Rosen 1

Jeremy Rosen
Professor Nancy Pietroforte
Sociology 230
13 March 2014
A Sociological Perspective on Nuclear errorism
!A truc" pulls up in front of Ne# $or" %ity&s 'ran( %entral Station ) ) ) *t is a typical
#ee"(ay afternoon ) ) ) A fe# moments later+(river ma"es his (elivery, a 10-"iloton atomic
e.plosion/ 0'ol(man 1123) he specter of nuclear terrorism has haunte( the human psyche for
(eca(es an( for goo( reason, the effects of a terrorist an( a nuclear (evice are too horri4le to
comprehen(5 for nuclear po#er is unli"e any other #e have on this planet) 6efore the conclusion
of 7orl( 7ar **5 technological changes ha( stea(ily ma(e #arfare more an( more (estructive)
Spears an( s#or(s gave #ay to cannons an( guns5 #hich themselves #ere follo#e( 4y high
po#ere( automatic #eapons an( 4om4s that coul( "ill many people at once) 6y the start of the
Secon( 7orl( 7ar5 airplanes (elivere( their o#n payloa(s5 an( poison gas struc" fear in the
hearts of com4atants on 4oth si(es)
6ut the t#o 4om4s (roppe( on 8iroshima an( Nagasa"i in August 194: change( the
rules of #arfare forever) he po#er of the atom can (estroy entire cities at once5 a phenomenon
positively alien to the generations of human"in( 4efore the mo(ern era) An( the human suffering
as a result of the 4om4s #as immense) he infernos that sprea( miles from groun( ;ero #ere
terrifying an( the (eleterious effects of ra(iation #ere5 if at all possi4le5 even more so) o(ay5 #e
can see images of ra(iation-scarre( men5 #omen5 chil(ren5 an( infants #ho #ere guilty of
nothing more than living in Japan at the time of the #ar)
Accor(ing to Marius; <a4ro#s"i of o#son State =niversity5 the goal of a terrorist !is to
sprea( fear5 panic an( insta4ility through a populace)/ errorists may see" to e.pel #hat they
(eem to 4e oppressive forces5 as in the cases of *ra> an( Afghanistan) hey may also attempt to
em4arrass a government5 or more insi(iously5 force a government to 4ecome repressive to stop
them) !?rom the 19@0As to the 1910As the Tupamaros successfully use( this BlastC strategy to
affect change in =ruguay/ 0<a4ro#s"i3) ?urthermore5 terrorists strive to ma.imi;e the (amage to
human lives an( institutions in or(er to attract as much me(ia coverage as possi4le 0<a4ro#s"i3)
No# let us e.amine the relationship 4et#een nuclear #eapons an( the motives of terrorists)
Surely a nuclear #eapon in the han(s of a terrorist #oul( help the terrorist achieve the goal of
sprea(ing fear5 panic5 an( insta4ility)
* posit that if terrorists ha( unlimite( access to resources5 nuclear terrorism #oul( not
only have occurre( 4y no#5 4ut it #oul( have 4ecome >uite commonplace) !7ithin secon(s5 the
4last5 heat an( (irect e.posure to ra(iation have "ille( several hun(re( thousan( people) Perhaps
they are the luc"y ones) 7hat follo#s is5 if anything5 even #orse/ 0'ol(man 1123) he me(ia
coverage for an attac" as 'ol(man here (escri4es #oul( 4e nothing short of sensational5 an( the
reaction of the =nite( States government #oul( anything 4ut pe(estrian) he anti-terror
measures implemente( after the 9D11 attac"s have cause( enough grief among American citi;ens)
he ne# measures that #oul( 4e put into place after a nuclear attac" responsi4le for mur(ering
hun(re(s of thousan(s of people #oul( 4e startling in their scope an( #oul( surely upset many
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Americans) ?ortunately5 constructing or stealing a large-scale nuclear #eapon is 4eyon( the
means of a great num4er of terrorists) A more typical plotline involves #eapons of a much
smaller scale5 such as the t#o homema(e 4om4s that "ille( three an( inEure( 2@0 last April at the
6oston Marathon 0Ray3)
6ut in the unli"ely event that a terrorist (oes manage to smuggle a nuclear or (irty
#eapon into a maEor ur4an area5 the onus is on government to 013 prevent such an attac" from
happening in the first place an( 023 save as many lives as possi4le if the attac" is successful) !*t
