Shipment Of Uranium Has Been Seized At Heathrow Airport Sparking 'Dirty Bomb' Fears

The undeclared material was discovered on December 29 on a passenger flight which arrived from Oman © Provided by Daily Mail  

Daily Mail: Dirty bomb fears as 'several kilos of URANIUM' is found in cargo at Heathrow: Package 'shipped from Pakistan to UK-based Iranians' is at centre of Met Police anti-terror probe after being discovered when it triggered airport alarms 

* Shipment of uranium has been seized at Heathrow airport, sparking terror fears 

* The undeclared material was discovered on December 29 on a passenger flight  

* It was destined for an Iranian business with a premises in the UK, sources say 

 * The package originated from Pakistan and arrived on a flight via Oman 

A major counter-terrorism investigation has been launched after several kilograms of uranium was seized at Heathrow airport. 

The deadly nuclear material - which could potentially be used in a ‘dirty bomb’ - arrived on a flight from Oman, in the Middle East, on December 29. 

The shipment was addressed to an Iranian-linked firm in the UK, it is understood.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: NUKE PLOT Counter-terror cops and security services investigating after deadly shipment of uranium seized at Heathrow (The SUN)  

Update #2: Counter-terror police investigating after uranium found in cargo arriving at Heathrow (LBC)  

WNU Editor: The authorities are not releasing much information on this incident. 

All that I can say is that I hope this is one of those stories where there is a legitimate reason why this uranium was being shipped. 

I will update this story as more news and information becomes available.

Growing 'Dirty Bomb' Worries In Southeast Asia

Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Trajano, East Asia Forum: Stopping dirty bombs in Southeast Asia

In August 2018, Malaysian authorities reported the disappearance of an industrial device containing radioactive material. The device was lost while being transported from Negri Sembilan to Selangor by two technicians employed at a company that provides testing, calibration and inspection services to heavy industries. There are concerns that the unknown amount of radioactive iridium contained in the device could cause radiation exposure or be used as a weapon, otherwise known as a ‘dirty bomb’. The incident was a reminder that nuclear security demands attention in Southeast Asia.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Nuclear security demands not only attention in Southeast Asia, but also the rest of the world.

This Is How The New York City Police Department Searches For 'Dirty Bombs' Offshore

The Drive: Wait, The New York Police Department Has A Spy Plane For Hunting Dirty Bombs?

A controversial incident involving a flight route shaped like a penis has focused attention on the federally-funded surveillance aircraft.

More than a year ago, five members of the New York Police Department’s Aviation Unit were so mad at their supervisor they decided to take a specialized surveillance plane worth $4 million on a joy ride, flying a route in the shape of a large penis. The incident is the latest in a series of controversial incidents involving the aircraft, but also highlights another important detail, that New York’s Finest have a federally-funded aerial platform specifically set up to hunt for radiological weapons, or “dirty bombs,” at all.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I know that there are ground units in New York City that look for radiological signatures. But this is the first time that I am learning about this plane.

Security Experts Are Worried That ISIS And Other Terror Groups May Mount Dirty Bombs On Drones

Daily Mail: ISIS could drop dirty bombs from drones in Europe and the US, terror experts warn

* ISIS jihadists could start using commercial drones to drop bombs
* Small quadcopters can be bough online but not carry very heavy loads
* Bombs to be 'poisonous or chemical' to create as much damage as possible
* Warning came at Intelligence & National Security Summit in Washington DC

Security experts say it is a 'matter of time' before ISIS start using commercial drones to bomb cities in Europe and in the United States.

Jihadists could use quadcopters, a type of drone widely available to buy online, and often used by photographers to film or capture images from the air, and mount bombs on them, a leading terrorism official warned today.

The warning came during a security summit in Washington DC on Friday, where winning the global war on Islamist terrorism was compared to trying to 'boil the ocean'.

Read more ....

