"What about the Russian army units trained to use the special mines? Is it possible that a few such weapons remain in their hands? According to Mr. Yesin, "they always used simulators and dummy weapons. Needless to say, the latter looked like the real thing--the same size and weight, the same control panel. Instead of nuclear materials, however, they contained sand.""

For this to be true, the sand would have to have the same weight and atomic nember as U238. That is impossible, so we know someone is lying.
A plutonium "Pit" weighs a minimum of 25 lbs. That is the smallest amount that can achieve critical mass (10.8 Kilos). It is between the size of a ping pong ball and a Que ball )pool, billards) and hollow. Make a ball of the same size out of lead and fill it with sand and it will weigh 5 or 6 pounds. So something is out of wack.
I doubt that there are any loose warheads from the Soviet Union laying around. There is reason to believe that when the Ukraine transferred Nuclear devices back to Russia, some torpedo warheads (16kton yield) were unaccounted for. It isn't known if they really dissappeared or if it was a bookkeepping error. Regardless, those devices are to old to be fully functional. Most devices have a shelf life of 4 to 12 years. After a certain amount of time, the explosive blanket that sets off the Plutonium detoriates. As does the electonics that control the process.
My other quibble is that atomic weapons can be made to require 'codes' to function. Any one man can set off a device if he isn't worried about dying. When the experts talk about Nuclear weapons they always use the designed yeild as a criteria, without actually saying so.
So when one of the boffins says the device cannot be set off without the code, he is realy saying 'The device is designed for a 400 kiloton yield and without the code you won't get that'. It is easier to set off a nuke then to hot wire a car. What the code does is allow the electronics to set the timing on the detonators so that the Plutonium 'pit' is squeezed together at a constant rate, which starts the chain reaction and causes ALL the fissile material to burn.
So if Achmed Camelshagger hooks up a 13 volt battery from his power drill to the correct wire(s), the detonators will detonate. They just may or may not detonate at the right time and in the right sequence. So instead of a 400 kton event , you might get a .004 Kton event, or a 40kton event. No one knows. It's called a fizzle and AFAIK fizzels are not modeled.
To the boffins, the device didn't work because it didn't reach it's designed yield. I doubt if the dead or the survivors will find much comfort in that.

We don't have to worry where they (terrorists) are going to get their bombs.

They are going to get them from Muslim Governments. They might get bought, but most likely stolen. If they can't get the complete bomb they will steal the needed parts and pieces.

There is one (Muslim Government) now with nukes, and in a few years (months) another will have them. These two governments are riddled with people that either support the terrorists or at the very least would look the other way.

If the world doesn't end or there is no military action to take these nukes away from these two countries, there will be more Muslim States building their own nukes. Some of them have already started planning for it.

So far, the civilized world has not stopped anyone from getting the bomb without military actions or the threat of same. N. Korea still has them and will continue to have them until they are destroyed by someone else. Pakistan is only a small revolution (or a well placed bullet) away from being our enemy.

Russia has the most Muslims of any country. How long before they are targeted or taken over by people that support the Islamic takeover of the world?

Everyone, including the IAEA thinks monitoring and surprise inspections are enough to keep the world safe.

Not for long.

Papa Ray
West Texas
USA

free poker Have a nice day :)