[lit-ideas] Re: Text of bin Laden Tape
- From: Teemu Pyyluoma <teme17@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:17:35 -0800 (PST)
--- Eric Yost <eyost1132@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Sorry to contradict, but I have a first-hand
> account of a friend who was a US officer in Europe
> during the late '70s and early '80s. US forces had
> an array of "suitcase" (he called them "backpack")
> nukes for use in the feared Soviet invasion of
> Europe through the Fulda Gap. These nukes were in
> the low-kiloton range (Hiroshima-sized). In the
> event of an invasion, these weapons would be
> placed along the Autobahn and
> detonated--consistent with the NATO strategy of
> delaying the Soviet ground advance. IN addition to
> creating an obstacle to the Soviet advance, they
> would send a wave of fallout toward Eastern
> Europe. It was also widely believed at the time
> that the Soviets had developed their own version
> of these tactical nukes, primarily for the same
> purpose of disrupting a ground advance.
>
I think you are talking about SADM, which would be
mighty big suitcases, see for example:
"Special Atomic Demolition Munition (SADM)
US Army Sergeant Major (Retired) Joe Garner describes
what was probably the first parachute jump with a W54
Special Atomic Demolition Munition (SADM) in 1960 as
part of PROJECT GREENLIGHT in his autobiography - Code
Name: Copperhead. SGM Garner, a Special Forces soldier
with many years of combat experience, described his
high altitude jump from a H-21 helicopter on the back
side of Fort Bragg, also the fictional setting of the
special munitions depot in Flash of Emerald. Joe
reported that he dropped faster than anticipated in
his modified chute and ended up on the ground with all
the laces busted out from his boots. What I called an
"ass-buster" when I was jumping.
"The SADM had a yield of 0.01 or 0.02-1 kiloton and
was operationally deployed between 1964 and 1988. The
entire unit weighed less than 163 pounds (74
kilograms)." http://www.johnmtaylor.com/foe/sadm.htm
Cheers,
Teemu
Helsinki, Finland
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