Scenario: Detonate a dirty bomb in an urban areaScenario Build a radiological weapon (also known as a dirty bomb) and detonate it in a major urban area. Description A radiological or "dirty" bomb is a conventional bomb wrapped with nuclear material. The nuclear material might be spent nuclear fuel, but nearly any nuclear material will do. The conventional bomb could be anything from one stick of dynamite up to a truck bomb. The idea behind a dirty bomb is contamination. When the bomb explodes, it spreads nuclear waste over the blast area. According to this article: "The consensus government view is now that al-Qaeda probably has acquired the lower-level radionuclides strontium 90 and cesium 137, many thefts of which have been documented in recent years. These materials cannot produce a nuclear detonation, but they are radioactive contaminants. Conventional explosives could scatter them in what is known as a radiological dispersion device, colloquially called a 'dirty bomb.' The number of deaths that might result is hard to predict but probably would be modest. One senior government specialist said 'its impact as a weapon of psychological terror' would be far greater." According to this article:
There are literally hundreds of places where terrorists could obtain material for such a bomb, including former dumping grounds for medical waste in this country. But the recent discoveries in the former Soviet Union have further heightened international concerns about the possibility of nuclear theft. The RTGs in particular offer high concentrations of radioactivity with minimal controls -- and sometimes no controls, according to officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations.
Damage Potential The damage from a radiological bomb would come from three sources:
Potential Solutions Solving the dirty bomb problem is as difficult as solving the car or truck bomb problem. Possible deterrents:
Related Links |
Home - Scenarios - Solutions - Targets - Weapons Mission - Why? - Contact - Forums Legal |