Effective international cooperation is critically important. Preventing terrorism through providing nuclear security 1501 words 7 pages. This chapter seeks to provide a sound assessment of the scope and nature of the threat by examining the different types of nuclear terrorism, each of which poses different risks, involves. If a terrorist group like al qaeda was determined to go nuclear, how might it attempt to do so and what obstacles would it face. Along the way, levi identifies the many obstacles, large and small, that such a terrorist scheme might encounter, allowing him to discover a host of ways that any plan might be foiled. The report and papers of the international task force on prevention of nuclear terrorism, ed. Early on, we supported field projects to secure vulnerable weaponsusable materialsplutonium and highly enriched uranium. Nuclear explosion this form of nuclear terrorism is the gravest in terms of the number of casualties, the immediate vast destruction and the lethal longterm effects on human health and the environment. Nuclear terrorism how could nuclear terrorism occur.
Nuclear terrorism is a low probability, high consequence threat. In his 2007 book on nuclear terrorism, author michael a. Berhard lack of knowledge is not an impediment to nuclear terrorism. This important book makes a big contribution to public understanding and to public policy on nuclear terrorism, which might yetdespite the daunting oddsprevent it from ever happening. Chapter one recounts the long history of the islamic republics support for terrorism, primarily driven by the irgc. Consequently, the main obstacle to a terrorist planning a nuclear nightmare would be acquiring fissile material plutonium or highly enriched uranium capable of rapid nuclear fission. Preface nuclear terrorism is an immediate challenge for the entire world. As populations congregate in everlarger cities around the globe, scientists are seeking to measure all the likely physical impacts of such an attack on these dense clusters. Combating illicit trafficking in nuclear and other. Since 1979, iran has made it a policy of state to actively direct, facilitate, and carry out terrorist activity globally. A brief history of nuclear proliferation by volha charnysh, napf intern introduction in the last hundred years, life expectancy doubled and many deadly illnesses were eradicated. The four faces of nuclear terrorism request pdf researchgate.
It has been used to mean violence waged by drug producers to extract political concessions from the government. After years of progress on nuclear security, the fourth edition of the nti nuclear security index finds that the steps countries have taken to reduce the threat of catastrophic nuclear terrorism are jeopardized by a deterioration of political stability and governance, an increase in corruption, and the expanding presence of terrorist groups around the world. Nefarious uses of radioactive materials, july 2007, updated september 2008, by charles streeper, marcie lombardi, and lee cantrell, presented at 48th annual meeting, institute of nuclear materials management a global chronology of incidents of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear attacks. Some definitions of nuclear terrorism include the sabotage of a nuclear facility andor the detonation of a radiological device, colloquially termed a dirty bomb, but consensus is lacking. Annihilating the claim that terrorism isnt an existential threat to america. They overcame a 10,000volt security fence, entered without setting off an alarm, broke into the emergency control center, shot a worker, and escaped.
Mar 22, 2011 the use of nuclear weapons in an urban area, particularly by a terrorist group, remains a palpable threat for many in a post911 world. The nuclear terrorism threat the nonproliferation policy. Wins was formed in 2008, less than a year after a breakin at the pelindaba nuclear facility in south africa, which contained enough enriched uranium. Mohamed elbaradei former director of the iaea and winner of the 2005 nobel peace prize, february 1, 2009.
Of all the terrorist threats facing the united states and the world, perhaps the gravest is the possibility of terrorists constructing or obtaining a nuclear weapon and detonating it in a city. Yet, as a consequence, we fail to understand how best to defeat it. Less destructive but more likely terrorism dangers come from attacks on nuclear facilities that use or process nuclear material. The world institute for nuclear security is an organization which seeks to prevent nuclear terrorism and improve world nuclear security. Nuclear terrorism assessing the threat, developing a response ix terrorist acquisition of nuclear weapons. The 2012 nuclear security summit stated that nuclear terrorism is zone of the most challenging threats to. Levi points out the many obstacles that such a terrorist scheme may encounter, which in turn leads to a host of possible ways that any terrorist plan could be foiled. Nuclear security summit background material april 2010 harvard kennedy school belfer center for science and international affairs nuclear terrorism fact sheet challenge.
My academic degrees are in fine arts, history, and the humanitiesclassical stuff. The history of the future of nuclear weapons by moeed yusuf fellow, frederick s. Feb 09, 2002 nuclear terrorism could take several forms, from an attack on nuclear power plants and reactors to the detonation of a nuclear bomb in an urban area the international community urgently needs to expand its efforts to secure existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons and materials, particularly in russia, pakistan, and india. The book concludes that the organisational and psychological pressures within terrorist groups and the changing nature of political violence combined with the heightened danger of nuclear microproliferation have made massdestructive terrorism the greatest nontraditional threat to international security in the world today. The fact that the most notorious instances of contemporary terrorism. Oct 24, 2003 designing strategies for preventing nuclear and radiological terrorism thus requires finding different admixtures of the three broad approaches, each appropriate to different weapons problems. And yet the subtitle of is book is the ultimate preventable catastrophe. Nuclear attack on nagasaki on august 9th, 2 days after the hiroshima attack, the united states dropped its second atomic bomb on nagasaki since there was no reaction from the japanese government on trumans statements. Many countries continue to make efforts to strengthen nuclear security by enhancing systems of nuclear material protection, control. Islamic republics destabilizing support for proxies and terrorist groups.
