Credibility of the threat from a radiological dispersal device by terrorists within the United States
Abstract
A radiological dispersal device (RDD) employed within the United States (US) could cause injury or death, create public panic, incur large cleanup costs, and disrupt governance and commerce. Shortly after the attack on September 11, there was much speculation within media and government about the threat of an RDD employed within the US. Although media interest eventually turned to other news, the question remained: "How credible is the threat of an RDD employed by terrorists within the US?" This research compared five case studies to analyze motivations, RDD effects, accessibility of radioactive materials, and obstacles to RDD employment. The five case studies include Al Qaeda's pursuit of RDDs or nuclear devices; a Chechen rebel radiological attack in Ismailovsky Park; the attempt by the "Radiological Boy Scout" to construct a breeder reactor; the Samut Prakarn, Thailand cobalt-60 accident; and the Chernobyl reactor accident. Trends emerging from cross-case analysis identified challenges and opportunities from a terrorist perspective. The study concluded that improved intelligence and investigations, improvements in radiological source security, and the deployment of a detection architecture have so far deterred RDD employment. However, to prevent a future RDD attack, support of programs to prevent or thwart radiological terrorism should continue.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1040037
Entities
People
- Elizabeth A. Schwemmer
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College