Ham Radio Conditions/MUF

We are starting our Rocky Mountain Survival Search and Rescue (RMSSAR) net. We are hoping that you will join us internationally on HF, and locally on 2 Meters. Please contact me, W7WWD, at rmssar@gmail.com for information on times and frequencies.

Monday, August 27, 2012

IT WORKS !

As some of you know, my wife and I have jumped into the Essential Oils business.  We have found it to be at once a very rewarding experience due to the results that we personally are getting from using the oils and the changes that we see in the friends and family who are using them too.

I would like to ask a favor to the readers of this blog....all 130,000 or so of you.  I consider each of you to be my friend.  I have in the past years shared many things with you that will make your life, and those of your family much easier if you follow that advice. Now I have the chance to do this at even a greater and more personal level than ever before.

Here is the favor:  If any of you have ever considered using these oils, and have put off purchasing them because you think that they are a bunch of  "hokum", please, I would ask that you take a few minutes and read-up on the value of using them.  That's all!

Some of you may  know that I am considered to have a permanent total disability....the lawyerspeak for you can't work any more.  I have a difficult time with those words. However, at age 60, and on a limited-fixed income and a wife retiring after 30 years of teaching first graders, we find ourselves in need of extra income.  doTerra Essential Oils  is one of the ways that we are hoping to cope with that challenge.

Having a fused spine due to a workplace accident has been a difficult thing to endure.  Those of you who endure the pain and dysfunction of this curse know exactly what I am talking about.  I have taken "pain pills" for so long and at such high doses, that it has damaged my kidneys: Thus I am not able to use regular ibuprofen and other types of medication like this any longer.  I have had to use narcotics for the last few years so that I can sleep at night, and to be able to due any work around the house/yard...

UNTIL, my nephew brought over some "Deep Blue" doTerra Essential Oil. He knew that I was struggling with this pain, and he just asked if I would  be willing to try it.  I said, "Sure I'll give it a try, but I don't hold much faith in it".

What a surprise. My wife applied it to my back that night, and put some Lavender Oil on my feet.  To my surprise, instead of laying in bed for a couple of  hours trying to get to sleep, I was sleeping within 30 minutes, and woke up the next morning in the same position as I went to sleep in. It was great to be able to wake up refreshed.  In the morning however, the pain in my back was about the same.  Usually, after sleeping, the pain in standing literally takes my breath away.  I was hoping for a miracle I guess, but sometimes those don't come without time and patience.

I usually have to get up and into my reclining chair for about 30 minutes before I am able to do much.  But, within a week, even though it still hurts, I can get up without losing my breath, and the time spent in the "chair" is shorter.  I don't really expect the miracle of ever being pain free, but it seems over this short time to have been very effective in making it at least more livable.

I've never been fond of snake oil salesmen. I'm never going to be one!  But when I find a great product, I am going to share it with you, my friends.  This oil works.  How it does, I don't really understand fully, but I am living proof that it does.

So, please don't turn me off....keep coming back as both you and I research this together.  I truly believe that this product does have a place in your preparedness supplies.  I am going to be purchasing more oils, and trying combinations...following their instructions and sharing  the results with you.

Please mouse over to the picture of doTerra Living, and connect to my business site, and help both yourselves and my wife and I in this challenge.

BTW, if you would like to purchase the oils wholesale like we do, there is a way.  Just contact me at rockymtnsurvival@gmail.com

Thanks to all of you!


Monday, August 20, 2012

What is an essential oil?

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. If you have ever enjoyed the gift of a rose, a walk by a field of lavender, or the smell of fresh cut mint, you have experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. In addition to giving plants their distinctive smells, essential oils provide plants with protection against predators and disease and play a role in plant pollination. 
Essential oils are non water-based phytochemicals made up of volatile organic compounds. Although they are fat soluble, they do not include fatty lipids or acids found in vegetable and animal oils. Essential oils are very clean, almost crisp, to the touch and are immediately absorbed by the skin. Pure, unadulterated essential oils are translucent and range in color from crystal clear to deep blue.
Try this at home: Squeeze the peel of a ripe orange. The fragrant residue on your hand is full of essential oils.
In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and being beautifully fragrant to people, essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. Modern scientific study and trends towards more holistic approaches to wellness are driving a revival and new discovery of essential oil health applications.
dōTERRA (CPTG) Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. They are gently and skillfully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize dōTERRA's superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade essential oils.