The single most effective way to do so would be to ensure that the amendment to the cppnm enters into force as soon as possible. A mathematical model of the risk of nuclear terrorism. People need to understand nuclear weapons better in order to appreciate their role in deterring mass wars and ending the conscription or national service that lasted until 1960 in britain and 1975 in the usa. Michael levi takes us inside nuclear terrorism and behind the decisions a terrorist leader would be faced with in pursuing a nuclear plot. Nuclear terrorism, according to warren buffet, who should be adept in evaluating the probability of future events. A nuclear weapon requires either highly enriched uranium heu or plutonium. Nuclear terrorism definition of nuclear terrorism by the. No one with a trace of human pity can think of the effects of nuclear warfare without feeling utter abhorrence for such a thing and deepest compassion for those who may sometime be caught in its.
Experts typically classify nuclear and radiological terrorism into four threats. Nuclear terrorism fact sheet university of illinois. These groups operate in or near states with histories of questionable nuclear security. A clear and present danger introduction nuclear terrorism the threat by a terrorist group to obtain and use a nuclear weapon, or to acquire enough nuclear material to create and use a crude weapon or dirty bomb poses a serious threat to the united states and its allies. Royal united services institute 1 introduction nuclear terrorism has become one of the most urgent threats to international serenity. As vice president dick cheney once argued, if there is a one percent chance of a terrorist developing a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. The good news is that the number of countries storing these dangerous materials has dropped from a high of 52 in 1992. By examining whether terrorists will go nuclear, rands analyses have helped policymakers understand the probable risk and potential sources of nuclear terrorism, evaluate. It takes less than ten kilograms of plutonium, or a few tens of. Preventing nuclear terrorism has been at the heart of nti s work since our founding. Discussing the history of the nuclear age, schwartz seeks to educate the reader.
Nuclear terrorism overview union of concerned scientists. The different forms of nuclear terrorism nuclear terrorism can manifest itself in several different forms. Escobar wanted colombia to revise its extradition treaty, which it eventually did. Examples of nuclear terrorism by nassef ghazi on prezi. International convention for the suppression of acts of. The threat of nuclear terrorism the talk is now that if the world is to escape near or total annihilation it must turn for help to the ethics of jesus. This means there are only two plausible ways for terrorists to acquire nuclear weapons. The bad news is that increasingly wellorganized and wellfunded terrorist organizationswhich now have easy access to the knowhow needed to build a bomb have declared their intent to seek the materials necessary for weapons of mass destruction. Tackling nuclear terrorism in south asia prism national. In the postsoviet era, as the number of nuclear states has increased and governmental control over nuclear stockpiles has weakened, the threat of nuclear terrorism has become a growing concern of the global community. For this reason, nuclear terrorism is the major nuclear weapons hazard. Nuclear terrorism denotes the detonation of a yieldproducing nuclear bomb containing fissile material by terrorists.
The historical record shows no confirmed incidents of terrorist outsider attacks on. Understanding the threat of nuclear terrorism by evan braden montgomery over the past several years, the prospect of a terrorist group armed with a nuclear weapon has frequently been cited as a genuine and overriding threat to the security of the united states. This website is a cooperative project undertaken by nations that have endorsed the global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism. The woodrow wilson centers nuclear proliferation international history project or npihp is a global network of individuals and institutions engaged in the study of international nuclear history through archival documents, oral history interviews and other empirical sources. Nuclear terrorism fact sheet april 2010 weapons worth of heu is stored. All countries must take the threat of nuclear terrorism seriously.
There is clear evidence that some terrorist groups have been trying to obtain nuclear materials, primarily from the enormous stockpiles of the former soviet union. Nuclear terrorism can manifest itself in several different forms. Declassified nuclear weapon safety development history. In december 1994 czech police seized 4 kg of highly enriched uranium. Levi surveys the issue of nuclear terrorism and explores the decisions a terrorist leader might take in pursuing a nuclear plot. Some definitions of nuclear terrorism include the sabotage of a nuclear facility andor the detonation of a radiological device, colloquially termed a dirty bomb but consensus is lacking. Nuclear terrorism acts of violence political and nonpolitical involving radioactive materials, assaults on nuclear facilities, and thefts of nuclear warheads. Security strategies, for many centuries, have been based on boundaries. It works alongside the international atomic energy agency. Nuclear disarmament is the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons. Database of radiological incidents and related events. Students learn how physics describes the natural world, using quantities such as velocity, acceleration, force, energy, momentum, and charge. Preventing terrorism through providing nuclear security the department of homeland security was initiated as a result of the worst terrorist attack in united states history, september 11th, 2001, with the purpose of providing protection for the american people from a wide variety of terrorist threats.
