From Russia With Love

I saw the latest James Bond flick " Casino Royal" last week-end. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But truthfully, the idea that Russian President Putin is having his opponents wacked is ever so much more suspenseful. It is also unneving and tragic.
What started with the shooting of Anna Politkovskaya, a prominent Russian journalist known for reporting of human rights abuses in war-torn Chechnya was followed last week with the radiation poisoning of exiled Russian KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko. Both were considered traitors by Russia's establishment for their support of Chechens. Clearly Russia is back to its old tricks.
Which brings me to Polonium-210, the radioactive isotope used to kill Litvinenco. Where did it come from? The head of Russia's state atomic energy agency Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, told the government newspaper "Rossiiskaya Gazeta" that Russia produces only 8 grams of polonium-210 a month and the material cannot be obtained illegally there. Kiriyenko declined to say how polonium was produced but said nuclear reactors such as the Russian RMBK or the Canadian CANDU were needed to make it.
So pardon me for asking: " How come you can get it for $69.00 from the New Mexico firm United Nuclear Scientific Equipment & Supplies. It offers a sample of radioactive element on its website, as part of its aim of putting the "fun back into science". If you don't believe me, check out their web site: http://www.unitednuclear.com. Though this outfit does not ship outside of the U.S., that hardly would be a hurdle for any well trained KGB assassin
We are being told in the news that a minute amount of this stuff is enough to kill. But on its web site, United Nuclear states:
"All our radioactive isotopes are legal to purchase & own by the general public All isotopes are made to order at an NRC licensed reactor in Oak Ridge Tennessee. When the isotope is made, it is shipped directly to the customer from the reactor to insure the longest possible half-life."
I don't know about you, but that does not sit right with me. In all fairness, the firm has a disclaimer stating :"The amount of Plonium-210, as well as any of the isotopes we sell is an 'exempt quantity' amount. These quantities of radioactive material are not hazardous." But that is still some pretty scary stuff. What do you think?