Essential Oils throughout History

Essential oils have been used throughout recorded history for a wide variety of wellness applications. The Egyptians were some of the first people to use aromatic essential oils extensively in medical practice, beauty treatment, food preparation, and in religious ceremony. Frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh and cinnamon were considered very valuable cargo along caravan trade routes and were sometimes exchanged for gold.
Borrowing from the Egyptians, the Greeks used essential oils in their practices of therapeutic massage and aromatherapy. The Romans also used aromatic oils to promote health and personal hygiene. Influenced by the Greeks and Romans, as well as Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic use of aromatic herbs, the Persians began to refine distillation methods for extracting essential oils from aromatic plants. Essential oil extracts were used throughout the dark ages in Europe for their anti-bacterial and fragrant properties.
In modern times, the powerful healing properties of essential oils were rediscovered in 1937 by a French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who healed a badly burnt hand with pure lavender oil. A French contemporary, Dr. Jean Valnet, used therapeutic-grade essential oils to successfully treat injured soldiers during World War II. Dr. Valnet went on to become a world leader in the development of aromatherapy practices. The modern use of essential oils has continued to grow rapidly as health scientists and medical practitioners continue to research and validate the numerous health and wellness benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils.


Uses of Essential Oils

Essential oils are used for a very wide range of emotional and physical wellness applications. They can be used a single oil at a time or in complex blends depending on user experience and desired benefit. Essential oils are usually administered by one of three methods: diffused aromatically, applied topically, or taken internally as dietary supplements.
Aromatic Uses
Our sense of smell influences many physiological pathways including the stimulation of hormones and other metabolic processes. Aromatherapy is founded on the body's predictable response to specific olfactory stimuli. Essential oils are widely used in aromatherapy applications. Certain essential oils, when diffused in the air, can be very stimulating while others can be calming and soothing. Beyond emotional benefits, diffusing essential oils can purify air of unwanted odors and some airborne pathogens. Low or no-heat essential oil diffusers are recommended as they do not change the chemical structure of the oil being diffused. Essential oils can also be used as cleansing and purifying additives to laundry and surface cleaners throughout the home.

Topical Uses
Due to their natural molecular composition, essential oils are easily absorbed by the skin and can be safely applied topically. Application of essential oils can have immediate, localized benefit to the target area of application. They have restorative and calming properties and can be used effectively with massage and beauty therapy. They are also natural disinfectants. The chemical structure of essential oils also allows them to be absorbed into the bloodstream via the skin for internal benefit throughout the body.

Internal Uses
Essential oils can also be used as dietary supplements supporting a variety of healthy conditions. Some essential oils have powerful antioxidant properties while others help support healthy inflammatory response in cells. Many essential oils are generally regarded as being safe for dietary use, but some oils should not be taken internally. Do not use any essential oil product internally that does not have the appropriate dietary supplement facts on its label.

Using essential oils can be both profoundly simple and life changing at the same time. Working with someone who has used essential oils before will help first-time users have a more beneficial and enjoyable experience. A large amount of information is readily available for those desiring to increase their knowledge of essential oil applications.

(Be sure to use only 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oils and follow all label warnings and instructions. Essential oils should not be used in the eyes, inside the ear canal, or in open wounds. If redness or irritation occurs when using essential oils topically, simply apply any vegetable oils such as fractionated coconut oil or olive oil to the affected area. Consult your physician before using essential oils if you are pregnant or under a doctor's care).


