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What
is a Nuclear Weapon?
A device
that releases nuclear energy in an explosive manner as the
result of nuclear chain reactions involving the fission or
fusion or both, of atomic nuclei. Basically it is any
device that harnesses the immense power of the atom to
create a bomb or explosive device. Even more simplified,
they are essentially nothing more than huge bombs - with a
unique exception - they have the potential to destroy
entire cities. A typical nuclear tipped warhead
might have a power of one megaton of TNT. This means it
would explode with the power of 1,000,000 tons of TNT. To
grasp the size and quantity of this much TNT, imagine a
field 300x300 meters long, and stack it with TNT 300
meters tall. The same reactions that occur with that much
TNT is all packed into a nuclear device, and can be made
ready to for deployment in something the size of a small
boat. What are the
immediate and lingering effects of a nuclear blast?
Nuclear explosions produce both immediate and delayed
destructive effects. Immediate effects (blast and
shockwave, radiation) are produced and cause significant
destruction within seconds or minutes of a nuclear
detonation. The delayed and lingering effects (radioactive
fallout and other possible environmental contamination)
inflict damage over an extended period ranging from hours
to centuries.
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Why are
suitcase bombs such a great risk?
Russia
is know to have created around 200 suitcase bombs -
nuclear weapons the size of suitcases.
According to a Soviet defector called Aleksander Lebed it
has seemingly lost track of more
than 100 - each
of which could kill more than 50,000 people (depending on
where detonated). Many of these bombs were distributed and
hidden in present day US hostile countries. Possibly the
worst effect of a terrorist nuclear device would be that
it could in fact trigger a nuclear war. If America thought
Russia or an enemy country had used nuclear weapons
against it, it would not hesitate to retaliate... so one
small nuclear device could in fact trigger events that
would kill millions.
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