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Nuclear weapons
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Template:FixBunching Nuclear terrorism denotes the use, or threat of the use, of nuclear weapons or radiological weapons in acts of terrorism, including attacks against facilities where radioactive materials are present. In legal terms, nuclear terrorism is an offense committed if a person unlawfully and intentionally “uses in any way radioactive material … with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury”, according to International conventions.

The notion of terrorist organizations using nuclear weapons (especially very small ones, such as suitcase nukes) has been a threat in American rhetoric and culture. It is plausible that terrorists could acquire a nuclear weapon.

Overview

Two of the main dangers associated with nuclear reactors are nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Terrorism involving nuclear weapons or radioactive materials could take a variety of forms. Terrorists could:

• Attack a nuclear reactor.
• Disrupt critical inputs (eg., water supply) for the safe running of a nuclear reactor.
• Steal nuclear fuel or waste.
• Acquire fissile material and fabricate a nuclear bomb.
• Acquire a ready-made nuclear weapon or take over a nuclear-armed submarine, plane or base.

Graham Allison, director of Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a well-known defense analyst, has said that the danger of terrorists acquiring a nuclear weapon is greater than 50 percent (ie - more likely than not).

Radiological Weapons

It is possible for a terrorist group to detonate a radiological or 'dirty bomb'. A 'dirty bomb' is composed of any radioactive source and a conventional explosive. The radioactive material is dispersed by the detonation of the explosive. Detonation of such a weapon is not as powerful as a nuclear blast, but can produce considerable radioactive fallout. There are other radiological weapons called radiological dispersal devices where an explosive is not necessary. A radiological weapon may be very appealing to terrorist groups as it is highly successful in instilling fear and panic amongst a population (particularly because of the threat of radiation poisoning), and would contaminate the immediate area for some period of time, disrupting attempts to repair the damage. The economic losses could be enormous - easily reaching into the tens of billions of dollars.

Planned and attempted attacks

In June 2002, U.S. citizen Jose Padilla was arrested for allegedly planning a radiological attack on the city of Chicago; however, he was never charged with such conduct. He was instead convicted of charges that he conspired to "murder, kidnap and maim" people overseas.

In November 2006, MI5 warned that Islamic terrorists, specifically the al-Qaida were planning on using nuclear weapons against cities in the United Kingdom by obtaining the bombs via clandestine means.

In June 2007 Fox News reported that the FBI had released to the press the name of Adnan Gulshair el Shukrijumah, allegedly the operations leader for developing tactical plans for detonating nuclear bombs in several American cities simultaneously.

60 Minutes reported that in November 2007, burglars with unknown intentions infiltrated the Pelindaba nuclear research facility near Pretoria, South Africa. The burglars escaped without acquiring any of the weapon-grade Uranium held at the facility.

Radiological assassinations

A politically motivated assassinations using radiological agents are considered nuclear terrorism according to International agreements For example, the murder of Litvinenko with radioactive polonium "represents an ominous landmark: the beginning of an era of nuclear terrorism", according to medical experts Other similar cases include poisoning of Nikolai Khokhlov by radioactive thallium poisoning in Frankfurt in 1957 by KGB and death of Yuri Shchekochikhin on July 3, 2003 in Moscow .

Recovering lost weapons & material

In August 2002, the United States launched a program to track and secure enriched uranium from 24 Soviet-style reactors in 16 countries, in order to reduce the risk of the materials falling into the hands of terrorists or "rogue states". The first such operation was Project Vinca, an operation in Serbia "to remove a quantity of highly enriched uranium, sufficient to produce 2-1/2 nuclear weapons from a research reactor near downtown Belgrade" .

In order to reduce the danger of attacks using nuclear waste material, European Union Commissioner Loyola de Palacio suggested in November 2002 the creation of common standards in the European Union, especially in the new member states operating Soviet-era reactors, for subterranean nuclear waste disposal.

Allegations of preparations to nuclear sabotage

Template:Totally-disputed The highest-ranking GRU defector Stanislav Lunev described alleged Soviet plans for using tactical nuclear weapons for sabotage against the United states in the event of war. He described Soviet-made suitcase nukes identified as RA-115s (or RA-115-01s for submersible weapons) which weigh from fifty to sixty pounds. These portable bombs can last for many years if wired to an electric source. “In case there is a loss of power, there is a battery backup. If the battery runs low, the weapon has a transmitter that sends a coded message – either by satellite or directly to a GRU post at a Russian embassy or consulate.”

