Dean Barnett has a great article today on why the "Suitcase Nuke" myth continues to perpetuate through the years. I did some research on this a while back, since being uninformed led to some serious concern. That a former Soviet suitcase nuke would exist in the hands of terrorists today is HIGHLY unlikely, that it would continue to function to this day is nearly impossible. They almost surely require routine maintenance every 6 months. If the missiles haven’t been properly maintained, their yield will be dramatically reduced; most experts think if not properly maintained in accordance with the owner’s manual’s dictates, they won’t work at all. On this point, we certainly have Soviet craftsmanship working in our favor. Let’s face it, the Soviet Union didn’t produce many things known for their quality and reliability. Additionally, maintaining nuclear weapons in a cave on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border would certainly be beyond Al Qaeda’s abilities. This is a serious problem for the terrorists; if Al Qaeda ever acquired these things, the bombs have missed probably 25 maintenance adjustments, or every scheduled trip to the shop since the breakup of the Soviet Union; experts familiar with their American counterparts (the Crockets) feel quite strongly that at this point in time the bombs won’t function at all and if they do somehow function, they’ll achieve only a fraction of their intended yield. This fact has always been the kicker for me. I sincerely doubt there are terrorists in America cracking open nuclear weapons and maintaining them in hotel rooms. The only serious nuclear threat America faces is from rogue states that can actually produce nuclear weapons, maintain them, and land them on our shores via rocket or human. That's not to say this couldn't be a threat in the future... but we don't want to damage or reputation with the U.N. and world further! Better to perish in fiery agony and anarchy than tarnish our international rep! Why stop now with minimal casualties that which can be stopped in 10 years with entire tracts of land blighted and everyone's lives shaken to their very core? Ahhh Neville, your spirit shines so brightly, even today.