There have been no serious territorial or ideological. Safeguarding against terrorists use of radioactive materials. Assessing the risk of nuclear terrorism is a challenging task due to the diversity of actors involved, variety of pathways to success, range of defensive measures employed, and the lack of detailed historical record upon which to base analysis. The issue of nuclear terrorism transnational institute.
Next steps to prevent nuclear and radiological terrorism. Radiological terrorism and nuclear sabotage nuclear. Matthew bunn and anthony wier 2006 terrorist nuclear weapon. Fear of nuclear weapons is rational, but its extension to terrorism has been a vehicle for fearmongering that is unjustified by available data. The authors succintly analyze each of these scenarios and clearly present the challenges involved by terrorists. Health effect resulting from a massive dose of an environmental insult over a short period. The four faces of nuclear terrorism monterey, california. Pages in category nuclear terrorism the following 29 pages are in this category, out of 29 total. The four faces of nuclear terrorism a new book from the center for nonproliferation studies cns warns that substandard security at nuclear facilities in russia, pakistan, and central asia increases the risk of terrorists seizing highly enriched uranium to make crude, but devastating, nuclear. Experts typically classify nuclear and radiological terrorism into four threat categories.
What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. 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. Getting hold of a nuclear weapon or successful acquisition of nuclear material and detonation of an ind by terrorists could turn a modern civilization into a smoking ruin. For varying assessments of the risk of nuclear terrorism, see charles d. The four faces of nuclear terrorism kindle edition by charles d. The essentials, threats, effects and resilience phineas dickstein and sarah vanunu march, 2016 this research paper was prepared within the framework of the 20162017 ragonis foundation scholarship the international institute for counter terrorism ict and the lauder school of government, diplomacy and strategy at the. A new book from the center for nonproliferation studies cns warns that substandard security at. At the end of the first second, the shock wave will have an overpressure of 20 psi. As this excellent volume by bill potter and his colleagues at the center for nonproliferation studies at the monterey institute of international studies makes clear, the threat of nuclear terrorism comes in many forms. Bunn, the risk of nuclear terrorism and next steps to reduce the. For a more indepth discussion on this topic, see michael levi, on nuclear terrorism harvard university press, 2009, and charles ferguson and william potter, the four faces of nuclear terrorism monterey institute, center for nonproliferation studies, 2004. Politics 190u security, disarmament and nonproliferation.
Jan 01, 2005 the four faces of nuclear terrorism book. The instructor will give a lecture about nuclear weapons and the students will add it. Monterey institute center for nonproliferation studies, 2004. Safety, security, and control issues, by amy woolf. The threat of nuclear terrorism has become a global concern. Nuclear alarmism from hiroshima to alqaeda 2010 american prometheus. The four faces of nuclear terrorism described in the book are 1 theft of a nuclear weapon, 2 construction of a nuclear weapon 3 damage to a nuclear reactor or facility, and 4 construction of a radiological dispersal device. The four faces of nuclear terrorism 5 are similarly tied too closely to past thinking and need revision based on the recognition that nonstate actors seeking to cause nuclear mayhem represent the paramount threat facing the united states today. Global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism gicnt. Responding to radiological or nuclear terrorism incident. Maintaining an effective nuclear deterrent is much less expensive than fighting a war that we were unable to deter.
Even before the attack on the world trade center, the threat of nuclear terrorism was well recognised by the us department of energy, which warned. Charles ferguson outlines nuclear terrorism in four approaches. 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. Radiological terrorism is the deliberate use of radioactive material to expose people to radiation andor to contaminate an area with radioactivity. Robert oppenheimer 2005 britain, australia and the bomb 2006. Mycle schneider, wiseparis the threat of nuclear terrorism national assembly, 10 december 2001 3 important cases of illicit trafficking or attempted thefts that have been reported include the following example where the quality and quantity of the material involved comes dangerously close to the. Terrorists could use a radiological dispersion device rdd, a radiation exposure device red, or sabotage a nuclear facility. The threat of nuclear terrorism, moreover, is not limited to new york city, while new york is widely seen as the most likely target, it is clear that al qaeda is not only capable of, but also interested in, mounting attacks on other american cities, where people may be. It is funded and maintained on behalf of partner nations by the government of the united states in its role as cochair of the initiative. Others would have to recruit the right people and raise.
