Gunman Sought After Shootout at Nuclear Power Plant in Tennessee

[FBaggins]

20. I don't have to assume anything...

... because you were willing to scoff at the notion that there was no threat back when it was just a guy with a gun.

1) the individual is not trained in how to operate the plant.

A pretty safe assumption. But even if not... they need to get past many defenses before that's even relevant.

2) they are alone.

A dozen guys with handguns wouldn't be much more of a threat. See below - but one guy taking pot shots hundreds of feet from the fence makes it less likely that there's a group of terrorists in the bushes.

3) the operators will not co-operate with the gunman under threat of execution.

Would you put a grenade up to your neck and pull the pin if someone held a gun to your head and threatened you? But no... I don't need to assume that because they can't get to the operators to threaten them.

but to say there is NO threat is a misstatement.

Nope. By that logic, a ladybug is a threat because there might be a guy with a backpack nuke behind the ladybug. The ladybug still isn't a threat. If you want to imagine 100 Spetznaz commandos hiding in the woods with 100 Navy Seals who have gone rogue while this guy takes pot shots an individual guard... fine. But he is still no threat to the reactor.