Extraction Methods

Therapeutic-grade essential oils are most often extracted via a low-heat steam distillation process in which steam is circulated under pressure through plant material liberating the essential oils into the steam. As the steam mixture cools, the water and oils naturally separate and the oil is collected in its pure form. To ensure the highest quality oil extract of correct chemical composition, temperature and pressure must be monitored very closely. Too little heat and pressure will not release valuable oil while too much can change an extract's composition and potency. As important as the carefully controlled extraction process is, the careful selection of the correct plant and plant parts harvested at the right time is also required for a successful extraction. This complex process is as much art form as it is science and requires experienced growers and distillers working together to ensure a quality product.
(Fact: It takes as much as 12,000 rose blossoms to distill 5 ml of therapeutic- grade essential rose oil.)
Steam distillation is by far the most common method of extraction, but some oils such as citrus oils are extracted through a process of compression in which the oil is squeezed from the plant. A very few essential oils are extracted using solvents that bind with the oils and are later removed from the final product.


Essential Oil Quality Grades

There are a growing number of products claiming to be or to contain essential oils. They range in price and quality and are found in skin care, cosmetics, aromatherapy, and other products. However, many of these products do not use 100% pure essential oils and often use fragrant synthetic chemical substitutes to dilute or replace more expensive essential oil extracts. Furthermore, there are no current regulatory standards for the descriptive use of the “therapeutic grade” for products labeled as essential oils.
The CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade®* mark represents dōTERRA's own internal standards for sourcing and testing 100% pure aromatic botanical extracts using  independent testing laboratories. The dōTERRA brand and registered CPTG mark represent dōTERRA's guarantee of 100% pure essential oil extracts that meet high standards for both purity and material composition and accurate product labeling.

dōTERRA's therapeutic-grade essential oils are 100% pure natural aromatic compounds carefully extracted from plants. They do not contain fillers or artificial ingredients that would dilute their active qualities. Proper extraction and quality control methods also ensure that dōTERRA's essential oils are free of any contaminants such as pesticides or other chemical residues. In addition to being 100% pure and natural, dōTERRA's Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils are subjected to further quality testing that ensures the correct composition of the active natural compounds found in each oil. Even though an essential oil may be 100% pure, if the right species or part of a plant has not been used, or if the plant has not been grown in the right environment or harvested at the right time, or if it has not been distilled under the right conditions, the natural chemical makeup of the extraction will not provide as predictable and powerful a benefit. In some cases, the wrong plant harvested at the wrong time may result in an extract that contains harmful levels of some constituents.
dōTERRA's Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils are guaranteed to be 100% pure and natural and free of synthetic compounds or contaminates. They are subjected to rigorous mass spectrometry and gas chromatography testing to ensure extract composition and activity. dōTERRA's 100% pure essential oils represent the safest and most beneficial essential oils available today.
Lavender(Try this at home: Compare the smell of dōTERRA's 100% lavender essential oil to another lavender oil or product in your home. If your product's fragrance is overbearing in any one note it may contain synthetic chemical substitutes. A 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil should have a balanced, broad fragrance profile and should smell crystal clean. Now, compare the feel of your product to dōTERRA's essential oil. A pure essential oil should not feel slick or oily but rather absorb cleanly and completely into your skin.)

Using Essential Oils Safely

dōTERRA's Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils can be used safely by your family for a variety of wellness applications. However, there are several safety guidelines that you should follow when using essential oils and essential oil products.
  1. Be sure to use only 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oils and follow all label warnings and instructions.
  2. If redness or irritation occurs when using essential oils topically, apply a vegetable oil such as fractionated coconut oil or olive oil to the
    affected area.
  3. Essential oils should not be used in the eyes, inside the ear canal, or in open wounds. In the event of accidental contact with the eye, dilute with vegetable oil NOT water.
  4. Do NOT consume an essential oil internally unless labeled with a Supplement Facts box with specific dietary supplement use instructions and warnings.
  5. Discontinue the use of an essential oil if you experience severe skin, stomach, or respiratory irritation or discomfort.
  6. When using on children, apply a very small amount of oil to test skin or other sensitivity. Do not use oil on a child's hand as they may transfer to their eyes or mouth.
  7. Consult your physician before using essential oils if you are pregnant or under a doctor's care or have other safety questions regarding
    essential oils.
It is important to remember that therapeutic-grade essential oils are highly-concentrated plant extracts and should be used with reasonable care. Consulting with someone who has experience with essential oils will make your first experience with essential oils more enjoyable and rewarding. As you learn how to use essential oils through personal experience, share your knowledge with others in a safe and responsible way and encourage others to do the same.

