Tactical nuke explosion in Iraq?

October 28, 2006 2:44 PM

ammo dump explosion what else do they have stored there?
posted by hard rain (48 comments total)

say wha?
posted by nola at 2:47 PM on October 28, 2006

I might be reading that wrong, but it seems like a lame conspiracy site. And a nuke blowing up when stuff around it goes? yeah, the explosives in it might, but I am reasonably certain it wouldn't reach critical mass and would be just another bit of explosives going at worst, with a bit of dirty stuff scattered around.

So, again, apologies if my skinning there is off base, but it seems like total bullshit.
posted by Stunt at 2:48 PM on October 28, 2006

Oh man. This was already put to bed on every other aggregation site out there.

Hint: EVERY sufficiently large explosion causes a mushroom cloud.
posted by quite unimportant at 2:49 PM on October 28, 2006

OMG A mushroom cloud, as we all know Regular  Explosions never cause mushroom clouds!
posted by delmoi at 2:51 PM on October 28, 2006

GAH. This is like the third time this week! It's like I'm living in a 30-second time delay.
posted by quite unimportant at 2:51 PM on October 28, 2006

quite unimportant is quite right.

big explosions make big clouds, even mushroom shaped ones.
posted by Max Power at 2:51 PM on October 28, 2006

By the way, this was posted before but deleted. I thought this one had a chance because it didn't mention the "tactical nuke" angle, but it turns out the title did.

By the way, the second video I linked too isn't from the same ammo dump, but rather a different one that also blew up. At least the first deleted thread had an actual youtube video. An eight frame GIF? lame...

To bad this will be deleted, regular explosions are kind of cool to watch...
posted by delmoi at 2:54 PM on October 28, 2006

Say goodnight.
posted by docgonzo at 2:54 PM on October 28, 2006

I went to the top domain of the linked page--you know, just 'cause conspiracy theorists are fun--only to be confronted by a bunch of bare middle-aged asses. Be forewarned.
posted by mr_roboto at 2:59 PM on October 28, 2006

tinfoilhelmetfilter
posted by fet at 2:59 PM on October 28, 2006

*massively excreting elephant*
posted by quonsar at 3:02 PM on October 28, 2006

another good Conventional mushroom cloud this one caused by a rocket fuel storage facility going up.
posted by delmoi at 3:02 PM on October 28, 2006

GlobalResearch more appropriately focuses on the fact that such an attack actually succeeded within the green zone. But you can go ahead linking to conspiracy sites with no media references to back up their claims. That's cool.
posted by VulcanMike at 3:02 PM on October 28, 2006

So all that bother with launch codes can be circumvented by tossing them in the burn barrel?
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:04 PM on October 28, 2006

I went to the top domain of the linked page--you know, just 'cause conspiracy theorists are fun--only to be confronted by a bunch of bare middle-aged asses. Be forewarned.

Several pictures of the same, old, naked, dude holding an assault rifle, with photoshoped in duplicates of himself. In one image 24 copies of himself.

Very weird.
posted by delmoi at 3:06 PM on October 28, 2006

But what about the alleged cover-up of a Beiruit-1984-level of US casualties? Is that also BS?
posted by Flashman at 3:09 PM on October 28, 2006

GlobalResearch more appropriately focuses on the fact that such an attack actually succeeded within the green zone.

What are you talking about? The article said the attack happened outside of Baghdad. As we know, the green zone is dead center in the middle of Baghdad.
posted by delmoi at 3:09 PM on October 28, 2006

Some people are crazy! Warning: audio. Charlie Manson audio.
posted by Arcaz Ino at 3:10 PM on October 28, 2006

GlobalResarch.ca = online soapbox of Michel Chossudovsky, who believes the 9/11 planes were piloted by remote control by the CIA.
posted by docgonzo at 3:13 PM on October 28, 2006

The FPP should be nuked just for linking to scum. We shouldn't give the more media-savvy net loons attention like this, it just enables them to reach more naïve people on the web.

