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US Arrests Man 'with Uranium for Iran in Shoes'.....

My gut is telling me this is just some random unstable guy who never actually had access to that much uranium. Because someone in that line of work being dumb enough to walk around with uranium IN HIS FREAKING SHOES doesn't seem likely.

Some stories are just too weird.

I'm not sure yellow cake is really that rare or hard to acquire: over 60,000 tons are produced every year

PS as far as the shoes, I imagine they contained a sample to be used to negotiate price
 
Never heard abut them before and assumed they were a Middle East version of Craigslist, but they seem to have spread out a great deal since their 1999 inception

Alibaba Group
 
Never heard abut them before and assumed they were a Middle East version of Craigslist, but they seem to have spread out a great deal since their 1999 inception

Alibaba Group

I think they are headquartered in China somewhere. Possibly Beijing. their main business is serving as a portal for manufacturers in places like China and India to advertise their products to importers
 
So all that effort and spying on american people along with all the complaints over the TSA have resulted in us busting a scammer who did not even know enough about uranium to get the isotopes right? I guess that is something. Still it sounds to me more like a story that is being blown up for public propaganda because the US thinks everyone is a bunch of idiots who will herald the apprehension of one of the world's stupidest criminals. It is not like they took down Al capone here, more like they took down beavis and butthead. I am good with them tossing the idiot in jail, but I am not terribly impressed.

I guess he is stupid thanks to public education. :lol:
 
I guess he is stupid thanks to public education. :lol:

When you decide to teach the bible as science and dilute science class with overwhelming lies and confusing contradictions it may very well effect the conversation on things like isotopes. Of course, one might mention that he was not from the US and that certain people need to take geograpgy lessons if they think a sierra leonne man is a product of the american education system. However, your point does apply well to people who thought this was much more than a bust of a complete idiot scammer who was doing illegal things but not going to get uranium in any major quantity to iran.

For anyone out there who may be confused about geography and doesn't want to trust the failing american school system to teach them, and who might make mistakes about geographical things like say sierra leonne people attending american schools.

Animaniacs - YouTube

See, education for free, and perhaps after watching this you might be smarter than the news who never wondered why this twit went to florida to sell to Iran. Florida is in the US for those educated here in america. Seriously, this genious flew the wrong direction to make two stops in a country known for massive security and surveillance, to bring samples to a so called Iranian in florida? Let us say by some miracle this guy tripped over 1000 tons of uranium that is so special it doesn't even exist as per science and was legitimately trying to sell it to Iran, how was this guy going to accomplish that when he couldn't figure out which direction Iran was from his home country? Is there any possibility this guy wasn't going to die from radiation poisoning? Does the news even think about what they are spouting anymore?
 
It might have been his 8" high platform shoes that gave him away.

He should have told them he was going to a disco contest.
 
When you decide to teach the bible as science and dilute science class with overwhelming lies and confusing contradictions it may very well effect the conversation on things like isotopes. Of course, one might mention that he was not from the US and that certain people need to take geograpgy lessons if they think a sierra leonne man is a product of the american education system. However, your point does apply well to people who thought this was much more than a bust of a complete idiot scammer who was doing illegal things but not going to get uranium in any major quantity to iran.

For anyone out there who may be confused about geography and doesn't want to trust the failing american school system to teach them, and who might make mistakes about geographical things like say sierra leonne people attending american schools.

Animaniacs - YouTube

See, education for free, and perhaps after watching this you might be smarter than the news who never wondered why this twit went to florida to sell to Iran. Florida is in the US for those educated here in america. Seriously, this genious flew the wrong direction to make two stops in a country known for massive security and surveillance, to bring samples to a so called Iranian in florida? Let us say by some miracle this guy tripped over 1000 tons of uranium that is so special it doesn't even exist as per science and was legitimately trying to sell it to Iran, how was this guy going to accomplish that when he couldn't figure out which direction Iran was from his home country? Is there any possibility this guy wasn't going to die from radiation poisoning? Does the news even think about what they are spouting anymore?