Pakistani security systems face immense threats, from nuclear. The likelihood that terrorists could acquire materials from nuclear power plants to construct crude nuclear weapons or dirty bombs for attacks is. The four faces of nuclear terrorism ferguson, charles d. In contrast with most writing on the subject, which. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Theft and detonation of an intact nuclear weapon nw.
Potter, with amy sands, the four faces of nuclear terrorism new york. The summit was successful in that it produced a consensus delineating nuclear terrorism as a serious threat to all nations. Wehling, the four faces of nuclear terrorism monterey, calif. The model applies to conventional nuclear weapons as well as potential terrorist attacks. Jun, 2009 on nuclear terrorism confronts what many argue is the greatest national security threat we face. They overcame a 10,000volt security fence, entered without setting off an alarm, broke into the emergency control center, shot a worker, and escaped.
List of books about nuclear issues simple english wikipedia. Graham allison was among the first scholars to sound the alarm about the risks of russian loose nukes, and in how to stop nuclear terrorism januaryfebruary 2004, he continues to warn of this underappreciated danger. This report examines the threat of nuclear terrorism and the possibility of terrorist groupsobtaining weaponsusable fissile materials to create a nuclear device. Federation of american scientists fas 1112 16th street nw. On the issue of nuclear terrorism by achin vanaik four years ago in 2010, at the last nuclear summit of 47 countries in new york, president barack obama waxed eloquent on the extreme danger of fissile materials falling into the hands of groups like al qaeda which would then make and use a nuclear bomb. The nuclear control institute, since its inception in 1981, has been analyzing the risks of nuclear terrorism and seeking to alert policymakers and the public to the danger. 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. The four faces of nuclear terrorism, a new book from the center for nonproliferation studies. Maintenance costs for todays nuclear deterrent are approximately three percent of the annual defense budget. The debate on nuclear terrorism tends to distract from events that raise the risk of nuclear war, the consequences of which would far exceed the results of terrorist attacks.
Although nonstate actors have never successfully acquired a nuclear weapon, documented attempts demonstrate some groups are interested in nuclear terrorism. Preventing nuclear terrorism the belfer center for science and. Blast effects this first model will give an idea of the effects of groundlevel and lowaltitude nuclear weapon detonations. Wehling which explores the motivations and capabilities of terrorist organizations to carry out significant attacks using stolen nuclear weapons, to construct and detonate crude nuclear weapons, to release radiation by attacking or sabotaging nuclear. These scenarios are applicable in relation to any nuclear. Mar 23, 2017 it is essential for the international community to remain alert to the constantly growing threat of nuclear terrorism, in whatever form it may take, ranging from the detonation of a dirty. Wehling, the four faces of nuclear terrorism new york. The attacks of september 11, 2001 have provided a wakeup call for facing the threat of nuclear terrorism. Updated february 10, 2005 federation of american scientists. Al qaeda created a dedicated program to develop nuclear weapons led by ayman alzawahiri, the groups current leader. The most urgent unmet national security threat to the united states today is the danger that weapons of mass destruction or weapons useable material in russia could be stolen and sold to. President obama, along with nearly fifty world leaders, discussed the threat of nuclear terrorism, what steps needed to be taken to mitigate illicit nuclear trafficking, and how to secure nuclear material. Allison addresses what is arguably the most urgent. Analyze how terrorists could acquire nuclear technology and what the consequences could be.
Wehling which explores the motivations and capabilities of terrorist organizations to carry out significant attacks using stolen nuclear weapons. 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. Introduction a number of nations have declared themselves members of the nuclear club, and others are suspected of building and stockpiling nuclear weapons. Many countries continue to make efforts to strengthen nuclear security by enhancing systems of nuclear material protection, control. Even the most heavily reinforced steel and concrete buildings will be destroyed.
