Intelligence agencies don’t doubt that Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb. Under ideal conditions, Teheran until it could accomplish the first test of a bomb in 2010. However, Iran still lacks know-how and the necessary resources to build an effective weapon.

The agencies are unanimous in one thing: the capacity to accomplish an atomic explosion is not the same thing that the capacity to mobilize a nuclear weapon.

Hence, Iran is more close to getting to accomplish a nuclear explosion than if they thought previously. That is the opinion of the organ of foreign intelligence of Germany, BND. It is a vision shared by the relevant Israeli intelligence agencies – Mossad and the agency of military intelligence of Israel.

As their estimates, Iran could have conditions of accomplishing a test of nuclear bomb – similar to that North Korea North accomplished recently – inside of approximately one year.

However, so that Iran can become a “real” threat, it will be necessary some time so that the Iranian scientists can adapt their bombs to the Shahab rockets. Only then a nuclear bomb if it would turn a strategic weapon for them, equally capable to intimidate and to discourage its enemies.

But at least in the current conditions, the possible test devices would be of the size of containers, therefore too big to be used as weapon.

Via: Der Spiegel.

Somali pirates are businessmen. They have a pricing policy. They have traders working with them. They even have a spokesman. Just as financial traders and market speculators can be, they can also become excessively greedy and aggressive. This is clearly what is happening today off the eastern coast of Africa.

These buccaneers-entrepreneurs certainly need support. They need weapons. They need a place to park their captured vessels – a function that Somalia has been serving. They also need a complacent international community that can let them be most of the time. All these conditions have been satisfied so far. Hence, the piracy trade has been proving to be extremely lucrative. Besides, it has also been less expensive to pay for some boats to protect them, as well as put up a sufficiently strong government in Somalia.

The piracy trade has, likewise, been proving to be beneficial to some people. The pirates seize some vessels, demand for ransom in the millions of dollars, and the booty can be spread around to so many others.

Faced with an activity of this type carried out in the open sea, the use of force is necessary. The US has called for greater and stronger coordinated efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. American marines, as well as the French, have shown these pirates what they can be up against should they persist in their nefarious trade. But time is another ally for the pirates. They still continue to play hard, unwilling to let go of a lucrative business.

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Via msn

The Extremes of Retro Tech, designs at par

Japanese architecture: Narrow is a word for buildings here. Slim- Even less than a meter in width

A recollection of World War II—Tribute to it for creation of many wonder Weapons!

Out-of-the-box clocks and watches—what’s the time boy?

The Pasta Ogre: Well I would call it an unusual form of food art

Morgan Motor Company has its own style of developing coupes: Handcrafted out of Wood

How about dining in abandoned Boeing 747 Restaurant?  Well, DRB always offers you a choice!

Stay around to catch up with the Best of Treehugger, in our next exclusive.

Here is a crossbow that you may want to use when the aliens come chasding you in your own backyard. The Tac-15 Tactical Assault Crossbow allows you to kill your enemies by ripping them apart. You could swap between a crossbow and an assault rifle with just a little manipulation.

All that one would need with this is a grenade launcher. I would have wished to own something like this, but I am sure I won’t be able to afford such an expensive one. Moreover I am not really sure if this should be used as a part of gamin g or as an actual weapon.

It will be available from the next month at a cost of $1,300. You may find that expensive but in my opinion, anything that looks so cool must be bought if you can afford it unlike me. You will never have to worry about alien invasion in your garden again!

via: BoingBoing

Amid a drug war and trade dispute, US President Barack Obama will visit Mexico on April 16. Obama is currently studying a possible military deployment on the US-Mexico border to help solve the problems of escalating drug-related violence, particularly in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico where Mexican President Felipe Calderon has already sent 11,000 troops composed of military and police forces.

Mexico’s drug war that recorded about six thousand deaths last year alone has become a major threat to national security. The Obama government is preparing a new strategy to help the US’ southern neighbor. Some of the most immediate measures are the stopping of the flow of billions of US dollars in drug money and the trade into Mexico of high-caliber weapons that only aid the escalating violence along the border.

With the collaboration among several government agencies, greater control can be established against smuggling via the flow of people and vehicles that daily cross the border into Mexico. According to authorities, drug traffickers in Mexico now have connections to at least 230 US cities.

At the border, the US Department of Defense is already using technology perfected on the war fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, including surveillance systems, robotic aircraft and locating sensors. To augment the efforts, Obama is considering the possibility of deploying military units on the border with Mexico.

The US and Mexico are currently locked in a trade dispute under the NAFTA. Mexico is preparing to criminalize the entry of a number of American products in retaliation to the restrictions faced by Mexicans in the transport of goods by road.

Mexico’s Calderon has blamed the massive drug trade in his country on the huge consumption of illegal drugs in the US.

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Via CBS NEWS

In recent years Brazil has become a worldwide exporter of military equipment such as tanks of war, of combat aircraft and missiles.

Brazil will sell one hundred missiles to Pakistan for the detection of radar. The artifacts will be provided by the company Mectron, associate of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). The transaction was approved here Tuesday by the Board of Foreign Trade (Camex) of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

Defense Minister Nelson Jobim, stressed at the end of the meeting of Camex, it is an operation with the government of Pakistan, ie a deal between two states.

The missiles will cost 85 million euros, and approval of the transaction, as referenced by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which means security of the country against the manufacturer, Mectron, through the Bank of Brazil and BNDES.

According to Jobim, the delivery of the missiles will develop the productive capacity of Mectron, raising its production by 500%. These is a small company, but high-technology, which produces missiles to equip aircraft with a capacity of anti-radiation and able to destroy radar systems.

“Brazil negotiates with Pakistan, not with Pakistani terrorists,” he said. “To cancel this deal would be to attribute terrorist activities to the Pakistani government.”

Via: Defence.

Airport security checks can be infuriatingly cumbersome and irritating. The issue worsens when the security guards check for hidden weapons that could be a potential source of threat. However, if you are the kind of person who would want to try getting past a security check guy unnoticed, and carrying some fake hatchets, knives and guns, we just have the right product for you.

French designer PinkWolf has come up with these faux weapons that are designed to help you play some practical jokes. The faux weapons are part of a suitcase that is being sold. However, no contact information or pricing details are given. I wonder why anyone would want to carry fake weapons in a suitcase and then be caught and call that a practical joke. In my opinion, this reflects a person’s need to attract attention.

I would say, a person with a strange desire for being frisked by uniformed security guards would go ahead and buy the suitcase with weapons just to be frisked for a second time. Well, I would say, the designer knew about such quirks present among consumer and hence designed these faux weapons and masquerades them as a practical joke.

Via: UberReview/Pinkwolf