UNDERSTANDING THE NUCLEAR TERRORIST PROBLEM

• NCJ Number: 58498
• Author(s): A R NORTON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 29 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: CLANDESTINE TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY

Annotation

THE NUCLEAR TERRORISM PROBLEM IS EXPLAINED AND EVALUATED IN THIS BRIEFING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. TECHNICAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE POTENTIAL FOR USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY AGGRESSIVE POLITICAL GROUPS WAS RECOGNIZED AS EARLY AS 1944 AND PUBLICIZED IN THE JEFFRIES REPORT. THE INCREASE IN ACTS OF POLITICAL TERRORISM SINCE 1944 AND THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY HAS CREATED THE SUSPICION THAT TERRORISTS WILL EVENTUALLY OBTAIN NUCLEAR WEAPONS OR AT LEAST LETHAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS. OVER 20,000 ATOMIC BOMBS ARE STORED OR DEPLOYED, WORLDWIDE, AND ATOMIC POWER PLANTS ARE PRESENT IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES. THE SOPHISTICATION OF THE PROCESS NEEDED TO PRODUCE EVEN A CRUDE ATOMIC BOMB IS AN IMPORTANT BARRIER TO THE ILLICIT PROCUREMENT OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS BY NONGOVERNMENTAL GROUPS. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DOES NOT COMPLETELY DETER NUCLEAR TERRORISM, FOR THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO OBTAIN WEAPONS FOR TERRORISTS. POLITICAL GROUPS COULD MAKE USE OF THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION ON ATOMIC POWER TO DESIGN A WEAPON AND COULD CONCEIVABLY KIDNAP THE SKILLED PERSONNEL REQUIRED TO BUILD IT. THE POSSIBILITY OF COOPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYEES IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND TERRORISTS MUST ALSO BE RECOGNIZED. A WELL-TRAINED AND WELL-EQUIPED TERRORIST UNIT COULD BE CAPABLE OF STEALING A NUCLEAR WEAPON FROM A MILITARY ARSENAL. CURRENTLY, THE PHYSICAL SECURITY OF AMERICAN WEAPONS HAS BEEN GREATLY INCREASED SINCE 1976 WITH THE EXPENDITURE OF $330 MILLION FOR BARRIERS AND DETECTION SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, MANY MILITARY INSTALLATIONS ARE EASILY PENETRATED BY CITIZENS WITH A MINIMUM OF IDENTIFICATION, AND THE BLUEPRINTS OF BASES CAN BE PURCHASED BY PERSONS POSING AS CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS. TERRORISTS MAY ALSO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN WEAPONS AS GIFTS FROM NATIONS WHICH HAVE A NUCLEAR CAPACITY. LIBYA HAS TRIED TO PURCHASE CHINESE WEAPONS AND HAS FUNDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY. PROSPECTIVE NUCLEAR TERRORISTS MUST BE CONSIDERED RATIONAL BUT WILLING TO EMPLOY METHODS WHICH ARE OFFENSIVE AND REPREHENSIBLE. FOOTNOTES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)