I think the writer confused the the chemical formula for uranium oxide with an isotope number (the CF for UO is U3O8). Also, Patrick Campbell sounds like a western name, and am assuming he is someone who simply operates out of SL
 
I think the writer confused the the chemical formula for uranium oxide with an isotope number (the CF for UO is U3O8). Also, Patrick Campbell sounds like a western name, and am assuming he is someone who simply operates out of SL

You are trying hard to make this something significant and less like the keystone cops getting lucky. The guy is an idiot, he deserves to be arrested for the attempt, but no one was ever in danger from this. It is like the DEA getting all excited because they busted a drug ring of oregano salesmen. Sorry, but you do not try to sell uranium to Iran by going to florida through NY. I am not an international supplier of uranium, but even I know that is mentally retarded. Seriously, why not just get the moron to fly straight to Gitmo? That is at least in Cuba. You may be easily impressed or looking for something to boast about which is why you want to believe this was a great bust, but whiole they were doing all this with this guy what else happened in the world with real problems?
 
You are trying hard to make this something significant and less like the keystone cops getting lucky. The guy is an idiot, he deserves to be arrested for the attempt, but no one was ever in danger from this.

So far I haven't seen anyone try to make the case that this guy isn't an idiot. Maybe he thought they were discussing 'geraniums'.
 
You are trying hard to make this something significant and less like the keystone cops getting lucky.

Actually I was just adding a few points for clarification. Clearly anyone offering their services through Alibaba isn't some global threat. Like you said, the guy is either a scammer or some completely inept dumb-ass
 
I don't know diddly about specific types of uranium, yellow cake, etc... but isn't that stuff radioactive?? Who would be stupid enough to expose themselves to that much radioactivity for several hours? Unless, of course, he had lead lined shoes, in which case tottering like a tethered astronaut on a space walk might have been a give-away. :)
 
Actually I was just adding a few points for clarification. Clearly anyone offering their services through Alibaba isn't some global threat. Like you said, the guy is either a scammer or some completely inept dumb-ass

This goes back to my original point. The articles on this are sensationalizing what is pretty much a load of crap. They are trying to justify all the spying and all the other problems they have created with their war on terror by bringing up a plot that supposedly involved tons of uranium that they could not even get right. For all the illegal snooping, the degrading of our rights, the billions spent on fighting this BS we have caught a scam artist who at best was going to try and rip off Iran. Not to mention the horrible people at the news just totally blew the US's efforts to get the terrorists by exposing their great and secret alibaba scheme. Now all the real terrorists will know not to use alibaba. Where are the cries of aiding the enemy and being a traitor for these news people who actually gave out specifics on a US effort to catch uranium sales and exposed our top secret undercover efforts? They make all this out to be something pretty awesome on their part when they really should be ashamed of all the crap they have pulled and the resources they wasted to catch this idiot when this is one of the few instances they can prove they even did something effective.
 
I don't know diddly about specific types of uranium, yellow cake, etc... but isn't that stuff radioactive??
Yellowcake isn't much of a radiation hazard as long as you don't inhale it or eat it.
 
Gotta wonder how a moron of such epic proportion managed to get even a little uranium.
 
Gotta wonder how a moron of such epic proportion managed to get even a little uranium.

Given the reliability of the news do we even know he had uranium? If he did work for a mining company he might have had some, so i cannot say it is a total fabrication, but he did seem to be trying to scam people. I figure a thousand tons of the stuff gone missing from some company is probably going to be missed. It is not like you could just walk along and pick that stuff up and save that much for a sale. It seems like they might have busted him for an attempt even though the sale was not legit. I also figure as a dense metal it probably would have shown up on an X-ray when he got onto the plane. I would hope that present technology and airport security would have been aware that actual uranium was getting on a plane.
 
Gotta wonder how a moron of such epic proportion managed to get even a little uranium.

Uranium is actually quite easy to get. It takes several tons of uranium to actually get anything that might be remotely dangerous. Uranium can be used in machined and cast for vehicle armour and for armour penetrating ammunition. In fact that's what the US does with its depleted uranium from the nuclear refining process. Its got more depleted stuff lying around then it knows what to do with. Depleted simply means that all the radioactive isotopes or at least most have been removed or used. Of course depleted is only depleted for about a month then it becomes regular U238 and the normal mix of radioactive isotopes.
 
that's hilarious

Heya Doc. :2wave: Yeah.....I thought so to. Which is why I said something about a diversion. :lol:

Course with the First OP they didn't say if he was a US Citizen or Foreigner. Only throwing up the Name Campbell. Now as we have some more details we see he isn't a US Citizen.

If he would have been. Then he would be a traitor.

Also I would question G.E. also as to why they are conducting and have been doing Business with and in Iran.
 
Gotta wonder how a moron of such epic proportion managed to get even a little uranium.