is the >uarter of a million lives that coul( 4e save( that are e.ercising the min(s of =S
policyma"ers/ 0'ol(man 1123) Accor(ing to 'ol(man5 the lives that may 4e save( in the event
of a nuclear attac" are the ones a(versely affecte( 4y ra(iation sic"ness) =nfortunately5 (espite
the large sums of money the government has spent on various e.perimental (rugs5 there is !little
that (octors coul( (o/ 0'ol(man 1123 at the current time)
hen there are those #ho argue that the threat of nuclear terrorism is overrate(5 an( #e
are essentially giving the terrorists enhance( me(ia coverage an( fear) F.pert 6rian Michael
Jen"ins of Ran( %orporation aptly notes that there has never actually 4een a nuclear terrorist
attac" 0Gitfiel(3) *n an intervie# #ith National Journal5 he e.plains the (ifference 4et#een
nuclear terrorism an( #hat he (eems !nuclear terror)/ *n 4rief5 the former is the real threat of a
terrorist ac>uiring an( (etonating a nuclear #eapon5 #hereas the latter is merely the overri(ing
fear of such an event5 #hich Jen"ins claims has (ate( 4ac" as far as the 1920s 0Gitfiel(3)
My goal for this paper is to provi(e 4oth (etails an( perspective on nuclear terrorism) *n
the paper5 * #ill consi(er an( speculate a4out the vali(ity of Jen"ins&s point of vie#) * #ill
e.plore the potential horrific effects of a nuclear attac" on a maEor =nite( States city) * #ill
e.amine terrorists& motivations for engaging in nuclear terrorism an( the various means they may
ta"e to (o so) * #ill then (iscuss ho# our government is see"ing to com4at this threat5 an( ho#5
in the event of a #orst-case scenario5 our government #ill respon() * #ill e.pan( upon a4out
'ol(man&s foray into the various me(icines that can 4e use( to com4at ra(iation poisoning) An(
finally5 * #ill conclu(e 4y e.amining the special situation of the *n(ian Point nuclear reactors
locate( appro.imately thirty-five miles from Ne# $or" %ity an( fifteen miles from my home in
Roc"lan( %ounty5 Ne# $or") Nuclear terrorism is not Eust a vague concept 4ut rather a concrete
social pro4lem that (irectly affects many Americans5 inclu(ing me)
8F F??F%S H? A N=%IFAR FJPIHS*HN
A nuclear e.plosion in the heart of a maEor American city #oul( 4e a catastrophe on a
massive scale) 8o#ever5 pre(icting the e.act effects on the people of the city is a challenge
4ecause there have 4een only t#o such e.plosions in history, the 4om4ings of 8iroshima an(
Nagasa"i) 7orse5 the sheer chaos of the 4om4ings ma(e it (ifficult for o4servers an( scientists to
ma"e accurate accounts of lives lost an( (amage( 0!%ounting the <ea(/3) Accor(ing to the
Atomic 6om4 Museum5 the initial (eath counts at 8iroshima provi(e( an estimate from 425000
to 935000 lives lost 0!%ounting/3) 8o#ever5 the true num4er #as more along the lines of
13050005 an( an a((itional @05000 to 205000 people lost their lives in the su4se>uent Nagasa"i
4om4ing 0!%ounting/3) he population of a large contemporary American city5 such as Ne#
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$or"5 is much larger than that of 8iroshima or Nagasa"i5 so the num4er of casualties #oul( 4e
much greater)
$et the (eath tolls in Japan tell only part of the story) *nnumera4le lives #ere (estroye(
irrepara4ly5 #hen they #ere not ta"en outright5 as a result of flash an( ra(iation-in(uce( inEuries5
appearing in (ifferent stages that spanne( (ays5 #ee"s5 months5 years5 an( generations) <uring
the first t#o #ee"s5 the inEuries consiste( mainly of flash 4urns an( other #oun(s 0!%ounting/3)
Iater5 4ut #ithin a span of appro.imately t#o months5 ra(iation (amages 4egan to manifest
through hair loss an( re(uce( 4loo( cell counts 0!%ounting/3) *n the months after#ar(5 the initial
inEuries in the survivors 4egan to heal5 4ut ne# (isor(ers appeare(5 inclu(ing "eloi( scarring5
#hich results from overgro#ths of scar tissue 0!%ounting/3) he generational effects persist even
no#5 nearly seventy years after the e.plosions) hese effects inclu(e, !leu"emia5 A-4om4
