NCJ Number
65207
Date Published
1975
Length
406 pages
Annotation
THE RANGE OF THREATS TO THE LICENSED COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IS ANALYZED, WITH EMPHASES ON THE CAPABILITY OF GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS TO CARRY OUT AN ACT OF NUCLEAR SABOTAGE OR TERRORISM.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS INTENDED TO ANSWER SEVEN QUESTIONS POSED BY THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION. (1) WHAT ARE THE INDENTIFIABLE CHARACTERISTICS FOR TERRORIST GROUPS TO CONSIDER NUCLEAR FACILITIES AS POTENTIAL TARGETS OR PLUTONIUM AND HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM AS POTENTIAL WEAPONS? (2) WHAT COURSES WILL NUCLEAR TERRORISM TAKE: FABRICATION OF AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, DISPERSAL OF RADIO-TOXIC PLUTONIUM, SABOTAGE RESULTING IN A RADIOLOGICAL HAZARD, OR ANOTHER COURSE? (3) WHAT ARE THE LIKELY OBJECTIVES OF SUCH TERRORISM, AND HOW DO THESE CORRELATE WITH THE VARIETY OF POSSIBLE COURSES OF NUCLEAR ACTION? (4) BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE, WHAT TACTICAL METHODS AND WHAT LEVEL OF FORCE, KNOWLEDGE, SOPHISTICATION, DISCIPLINE, AND DETAILED PLANNING CAN BE EXPECTED IN AN ACTUAL ATTACK? (5) ARE THESE METHODS AND LEVELS CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVES, RESOURCES, AND TACTICS WHICH WOULD TYPIFY NUCLEAR ACTION? (6) WHAT MEANS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DEMOTIVATING TERRORIST GROUPS FROM PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR VIOLENCE, AND HOW DO THESE MEANS COMPARE WITH OTHER MEANS USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OF COPING WITH TERRORISTS AND OTHER EXTREMIST GROUPS? AND (7) WHY HAVE NO ATTEMPTS OF THEFT OR SABOTAGE OF LICENSED NUCLEAR FACILITIES OCCURRED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES TO DATE? THE STUDY IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: IN THE FIRST, THE FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED IN A SHORT FORM AND ARE ARRANGED BY QUESTION ORDER; AND IN THE SECOND, A LONG-FORM PRESENTATION IN THE SAME FORMAT IS PROVIDED. THE TEXT IS INTENDED FOR A GENERAL PUBLIC, AND FOOTNOTES, EXTENSIVE TABLES AND CHARTS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF APPROXIMATELY 600 CITATIONS OF BOOKS, ANTHOLOGIES, SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLES, REPORTS, AND GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS IS INCLUDED.