Lunev was personally looking for hiding places for weapons caches in the Shenandoah Valley area. He said that "it is surprisingly easy to smuggle nuclear weapons into the US" either across the Mexican border or using a small transport missile that can slip though undetected when launched from a Russian airplane US Congressman Curt Weldon supported claims by Lunev, but "Weldon said later the FBI discredited Lunev, saying that he exaggerated things." Searches of the areas identified by Lunev - who admits he never planted any weapons in the US - have been conducted, "but law-enforcement officials have never found such weapons caches, with or without portable nuclear weapons." in the US (several Soviet weapons cashes booby-trapped with "Lightning" explosive devices were found in Europe based on information provided by another defector, Vasili Mitrokhin )

Allegations of privately owned nuclear weapons

Template:Totally-disputed According to high-ranking Russian SVR defector Tretyakov, he had a meeting with two Russian businessman representing a state-created Chetek corporation in 1991. They came up with a fantastic project of destroying large quantities of chemical wastes collected from Western countries at the island of Novaya Zemlya (a test place for Soviet nuclear weapons) using an underground nuclear blast. The project was rejected by Canadian representatives, but one of the businessmen told Tretyakov that he keeps his own nuclear bomb at his dacha outside Moscow. Tretyakov thought that man was insane, but the "businessmen" (Vladimir K. Dmitriev) replied: "Do not be so naive. With economic conditions the way they are in Russia today, anyone with enough money can buy a nuclear bomb. It's no big deal really" .

See also

• Brittle Power
• List of crimes involving radioactive substances
• Nuclear 9/11
• Nuclear espionage
• Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe
• On Nuclear Terrorism
• Pelindaba
• Terrorism
• The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism
• The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of Nuclear Danger
• The World Institute for Nuclear Security
• Weapons of mass destruction

References

1. ^ Radiological Terrorism: “Soft Killers” by Morten Bremer Mærli, Bellona Foundation Cite error: The named reference "Bellona" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
2. ^ International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism Cite error: The named reference "treaty" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
3. Nuclear Terrorism: Frequently Asked Questions
4. Nuclear terrorism
5. Allison: No Loose Nukes
6. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,277614,00.html
7. "Ushering in the era of nuclear terrorism", by Patterson, Andrew J. MD, PhD, Critical Care Medicine, v. 35, p.953-954, 2007.
8. "Beyond the Dirty Bomb: Re-thinking Radiological Terror", by James M. Acton; M. Brooke Rogers; Peter D. Zimmerman, DOI: 10.1080/00396330701564760, Survival, Volume 49, Issue 3 September 2007, pages 151 - 168
9. Meeting with past (Russian)
10. Alex Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko. "Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB." Free Press, New York, 2007. ISBN 978-1416551652.
11. Russia's poisoning 'without a poison' – Julian O'Halloran, BBC Radio 4, 6 February 2007.Retrieved on 2007-07-30.
12. ^ Stanislav Lunev. Through the Eyes of the Enemy: The Autobiography of Stanislav Lunev, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-89526-390-4.
13. Nicholas Horrock, "FBI focusing on portable nuke threat", UPI (20 December 2001).
14. Steve Goldstein and Chris Mondics, "Some Weldon-backed allegations unconfirmed; Among them: A plot to crash planes into a reactor, and missing suitcase-size Soviet atomic weapons." Philadelphia Inquirer (15 March 2006) A7.
15. Christopher Andrew, Vasili Mitrokhin, (2000). The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West. Gardners Books. ISBN 0-14-028487-7, page 475-476
16. Pete Earley, "Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War", Penguin Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-399-15439-3, pages 114-121.

External links

• Nuclear Terrorism publications from Harvard Kennedy School faculty and fellows
• What if the terrorists go nuclear?, Center for Defense Information
• Nuclear terrorism by Union of concerned scientists
• New Council on Foreign Relations report outlines ways to reduce the possibility of nuclear terrorism
• FBI Releases name of Operations Leader for Al Quaeda Nuclear Terror plot Against American Cities
• Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
• Article about Nuclear Terrorism written by author William Lambers that appeared in the Miami Herald (FL) and the Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail
• Use of nuclear and radiological weapons by terrorists? Article in the International Review of the Red Cross
• Nuclear Files. org Information and articles relating to nuclear terrorism and its prevention
• Nuclear plant sabotage and terrorism Three Mile Island Alert identifies security incidents and issues
• "Can Terrorists Build Nuclear Weapons?" — article by five nuclear weapons scientists
• Nuclear terrorism top fear, survey says
• Annotated bibliography on nuclear terrorism from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
• Online Nuclear Terrorism Tutorial
• New generation of nuclear power stations 'risk terrorist anarchy'

• Nuclear weapons
• Nuclear terrorism