cataracts5 an( cancers of thyroi(5 4reast5 lungs5 salivary glan(s5 4irth (efects5 inclu(ing mental
retar(ation5 an( fears of 4irth (efects in their chil(ren5 plus5 of course5 the (isfiguring "eloi(
scars/ 0!%ounting/3)
An( yet a terrorist-perpetrate( nuclear e.plosion #oul( 4e even more (evastating on the
#hole than the (eaths an( inEuries (escri4e( a4ove #oul( in(icate) *n a((ition to the potential
for hun(re(s of thousan(s of (eaths5 !A terrorist nuclear e.plosion coul(+create 4illions of
(ollars in (amages an( un(ermine the glo4al economy/ 06rill an( Iuongo3) he (amages are
self-evi(ent) A nuclear 4om4 let off in Manhattan5 as 'ol(man (escri4es in his fictitious
scenario5 #oul( vapori;e its near4y surroun(ings5 an( it #oul( level countless 4uil(ings) he
ru44le from the collapse of merely t#o 4uil(ings on 9D11 sent massive plumes of smo"e into the
s"y5 an( smo"e inhalation has sic"ene( many first respon(ers) Automo4iles5 streets5 #al"#ays5
streetlights5 an( every other structure imagina4le #oul( 4e ruine() he potential for a collapse of
the glo4al economy may 4e a little har(er to imagine at first glance5 4ut Gofi Annan5 a former
Secretary 'eneral of the =nite( Nations sai( a nuclear terrorist attac" !#oul( thrust tens of
millions of people into (ire poverty/ an( lea( to !a secon( (eath toll throughout the (eveloping
#orl(/ 06rill an( Iuongo3)
ry to envision the sociological conse>uences of a nuclear e.plosion in a maEor American
city li"e Ne# $or"5 host to the =nite( Nations an( 7all Street5 a centerpiece of the glo4al
economy) All economic transactions ma(e in the city #oul( cease imme(iately an( for the
foreseea4le future) his shoc" alone might trigger a series of panics that #oul( resoun(
#orl(#i(e) No# picture ho# neigh4oring cities5 such as 6oston5 an( other American cities5 such
as Ios Angeles5 #oul( react) %ivilians an( government officials ali"e #oul( reason that if
terrorists are targeting Ne# $or"5 they also might target these other cities) Panic may #ell reign
supreme5 an( the fe(eral government #oul( have to step in to restore or(er) he 9D11 attac"s on
t#o 4uil(ings in Ne# $or" an( the Pentagon in 7ashington le( to t#o #ars5 Afghanistan an(
*ra>5 #hose glo4al repercussions are still hitting home) ?rom a socioeconomic perspective5 a
nuclear attac" coul( 4e cataclysmic)
8F PFRSPF%*KF H? A FRRHR*S
As * have previously outline(5 the goal of a terrorist is to create as much (amage an( loss
of life in as sensational a manner as possi4le) 6y (oing so5 the terrorist #ill in(uce fear in the
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population an( receive constant me(ia coverage that #oul( augment the fear) Fventually5 the
government #oul( have to step in5 an( the situation for the government may #ell 4e a no-#in) *f
the government (oes not act strongly enough5 the people may vie# it as #ea" an( em4arrassing)
Hn the other han(5 if the government acts too strongly5 people may feel anger to#ar( it5 an( in a
#orst case scenario5 may even sympathi;e #ith the terrorist) *magine a situation in #hich our
government suspen(s the ?ourth Amen(ment protection against unreasona4le search an( sei;ure5
an( government officials con(uct un#arrante( searches) he political 4ac"lash against the
government #oul( 4e immense an( perhaps cause as much social turmoil as the attac" itself)
Although mainstream America (oes not sympathi;e #ith al-Lae(a5 this organi;ation (i( inspire
such unpopular government policies as the Patriot Act5 #hich ena4les the government to o4tain
4usiness recor(s relate( to terrorist activity5 engage in roving #iretaps5 an( authori;e the
collection of intelligence on citi;ens unassociate( #ith terrorist organi;ations 0%ha((oc"3)
6ut it is not easy for a terrorist to ac>uire an actual nuclear 4om4) Although !simply
(ropping a 4:-"ilogram lump of #eapons-gra(e uranium onto a secon( piece of a similar si;e
from a height of a4out 1)1 meters coul( pro(uce a 4last of : to 10 "ilotonsMthat is5 the e.plosive
