The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism

by William C. Potter and Charles D. Ferguson

Book Overview

The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism, a new book from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, assesses the motivations and capabilities of terrorist organizations to acquire and use nuclear weapons, to fabricate and and detonate crude nuclear explosives, to strike nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities, and to build and employ radiological weapons or "dirty bombs."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415952441
• ISBN13: 9780415952446
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Thinking About the Unthinkable

Ferguson and Potter, writing on behalf of the Center for Non Proliferation Studies, have written an easy to read primer on the faces of Nuclear Terrorism. The authors lead the reader through the most likely threats one small step at a time with great patience. If there is one lesson from the past two decades of post cold war terrorism ( it has been 10 years since Bin Laden declared war) it is that Bin Laden and other terrorists are highly adaptable, patient, resourceful, capable of planning and executing complex operations and rentless. Perhaps the most worrysome aspect of the current ( spring 07) situation is that they seem too comfortable in Pakistan, a nation with nuclear weapons. Although they have missed on several attempts to kill Pakistan's leader his run of bad luck may end. If the US is unable to invervene we may have a situation far worse than N Korea or Iran in that Pakistan has a sizable inventory of proven nuclear weapons, a nuclear India with whom they have fought for decades and one of the more sophisticated air forces in the region. They have looked into the future abyss and come back with some much needed information, stripped of the usual agendas and dramatics. Of course the prospect of nuclear terrorism comes with enough drama for any sane person. There are of course no simple answers. The threats are, as the authors describe only too real. How we deal with them may determine the world which our children and grandchildren inherit, assuming that they survive. Clear thinking about the unthinkable. As a people we suffer from a narrowed view of the challenges which face us over the next decade. Perhaps it is due to our fixation on the war in Iraq, a mere sideshow of the global conflict and perhaps it is that the reality is simply too much to face. As "The Great Reckoning" anticipated 20 years ago, emerging technologies have shifted the balance of power or terror from the large superpowers to the small stateless groups. Probably the best general interest book on the subject. Highly recommended.

Wow, What a Find

Richly researched and clearly written, this book is a find! Has just the right amount of detail to provide the reader with the degrees of difficulty in conducting nuclear terrorism but does not overwhelm. The "four faces" of nuclear terrorism described in the book are (1) theft of a nuclear weapon, (2) construction of a nuclear weapon (3) damage to a nuclear reactor or facility, and (4) construction of a radiological dispersal device. The authors succintly analyze each of these scenarios and clearly present the challenges involved by terrorists attempting each task. Devoid of hype, absent political rhetoric, the book is superb at providing the general reader with an appreciation for the actual risks America faces from this area. Particularly recommended for those engaged in the profession of CBRN defense. Apparently out of print which is a shame, try to get your hands on a copy and read it.

Thorough, Insightful, Readable

This book possesses two advantages over other accounts: 1) as a product of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute, which has the leading archive of information on the subject, it offers rich, precisely documented detail; and 2) besides discussing how terrorists might acquire an existing nuclear weapon or fashion their own (Faces #1 and 2), it offers in-depth treatments of terrorist threats to nuclear plants (#3) and the use of radiological weapons (#4). A more comprehensive approach than one focussed just on the bomb, this leads to superior analysis and recommendations regarding ranking of priority issues and solutions. I found of special value the authors' many imaginative proposals, e.g., encourage Japan to build a strategic reserve of low-enriched uranium from Russia rather than to proceed with its plutonium separation plant. The authors' discussion of the gaping holes in the approaches of the U.S. Government and other governments should cause us to treat with skepticism our leaders' avowals of how seriously they take these threats. If you are looking for a reliable, comprehensive, understandable, and thoughtful guide to nuclear terrorism, I recommend this book.