A New Breed of Threat

Mar 1, 2004 12:00 PM

The recent elevation of the Homeland security threat level served as a sobering reminder of the ongoing terrorist threat against the United States. The change was prompted by a significant increase in the volume of threat-related intelligence reports. Many experts agree that such an attack could involve a weapon of mass destruction (WMD), including radiological weapons. Unfortunately, radiological devices are ideally suited for creating widespread panic and economic turmoil — two primary goals of terrorists.

Radiological weapons: An overview

Unlike nuclear bombs, which generate explosions by splitting atoms, radiological dispersal devices (RDDs) use conventional explosives to spread radioactive materials. Commonly referred to as “dirty bombs,” these devices do not produce the mass casualties of nuclear weapons, although they are extremely effective weapons of terror. The scattered radiation contaminates facilities, terrain and personnel, and long-term exposure to the radiation may eventually prove harmful or possibly fatal.

An assault using a dirty bomb would produce a relatively small number of casualties in the initial blast, depending on the amount of conventional explosive used. For this reason, experts describe radiological bombs not as weapons of mass destruction, but as weapons of mass disruption. A report issued by the U.S. Department of Defense describes the impact of RDDs as threefold: the blast and fragmentation generated by the explosion, the dissemination of radioactive material, and the fear and panic created in the targeted area.

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) simulated an attack involving the dispersal of a single piece of radioactive cobalt detonated at the southern tip of Manhattan. Although difficult to obtain because of security controls, the cobalt “pencil” used in the exercise typified those used in food irradiation plants — approximately one inch in diameter and one foot long. The initial radioactive cloud released would be relatively harmless and may not require immediate evacuation, but it could ultimately contaminate an area of one thousand square kilometers over three states. Residual radiation could make the entire borough of Manhattan uninhabitable for decades, potentially requiring demolition and resulting in trillions of dollars in economic losses.

The scientific community generally believes that a catastrophic assault with a radiological weapon is highly unlikely, due to the technical difficulties associated with constructing and deploying an effective RDD. Even so, experts concede that almost any use of even a crude RDD could produce a tremendous psychological and political impact.

Implementing current security standards

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) works closely with other federal agencies and with individual states to regulate radioactive materials and radioactive exposure. The NRC requires those organizations licensed to use such materials to appoint a radiation safety officer (RSO), who is responsible for implementing the radiation protection program. Currently, most security measures focus on protecting employees who come into regular contact with radioactive materials, although the safety precautions shielding more dangerous substances also serve as effective deterrents against their potential misuse.

While security procedures may appear sound, flawed execution could create vulnerabilities. According to a recent report released by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), security at facilities that use sealed radioactive sources — radioactive material encased in stainless steel or other metal — varies, constituting a national security threat.

Develop effective methods of early detection

Several systems have been developed to detect dangerous levels of radiation, but their deployment is limited. Currently, the world spends an estimated $10 billion each year in response to the Cold War-era threat of a strategic nuclear strike by a rogue state, compared to $100 million spent annually on the modern threat of a nuclear/radiological terror attack. The United States must adapt its spending to more accurately reflect the nature of the current terrorist threat. In keeping with this focus shift, private industry needs to invest more money in developing effective, low-cost sensors to fill this growing need.

The nation must mobilize its resources to defend against this threat at every level, from private industries and local communities to state and federal law-enforcement agencies and research institutions. Chief executive officers of health-care facilities and other organizations that use radioactive materials must ensure that security procedures have tightened since September 2001. Americans live in a new world, one that operates on a new level of life and death. Corporate leaders must inform their boards of directors of this danger and use outside consultants to make sure they have done all they can to protect not only those inside the organization, but also the community at large. The weakest link in the system is the one that U.S. enemies will strike.

This article is adapted from The Lipman Report from Guardsmark Inc., New York. For information, send an e-mail to lipmanreport@guardsmark.com.

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