force of :5000 to 105000 tons of N5/ 0'ol(man 1123 it is not simple either for a terrorist to
ac>uire #eapons-gra(e uranium) o attain a nuclear #eapon5 this terrorist !coul( o4tain
unaccounte( Nloose nu"es& in Russia #ithout the <uma or the Russian a(ministration having any
"no#le(ge of the transaction/ 0!Nuclear errorism/3) o attain #eapons-gra(e uranium5 the
terrorist coul( loo" to#ar( Russia or other former communist countries5 4ut (espite 'ol(man&s
chilling scenario5 there #oul( still 4e significant challenges involve( in e.plo(ing the uranium
0!Nuclear/3)
he a4ove challenges may lea( a terrorist to#ar( a (irty 4om4) Accor(ing to the %enters
of <isease %ontrol an( Prevention5 a (irty 4om4 !is a mi. of e.plosives5 such as (ynamite5 #ith
ra(ioactive po#(er or pellets) 7hen the (ynamite or other e.plosives are set off5 the 4last carries
ra(ioactive material into the surroun(ing area/ 0!?ALs a4out <irty 6om4s/3) Although there is
no atomic 4last5 an( the ra(ioactivity is pro4a4ly not strong enough to sprea( illness far from the
4last site5 0!?ALs/3 the %enters still recommen( that citi;ens ta"e precautionary measures in the
event of such an attac") *n other #or(s5 the impact of a (irty 4om4 is not nearly that of an actual
nuclear #eapon5 4ut the fear of ra(ioactivity remains5 an( terrorists #oul( have a much easier
time ma"ing a (irty 4om4) As a matter of fact5 a truc" in Me.ico carrying the ra(ioactive isotope
co4alt-@0 #as stolen in <ecem4er 2013 0Reuters3)
A final option for a prospective nuclear terrorist #oul( 4e to mount an attac" on a nuclear
plant) 6ase( on current pu4lishe( reports5 nuclear plants must only have proce(ures in place
(efen(ing against five or si. attac"ers 0Guperman3) Nuclear plants (o not nee( to have
proce(ures to prevent a 9D11 style aircraft stri"e or attac"s from ships5 grena(es5 or sniper rifles
0Guperman3) !America&s nuclear po#er plants5 an( their pools of use( fuel5 are thus vulnera4le
to realistic terrorist attac"s that coul( (isa4le cooling systems5 trigger melt(o#ns5 an( release
massive amounts of ra(iation5 as occurre( at %herno4yl in 191@ an( more recently at Japan&s
?u"ushima reactors/ 0Guperman3) #o significant (angers are at han(, terrorists in(ucing a
melt(o#n an( stealing #eapons-gra(e uranium 0#hich5 accor(ing to Guperman5 is still use( at
some American facilities35 though the terrorist-in(uce( melt(o#n scenario is mitigate( 4y the
fact that terrorists may not fin( it so appealing) !Just one of the =)S)As 104 commercial nuclear
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reactors is #ithin 10 miles of a (ensely populate( cityMthe hree Mile *slan( facility near
8arris4urg5 PA/ 0'il4ert3) *n other #or(s5 a lot of effort #oul( 4e nee(e( to penetrate a nuclear
plant5 an( unless performe( on *n(ian Point5 the resulting attac" #oul( not affect a maEor city) A
nuclear 4om4 let off in the heart of Manhattan #oul( 4e much more (evastating)
%HM6A*N' N=%IFAR FRRHR*SM
* #oul( li"e to note that * am analy;ing efforts relate( specifically to nuclear terrorism)
he #or" our government performs to com4at terrorism in general an( other specific forms of
terrorism5 such as 4iological terrorism or cy4erterrorism5 #ill not 4e covere( in any significant
(etail here) here are currently t#o maEor #ays in #hich the =nite( States government see"s to
com4at nuclear terrorism) he first relates to efforts to prevent terrorists from ac>uiring a nuclear
#eapon5 #eapons-gra(e uranium5 ra(ioactive material that coul( ma"e a (irty 4om45 or the
means to attac" a nuclear plant) his strategy also encompasses measures ta"en to prevent
terrorists #ho have ac>uire( nuclear means from successfully using sai( nuclear means) he
secon( (eals #ith the steps that #oul( 4e ta"en in the event of a successful episo(e of nuclear
terrorism) 8o# #oul( civilians 4e treate(O 8o# #oul( the government institute evacuation
procee(ings5 if necessaryO 8o# #oul( or(er 4e maintaine( among the populaceO