"Some of that shit's coming toward us!"

Er, no doubt, Sherlock! Helluva show, though, helluva show.
posted by five fresh fish at 3:28 PM on October 28, 2006

"what else do they have stored there?"

More ammo?

Don´t conspiracy people had childhoods?

I used to blow a lot of things, using powder from fireworks. Once I tried a new approach. Bought 5 or 6 boxes of a small dangerous thingie that´s basically a 1cm carton tube filled with powdered magnesium, emptied every single one, making a nice pile. Maybe 100g of the stuff.

We and my friends put the thing in the middle of the street, created a small fuse line with more magnesium, lighted it and run.

It was night, but the ENTIRE STREET LIGHT UP like day. The magnesium created a HUGE (1 meter tall) mushroom cloud, and boys and girls, it was cool.

So no, you don´t even need a BIG explosion, just a fast burn.
posted by cardoso at 3:29 PM on October 28, 2006

You have got to be fucking kidding me. Fuck off and never post this shit again.
posted by Rhomboid at 3:37 PM on October 28, 2006

Bill Clinton did this!
posted by ernie at 3:46 PM on October 28, 2006

Please pull this thread for the same reason the other two got pulled.
posted by Ironmouth at 3:49 PM on October 28, 2006

This video is nowhere near new. In fact, I saw it like two years ago on Military Videos.

I'm skeptical for many other reasons. Wouldn't a nuclear explosion cause horrific burns to anyone watching from that distance?

Also, would simply burning a nuclear weapon cause it to go off?
posted by redteam at 4:16 PM on October 28, 2006

Also, would simply burning a nuclear weapon cause it to go off?

No, it needs to be properly triggered or it won't go off.
posted by delmoi at 4:19 PM on October 28, 2006

"with it's characteristic ENORMOUS blinding white flash, a rising core of fire then a small mushroom cloud!"
Unfortunately lacking the charateristic radiation burst with associated distinctive casualties and trivial-to-detect-at-distance radioactive fallout present in any nuclear ground detonation.Stunningly st00pid article. Stunningly st00pid poster.
posted by kjs3 at 4:20 PM on October 28, 2006

Even if this hadn't already been debunked all over the place I would hope that an adult with a modicum of critical thinking skills and a high school education would realize how dumb this is.
This is stupid. You are a moron.
Although you could be a sock puppet trying to discredit the "loony left".
posted by 2sheets at 4:28 PM on October 28, 2006

GlobalResearch more appropriately focuses on the fact that such an attack actually succeeded within the green zone.

delmoi's right. Camp Falcon is here -- at least that's the biggest US base in that area of the map and if you zoom in you see how it's walled off and there are suicide-bomb cordons at all the entrances. The ammo dump is probably near where all the vehicles are parked in the lower right section. Anyway, this is Al-Dawrah (or Al-Durah), a suburb of Baghdad, well south of the Green Zone.
posted by dhartung at 4:38 PM on October 28, 2006

Yeah, this is just incredibly dumb. Fire doesn't make nuclear weapons explode. And, from what I know, neutron bombs are not particularly stealthy... they don't leave long-term radiation, but I'm almost sure they make a place at least somewhat radioactive for a few days.

Further, I don't think they've even officially been developed, although it wouldn't shock me if it were one of the black ops projects.

Even more important: why the FSCK would they be storing neutron bombs in a forward base where the grunts can get at them? You'd NEVER put a nuclear weapon where it could be taken if the enemy overran the camp. Nevernevernevernever. You'd store them in a nuke sub, offshore, and deliver it via Tomahawk if you really needed it. It would be there ten minutes after the order, and has absolutely zero chance of being captured.

