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Nuclear Terrorism Assessment of U.S. Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction (2024) / Chapter Skim
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2 Nuclear Terrorism Threats
Pages 24-39

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From page 24...
... • Construction of an improvised nuclear device with fissile material is challenging. Radiological dispersal devices (dirty bombs)
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From page 25...
... Given the many recent destabilizing geopolitical developments, all these issues remain relevant today and reinforce the germaneness of the Commission's call for vigilance in addressing the ongoing nuclear terrorism risk. Fifteen years have passed since the WMD Commission's report was completed, and there has been no known terrorist acquisition of a nuclear weapon, improvised nuclear device or radiological dispersal device.
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From page 26...
... an illicitly obtained nuclear weapon; (2) an improvised nuclear device (IND)
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From page 27...
... The principal materials of concern that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction, releasing a significant amount of energy, are: • Uranium-235, a key material for nuclear fission reactions used in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. • Plutonium-239, another crucial material for nuclear fission and often used in nuclear weapons and fuel for nuclear reactors.
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From page 28...
... If terrorists are unable to overcome the use controls, and are thus unsuccessful in detonating the stolen nuclear weapon, they might still be able to extract fissile material for use in an improvised nuclear device. An improvised nuclear devise would be designed to generate a nuclear detonation, but could have a significantly smaller nuclear yield than state-owned nuclear weapons, although still with catastrophic consequences.
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From page 29...
... FINDING 2-4: The technical barriers to constructing and employing an RDD or RED are much lower than they are for a nuclear weapon or IND, making for a greater likelihood that terrorists will gain access to the means to disperse radiological materials. Two types of potential devices that terrorists might use that would not produce a nuclear yield but still have significant effects are the Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)
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From page 30...
... . Nuclear facilities that require physical protection include nuclear reactors, fuel cycle facilities, and spent fuel storage and disposal facilities.
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From page 31...
... Internationally, the IAEA provides umbrella guidance for the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) obligations for materials in transport (International Atomic Energy Agency 2023a)
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From page 32...
... commercial nuclear facilities must notify the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission within one hour of discovering a cyberattack that adversely impacted safety, security, support systems, or emergency preparedness functions (including offsite communications)
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From page 33...
... For example, in 2016, Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif threatened to use nuclear weapons against Israel after reading a fakenews article claiming that Israel planned to "destroy [Pakistan] with a nuclear attack" if Pakistan sent troops to Syria (Goldman 2016)
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From page 34...
... Free Press. 2 After the September 11, 2001, attacks, the Department of Homeland Security funded the creation of an "Infrastructure Experts Team," managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
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From page 35...
... 2020. "Switching Sides: Exploring Violent Extremist Intergroup Migration Across Hostile Ideologies." Political Psychology 41 (3)
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From page 36...
... 2013. "Why States Won't Give Nuclear Weapons to Terrorists." Quarterly Journal: International Security 38 (1)
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From page 37...
... 2023. "Radiation Emergency Medical Management: Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDDs)
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From page 39...
... using data from Terrorism Tracker and other sources. Shown here are countries and levels of impact terrorism has ranging from very high to no impact.
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Key Terms

  • nuclear facilities
  • nuclear weapon
  • improvised nuclear
  • radiological materials
  • nuclear device

  • fissile material
  • radiological dispersal
  • dispersal device
  • physical protection
  • nuclear material

  • radiological exposure
  • radiological material
  • exposure device
  • energy agency
  • mass destruction

  • nuclear materials
  • nuclear regulatory
  • nuclear terrorists
  • international atomic
  • false information

  • regulatory commission
  • nuclear security
  • world nuclear
  • stolen nuclear
  • nuclear association

  • nuclear yield
  • nuclear reactors
  • fissile materials
  • explosive device
  • information operations


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