!More action is nee(e( to prevent militants ac>uiring plutonium or highly-enriche(
uranium that coul( 4e use( in 4om4s5 governments agree( at a meeting on nuclear security in
Kienna on Mon(ay5 #ithout (eci(ing on any concrete steps/ 0<ahl3) his >uote is ta"en from a
July 15 2013 article 4y Reuters5 an( from this >uote5 it is apparent that #orl( governments5
inclu(ing that of the =nite( States5 treat nuclear terrorism as a significant issue) Although the
conference in >uestion (i( little more than pro(uce a (ocument encouraging governments to
refrain from using too much #eapons-gra(e uranium 0<ahl35 there are alrea(y a myria( of
security measures in place in the =nite( States) *n response to the significant num4er of nuclear
#eapons left in Russia after the %ol( 7ar5 %ongress create( the %ooperative hreat Re(uction
0%R3 program5 an initiative to (ismantle nuclear #eapons in Russia an( other countries once
part of the Soviet =nion 0Sharp an( Poff3) 'overnment organi;ations see" to com4at nuclear
terrorism as #ell through !the <epartment of Fnergy&s 'lo4al hreat Re(uction *nitiative5 the
<epartment of State&s 'lo4al *nitiative to %om4at Nuclear errorism5 an( the National Nuclear
Security A(ministration&s Hffice of <efense Nuclear Nonproliferation/ 0Sharp an( Poff3)
8o#ever5 Sharp an( Poff claim that the =nite( States& anti-nuclear terrorism plans are
ina(e>uate) hey argue that the government shoul( restructure the e.ecutive 4ranch to 4etter
com4at nuclear threatsP esta4lish a system of international stan(ar(s to secure nuclear materialP
strengthen agreements #ith foreign countries li"e Russia5 *n(ia5 an( Pa"istanP an( invest in
nuclear surveillance technologies) hey also a(vise us to re(uce our o#n stoc"pile of nuclear
#eapons) his re(uction #oul( serve t#o 4asic purposes) *t #oul( encourage other countries to
re(uce their nuclear arsenals5 an( it #oul( entice these countries to cooperate #ith us on various
treaties 4y (emonstrating that #e are serious a4out nuclear terrorism)
6ut #hat if5 (espite the American an( glo4al security measures5 terrorists succee( in
crafting some form of nuclear nightmareO *n this case5 the government must have a((itional
measures in place to save as many lives as possi4le) 'ol(man notes that a 10-"iloton e.plosion
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in a city the si;e of 7ashington5 <)%) #oul( leave 135000 people (ea( at once5 4:5000 (ea(
regar(less of treatment5 2::5000 (ea( if treatment is not given5 an( 1405000 in nee( of some
form of o4servation 01123) he 2::5000 people from the a4ove list5 all of #hom #ill suffer from
ra(iation poisoning5 are the ones the government is most concerne( a4out 4ecause they can 4e
save() 8o#ever5 #ith current technologies in place5 there is little that can 4e (one for them)
'ol(man e.plains that the stan(ar( unit for ra(iation e.posure is the gray5 #hich is
measure( in Eoules of energy a4sor4e( per "ilogram of tissue 01123) Any e.posure of more than
t#o grays is (ea(ly #ithout treatment 01123P although the victim may seem to recover for a time5
the secon(ary effects of the ra(iation #ill prove fatal 01113) 7ith e.posure of up to five grays5
the 4one marro# #ill feel the 4runt of the effects5 for the ra(iation #ill "ill stem cells that are
suppose( to (evelop into healthy 4loo( cells 01113) After five grays5 the (igestive tract is
affecte(5 an( after ten grays5 the central nervous system is (amage(5 an( no treatment #ill
prevent (eath 01113) %urrently5 the stan(ar( proce(ure for treating ra(iation poisoning involves
palliative care5 #hich !#oul( 4e e.tremely (ifficult to (eliver on a mass scale/ 01113) As a result5
the government is pouring ta.payer (ollars into the %enters for Me(ical %ountermeasures against
Ra(iation 0%%MR35 #hose goal is to un(erstan( ho# ra(iation affects human 4iology an( use
that un(erstan(ing to (evelop 4etter (rugs 01113)
Hne option is the (rug '-%S?5 #hich is (esigne( to in(uce the 4one marro# to pro(uce
