Such a catastrophe is unimaginable. But we must force ourselves to imagine it if we are to prevent it. As former assistant secretary of defense Graham Allison points out in his book, "Nuclear Terrorism," all other terrorist threats pale in comparison to the danger posed by a nuclear attack.
A nuclear weapon capable of destroying Hampton Roads, Richmond or Arlington could weigh as little as 200 pounds. It could fit in a large suitcase or backpack. The former Soviet Union built thousands of such weapons. Many of them are still not secured or even accounted for.
Terrorists who wish to build their own bomb could design a weapon using information freely available in the world's libraries. They would need to acquire only 9 pounds of plutonium, an amount about the size of a softball. A slightly larger amount of highly enriched uranium would also serve and would be much easier to obtain and work with. These bomb-making materials are readily available in dozens of countries with loosely guarded nuclear power reactors.
If terrorists obtain a nuclear weapon, preventing them from smuggling it into the country will be extraordinarily difficult. Each year, smugglers transport uncounted tons of illegal drugs and other contraband across our borders. We can't even manage to interdict the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants entering our country. Thousands of anonymous truck-sized cargo containers are offloaded from ships in the ports of Richmond and Hampton Roads. How difficult would it be to transport a bomb that could easily fit in the trunk of a car or even in a large suitcase? Radiation sensors are virtually useless against such a weapon. A properly shielded nuclear bomb releases almost no detectable radiation.
How can we prevent nuclear terrorism from becoming a tragic reality? Allison proposes a comprehensive, coordinated program. It includes preventing additional nations from acquiring nuclear weapons or the capacity to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, building an international alliance to deter nuclear terrorism, and rewarding both friends and adversaries for their cooperation. Allison's plan also includes meeting our own nation's treaty commitments to reducing its own nuclear arsenal. We cannot expect other countries to disarm unless we ourselves take genuine steps in the same direction. And we must also assist the dozens of countries with nuclear power reactors in securing their supplies of highly enriched uranium and plutonium.
The first step in Allison's proposal calls for safeguarding the nuclear warheads spread across Russia. During the administration of the first President Bush, Sens. Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn designed a program to accomplish just that. The effort was enormously successful in securing and dismantling nuclear weapons from the states of the former Soviet Union. But the job is only half completed. The Nunn-Lugar program is grossly underfunded, and the current Bush administration has not pushed for its rapid completion.
This is where Virginia's congressional delegation can make a great difference. A nuclear terror attack may still be preventable, if we take immediate steps to make unsecured bombs and bomb-making material unavailable at the source. Virginia's legislators especially Sen. John Warner, who has just been appointed to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security should support funding the rapid completion of the Nunn-Lugar program. We must help Russia secure its remaining nuclear weapons and bomb-making materials to what Allison calls the "gold standard" that is, making them as secure as the gold in Fort Knox.
Allison estimates the task will cost about $30 billion. Is there money to carry it out? There must be. Imagine the economic damage our country would suffer if one bomb were detonated in a single American city. To find funding, Congress could start by redirecting the billions the administration is now dumping into its high-tech "missile shield," a defense unlikely to be effective against even a minimal long-range attack. That's clearly not where the gravest danger lies.
Sixty years ago, the United States became the first and thus far the only nation to use nuclear weapons against another country. Since then, the world has been fortunate to avoid the horrors of another nuclear attack. But as nuclear materials and technology spread, the possibility of another Hiroshima grows ever more likely. If we hope to avoid becoming the next victim of our own terrible invention, we must do everything in our power to help the world lock down its nuclear fuel and weapons, now. S
Paul Fleisher is a veteran educator and author of "Understanding the Vocabulary of the Nuclear Arms Race."
Opinions expressed on the Back Page are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Style Weekly.
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A nuclear weapon capable of destroying Hampton Roads, Richmond or Arlington could weigh as little as 200 pounds. It could fit in a large suitcase or backpack. The former Soviet Union built thousands of such weapons. Many of them are still not secured or even accounted for.
Terrorists who wish to build their own bomb could design a weapon using information freely available in the world's libraries. They would need to acquire only 9 pounds of plutonium, an amount about the size of a softball. A slightly larger amount of highly enriched uranium would also serve and would be much easier to obtain and work with. These bomb-making materials are readily available in dozens of countries with loosely guarded nuclear power reactors.
If terrorists obtain a nuclear weapon, preventing them from smuggling it into the country will be extraordinarily difficult. Each year, smugglers transport uncounted tons of illegal drugs and other contraband across our borders. We can't even manage to interdict the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants entering our country. Thousands of anonymous truck-sized cargo containers are offloaded from ships in the ports of Richmond and Hampton Roads. How difficult would it be to transport a bomb that could easily fit in the trunk of a car or even in a large suitcase? Radiation sensors are virtually useless against such a weapon. A properly shielded nuclear bomb releases almost no detectable radiation.
How can we prevent nuclear terrorism from becoming a tragic reality? Allison proposes a comprehensive, coordinated program. It includes preventing additional nations from acquiring nuclear weapons or the capacity to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, building an international alliance to deter nuclear terrorism, and rewarding both friends and adversaries for their cooperation. Allison's plan also includes meeting our own nation's treaty commitments to reducing its own nuclear arsenal. We cannot expect other countries to disarm unless we ourselves take genuine steps in the same direction. And we must also assist the dozens of countries with nuclear power reactors in securing their supplies of highly enriched uranium and plutonium.
The first step in Allison's proposal calls for safeguarding the nuclear warheads spread across Russia. During the administration of the first President Bush, Sens. Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn designed a program to accomplish just that. The effort was enormously successful in securing and dismantling nuclear weapons from the states of the former Soviet Union. But the job is only half completed. The Nunn-Lugar program is grossly underfunded, and the current Bush administration has not pushed for its rapid completion.
This is where Virginia's congressional delegation can make a great difference. A nuclear terror attack may still be preventable, if we take immediate steps to make unsecured bombs and bomb-making material unavailable at the source. Virginia's legislators especially Sen. John Warner, who has just been appointed to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security should support funding the rapid completion of the Nunn-Lugar program. We must help Russia secure its remaining nuclear weapons and bomb-making materials to what Allison calls the "gold standard" that is, making them as secure as the gold in Fort Knox.
Allison estimates the task will cost about $30 billion. Is there money to carry it out? There must be. Imagine the economic damage our country would suffer if one bomb were detonated in a single American city. To find funding, Congress could start by redirecting the billions the administration is now dumping into its high-tech "missile shield," a defense unlikely to be effective against even a minimal long-range attack. That's clearly not where the gravest danger lies.
Sixty years ago, the United States became the first and thus far the only nation to use nuclear weapons against another country. Since then, the world has been fortunate to avoid the horrors of another nuclear attack. But as nuclear materials and technology spread, the possibility of another Hiroshima grows ever more likely. If we hope to avoid becoming the next victim of our own terrible invention, we must do everything in our power to help the world lock down its nuclear fuel and weapons, now. S
Paul Fleisher is a veteran educator and author of "Understanding the Vocabulary of the Nuclear Arms Race."
Opinions expressed on the Back Page are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Style Weekly.
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