Contact us at rockymtnsurvival@gmail.com for further information.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Sterile Vs. Clean In Survival Situations


Hey Prepper Nation,
A significant factor in the quality of medical care given in a survival situation is the level of cleanliness of the equipment used.  In primitive conditions, it will be a challenge to make an environment that guarantees the best chance of avoiding infection in a wound.  It will be harder still to sterilize all of your equipment. Now, you may have heard of the terms “sterile” and “clean”, but do you have more than a vague idea of what they mean?
When it comes to medical protection, “sterility” means the complete absence of microbes.  To guarantee the elimination of all organisms, a type of pressure cooker called an “autoclave” is used for instruments, towels, and other items that could come in contact with the patient.  Interestingly, some things can be “dirty” and “sterile” at the same time.  If I put a handful of dirt in a container in a pressure cooker, I would render the dirt sterile by killing all the microbes in it.  It would still be dirt, however.
There is considerable debate, even now, as to what truly constitutes “sterile technique” and what is to be considered “clean technique”.  There is even some disagreement with regard to which technique is best in which scenario.  Although this is a discussion for a much longer article, suffice it to say that initial wound care, especially with deep wounds in the first 48 hours, should be sterile if possible.  As it becomes clear that the wound is not infected, clean technique may be acceptable (indeed, it may be all you have).  An infected wound will appear red, swollen, and feel hot to the touch (see image below).

Here are common characteristics of clean vs. sterile methods:
Sterile technique involves hand washing with special solutions and the use of sterile instruments, gloves, towels, and dressings.  When used on a patient, the area immediately around them is referred to as a “sterile field”.  In order to say that sterile technique was used, you would have to assure that only sterile items were used, and were only touched by other sterile items.  This is not impossible, but requires extra diligence (and expense) to achieve.  For example:  Clean, non-sterile gloves come 100 to a carton, while each pair of sterile gloves must be individually packaged.

Clean technique concentrates on reducing the number of microorganisms that could be transferred from one person to another by medical instruments, or other medical supplies. Meticulous washing of hands and instruments with soap and hot water is important, as is the wearing of clean gloves.  Attention is given to making sure that dressings are made of clean cloth or gauze.  In most survival settings, this may be as good as it gets, but is that so bad?
There is very little research that compares clean vs. sterile technique for wound care.   In one study, an experiment was conducted in which one group of patients with traumatic wounds were cleaned with sterile saline solution, the other group with tap water.  Amazingly, the infection rate was 5.4% in the tap water group as opposed to 10.3% in the sterile saline group.  Another study revealed no difference in infection rates in wounds treated in a sterile fashion as opposed to clean technique.
Therefore, I usually recommend clean water to irrigate wounds (see image below), although sterile saline is also fine.  If you use Betadine, make sure it is very dilute.  Betadine is cytotoxic (harmful to new cells) in deep wounds, so is best in the initial cleansing or in situations where infection is suspected. The same goes for Hydrogen Peroxide.