This story couldn't possibly be true. Please engage brain before posting.
posted by Malor at 4:44 PM on October 28, 2006

"Video. Tactical nuke explodes in Iraq? "

I'm guessing... no?
posted by Artw at 4:48 PM on October 28, 2006

Uh yeah lemme read more, the point is NOT the alleged nuclear schmuclear, rather the explosion of the dump itself. Who ? What ? Why ? Mission accomplished ? Assonfire ?
posted by elpapacito at 4:49 PM on October 28, 2006

elpapacito, you make no sense.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:01 PM on October 28, 2006

For a crazy old white dude he has some pretty good photoshop skills.
posted by afu at 5:02 PM on October 28, 2006 [1 favorite]

elpapacito, you make no sense.
Get down your self built throne and start making some yourself.
posted by elpapacito at 5:10 PM on October 28, 2006

elpapacito: Stay in Canada and eat more ice and snow.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:24 PM on October 28, 2006

Also, pretty sure that a nuke going off from that close would have cornholed dude's digital camcorder REAL good, let alone dude and his friends...
posted by stenseng at 5:29 PM on October 28, 2006

Yawn.
posted by fixedgear at 5:29 PM on October 28, 2006

I'm no expert, but I think it's theoretically possible that gun-assembly type (uranium) nukes could be triggered accidentally if the explosive goes off. That didn't happen in this video, of course, since US nukes are rarely (or never) of the gun-assembly type, but rather the more secure and effective implosion type.
If a implosion nuke goes off accidentally you'd just get plutonium all over the place, not a nuclear explosion.

As Malor points out, it's highly unlikely that the Army would store tactical nukes in a location as insecure this one.

Summary: Stupid conspiracy theory.
posted by spazzm at 5:39 PM on October 28, 2006

The FPP is about this ammo dump blow-up, right? This FPP is not a very good use of the Intert00bes.
posted by taosbat at 5:47 PM on October 28, 2006

You'd NEVER put a nuclear weapon where it could be taken if the enemy overran the camp

It was done in Vietnam, apparently kept at the Long Binh camp.

There was a REMFer there who went out with some Army friends on a mission for the helluvit . (His particular MOS, for reasons to be explained shortly, resulted in him working with special-forces types there, yet having copious free time).

Anyhoo, things went pear-shaped at the LZ in Indian Country and he and some mates were forced to go to ground. It was then that he told his mates that given his MOS he REALLY didn't want to be catpured by the VC.

His MOS? Man-portable nuclear device technician. My google-fu is failing me here but there was some heroics involved in his buds making sure he was picked up before they were.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 6:20 PM on October 28, 2006

I think Flashman's referring to this dubious report that there's a cover-up of 300+ deaths (via Digg).
posted by hyperizer at 6:28 PM on October 28, 2006

Also, would simply burning a nuclear weapon cause it to go off?

Do you believe nuclear weapons are ever stored in an armed state?
Do you believe that nuclear weapons are stored with the detonator charge even inside the housing at all?
Do you believe that nuclear weapons are ever kept in conventional ammo dumps, in any state at all?
Do you believe that nuclear weapons are ever stored in barely-secured hostile territory?

If all of the above -- all of which are ludicrous -- are true, and if furthermore the weapon's detonator design did not include a physical barrier to prevent critical mass from being formed except upon a properly triggered detonation, then it is theoretically possible for a fire to detonate such a weapon. Perhaps such conditions pertain in some other nuclear capable countries. I more than doubt any such conditions pertain in our situation.
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:30 PM on October 28, 2006

that there's a cover-up of 300+ deaths

well, this admin would certainly want the deaths in Iraq to come AFTER the November elections, not before (cf. Fallujah, 2004).
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 6:30 PM on October 28, 2006

Did I write that? Sheez.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 6:43 PM on October 28, 2006

*massively excreting elephant, again*
posted by quonsar at 7:11 PM on October 28, 2006

ammo dump explosion what else do they have stored there?

Shift keys.
posted by LarryC at 8:33 PM on October 28, 2006

I doubt vidcam CCDs record high-energy radiation with quite such aplomb as that soldier's camera. If there were a nuke to be videotaped, I'd expect the sensor to burn out PDQ. It'd be worse than pointing the camera at the sun.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:40 PM on October 28, 2006