I think amazon used to carry yellow cake samples for testing geiger counters.

There is also this

Uranium Metal Sample 10 Grams Extremely High Quality | eBay

So this guy selling ore from a mine in SL isn't exactly unpossible


allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Wikileaks - Usu Boie Blocked Russia, Others From Uranium in Sierra Leone

‘Definite’ uranium mining potential in Randfontein, says acting Harmony CEO
 
A man was arrested in New York City's international airport with uranium destined for Iran hidden in the soles of his shoes, the US Justice Department said.

Patrick Campbell, 33, who was arrested Wednesday as he arrived at the John F Kennedy airport from Paris, is accused of trying to act as an intermediary to sell Iran 1,000 tons of purified uranium, in violation of US law.

The Sierra Leone-based Campbell had been under surveillance since May 2012, when he responded to an ad on the site Alibaba.com by someone looking to buy uranium 308, or yellow cake.

Asked to supply 1,000 tons of uranium -- disguised with other types of ore to escape detection -- Campbell promised to ship the product, disguised as chromite, from Sierra Leone to the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran.

Investigators also found contact information for the sale and delivery of the uranium on a USB key.

Accused of violating US law concerning transactions with Iran, Campbell could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

The case was transferred to a federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.....snip~

US arrests man 'with uranium for Iran in shoes'

This guy is a TRAITOR.....what defense is there? He was merely doing business. If he is an American then he is a Traitor. 20 years and 1 million dollar fine. Just isn't enough. Can you believe this. In NY.....caught with the stuff in the soles of his shoes. Worse is.....somehow this guy could get his hands on that much Uranium. 1000 tons. What do you think should take place with this guy?
But nobody actually died! Please, now is the time for tolerance and acceptance. Let him return home to his loved ones where they can prepare for Labor Day weekend in peace.
 
How funny. He buys a little uranium on e-bay and then hopes to get paid up front for 1000 tons. Perhaps the dumbest hustler ever.

or he could have had access to a large amount of uranium oxide from SL and be extremely naive and stupid ...

As I was trying to point out in my post, this stuff doesn't appear to be as difficult to acquire as some here think
 
But nobody actually died! Please, now is the time for tolerance and acceptance. Let him return home to his loved ones where they can prepare for Labor Day weekend in peace.

I think a Pharoah once said......As it is written, let it be so! :lol:
 
I don't know diddly about specific types of uranium, yellow cake, etc... but isn't that stuff radioactive?? Who would be stupid enough to expose themselves to that much radioactivity for several hours? Unless, of course, he had lead lined shoes, in which case tottering like a tethered astronaut on a space walk might have been a give-away. :)

Nah, "yellowcake" uranium is unenriched, so is more dangerous as a heavy metal than as a radiation hazard. You actually don't even need radiation gear to handle it. From what I understand, it tends to be a sort of powdery texture so there are inhalation risks.

How funny. He buys a little uranium on e-bay and then hopes to get paid up front for 1000 tons. Perhaps the dumbest hustler ever.

If it had worked you'd be calling him the best hustler ever!
 
A man was arrested in New York City's international airport with uranium destined for Iran hidden in the soles of his shoes, the US Justice Department said.

Patrick Campbell, 33, who was arrested Wednesday as he arrived at the John F Kennedy airport from Paris, is accused of trying to act as an intermediary to sell Iran 1,000 tons of purified uranium, in violation of US law.

The Sierra Leone-based Campbell had been under surveillance since May 2012, when he responded to an ad on the site Alibaba.com by someone looking to buy uranium 308, or yellow cake.

Asked to supply 1,000 tons of uranium -- disguised with other types of ore to escape detection -- Campbell promised to ship the product, disguised as chromite, from Sierra Leone to the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran.

Investigators also found contact information for the sale and delivery of the uranium on a USB key.

Accused of violating US law concerning transactions with Iran, Campbell could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

The case was transferred to a federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.....snip~

US arrests man 'with uranium for Iran in shoes'

This guy is a TRAITOR.....what defense is there? He was merely doing business. If he is an American then he is a Traitor. 20 years and 1 million dollar fine. Just isn't enough. Can you believe this. In NY.....caught with the stuff in the soles of his shoes. Worse is.....somehow this guy could get his hands on that much Uranium. 1000 tons. What do you think should take place with this guy?

How do you fit 1000 tons of uranium in your shoes?
 
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