Let’s talk for a second about sterile vs. non-sterile dressings.  I usually recommend a moist sterile gauze in deep wounds covered by a less moist or dry dressing on top (“wet-to-dry dressing”).  However, consider this: A 2006 study in the Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery took 2 x 2 inch squares of the following items and submitted them for tests to see if there were bacterial organisms on them:
  • 20 Sterile Gauze
  • 20 Panty Liners
  • 20 Sanitary Feminine Napkins
  • 20 Diapers
The results:
  • None of the 20 sanitary napkins grew out bacteria
  • 1 of the 20 panty liners grew out bacteria (Staphylococcus)
  • 2 of the 20 sterile dressings grew out bacteria (1 Staph. And 1 Streptococcus)
  • 15 of the 20 diapers grew out bacteria (all bacillus)
Surprised that the sterile dressings came in third?  I was.  In any case, this doesn’t prove that you shouldn’t use sterile dressings where possible; it just means that, for survival purposes, we might want to conduct further research (which is what the Canadian study recommended).
                                            The Winner!
Remember that your entire sick room should be kept disinfected, so as not to spread infection. Disinfectants are substances that are applied to non-living surfaces to destroy microbes. This would include areas where you would treat patients or prepare food.  Disinfection does not necessarily kill all germs and, as such, is not as effective as sterilization.
A disinfectant is different from an antiseptic, which removes micro-organisms from the surfaces of LIVING tissue.  An antiseptic differs from an antibiotic in that an antibiotic can kill harmful bugs INSIDE a living organism.
Examples of Disinfectants include:
  • Bleach
  • Alcohol
  • Vinegar
Examples of Antiseptics include:
  • Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens)
  • Betadine
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • BZK (Benzalkonium Chloride)
Examples of Antibiotics include:
  • Amoxicillin
  • Tetracycline
  • Ciprofloxacin
Some mistakenly consider disinfection to be the same as “decontamination”. The latter, however, may include the elimination of toxic chemicals or radiation.  The removal of radioactive dust from a surface would, therefore, not be called disinfection, but decontamination.
Dr. Bones
Reference:  Can J Plast Surg. 2006 Spring; 14(1): 25–27.
Reference:  Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing- March/April 2012
Are you prepared to deal with medical issues in disaster situations?  If you have the #1 Amazon Survival Skills Bestseller “The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook”, you will be!   Here’s the trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb3vdQecUPM

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Dr. Peter Vincent Pry: America May Never Recover From EMP Attack

