In a top-secret mission over the Christmas holidays, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration helped the Ukraine get more than 100 pounds of previously unsecured, weapons-grade uranium out of the country. Rachel Maddow broke the news of the mission last night on the show, in an interview with a man she called the "undersecretary for saving the world."
The material removed to Russia would have been enough to build two atom bombs, and it apparently wouldn't have been that hard. "It doesn't require a lot of technology or know-how to make a nuclear bomb," Thomas D'Agostino, head of the NNSA told us. "Unfortunately the word is out there, from an information standpoint. So the key in the nuclear security business is material. It's all about material. It's just like in real estate. It's location, location, location."
Securing loose nuclear material has been a major policy goal of the Obama administration. D'Agostino says his team has completed its work in 19 countries, with 16 more to go. "We're over halfway," he said. "We still have a lot more work to do. And with the support, the increased budgets that we have in this area that the president is proposing, specifically to lock this stuff down, we think we're going to get this job done. That's our plan."
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Loved this show last night. I just wish more news programs would discuss this very important issue. Rachel, I am a proud member of "Global Zero". This interview made my year.
Have a very Happy New Year. You deserve it!!!
Yes, she does, TRMS does and Thomas D'Agostino especially does. This restores a tiny bit of my faith that we'll still be here this time next year.
Blessings on all y'all for the New Year. May we think clearly, speak civilly, legislate quickly and filibuster seldom.
"Monumental Movements in The Dark of Night."
It is a testimony to her credibility & honesty as an anchor & journalist that Rachel Maddow was given this exclusive interview by the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Thomas D'Agostino. Everyone, everywhere should post this video to their fabo page. Congratulations & a Very Happy New Year to the entire staff of The Maddow Show. BTW... Rachel Maddow IS the bomb!
-Preston Roe
off topic: do you guys ever sleep over their in maddowland?
on topic: this was a cool interview and segment. love this secret spy stuff.
So now that it is in Russia, can we assume that it is safe?
As long as it doesn't run against Mr. Putin!
how is it safer in Russia? what am i missing here,why not bring it to the US?
This was very very very cool. That TRMS got the interview, that it happened, that Obama supports and operates, even when no one is looking, his core values.
We liberals have had some tough blows, these past two years. It seems as if the world has developed a deep case of stupid, but then, in the dark of night, on the holiday, when so many senators and congressfolk were screamin about bein home for the holidays, our men and women that serve the country in capacities unknown... they were bravin' the cold to keep the world safe from crazies.
Makes you feel good all over, eh?
Thanks, TRMS team, for your tireless attention.
isnt russia the main blackmarket supplier for weapons? or wait thats china, oh wait, thats u.s., oh wait, theyre all horrible regimes based on brute force military control of the masses. U.S. and Russia are the only countries who have proven to be completely irresponsible with nuclear power and weapons. Children are still being born with defects thanks to us and russia. Give that @!$%# to france, or venezuela or china. china's gonna rule us all eventually anyways. AND I WELCOME IT, WHY? cause china never waged war on any nation outside of its own country in the last 1,000 years. Which makes them a god compared to how europeans have acted
I said it yesterday and will say it again today The interview with Thomas D'Agostino was "The Interview of the Year" What a way to end 2010.
Take a real good look at just what the Republicans were trying to block by fillibustering the START treaty!
Nice interview, though as often happens I thought Rachel was a bit overly self-conscious.
Some mysteries:
1) Why the spooky lighting, and why Rachel's absence from the show? The interview wasn't actually in the Ukraine, right? I'm guessing it was in DC. When Rachel has interviewed folks like Richard Holbrooke, it's been in a normal interview set, and she's hosted the show as usual (perhaps from a DC studio instead of the usual NY one).
2) If they're going to blend that high-enriched uranium (HEU) down to low-enriched uranium anyway, they why do they transport it around in high-enriched form at all, especially on airplanes? Unlike enrichment, blending is a very simple process: you just melt down the HEU along with natural uranium. So why don't they set up the blending apparatus where the HEU is, and blend it before transportation, leaving them with LEU where they want it? Of course maybe it's more LEU than they want, but LEU is much less dangerous to transport than HEU.
3) HEU reactor fuel is usually 20-40% U235 while bomb-grade HEU is 80+% U235. So which was this? If it was for a research reactor it was probably not bomb grade. See Wikipedia's article "Enriched Uranium".
I want to thank you Rachel for your passion around this very important worldwide issue. I applaud the efforts of Tom and the NNSA and our President to make this a top priority to secure these materials. I only have one concern about the NNSA. In the past the National Labs and their employees were considered the "crown jewels" in our nation. The Nuclear Weapon Complex advertised that they only hire the best and the brightest to perform the important nuclear security mission. What is happening today is that the NWC is becoming "average" due to frozen salaries and reduced benefits. The best and brightest are not going to stay around long to take care of this very important issue.
Great interview! Important issue. RM at her best!
Can someone tell me why this is not on every new channel.....oh I forgot, It' Obama's doing, so it not important as...lets say, is Palin going to run, or whats going to happen in the next congress, or how about that snow job, no no no the SAFTEY of the WORLD IS NOT NEWS, its not breaking enough, I do declare MSM has so lost it way, I swear they are all so darn sad. Thank you RM, for an outstanding job, it good to know someone, just 1 thinks our sacrifices and lives are still worth a dam.
I would say Happy New, but it times like this that make me wonder, if it really will be...have a good one though.
It's not on every channel because FOX and other outlets are more concerned about The Socialist - Communist - Muslim- Anti Business - Anti Christian - Anti American - Not listening to the American People - Anti War on Terror - Government Run Healthcare in The White House and Congress. One day America will open there eyes take Rachel as serious as we do. All we can do is hope that happens
Why was my comment not posted?????
"fun with nukes in Hollywood"
the "TSAR BOMBA"- USSR's/worlds largest bomb ever detonated- 50 MEGATONS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiyUSv2Z07A
this is highly dramatic, and educational, and cool choreography with Wagner- sigfried background music.
( a serious version of doctor strangelove- ripe for a major (Kong) video edit mash-up-which i wish i knew how to do)
DOCTOR STRANGELOVE- mineshaft gap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesXUFOlWC0
BACK TO THE FUTURE- DR. Emmit Brown steals plutonium from Libyans, who stole it from a research site- to power the flux capacitor- which makes time travel possible
And of course, without Doc Brown, the TERMINATOR movies would not have been possible? LOL!
And of course- half the JAMES BOND movies were about stealing a nuclear device, and holding the world hostage.- Thunderball, etc.
ditto for austin Powers?
And TRUE LIES- THE BUMBLING, BUT DANGEROUS CRIMSON JIHAD TERRORISTS?
"Enough to make two nuclear bombs."
"It doesn't require a lot of technology or know-how to make a nuclear bomb,"
Please, excuse me. I need a change of pants. I suddenly feel so insignificant.
Wait a minute.....a newer blog post sent me to an older article.....
Oh well, it's still a good watch.