A rising nuclear terrorism risk, the U.S. calls for swift action

The threat of nuclear terrorism is increasing and requires attention. The report and analysis were prepared by the Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The conclusions are alarming; the USA must be ready for new threats.

The report authors, cited by "The Miami Herald," emphasize that the American government’s efforts are insufficient to meet the evolving threat. Extended, continuous, and adaptive measures are necessary to effectively manage the risk of nuclear terrorism.

Stephen Flynn, professor of political science and the founder of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University, stated: "The issue of nuclear terrorism remains very much a real one, there are enormous stakes involved and the risks are high, but the issue has been falling off the radar screen of the American public over the last 15 years, and the skill set of people involved in managing it is aging out."

Since the September 11 attacks and the war in Iraq, the landscape of nuclear terrorism has undergone many changes. Flynn noted: “We had a war on terror after 9/11, but that didn’t succeed in eliminating the terrorsim threat. Terrorism continues to morph.”

Currently, Israel's actions in Palestinian territories, as well as the actions of Hamas and the Iranian group Hezbollah, which are considered terrorist groups by the U.S. Department of State, are leading to a world where both state and non-state actors seeking nuclear weapons are engaged in wars.

The report's authors also point out the development of the civilian nuclear sector, which could pose an additional threat. Americans view nuclear power plants emerging in countries within China’s or Russia’s spheres of influence with suspicion, believing they approach safety issues less rigorously.

As they emphasize, most materials that can produce a “dirty bomb” have always been challenging to control, and now more are available.

The report concludes on an optimistic note, emphasizing that the USA can meet many of the challenges discussed in the report if it continues its efforts and adapts to new threats. No nuclear incident has occurred because Americans have invested a lot of effort in managing this risk for years.

“There is a lot of knowledge we have about managing the nuclear risk, as we have been doing it for decades, but there are also new tools and there’s a lot of ways to update our response from the Cold War days. This is something we should be worried about. … But take a deep breath, we have been managing this risk since the dawn of the nuclear age, so let’s draw on that experience, and there are new technologies and ways we can deal with this risk that are better aligned to the world we are living in.” Flynn concluded.