown up some of the most sacred places in Iraq, and seem bent on killing and destroying anyone or anything that does not measure up to their twisted vision of Islam. Experts say the group, which originally stood for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, but now simply calls itself "Islamic State," has appointed itself the leading proponent of the Muslim faith...

[wdcare]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/09/us-iraq-security-nuclear-idUSKBN0FE2KT20140709

Reuters reports that Iraq has told the UN that that insurgents have taken 40 kilograms of nuclear materials from Mosul University that were for research. The materials could "be used in manufacturing weapons of mass destruction."

[Nika]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

it would be MUCH more effective as material for dirty bombs (can make many with 90 pounds of uranium) which can be very low tech and easy to transport versus any sort of high tech high yield nuke that requires much more effort/know how

[alert]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

There are TV reports that the material is NOT the type of enriched uranium that could easily be used in nuclear weapons, but that there is some "dirty bomb" potential.

That said, the source of this information is the Iraqi government, which has an incentive to draw attention to, and possibly even exaggerate, the threat posed by ISIS, so there is the potential this is a false report for political reasons. I cannot imagine what a university, even a research one, would be doing with 40kg of uranium.

[Emily]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

That said, the source of this information is the Iraqi government, which has an incentive to draw attention to, and possibly even exaggerate, the threat posed by ISIS, so there is the potential this is a false report for political reasons.

I think that observation is very astute, alert. If this is uranium ore, 88 lbs is not so much for a university to hold. I don't think sale is even regulated in the U.S.:
xhttp://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=m570.l3201&_nkw=uranium&_sacat=0

Even enriched uranium sounds no more menacing than other heavy metals that could be used to make explosives more toxic.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/06/nuclear.uk

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/18/dirty_bomb_muddy_thinking

http://fas.org/programs/ssp/nuke/non-proliferation%20and%20arms%20control/uraniumdirtybombs.html

Those cobalt rods from the proliferating food irradiation industry are something else entirely according to those sources. Also many gauges used in civil engineering and the oil industry contain cesium-137 - another nasty ingredient. Medical radiology equipment is full of menaces, too. ISIS would be after hospitals if they had international terrorism goals.

[Nika]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

All u need to "cause terror" is a substance that will set off the radiological counters used by first responders. All else is just details.

[Emily]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

Oh, I agree it would frighten people if they knew. First responders would need sensitive alpha radiation detectors to pick up uranium and findings would have to be shared with the public. When would that happen, I wonder, if the radiation levels are not much above background?

From the FAS scientist:

<table><tbody><tr><td>Isotope</td> <td>Primary Radiation</td> <td>Weight of 1 Curie</td> <td>Weight of 3500 Curies</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Americum-241</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>0.30 grams</td> <td>1.05 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cobalt-60</td> <td>gamma</td> <td>0.91 milligrams</td> <td>3.20 grams</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Californium-252</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>1.88 milligrams</td> <td>6.59 grams</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cesium-137</td> <td>beta/gamma</td> <td>11.8 milligrams</td> <td>41.40 grams</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Iridium-192</td> <td>beta/gamma</td> <td>0.11 milligrams</td> <td>0.39 grams</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Plutonium-239</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>16.8 grams</td> <td>58.70 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Plutonium-240</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>4.54 grams</td> <td>15.90 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Radium-226</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>1.04 grams</td> <td>3.64 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Strontium-90</td> <td>beta</td> <td>7.17 milligrams</td> <td>25.1 grams</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Uranium-238</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>3.06 tons</td> <td>10.7 thousand tons</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Depleted Uranium (0.2%)</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>2.10 tons</td> <td>7.35 thousand tons</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Natural Uranium (0.70%)</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>1.50 tons</td> <td>5.24 thousand tons</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Commercial Uranium (5%)</td> <td>alpha</td> <td>0.42 tons</td> <td>1.46 thousand tons</td></tr></tbody></table>

Risks from radiation are usually downplayed to the public, unless like in this case, politics is involved.

[Nika]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

im sure they would say things like "you get more exposure when you eat bananas" or the old "chest xray" canard.

Alpha emitters are very dangerous when inhaled and orally consumed. Outcomes would be down the line years later unless one gets germline concentration (as at Hanford surrounding communities) or truly massive exposure close to the blast (assuming you do not expire from blast injury first)

It would be easy to miss any sort of body contamination due to the obvious quenching that goes on (simply water but also being deposited in tissues such as lung, muscle, gut, liver) May never detect until in a very careful post mortem analysis.

With the chaos thats going on in Northern Mx (a long time now) there are many opportunities (as made clear from recent headlines) to steal very hot materials. Drug mules dont have the training to convert this to a weapon (likely kill themselves in the process).

Besides why would the cartels want to terrorize their prime customers?

[JJackson]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

Every time this thread is posted to I see the title pop up in 'Latest Posts'

"ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca"

Which is an annoying Fox News headline which shows a complete lack of understanding of the situation. It is the 'may be targeting Mecca' bit that is absurd. While ISIS is destroying Shia shrines and mosques it is a fundamentalist Sunni group with primarily Saudi funding and it would never harm Mecca, Medina or any of the other Sunni holy sites, regardless of how little respect it may show to holy sites of other religions including the Shia branch of Islam.

Sorry but it has been bugging me each time it pops up and just wanted to make sure at least that canard is put to rest. Is there any hard information on exactly what 'nuclear' materials were in Mosul and is there any evidence they have been removed and, if so, by whom?

As Iraq was unsuccessfully scoured by the occupation forces looking for any evidence of WMDs, to try and lend legitimacy to the invasion, I find it hard to believe that Mosul University had anything very useful for nuclear weapons manufacture although they may well have had nuclear isotopes of various types in small quantities, as would many universities.

[sharon sanders]

Re: ISIS destroys shrines and mosques

I agree. I removed the Mecca bit from the title. It appears to be a scare tactic.