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Hissyspit

(45,788 posts)
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 09:09 PM Oct 2015

AP INVESTIGATION: Nuclear Smugglers Shopped Radioactive Material to IS, Other Terrorists

Last edited Tue Oct 6, 2015, 10:26 PM - Edit history (3)

Source: Associated Press

@AP: BREAKING: AP INVESTIGATION: Nuclear smugglers shopped radioactive material to IS and other terrorists.

Europe
AP INVESTIGATION: Nuclear smugglers shopped radioactive material to IS and other terrorists

By Associated Press October 6 at 9:03 PM

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Over the pulsating beat at an exclusive nightclub, the arms smuggler made his pitch to a client: 2.5 million euros for enough radioactive cesium to contaminate several city blocks.

- snip -

But the smuggler, Valentin Grossu, wasn't sure the client was for real — and he was right to worry. The client was an informant, and it took some 20 meetings to persuade Grossu that he was an authentic Islamic State representative. Eventually, the two men exchanged cash for a sample in a sting operation that landed Grossu in jail.

The previously unpublicized case is one of at least four attempts in five years in which criminal networks with suspected Russian ties sought to sell radioactive material to extremists through Moldova, an investigation by The Associated Press has found. One investigation uncovered an attempt to sell bomb-grade uranium to a real buyer from the Middle East, the first known case of its kind.

In that operation, wiretaps and interviews with investigators show, a middleman for the gang repeatedly ranted with hatred for America as he focused on smuggling the essential material for an atomic bomb and blueprints for a dirty bomb to a Middle Eastern buyer.

In wiretaps, videotaped arrests, photographs of bomb-grade material, documents and interviews, AP found that smugglers are explicitly targeting buyers who are enemies of the West. The developments represent the fulfillment of a long-feared scenario in which organized crime gangs are trying to link up with groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida — both of which have made clear their ambition to use weapons of mass destruction.

The sting operations involved a partnership between the FBI and a small group of Moldovan investigators, who over five years went from near total ignorance of the black market to wrapping up four sting operations. Informants and police posing as connected gangsters penetrated the smuggling networks, using old-fashioned undercover tactics as well as high-tech gear from radiation detectors to clothing threaded with recording devices.

But their successes were undercut by striking shortcomings: Kingpins got away, and those arrested evaded long prison sentences, sometimes quickly returning to nuclear smuggling, AP found.

For strategic reasons, in most of the operations arrests were made after samples of nuclear material had been obtained rather than the larger quantities. That means that if smugglers did have access to the bulk of material they offered, it remains in criminal hands.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9f77a17c001f4cf3baeb28990b0d92eb/ap-investigation-nuclear-smugglers-sought-terrorist-buyers

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AP INVESTIGATION: Nuclear Smugglers Shopped Radioactive Material to IS, Other Terrorists (Original Post) Hissyspit Oct 2015 OP
this has the stink of bullshit. yurbud Oct 2015 #1
Well, is says Moldova, near Ukraine. bemildred Oct 2015 #4
when pressed before the Iraq War, George Tenet said no country would give nukes to terrorists yurbud Oct 2015 #14
yeah, because a Ukrainian would do something that terrible, but never never a Russian uhnope Oct 2015 #16
Moldova is between Ukraine and Romania. bemildred Oct 2015 #18
It sure is lacking details, and sparse still_one Oct 2015 #6
Welp. That sucks. TwilightGardener Oct 2015 #2
And this is how they will pass the TPP AZ Progressive Oct 2015 #3
Well, this is not it it, is it? This is nothing. Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #9
They don't need some 'distraction' to pass TPP Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #19
Shopping medical waste to a bunch of rubes, perhaps? LuvLoogie Oct 2015 #5
"Shopped"? As in offered but not bought? So what? "Will update"? With...facts? Is this a hoax?? Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #7
The whole story is there now. Hissyspit Oct 2015 #12
The "story" is one sentence nt Depaysement Oct 2015 #8
Fixed it. Nt Hissyspit Oct 2015 #11
AAAAAAAUUURRRGGHHHH! LET'S BOMB AND INVADE THE WORLD IN ORDER TO STOP THIS! Crowman1979 Oct 2015 #10
In the end the whole Story is about "samplings" but never any sales or evidence of goods? Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #13
this article could be interpreted as some form of criticism of Russia and so it must be resisted uhnope Oct 2015 #15
This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words Oct 2015 #17
MSNBC covered it too. Duppers Oct 2015 #20
The gloriously free Western media couldn't possibly be coordinating to demonize Russia frizzled Oct 2015 #21

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
4. Well, is says Moldova, near Ukraine.
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 09:23 PM
Oct 2015

And I could see some crook in Ukraine getting his hands on some, there were warnings about that.

But the story is woefully lacking in details.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
14. when pressed before the Iraq War, George Tenet said no country would give nukes to terrorists
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 12:47 AM
Oct 2015

He had to be pressed to say it, but there was a simple, logical reason: once it's out of your hands, you have zero control over it, but if it goes off somewhere, the retaliation will come back to you.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
18. Moldova is between Ukraine and Romania.
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 05:44 AM
Oct 2015

There are Russian ethnics in the breakaway state, so it could be Russians, they have plenty of crooks too, or Romanians, but Ukraine has been in a civil war and that seemed the likely source. There have been warnings about Nuke facility security there too.

And it could be medical waste (cesium was mentioned).

But I tend to think it is War Hype.

AZ Progressive

(3,411 posts)
3. And this is how they will pass the TPP
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 09:23 PM
Oct 2015

There will be some big scandal or story that will get the public's attention while the members of congress vote the TPP through...

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
7. "Shopped"? As in offered but not bought? So what? "Will update"? With...facts? Is this a hoax??
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 09:55 PM
Oct 2015

What credible news source launches a story with ine sentence?

Even if it is AP?

Which, by the way, has never apologized or acknowledged their deliberate distortion of an Iran nuclear facility story in August, did you, AP?

Hissyspit

(45,788 posts)
12. The whole story is there now.
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 10:17 PM
Oct 2015

The 'will update' was me. Sorry it took awhile to find the link.

But yeah, annoying they Tweeted this out with no link

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
13. In the end the whole Story is about "samplings" but never any sales or evidence of goods?
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 10:20 PM
Oct 2015

Or that the seller, who apparently got a short jail term for the "samplings" (nuclear medicine waste?) was not just a con man looking for a quick buck?

I smell yellowcake fumes wafting in from Niger.

Response to Hissyspit (Original post)

 

frizzled

(509 posts)
21. The gloriously free Western media couldn't possibly be coordinating to demonize Russia
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 12:17 PM
Oct 2015

Why would they do that?

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