Update #1: Something else to fret about: ISIS mounting dirty bombs on drones (McClatchy News)
Update #2: Drones Delivering Dirty Bombs Could Be the Next Terror Threat (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: Groups like ISIS have been using drones to drop bombs for the past two years .... so I will not be surprised if in the coming months/years we will hear a report of a drone being used to drop/spray a chemical agent or a radioactive isotope.

Dirty Bomb Attack Plan Uncovered In Indonesia

Anti terror policemen stand beside goods seized from a house of suspected Islamist militants in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia August 15, 2017 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Agus Bebeng via REUTERS/File Photo REUTERS

Reuters: Exclusive: Indonesian militants planned 'dirty bomb' attack - sources

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian militants planned to detonate a radioactive dirty bomb, security sources said, highlighting the rising ambitions of extremists to wreak destruction in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.

But experts cast doubt on their expertise, equipment and chances of success.

The plot was foiled when police raided homes and arrested five suspects in Bandung, West Java, last week, the sources with direct knowledge of the plot said. After the raids, police spoke of a plan to explode a “chemical” bomb but provided no other details.

The plot comes as Indonesia grapples with an influx of militants deported from other countries and the fallout from the Islamic State-led siege in the southern Philippines city of Marawi that regional leaders and analysts worry has energized militants across Southeast Asia

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Not many details have been released by the Indonesian authorities, but I am sure that this news is sending a chill through everyone's spine in the region.

The Islamic State Did Have The Ingredients To Build A Crude 'Dirty Bomb'

Washington Post: How ISIS nearly stumbled on the ingredients for a ‘dirty bomb’

On the day the Islamic State overran the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014, it laid claim to one of the greatest weapons bonanzas ever to fall to a terrorist group: a large metropolis dotted with military bases and garrisons stocked with guns, bombs, rockets and even battle tanks.

But the most fearsome weapon in Mosul on that day was never used by the terrorists. Only now is it becoming clear what happened to it.

Locked away in a storage room on a Mosul college campus were two caches of cobalt-60, a metallic substance with lethally high levels of radiation. When contained within the heavy shielding of a radiotherapy machine, cobalt-60 is used to kill cancer cells. In terrorists’ hands, it is the core ingredient of a “dirty bomb,” a weapon that could be used to spread radiation and panic.

Western intelligence agencies were aware of the cobalt and watched anxiously for three years for signs that the militants might try to use it. Those concerns intensified in late 2014 when Islamic State officials boasted of obtaining radioactive material, and again early last year when the terrorists took over laboratories at the same Mosul college campus with the apparent aim of building new kinds of weapons.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Apparently ISIS did not appreciate what they had .... 'They aren't that smart': ISIS had the 'perfect' ingredient to build a huge dirty bomb under their noses in Mosul but had no idea (Daily Mail). What is also reassuring is that the real physical impact from such a bomb (if it was used) would have been minimal .... Isis And The C-60 For A Dirty Bomb In Mosul - Not A Huge Problem (Tim Worstall, Forbes).

Dirty Bomb Threat At U.S. Port Results In Lock-Down For A Few Hours

VOA: US Coast Guard Warns of Dirty Bomb, Clears Threat Hours Later

Authorities evacuated a terminal at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina to investigate a “potential threat” in a container ship, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The all-clear was sounded a few hours later after four containers were cleared by authorities.

Maersk Line, the world’s biggest container shipping company, said in a statement Thursday the U.S. Coast Guard had informed it of a threat of a “dirty bomb” aboard one of its vessels, the Memphis. It said all crew members were safe and ashore.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This lock-down was prompted by some YouTube videos .... Charleston Port 'Dirty Bomb' Threat Came From YouTube Videos (International Business Times).

More News On Last Night's Dirty Bomb Threat At Port Charleston

South Carolina terminal cleared after claims of 'dirty bomb' aboard ship -- FOX News
US shipping terminal reopens after 'dirty bomb' threat -- Reuters
Possible “dirty bomb” on docked ship prompts evacuation of terminal -- CBS
Charleston, S.C. port terminal evacuated as Coast Guard investigates 'dirty bomb' threat -- ABC 4 News
Charleston ‘Dirty Bomb’ Report at Wando Welch Port Terminal -- Heavy

The U.S. Is Not Ready To Respond To A Radio-logical Terrorist Attack On American Soil

Jana Winter, Daily Mail: Why America Can’t Spot Dirty Bombs

As Trump preps a new executive order to stop would-be terrorists before they enter the country, a government report finds the threat could come from within—and we aren’t prepared.

