Page 286 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism
P. 286
N-Kushner.qxd 29-10-02 2:10 PM Page 265
Nuclear Terrorism———265
wide area. A typical device might use an explosive reduce nuclear weapon stockpiles and negotiate
charge attached to a container of radioactive material strong treaty agreements that will make it more dif-
that had been obtained either legally or illegally. Such ficult for terrorists to obtain nuclear weapons, fis-
devices, referred to as “dirty bombs,” would not require sionable materials, and the technologies needed to
a great deal of technical sophistication, and it is appar- make them.
ent that terrorists are able to use commercial or military
See also WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
explosives. They might also make improvised explo-
sives from readily obtainable materials of the type used
in the Oklahoma City attack. Further Reading
The magnitude of the damage inflicted by such an Jenkins, Brian M. “Will Terrorists Go Nuclear? A
attack would depend on the quantity and radioactive Reappraisal.” In Harvey W. Kushner (Ed.), The Future of
half-lives of the materials released, and local wind and Terrorism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998, pp. 225-249.
weather conditions. Most assessments suggest that the “Nuclear Arms Plants’ Security Lax.” Washington Post,
effects of such an attack would be relatively small January 23, 2002, A15.
because the terrorists would not be able to obtain the “Nuclear Reactors As Terrorist Targets.” New York Times,
large quantities of long-lived radioactive materials January 21, 2002, A14.
needed to contaminate more than a few city blocks or Serber, Robert, and Richard Rhodes, eds. The Los Alamos
Primer: The First Lectures on How to Build an Atomic
so. Nevertheless, it is easy to imagine that the explo-
Bomb. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of
sion of a radiological weaponin a densely populated
California Press, 1992.
area would cause panic and flight.
“Suicidal Nuclear Threat Is Seen at Weapons Plants.”
Recent terrorist attacks and the declared inten-
New York Times, January 23, 2002, A9.
tions of groups such as Al Qaeda demonstrate that U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. “Proli-
nations must increase their vigilance over nuclear feration of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Assessing the
weapons, nuclear reactors, and related systems. They Risks.” OTA-ISC-559. Washington, DC: Government
will also have to come to terms with the need to Printing Office, August 1993.