Cuban missile crisis, fear of terrorism, iraq war, nuclear terrorism, nuclear. Indeed, terrorism, the principal aim of which is to terrorize, is a historically far broader phenomenon than suggested by the terms current usage, which essentially boils it down to the description or analysis of the illegitimate use of violence in terroristtype activities. A nuclear attack by terrorists against the united states has the potential to make the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001, look like a historical footnote. A terrorist attack using nuclear or radiological materials is a lowprobability event, but if executed, would lead to unprecedented socioeconomic, material, and psychological disruption and damage. Experts typically classify nuclear and radiological terrorism into four threat categories. Eliminate international terrorism annexed thereto, recalling also that, pursuant to general assembly resolution 51210, an ad hoc committee was established to elaborate, inter alia, an international convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism to. Nuclear terrorism list of high impact articles ppts. Nuclear terrorism is such a disturbing prospect that we shy away from its details. Analysis of nuclear terrorism essay 1754 words bartleby. Bush received a cia report that al qaeda had smuggled a tenkiloton nuclear weapon into new york city. The most plausible attack scenarios involve crude nuclear weapons constructed using lowgrade fissile material uranium or plutonium.
Even the use of a crude nuclear device would have a devastating effect, both physically and psychologically. Nuclear terrorism refers to any person or persons who detonate a nuclear weapon in an act of terrorism meaning illegal or immoral use of violence for a political or religious cause. Nuclear terrorism in america washington free beacon. Terrorists dont need to build an icbm to unleash a nuclear attack on a large population center. It is an irony of history that many of the first reactors that now need. Yet as a consequence, we fail to understand how best to defeat it. There are four main alternatives that prospective nuclear terrorists might pursue. Nearly 2 million kilograms of each have already been produced and exist in the world today.
While most of these facilities were designed with security in mind, many reactors were not designed to resist the level of terrorist threat that materialized on september 11th. Experts are studying it, policymakers are responding to it, and the public also. Since the likelihood of a terrorist using a missile to launch a nuclear attack against the united states or any other country is virtually zero, it would appear that the administrations budget priorities are way out of line in terms of providing real security and protecting the us and other countries from the threat of nuclear terrorism. Understanding nuclear terrorism w hile the magnitude of death and destruction associated with a nuclear terrorist attack is difficult to comprehend, it is not difficult to envision how such an attack might occur. The paper has analyzed different manifestations of terrorism with nuclear weapons and ionizing radiation as a special kind of terrorism.
The consequences of a major security failure could be a catastrophe that transcends borders. Preventing catastrophic nuclear terrorism council on. From war ii to the wars of national liberation 208 gerard chaliand and arnaud blin part iii terrorism since 1968. Effects of nuclear conflicts and acts of nuclear terrorism. Information on how to manipulate nuclear material to produce an explosive devicean improvised nuclear device, which would produce a nuclear explosion and a mushroom cloud, or a radiationdispersal device, which would spread dangerous radioactive. Some definitions of nuclear terrorism include the sabotage of a nuclear facility andor the detonation of a radiological device, colloquially termed a dirty bomb. Nuclear terrorism is the most serious danger the world is facing. First, they could steal an intact nuclear weapon from existing arsenals or purchase a stolen. Threats, challenges, and responsesthe conflictin the days after september 11, doomsday scenarios like a terrorist nuclear attack suddenly seemed plausible. Today, much of the knowledge required to build 4a crude nuclear device is widely available in open literature and on the internet. Nuclear explosion this form of nuclear terrorism is the gravest in terms of the number of casualties, the immediate vast destruction and the lethal longterm effects on. The threat of nuclear terrorism has become a global concern.
Global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism gicnt. Nuclear terrorism has emerged as one of the principal concerns for cross border. Todays dangers include nuclear arms proliferation, an increasing risk of nuclear terrorism, and the 35000 warheads that remain in superpower nuclear arsenals, many still on hairtrigger alert. My academic degrees are in fine arts, history, and the humanities classical stuff. The world would be a better place to live, had the astonishing scientific discoveries not been. Fortunately, these materials are not found in nature and are difficult to produce. Designing strategies for preventing nuclear and radiological terrorism thus requires finding different admixtures of the three broad approaches, each appropriate to. Possibilities that terrorist groups come into possession of nuclear weapons and apply them for terrorist purposes have been analysed. First, a nonstate actor such as a terrorist or criminal or a group of terrorists or criminals could acquire a nuclear weapon from an arsenal of a nuclear armed state. It can also be the end state of a nuclear weaponsfree world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated. The most famous example of this was the battle waged in the 1980s by pablo escobar, head of the medellin drug cartel, against the colombian government by way of assassinations, hijackings, and bombings. Threat of nuclear terrorism and the role of nonstate. At least four terrorist groups, including al qaeda, have demonstrated interest in using a nuclear device. The nuclear summit of 47 countries that was convened by the united states skirted the real issues of proliferation and disarmament of atomic weapons by the nuclear weapon states.
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