ne# 4loo( cells 01113) Although early test results loo" promising5 it is not yet license( to treat
ra(iation poisoning5 an( the costs of a(ministering it are too great 01113) *t costs up to Q400 per
(ose5 it has to 4e given (aily for at least t#o #ee"s5 it must 4e "ept refrigerate(5 an( it is "no#n
to have severe si(e effects 01113) hus5 in a situation #here chaos reigns5 an( people are a(vise(
to ta"e shelter until ra(iation levels (issipate enough to evacuate the city5 '-%S? is simply not
feasi4le) ?or these reasons5 companies are (eveloping other (rugs5 inclu(ing the steroi( :-AF<5
#hich serves the same purpose as '-%S? 4ut is cheaper an( has mil(er si(e effects 01113) Hther
compoun(s an( stem cell treatments appear promising as #ell5 an( 'ol(man notes that all this
research may 4e #orth#hile even if a nuclear terrorist attac" (oes not occur 01193) hese (rugs
may 4oost confi(ence in the nuclear po#er in(ustry5 #hich is a "ey component in the (rive to
stave off climate change5 an( they might help the el(erly #ho might other#ise 4e in nee( of
4loo( transfusions 01193)
8F SH%*HIH'$ H? N=%IFAR FRRHR*SM
he 4enefits of 4iological research inten(e( to com4at nuclear terrorism len(s itself to an
interesting point a4out ho# social pro4lems are constructe() *f * #ere to as" a variety of
Americans #hether terrorism is (etrimental to the country5 they #oul( each most li"ely reply
#ith a resoun(ing affirmative5 an( * #oul( resoun(ingly agree #ith them) 6ut if * #ere to then
as" them if they coul( thin" of one silver lining5 they #oul( most li"ely fail to give an ans#er)
$et it is clear from the previous section that terrorism has engen(ere( research that may help
com4at climate change an( may even save the lives of el(erly citi;ens in nee( of 4loo(
transfusions) *n other #or(s5 even the greatest social pro4lems of our era may have si(e 4enefits
through the important efforts #e ma"e to fight them)
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Another >uestion in regar(s to the sociology of nuclear terrorism is #hether the threat of
a nuclear terrorist attac" is over4lo#n) *n his te.t4oo" Social Problems: An Introduction to
Critical Constructionism5 Ro4ert 8einer e.plains critical constructionism5 a foun(ation of
sociological theory5 in the follo#ing #ay5 !Some seemingly harmful phenomena meet our
(efinition of a social pro4lem5 #hile other seemingly more harmful phenomena (o not meet this
(efinition/ 0113) 8e later states that !all interpretations of reality are influence( 4y our
e.periences/ 0123) 6rian Michael Jen"ins5 an e.pert on terrorism5 argues that #e 4elieve nuclear
terrorism is more of a threat than it actually is !4ecause 4eneath the veneer of our American
optimism are layers of an.iety/ 0Gitfiel(3) Americans are "no#n to fear the (estruction of their
great country5 an( American lea(ers have con(itione( Americans to fear terrorists) Nuclear
terrorism presents a com4ination of 4oth these fears5 for #ith a nuclear #eapon5 a terrorist
organi;ation may possess the po#er to severely sha"e the American repu4lic)
8o#ever5 Jen"ins claims that (espite all the apprehension5 nuclear terrorism is not li"ely
to occur in the near future or even at all) *n his #or(s5 !here is no logical progression from
truc" 4om4s to nuclear 4om4s/ 0Gitfiel(3) 6ut the impro4a4ility of a real nuclear attac" (oes not
(issua(e terrorist organi;ations li"e al Lae(a from ma"ing threats) Al Lae(a "no#s full #ell that
if they simply com4ine the #or( !nuclear/ #ith !terrorism/ that they #ill have accomplishe(
t#o of their main goals) hey #ill have receive( attention from the =nite( States5 an( they #ill
have e.cite( their constituents5 #ho love the prospect of having po#er over Americans
0Gitfiel(3) Although Jen"ins 4elieves that #e nee( to esta4lish 4etter intelligence5 increase
security of nuclear stoc"piles5 an( finish al Lae(a once an( for all5 he also thin"s that our