While President Trump doubles down on the hypothetical threats of incoming terrorists posing as refugees, he might be ignoring a very real concern here at home: The U.S. is largely underprepared to detect or respond to the threat of a radiological terrorist attack on American soil.

A so-called Red Team from the U.S. federal agency charged with evaluating domestic capabilities to defend against dirty bomb and weapons of mass destruction attacks found gaping holes in domestic nuclear detection and defense capabilities and massive failures during covert testing. That’s according to the most recent annual report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is one of those stories where everyone is talking about it .... but no one in Washington is seriously doing anything about it.

Are Tensions Between The U.S. And Russia Increasing The Risk Of A 'Dirty Bomb' Attack In Europe?

Reuters: Poor U.S.-Russia relations increase risk of dirty bomb in Europe - experts

Tension between Russia and the West may be distracting them from cooperating to prevent an accidental nuclear confrontation or a dirty bomb attack by militants, nuclear policy experts said on Tuesday.

Former U.S. Secretary of Defence William Perry said he regretted the current lack of communication between the United States and Russia, which went into a deep freeze after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

"We are about to recreate the conditions that nearly brought us to the brink of nuclear war" during the Cold War, Perry said.

Anatoly Adamishin, a former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, argued that the U.S. has focused on a policy of "strangling Russia" and hoping for the departure of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has the effect of putting Russia at the forefront of a list of U.S. enemies.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I suspect that both the U.S. and Russia have all the resources and focus (and will continue to keep these resources there) that they need to prevent such a terror attack .... even if there are tensions between the U.S. and Russia.

‘Dirty Bomb’ First Responders Sponsored By Interpol Are Being Trained In Nevada

The Blaze: Foreign ‘Dirty Bomb’ First Responders Sponsored by Interpol to Begin Training…in Nevada

In just a few months, the first wave of foreign first responders will set foot in Nevada to begin training on how to deal with disasters that can stem from the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Project Mercury, which will train first responders from Interpol, the world’s largest international police organization, is expected to cost the U.S. Department of Defense $500,000, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Only a “small contingent of foreign first responder personnel” will be involved in the training, according to a Pentagon official.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It looks like Interpol is getting spooked with reports that the Islamic State is determined to build a "dirty bomb" .... hence the push to train personnel on how to respond to such an  attack. The Las Vegas Review-Journal link (and more details) to this story is here.

Islamic State-Linked Terrorists In Belgium Are Thought To Have Been Planning To Build A 'Dirty Bomb'

Steam escapes from the cooling tower of the Tihange nuclear power station, one of the two large-scale nuclear power plants in Belgium, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Eric Vidal

The Independent: Brussels attacks: Belgium fears Isis seeking to make ‘dirty’ nuclear bomb

A senior Belgian nuclear official was secretly monitored by suspects linked to the Paris attacks in November, report claims

Isis-linked terrorists in Belgium are thought to have been planning to build a ‘dirty’ nuclear bomb, according to a report.

Concerns over security at nuclear plants have led to 11 workers having their passes revoked, The Times reported.

A senior Belgian nuclear official was also secretly monitored by suspects linked to the 13 November Paris attacks, La Derniere Heure newspaper reported earlier this year. Late last year, police in Belgium seized surveillance footage of the high-ranking nuclear official, which showed him entering and leaving his home, during a raid on terrorist suspects.

Read more ....

