Right now, enormous quantities of real resources are being devoted to extracting gold from the earth and then promptly burying it again (in vaults).

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That happens when fissionable nuclear materials, such as uranium or plutonium, are brought together in sufficient quantities and under the right conditions so that a chain reaction begins.

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However, if the information about dozens of storage sites is right, then there is a distinct possibility that significant quantities of these weapons could go missing, even if the US plans were 95% effective.

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