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Re:SoftBank CEO says Khashoggi killing may have impact on Sa... by sandworm101 on Monday November 05, 2018 @12:15PM (#18383969)
When the Russians "botch" a job they do so with a reason. If you want to quietly disappear someone you don't do it with chemical weapons or radioactive material. You use such things when you want people to know about it, when the goal is remind everyone exactly who they are dealing with. Dig into things and you will find lots of Russian agitators disappearing under suspicious circumstances. They know how to do things properly when they want to. They don't dress up in the dead man's clothes and do a little dance for the cameras.

Whether any killings have happened on US soil is an open question. But, without mentioning the T word, I think not much would happen. Both chemical and a nuclear weapon were deployed in Britain ... and Russian operatives still move in and out of the UK freely. Russian money still invests in London real estate. I don't see why anything different would happen in the US.

Re:SoftBank CEO says Khashoggi killing may have impact on Sa... by brohee on Monday November 05, 2018 @12:38PM (#18384195)
What do you mean by nuclear? If you think polonium, it's lethality is not linked to it's radioactivity, it's purely chemical.
Re:SoftBank CEO says Khashoggi killing may have impact on Sa... by sandworm101 on Monday November 05, 2018 @01:11PM (#18384491)
It kills as a chemical, but is detectable as a radioactive substance. Using it means you have access to a nuclear reactor and extensive infrastructure. It is a weapon that could only have come from a state actor, one with an extensive nuclear program and a willingness to weaponize material from that program. That is a very short list. Had they wanted to remain anonymous they could have used any of a dozen different methods that could not be so easily traced. They weren't trying for a knife in the dark.
Re:SoftBank CEO says Khashoggi killing may have impact on Sa... by brohee on Monday November 05, 2018 @02:47PM (#18385311)
Polonium can be made in a cyclotron, and AFAIK they are quite common in hospitals. I'm afraid this is very much in reach of a non state actor...
Re:SoftBank CEO says Khashoggi killing may have impact on Sa... by sandworm101 on Monday November 05, 2018 @03:57PM (#18385891)
Atoms of polonium can indeed be manufactured in a cyclotron, but unless your cyclotron is the size of a building it would take years to gather enough to conduct such a poisoning. Usable quantities are only ever made inside nuclear reactors.