Previous Post: Belgium Terrorists Had Plans To Attack One Of Belgium's Nuclear Plants

More News on Concerns That Islamic State-Linked Terrorists In Belgium Are Thought To Have Been Planning To Build A 'Dirty Bomb'

ISIS Brussels Attacks Cell Plotted Radioactive Bomb Blast: Report -- Newsweek
Brussels attacks suicide bombers 'targeted nuclear plants' and were plotting to build 'radioactive dirty bomb' -- The Mirror
Terror Cell Probe Puts Spotlight on Nuclear Concerns -- WSJ
Belgian Official Fears ISIS Terrorists May Have Been Trying To Make Dirty Bomb -- Daily Caller
A Nuclear Wake-Up Call in Belgium -- Huffington Post
How Real is the Dirty Bomb Threat? -- Alan Neuhauser, US News and World Report

More Claims That The Islamic State Now Has A ‘Radioactive Device’ In Europe

A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014. Stringer/Reuters

Report: Islamic State Claims ‘Radioactive Device’ Now In Europe -- Washington Free Beacon

Freelance jihadist weapons maker makes claim on Twitter

An alleged weapons maker for the Islamic State (IS) claimed that a “radioactive device” has been smuggled into an undisclosed location in Europe, according to an intelligence brief released Monday by the SITE Intelligence Group.

“A Radioactive Device has entered somewhere in Europe,” according Twitter user Muslim-Al-Britani, who claims to be a freelance jihadist weapons maker now working alongside IS (also known as ISIL or ISIS), according to tweets captured and disseminated by SITE.

The claim by Al-Britani comes just days after reports emerged that IS could have in its possession a dirty bomb, the elements of which were obtained via earlier IS raids on a university research facility in Mosul that contained uranium. Al-Britani is also responsible for the flurry of reports on the dirty bomb.

Read more ....

My Comment: These reports are nothing new .... but what I find surprising (and in a certain way humorous) is that some are now saying that there is nothing to worry about .... ISIS Has the Materials to Build a Dirty Bomb, But It’s Nothing to Worry About (Catherine Phillips and Damien Sharkov, Newsweek).

Yeah right .....

Islamic State Militant Tweets That They Have Built A "Dirty Bomb'

Islamic State Has A 'Dirty Bomb' Says British Jihadi, Amid Claims 40kg Of URANIUM Was Taken From Iraqi University -- Daily Mail

* Chemical was stolen from Mosul University, northern Iraq, in July
* UN ambassador wrote letter at time of theft fearing 'mass destruction'
* Hamayun Tariq among jihadis to boast of explosives on Twitter
* Hinted at the potential destruction of such a bomb if detonated in London
* British 37-year-old had social media account suspended afterwards

Islamic State fanatics claim to have constructed a dirty bomb after stealing 40kg of uranium from an Iraqi university.

Militants boasted of the device on social media, with one even commenting on the destruction such a bomb would wreak in London, four months after the chemical was reported missing from Mosul University.

Among extremists making online threats to the West is British explosives expert Hamayun Tariq, who fled his home in Dudley, West Midlands, for the Middle East in 2012.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That the Islamic State May Have Built A 'Dirty Bomb'

ISIS Nuclear Weapon? Report Says Islamic State May Have Developed Dirty Bomb -- Epoch Times
Does ISIS Have A Nuclear Weapon? Islamic State Supporter Claims Militants Have Dirty Bomb -- IBTimes
Armed with 'Dirty Bomb' ISIS has Terror Plans for London; UN Raises Alarm -- IBTimes
Iraq ambassador to U.N. confirms ISIS dirty bomb potential -- American Thinker
ISIS claims to have developed dirty bomb – reports -- RT
IS Claims to Have Constructed ‘Dirty Bomb’ After Stealing 40 Kg of Uranium -- Sputnik
Islamic State “Bomb Expert” Threatens London With Dubious Dirty Bomb -- Global Research
ISIL's dirty bomb has 40kg of uranium, Takfiris claim -- Press TV
ISIS armed with dirty bomb, tweets militant -- Times of India
ISIS may possess nuclear material -- The Asian Age
Islamic State announces it has a 'dirty bomb' but probably unsure how to use it -- Catholic Online

Growing Fears That ISIS Will Build A 'Dirty Bomb'

Fear Of Dirty Bomb As ISIS Rebels Seize Radioactive Uranium In Iraq -- The Australian/The Times

ISIS terrorists have seized 40 kilograms of radioactive uranium in Iraq which some experts say could be used to make a dirty bomb. There are also fears that they may have obtained chemical weapons.

The jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham seized the uranium after they overran a university complex in the city of Mosul in their swift offensive across northern Iraq. The Iraqi government on Thursday appealed to Ban Ki Moon, the UN secretary-general, for international help to “stave off the threat of their use by terrorists in Iraq or abroad”.

“Terrorist groups have seized control of nuclear material at the sites that came out of the control of the state,” Iraq’s ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Ali Alhakim, said.

Read more ....

Update #1: Dirty Bomb Fears after ISIS Seize Uranium -- Breitbart
Update #2: ISIS seizes uranium from lab; experts downplay 'dirty bomb' threat -- FOX News
Update #3: Rep. King warns ISIS could build ‘dirty bomb’ -- The Hill

My Comment: Nuclear experts are playing down this threat .... some are even saying that the nuclear material stolen would not make an effective "dirty bomb" .... that the material stolen is "low grade". What's my take .... the expert's are probably right that there is not enough material to make an effective "dirty bomb" .... but here is an easy prediction .... if a terror group does explode such a device in the middle of Manhattan .... let's see how many people will listen to the "experts" that there is nothing to fear.

Dirty Bomb Fears In Boston?

Photo credit: © BBC/WGBH/NOVA

Feds Conducting Radiation Survey in Boston Before Marathon -- Weekly Standard

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will spend the four days leading up to the Boston Marathon conducting a helicopter-based survey to measure naturally occurring background radiation in a ten square mile area west of downtown Boston. The measurements are being taken to "establish baseline levels [which] is a normal part of security and emergency preparedness", especially before large public events such as the marathon. A similar survey was conducted in northern New Jersey and New York City before the Superbowl in January.

The NNSA made the announcement to alert residents who may be alarmed by the low-flying aircraft. The twin-engine helicopter out of the military's Joint Base Andrews in Maryland will fly a grid pattern as low as 150 feet above the ground at 80 miles per hour, though only during daylight hours.

Read more ....

My Comment: When I read stories like this one .... I sometimes wonder if the government knows something .... but are reluctant to share it with us.

A 'Dirty Bomb' Attack Will Freeze Global Trade

"Dirty Bomb" Strike Seen Freezing Global Trade -- Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON -- Last month's manhunt for the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect highlights the possible economic devastation that could result if authorities launch a similarly overwhelming response to a radiological "dirty bomb" strike to mitigate the threat of follow-up attacks, one issue expert said on Wednesday.

Authorities brought Boston to a standstill for much of one day -- asking residents to stay indoors -- as they searched for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the wake of a gun battle that killed his brother and second suspect, Tamerlan.

Police did not know how much more damage the alleged bomber was poised to inflict, Northeastern University political science professor Stephen Flynn said. He said a radiological attack would similarly force officials to ask, "If this container could get in, and there are others that are out there, what would we do to handle it?"

Read more ....

My Comment: This is an economic nightmare scenario .... and what is surprising is that no one has tried it (yet).

Concerns Over A "Dirty Bomb" Attack Rising

Alistair Burt will say countries around the world face a 'real and global threat' of a nuclear terror attack. South Korean radiologists are pictured taking part in an exercise in dealing with a possible radioactive terror attack at the Kimpo airport

Dirty Bomb Attack Now A 'Real Threat' To Britain As Nuclear Waste Smugglers Swap Tips Online, Foreign Office Warns -- Daily Mail

* Minister Alistair Burt uses speech to warn nuclear terrorism, once unthinkable, is now a real possibility
* More information about nuclear weapons is available online than ever
* The Middle East minister says global terror networks are 'thriving'

A dirty bomb attack is a ‘real threat’ faced by Britain, the Foreign Office warned today.

The government claims nuclear terrorism is still one of the biggest threats to global peace.

Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt used a speech in London to warn of the dangers posed by a rise nuclear weapons being smuggled around the world.

Read more ....

More News On Growing Concerns Of A Dirty Bomb Attack

Dirty Bomb Attack In UK A 'Real Threat' -- SKY News
Nuke smugglers raise the threat of a dirty bomb, warns minister -- The SUN
Terrorists 'acquire nuclear container to smuggle uranium' -- The Telegraph
Nuclear trafficking getting more professional: IAEA chief -- Reuters
Dirty bomb terror threat breakthrough: British scientists build machine to detect smuggling of nuclear materials -- The Independent

Study: $16B - Estimated Costs of “Dirty Bomb” Attack In LA

Downtown Los Angeles from the sky. A recent study out of USC has found that if a "dirty bomb" was dropped on downtown the economical damage of long-term psychological effects would exceed the cost of short-term clean-up by $15 billion. feculent_figure/Flickr

Costs of 'Dirty Bomb' Attack In Los Angeles -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Apr. 23, 2012) — A dirty bomb attack centered on downtown Los Angeles' financial district could severely impact the region's economy to the tune of nearly $16 billion, fueled primarily by psychological effects that could persist for a decade.

The study, published by a team of internationally recognized economists and decision scientists in the current issue of Risk Analysis, monetized the effects of fear and risk perception and incorporated them into a state-of-the-art macroeconomic model.

Read more ....

My Comment: My gut tells me that the costs will be greater than $16 billion.

Is Al Qaeda Planning A Nuclear 9/11?

Al-Qaida On Brink Of Using Nuclear Bomb -- Vancouver Sun

Al-Qaida is on the verge of producing radioactive weapons after sourcing nuclear material and recruiting rogue scientists to build "dirty" bombs, according to leaked diplomatic documents.

A leading atomic regulator has privately warned that the world stands on the brink of a "nuclear 9/11".

Security briefings suggest that jihadi groups are also close to producing "workable and efficient" biological and chemical weapons that could kill thousands if unleashed in attacks on the West.

Read more ....

More News On Al Qaeda's Intentions of Using Dirty Nuclear Bombs

Al Qaeda actively seeking "dirty" bombs: documents -- AFP
Al Qaeda actively seeking 'dirty' bombs: WikiLeaks -- Straits Times
Al Qaeda actively seeking “dirty” bombs: cables -- Dawn/AP
Wikileaks: 'Al-Qaida on Brink of Using Nuclear Bomb' -- FOX News
Wikileaks Cable Warning – Al Qaeda Plans ‘Nuclear 9/11′ -- U.S. News Source
Wikileaks doc: Al Qaeda on the brink of a dirty bomb, feds seeking missing 9/11 suspects -- Hot Air

My Comment: Of course Al Qaeda and their allies have been seeking the ingredients to have a dirty nuclear bomb .... they have for a very long time. My prediction .... when a dirty nuclear weapon is deployed and used, the nuclear material will have a Pakistani signature (i.e. the nuclear material would have come from a Pakistani source). Considering how radical Pakistan has become with many in their intelligence/military organizations openly supporting Al Qaeda and their allies .... this is not a far fetched idea.

Is Colombia's FARC Guerillas Looking To Build A 'Dirty Bomb'?

Colombia Tries To Stop Rebels From Getting Nuclear Arms -- BBC

Colombian police have created the first counter-nuclear arms unit in the region dealing with leftist rebels.

The new Centre for Nuclear Security will try to prevent members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) from obtaining nuclear material to make a "dirty bomb".

Intelligence officials say computers belonging to the Farc proved they had been trying to obtain nuclear material.

They believe the rebels intend to use the material to cause maximum damage.

Read more ....

Update #1: Colombia Seeks to Keep Nuke Material Out of Rebel Hands -- Global Security Newswire
Update #2: Colombia opens Nuclear Security Center -- Colombia Reports

My Comment: FARC's influence has been on the wane for the past few years. If they believe that exploding a dirty bomb will enhance their position in Colombia .... they are sadly mistaken.