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Author
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Topic: Divine Strake?
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Eleanore
Moderator Posts: 112
From: Okinawa, Japan
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted June 19, 2006 09:26 PM
  
Divine Strake is the name given to a large high-explosive test by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, originally planned to take place on 2006-06-02 at the site of an existing underground tunnel in the United States Department of Energy Nevada Test Site. It may now be postponed until 2006-06-23 as the result of a lawsuit filed on behalf of Native American and environmentalist groups concerned that the explosion could thrust into the atmosphere nuclear fallout from previous tests at the Nevada Test Site.[1] The test will utilize 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (the equivalent of 593 tons of TNT). According to a draft environmental impact assessment filed by the National Nuclear Security Administration in May, 2006, the charge will be placed at 37.02361 N, 116.18377 W in a circular pit some 32 feet in diameter with a hemispherical bottom. The center of gravity of the charge will be at least 20 feet below ground level.Some media reports have stated that the purpose of Divine Strake is to test the ability of a conventional explosive to penetrate underground military compounds. However, other reports suggest that this explanation is not credible given the weight, dimensions and emplacement of the charge and that the program is designed to test the effects of a nuclear bunker buster on deeply buried tunnel structures. The organization immediately responsible for conducting the test, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, states: "The experiment is not being conducted in support of any specific existing or planned nuclear or conventional weapon. However, the data from DIVINE STRAKE and previous smaller explosive tests against the tunnel will be used to support improvement of computer modeling codes for predicting ground shock propagation and ground motion."
[edit]
Effects
The test is reminiscent of The Gadget test of 1945, and is expected to produce a mushroom cloud; however, this test is far smaller than the Minor Scale simulated-nuclear explosion at White Sands Missile Range in 1985. The test, which should not be visible from Las Vegas, is expected to shoot a cloud of debris 10,000 feet in the air and result in a 3.1- to 3.4-magnitude earthquake. A leading environmental consultant, Richard L. Miller, believes that six tests conducted in the 1950s may have spread contamination over the area where the Pentagon plans to detonate the explosives.[2] The question of radioactive contamination has been raised by two Utah legislators, Senator Orrin Hatch and Representative Jim Matheson, who have asked for detailed mapping of the contamination surrounding the Divine Strake site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Strake
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Yes, yes, I realize it's Wikipedia. Nevertheless, any comments on the matter? Is this outright bull or is this for real. *wanders off to find more info*
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"To learn is to live, to study is to grow, and growth is the measurement of life. The mind must be taught to think, the heart to feel, and the hands to labor. When these have been educated to their highest point, then is the time to offer them to the service of their fellowman, not before." - Manly P. Hall IP: Logged |
Eleanore
Moderator Posts: 112
From: Okinawa, Japan
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted June 19, 2006 09:31 PM
Couple more links that may or may not be seen as more reliable. 
http://www.nukestrat.com/us/stratcom/gs-divinestrake.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/ops/divine-strake.htm ------------------
"To learn is to live, to study is to grow, and growth is the measurement of life. The mind must be taught to think, the heart to feel, and the hands to labor. When these have been educated to their highest point, then is the time to offer them to the service of their fellowman, not before." - Manly P. Hall IP: Logged |
jwhop
Knowflake Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted June 20, 2006 05:46 PM
Hmmm, I heard about this several months ago but I thought the explosive yield in terms of TNT was higher.It seems clear this is aimed at testing for the best way to get at Iran's buried nuclear weapons research and plutonium production facilities. It also seems clear it's designed to let Iran know we're working on the solution to what they might have thought was an insolvable problem...that of taking out their developing nuclear capability without a ground invasion. IP: Logged |
Petron
unregistered
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posted June 20, 2006 10:38 PM
yer right jwhop, its a test run at attacking iran with nuclear weapons.....IP: Logged |
jwhop
Knowflake Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted June 20, 2006 10:55 PM
Well, I very much doubt the US is going to use nuclear weapons in a first strike against anyone.If Iran were to launch a nuclear attack that would certainly be an option. More likely, this test and the publicity surrounding it is more like the 2x4 along side some hard heads to get their attention. IP: Logged |
Petron
unregistered
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posted June 20, 2006 11:17 PM
no, because these arent tests for full scale nukes, but rather small nuclear "bunker busters"
i doubt if iran would make a nuclear first strike on anyone, and if they did it would be a covert smuggling and detonation of a bomb (say in bahgdad) and then they would deny it......
what would rummy say??
"we found the iranian passport at groundzero!!" IP: Logged |
jwhop
Knowflake Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted June 20, 2006 11:32 PM
Nah, the political fallout from using nuclear weapons of any kind for any first strike would seem to rule out their use for the US.Iran has already threatened to wipe Israel off the map of the world and that's the nuclear attack I was talking about. In that case, we wouldn't need to get involved with nuclear weapons. Israel would wipe Iran off the face of the earth and perhaps Syria as well. Nice picture of Rumsfeld. He looks younger every day. The Sec Defense job must agree with him. IP: Logged | |
Lindaland
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