Did it take a nuclear physics lab to murder Alexander Litvinenko?

Begin forwarded message:


Date: November 26, 2006 11:21:32 PM EST
To: [email protected]
Subject: Did it take a nuclear physics lab to murder Alexander  
Litvinenko?

For IP, if you wish.

A friend of mine has done an analysis that suggests that perhaps it
isn't that hard to extract enough polonium to commit murder.  I don't
think I agree with him -- chemical extraction is messy, and given the
concentrations of uranium oxide in typical ores (.05%-.2%) you might
need 100K tonnes or more -- but the analysis is worth reading, if only
for the biophysics:  http://www.ka9q.net/po210.html


		--Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb