Background
Nuclear attack is a serious issue that even countries with superior weapons such as United States do not want to imagine. It can result into a horrific devastation which could lead to the loss trillion dollars in damage and even plunging the word economic into a deep economic crisis. During the presidential debate of 2004 US campaigns, both then the President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry agreed that a nuclear terror attack was biggest worry on national security threats. During the September 11, 2001 terrorists attack on US, terrorists demonstrated the desire to have mass causalities. There are threats from Al-Qaeda and other organized terror groups to attack using unconventional methods such as the use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons. When such weapons are detonated, they will result into instant massive destructions.
Nagasaki nuclear damage
The need for this research
The chances of nuclear attack have increased because traditional prevention methods to threats do not work anymore because nuclear terror groups are not bound by geographical location.
Nuclear damage
They are groups that are have great interest in nuclear weapons. Terrorists are also not guided by the state or national level organizations; they are aligned to leaders that offer supreme guidance of religion, quasi-religious or cult beliefs.
There are three methods in which terrorists can acquire nuclear weapons; by stealing, buying it or building it. Any of those routes can lead to catastrophic destruction. This presents a need for security agents to study methods and means by which terrorist groups can acquire such weapons.
Given that there are about 27,000 nuclear weapons in the arsenals of the eight nations which are (Britain, India, Israel, China, Pakistan, United States, Russia and France, terrorist have many places to target for stealing. Russia and United States store 1,000 of the total nuclear weapons [2]. This means that stealing of the weapon can be one of the methods in which they can acquire. Terrorists can also acquire nuclear weapons by buying or being given by a nuclear state. This is the main reason Iran nuclear plans have been condemned by nations such as United States. Building a nuclear weapon is an uphill task for terrorist organizations because currently there is no group with that capacity. Nuclear plants require materials such as enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium. This material cannot be purchased [1].
There are three types of nuclear attack; Nuclear explosives, nuclear sabotage and ‘dirty bomb which are the weapons of mass disruption
The study of nuclear attack is very important because the possibility of having one can result into devastating damage. Nuclear weapons should be in safe a hand which means that methods in which terror groups are using to acquire should be discovered in advance. Research into such issues is one way of uncovering activities that may results into nuclear attack prevention.
The current solutions
There solutions that have been put in place to ensure nuclear weapons are not accessible by terror groups. The use of Safeing, Arming, Firing, and Fusing (SAFF) procedures where nuclear weapons have codes ensure that even if they steal they will not be able to use them.
Nuclear-weapon threats from any state or terror groups stand facing economic sanctions and even respond with force to such threats using weapons of mass destruction if necessary.
Solutions presented by the paper
Fighting nuclear terror is not only the role of the superpower country the USA. It is an effort from all other countries especially those with nuclear weapons. This research will provide solutions to the current security program gap. Ensuring that existing there is a clear focus of the security program by the nuclear nations is very important. There is a need to ensure those vulnerable nuclear weapons are secure or eliminated.
Works Cited
Briggs, Alexander T. "Managing the Line between Nuclear Power and Nuclear Terror: Considering the Threat of Terrorism as an Environmental Impact." Seton Hall Cir. Rev. 8 (2011): 223.
Lindsay, J. M., & Takeyh, R. (May 2010). After Iran Gets The Bomb Containement and its Complications. Foreign Affairs , 29-34.
Robert, A. (July 2010). After A Terrorist Nuclear Attack Envisagiing Catalytic Effects. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism , 33-37.