However, the 3 the global nuclear stockpile stands at roughly 19,000 nuclear weaponsthe nuclear armed states account for an estimated 420 of those weapons, while the nuclear weapon states have the rest. The four faces of nuclear terrorism, a new book from the center for. Freeing the world of nuclear, biological and chemical. On the basis of their analysis of the security status of research reactors and the possible nature of terrorist threats, the us scientists warn. The four faces of nuclear terrorism federation of american. In nuclear terrorism, allison argues bluntly that a terrorist attack against a us city using a nuclear weapon is inevitable. A new version was published in late 2005 by routledge. National council on radiation protection and measurements. The four faces of nuclear terrorism request pdf researchgate. 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. Terrorists could use a radiological dispersion device rdd, a radiation exposure device red, or sabotage a nuclear facility a radiological attack would be far easier for terrorists to execute than a nuclear attack, but could not cause. He is right to highlight the inadequacy of current u.
The most dangerous consequences could take place in attacks on reactors of medium 110 mw and large 10250 mw capacity. The four faces of nuclear terrorism a new book from the center for nonproliferation studies cns warns that substandard security at nuclear facilities in russia, pakistan, and central asia increases the risk of terrorists seizing highly enriched uranium to make crude, but devastating, nuclear explosives. A global campaign to prevent nuclear terrorism 97 effective global nuclear security standards 107 building sustainability and strong security cultures 116 an accelerated and expanded global cleanout 119 4. The risk of nuclear terrorism the belfer center for. Health effect resulting from small doses of an environmental insult over long periods.
The four faces of nuclear terrorism, a new book from the center for nonproliferation studies, assesses the motivations and capabilities of terrorist organizations to acquire and use nuclear weapons, to fabricate and and detonate crude nuclear explosives, to strike nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities, and to build and employ. Terrorist threat purpose nuclear weapons vs radioactive dispersal device rdd or dirty bomb remaining discussion nuclear weapons types nuclear weapons types, cont. Preventing nuclear terrorism 83 how could terrorists acquire nuclear weapons. On nuclear terrorism confronts what many argue is the greatest national security threat we face. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The essentials, threats, effects and resilience phineas dickstein and sarah vanunu march, 2016 this research paper was prepared within the framework of the 20162017 ragonis foundation scholarship the international institute for counterterrorism ict and the lauder school of government, diplomacy and strategy at the. Our understanding of the wmd terrorism threat requires a recognition of how different types of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear cbrn weapons have different levels of appeal to terrorist groups as well as different levels of difficulty in cost and production, potential effectiveness, and means of protection. Crs report for congress federation of american scientists. This is a wellinformed study that carefully dissects the scenarios of.
Nuclear terrorism a real threat the washington times. Nuclear terrorism fact sheet april 2010 weapons worth of heu is stored. Radiological terrorism and nuclear sabotage nuclear threat. In particular, it fails to distinguish among four distinct types of nuclear terrorism, the relative risks posed by the main two types of fissile materials used in nuclear weapons, and the means necessary for keeping such weapons from nonstate actors as well as states. Federation of american scientists fas 1112 16th street nw suite 400 washington, dc 20036.
The four faces of nuclear terror and the need for a. This website is a cooperative project undertaken by nations that have endorsed the global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism. 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. They are recent nonfiction books which relate to uranium mining, nuclear weapons andor nuclear power. Use of radioactive materials cody zimmerman odu model united nations conference, 1114 february 2009 sponsored by the odu model united nations society, old dominion university, norfolk, virginia 1 introduction the nexus of terrorism and nuclear power is one of the paramount threats to international security in the world today.
The four faces of nuclear terrorism is a 2004 book by charles d. Feb 09, 2002 even before the attack on the world trade center, the threat of nuclear terrorism was well recognised by the us department of energy, which warned. 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 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.
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