The uk has 15 operational nuclear reactors at seven plants across the country. However, the 3 the global nuclear stockpile stands at roughly 19,000 nuclear weaponsthe nucleararmed states account for an estimated 420 of those weapons, while the nuclear weapon states have the rest. President obama, the leaders of 46 other nations, the heads of the. Many countries continue to make efforts to strengthen nuclear security by enhancing systems of nuclear material protection, control. There are four main alternatives that prospective nuclear terrorists might pursue. A leading strategist opens our eyes to the greatest terrorist threat of alland how to prevent it before its too lateamericans in the twentyfirst century are keenly aware of the many forms of terrorism. Fact versus fiction one of my favourite movies is the sum of all fears, the 2002 blockbuster adaptation of tom clancys 1991 bestselling novel. Effects of nuclear conflicts and acts of nuclear terrorism. A threat assessment for the 21st century, basingstoke and new york.
Nuclear terrorism fact sheet april 2010 weapons worth of heu is stored. Our investigations are joint efforts in every sense. Designing strategies for preventing nuclear and radiological terrorism thus requires finding different admixtures of the three broad approaches, each appropriate to different weapons problems. He has published three books, a number of articles on nuclear issues, and is currently. 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. There are three basic traits which combined allow us to distinguish terrorism from other types of violent social interaction. As populations congregate in everlarger cities around the globe, scientists are seeking to measure all the likely. Nuclear terrorism and south asia sandia national laboratories. Gavin cameron department of political science university of. 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. Rossiya, 2329 august 1995, 12, as translated in fbissov95163, 5152. The different forms of nuclear terrorism nuclear terrorism can manifest itself in several different forms. But rarely do we allow ourselves to face squarely the deadliest form of terrorism, because it is almost too scary to think abouta terrorist. My thanks to the cochairs of the global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism and all our partners in this event, notably the atomic.
Andrews, scotland, and is author of nuclear terrorism. Ios press ebooks response to nuclear and radiological. The threat of nuclear terrorism has become a global concern. Indeed, cameron has even asserted that the real driving force behind the heightened danger of nuclear terrorism lies not with the increased opportunities for microproliferation, but rather with the changing nature of political violence and the psychological and organizational characteristics of 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. Wmd terrorism in the united states center for nonproliferation. This study is the result of the response to nuclear and radiological terrorism workshop conducted by the nato center of excellence defence against terrorism coedat on 1415 january 2010 in ankara, turkey, under the sponsorship of science for peace and security programme. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. There is a consensus among international leaders that the threat of nuclear terrorism is real, not a hollywood confection.
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. Levi surveys the issue of nuclear terrorism and explores the decisions a terrorist leader might take in pursuing a nuclear plot. While the fbi investigates all acts of terrorism in the united states, the prevention of a nuclear attack is a responsibility shared by many. What factors would determine their decision to use them. Gavin cameron, nuclear terrorism reconsidered, current history. How likely is it terrorists will obtain weapons of mass destruction. In his 2007 book on nuclear terrorism, author michael a. This categorys scope contains articles about terrorism, which may be a contentious label subcategories. The plot centers on a nuclear strike on the city of baltimore orchestrated by an international, neonazi terrorist organization with aspirations of sparking a russianamerican war. Terrorists and weapons of mass destruction center for. Garwin the middle contour of 10 microsv tede corresponds to about one additional death by cancer5 for each twomillion people exposed at that level, and is the limit sometimes recommended by the. Alvarez, the adventures of a physicist basic books inc. Gavin cameron has performed a valuable service in helping to keep analysis of the problem on the right side of the line between prudence and paranoia.
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. Even before 911, al qaedas attacks demonstrated an organizational capacity. Gavin cameron assesses the causes for, and implications of, the escalating lethality of terrorism. The threat of terrorist exploitation of nuclear smuggling in stuart nagel ed. On nuclear terrorism confronts what many argue is the greatest national security threat we face. 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. Incorporated as a notforprofit foundation in 1971, and headquartered in geneva, switzerland, the forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. A nuclear terrorist event may be closer than you think, writes joe cirincione. Despite camerons assurances of britains expertise in nuclear security, the nations track record in protecting civilian and military nuclear sites has come under scrutiny in the past year, as the perceived threat from is terrorists in europe has grown. The report and papers of the international task force on prevention of nuclear terrorism, ed. Nuclear terrorism involves the actual or potential use of nuclear materials to. Gavin cameron has even asserted that the real driving force behind the heightened danger of nuclear terrorism. As explained above, a plethora of nuclear arms were split up, threefourths of them going to three especially weak, national securitywise, possibly hostile countries. 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.
Nuclear terrorism assessing the threat, developing a response ix terrorist acquisition of nuclear weapons. Religious terrorism 77 sacrifice and martyrdom 80 the objective of religious terrorism 83 a comparison of religious and secular terrorism 86 messianism and millenarianism 92 4 ideological terrorism 99 rightwing terrorism 99 leftwing and antinuclear terrorism 116 5 the likelihood of nuclear terrorism 1 the feasibility of nuclear terrorism 1 the psychology of nuclear terrorism 5. Effects of nuclear conflicts and acts of nuclear terrorism by john wihbey. Three steps to reducing nuclear terrorism americas nuclear weapons and the threat of nuclear terrorism are interconnected. A threat assesment for the twentyfirst century, gavin camerons survey of the problem, is that he looks at why terrorist attacks might be mounted. 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. A threat assessment for the 21st century by cameron, g. 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. Gavin cameron is a senior research associate at the center for. Allison explains that terrorists have been striving to acquire and then use nuclear weapons against the united states. The attacks of september 11, 2001 have provided a wakeup call for facing the threat of nuclear terrorism.
Worldwide, more than 1,000 reactors operate nowadays, some producing electric power, others mostly used for research. They overcame a 10,000volt security fence, entered without setting off an alarm, broke into the emergency control center, shot a worker, and escaped. The ultimate preventable catastrophe is a 2004 book by harvard scholar graham allison. Buy nuclear terrorism reprint by allison, graham isbn. Not inflammatory, or scaremongering, venter takes an objective stance in chronicling these recent developments overseas and adds another valuable contribution to. The growing opportunities for nuclear proliferation, primarily arising from the collapse of the soviet union are explained. The world economic forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Nuclear terrorism definition of nuclear terrorism by the. 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. Will the twentyfirst century see terrorist fingers on the nuclear trigger. 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. In nuclear terror, venter assesses the developments over the past 10 years of different countries in their attempts to build a nuclear program. How nuclear forensics can help us to tackle nuclear terrorism. Bush and senator john kerry featured the issue of terrorism in their foreign policy platforms, and both said.
It might have added that one book about nuclear terrorism could ruin their whole summer vacation. Since the terrorist attacks of september 11, americans have had to learn to discriminate between real and imagined risks in many areas. The use of nuclear weapons in an urban area, particularly by a terrorist group, remains a palpable threat for many in a post911 world. Back in the mid1980s, a popular bumper sticker reminded drivers that one nuclear bomb could ruin their whole day. With the breaking up of the soviet union, prevention and deterrence became the united states main focus in the fight against nuclear terrorism. This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total. Terrorists want nuclear materials the pm offers a postbrussels warning as he arrives to attend the 50nation nuclear security summit in washington. Nuclear families, atomic cities, and the great soviet and american plutonium disasters by kate brown, crisis. Produced by the nuclear burning of uranium in reactors, plutonium is a radioactive hazard in itself and also an ideal fuel for nuclear explosives. 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.
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