Mon, June 4, 2012
by: 
Ryan Mauro
Dr. Peter Vincent Pry is the Executive Director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security for the Congressional Caucus on EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) that endeavors to carry on the work of the EMP Commission. He is also the Director of the United States Nuclear Strategy Forum, an advisory body to Congress on policies to counter weapons of mass destruction.
Dr. Pry has served on the staffs of the EMP Commission, the Strategic Posture Commission, the Commission on the New Strategic Posture of the U.S., the House Armed Services Committee and the Central Intelligence Agency.
For those unfamiliar with what an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) attack is, please view the segment on the topic from the Clarion Fund’s Iranium by clicking here.
The following is RadicalIslam.org’s national security analyst Ryan Mauro’s interview with Dr. Pry:
Ryan Mauro: How long will it take to get critical infrastructure back up and running after an EMP attack?
Dr. Peter Vincent Pry:  Given the current state of U.S. unpreparedness, after a nuclear EMP attack that collapses the electric grid and other critical infrastructures, the U.S. might never recover.  The Congressional EMP Commission--that investigated the EMP threat for nearly a decade and produced the most definitive analysis of the threat--estimated that within one year of a nuclear EMP attack, about two-thirds of the U.S. population, about 200 million Americans, would likely perish from starvation, disease and societal collapse.  Iranian military writings openly describe making an EMP attack to eliminate the United States as an actor on the world stage.
Mauro: Have past nuclear tests in the air produced an EMP?
Pry: Past exoatmospheric nuclear tests have produced an EMP, such as the 1962 STARFISH PRIME nuclear test.  The nuclear burst must occur at high altitude, above 30-40 kilometers, to produce the EMP effect.  During the Cold War, the Soviet Union conducted high-altitude EMP tests over part of their own territory that collapsed electric grids.  Fifty years of empirical data from nuclear tests and EMP simulators proves that an EMP attack would have catastrophic consequences.
Mauro: How could the U.S. government protect us from this threat? How much would it cost?
Pry:  The Congressional EMP Commission produced a plan for protecting all U.S. critical infrastructures from nuclear and natural EMP (such as would be generated by a great geomagnetic storm, like the 1859 Carrington event) that could be implemented in 3-5 years at a cost of $10-20 billion.  This would provide robust protection.  At minimum, the 300 EHV transformers that service the biggest U.S. cities, where most of the population lives, could and should be protected, at a cost of $100-200 million, or about one dollar for every life that could be saved.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission estimates that the national electric grid could be protected from EMP at a cost to the average rate payer of 20 cents annually.
Mauro: How much dispute is there over the science behind the horrific scenario you depict? A skeptic once sent me a report by Oak Ridge National Laboratories/Metatech about “myths” regarding the EMP threat.
 Pry: Among the numerous official Congressional and USG studies on nuclear EMP attack--that includes reports by the Congressional EMP Commission, the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission, the Department of Energy and National Electric Reliability Corporation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (which includes the Metatech report), there is an official scientific and technical consensus that an EMP attack would have catastrophic consequences.  Even the most optimistic "best case" scenario involving a nuclear EMP attack by a primitive low-yield nuclear weapon would be an unprecedented catastrophe and could collapse the national electric grid and other critical infrastructures that sustain modern society and the lives of millions.
 Indeed, the entire purpose of Congressional Commissions is to, if possible, resolve controversy and achieve consensus on matters of national security concern.  Two Congressional Commissions staffed by our nation's best experts and supported by the vast resources of the defense department, the intelligence community and the national nuclear weapons laboratories have independently arrived at the same consensus that a nuclear EMP attack would be catastrophic--so as a matter of public policy, the existential character of the nuclear EMP threat is not controversial, but an established fact.
There are some individuals, usually in academia, who claim the EMP threat is exaggerated.  But these people are not EMP experts and are simply ignorant or politically motivated, as when the New York Times ganged up on Newt Gingrich for trying to warn about the EMP threat during his presidential bid.  Nonetheless the press, uneducated about EMP itself, keeps quoting these non-experts.
Nothing could be further from the truth.  I know well Dr. William Radasky, the team leader of the Oak Ridge/Metatech report, and he would certainly agree that a nuclear EMP attack on the U.S. would be an unprecedented catastrophe--and this is the conclusion of his report.  If you read the report, it warns that an EMP event could collapse the electric grid and other critical infrastructures and require 4-10 years to recover.  Can you imagine trying to survive for years in the aftermath of a nuclear EMP attack that deprives you and millions of your fellow citizens of food, water, transportation and other necessities for life?  Sounds pretty catastrophic to me.
But it should not take a genius to realize that when a falling tree branch can cause the great northeast blackout of 2003, any nuclear EMP attack would certainly have catastrophic consequences.  Iran, North Korea, China and Russia all certainly understand this, as reflected in their military writings.
Ryan Mauro: How far away is Iran and other enemies of the U.S. from having the capability to carry out this kind of attack? Some experts say that Iran would still need a year to construct an actual nuclear bomb after acquiring the necessary highly enriched uranium and would need years after that to develop a nuclear warhead that can fit onto a ballistic missile.
Dr. Peter Vincent Pry:  Any state or group possessing any nuclear weapon and any missile capable of reaching an altitude over 30-40 kilometers can make an EMP attack.  An ICBM is not necessary.  An EMP attack can be delivered by a short-range missile launched from a ship, such as a commercial freighter, operating near U.S. shores.  Iran has practiced such a delivery mode.  Iran already has missiles, such as Scuds and its Shahab-III, capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
Officially, the Obama Administration claims that Iran does not yet have nuclear weapons.  Personally, I have written several articles warning that Iran might already have the bomb.  Our intelligence on Iran's nuclear weapons program is not good.  Historically, our intelligence community has a bad record on predicting the advent of new nuclear weapon states and was taken by surprise by the development of nuclear weapons by Russia, India, Pakistan and North Korea.
Supposedly, Iran has been trying to develop nuclear weapons for 20 years, yet during World War II, the U.S. Manhattan Project developed the world's first nuclear weapons using 1940’s era technology in just three years.  Why should Iran, with access to the now declassified Manhattan Project papers and copious other U.S. documents on nuclear weapons design and helped by North Korea and others and equipped with modern technology, not be able to accomplish in 20 years what the U.S. accomplished during the 1940’s in just three?  
The difficulty of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead for missile delivery is often exaggerated.  Pakistan deployed nuclear warheads on its Ghauri missile just one year after its first nuclear test.  Israel, according to the respected Wisconsin Project, has developed a sophisticated array of nuclear weapons, including thermonuclear warheads and weapons miniaturized for delivery by missiles and artillery--all without nuclear testing.

Ryan Mauro is RadicalIslam.org's National Security Analyst and a fellow with the Clarion Fund. He is the founder of WorldThreats.com and is frequently interviewed on Fox News.

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