government shoul( #or" to stop the fear of nuclear terrorism from sprea(ing) Hfficials shoul(
preach that a nuclear attac" #ill not 4ring an en( to the country an( that Americans #ill get
through a possi4le crisis together 0Gitfiel(3) ?ear may help a population focus on a threat5 4ut
fear also 4ree(s over;ealousness5 intolerance5 an( overreaction 0Gitfiel(3)
Hn the other han(5 7alter Ia>ueur5 another e.pert on terrorism an( author of The New
Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction5 offers a sharp criti>ue on theorists li"e
Jen"ins) 8e argues that Eust 4ecause an episo(e of nuclear terrorism has not yet come to pass
(oes not mean that nuclear terrorism is not a significant threat) Accor(ing to him5 those #ho
4elittle the threat of nuclear terrorism ma"e the follo#ing points,
013 errorists care more a4out pu4licity than mass carnage5 #hich may turn off sympathi;ers)
023 %ountries5 let alone terrorist organi;ations5 have faile( to ac>uire nuclear #eapons)
033 errorists have a har( enough time coor(inating simple attac"s5 let alone nuclear ones)
8o#ever5 Eust 4ecause these arguments are vali( in their o#n right (oes not mean that an
e.ception to the general tren(s #ill not come to pass) Nuclear proliferation is a maEor #orl(
concern5 an( there is al#ays the possi4ility that terrorists #ill get their han(s on nuclear material)
An( 4etting on a terrorist refraining from using accessi4le nuclear material is not a safe strategy)
%HN%I=S*HN, A PFRSHNAI PFRSPF%*KF
My hometo#n5 Pearl River5 Ne# $or"5 is locate( fifteen miles from t#o fully operational
nuclear po#er plants commonly "no#n as *n(ian Point 2 an( *n(ian Point 3) * often come across
ne#spaper articles a4out the state of the plants an( the ongoing (e4ates over #hether they shoul(
4e close() Hpponents of the continue( rene#al of *n(ian Point&s licenses ma"e (iversifie(
Rosen 1
arguments5 citing (amages from hot #ater (umpe( into the river an( potential ra(ioactive
contamination) 6ut the most persuasive argument of all is a remin(er of the possi4ility of a
nuclear (isaster on a massive scale) his argument is so effective 0though not effective to have
shut (o#n the plants3 4ecause !a4out 20 million people live #ithin :0 miles of *n(ian Point5
#hich is 3: miles from Mi(to#n Manhattan/ 0'il4ert3) Although Fntergy %orporation
spo"esman Jim Steets 4elieves it is !possi4le/ to evacuate the city an( su4ur4ia5 inclu(ing my
home5 in the event of a calamity5 there are no formal plans to (o so 0'il4ert3)
Septem4er 115 2001 is unforgetta4le in the hearts an( min(s of Ne# $or"ers) 7e
remem4er so vivi(ly the crisp autumn morning the t#o Eetliners crashe( into the to#ers an(
"ille( so many of our o#n) After the 1993 4om4ing an( the 2001 attac"s5 Ne# $or"ers are no
strangers to terrorism) 7e are #ell a#are of ho# far terrorists can go to achieve their en(s5 #hich
is precisely #hy the fear of a terrorist stri"e on *n(ian Point looms strongly over many of us)
<iscounting the a((itional possi4ility of an acci(ental melt(o#n of one of the reactors5 the
hypothetical terrorist situation is frightening enough) A 9D11 style hiEac"ing of an aircraft5 this
time follo#e( 4y crashing the plane into a reactor5 coul( #ell create the perfect nightmare) *n
fact5 any nuclear plant in the =nite( States is suscepti4le to terrorism5 4ut *n(ian Point is an
especially sensitive target 4ecause of its pro.imity to Ne# $or") *t is also especially sensitive for
me 4ecause of its pro.imity to my home)
At this point5 * 4elieve #e must accept the prospect of nuclear terrorism as a fact of life)
As long as there are terrorists an( nuclear #eapons5 materials5 an( reactors in this #orl(5 there is
al#ays the possi4ility of a nuclear attac") 6ut * also agree #ith 6rian Michael Jen"ins) 7e must
continue the steps #e are ta"ing no# to enhance (omestic an( glo4al security an( improve upon
the research our scientists are performing to mitigate the effects of a nuclear (isaster5 4ut at the
same time5 #e cannot enslave ourselves to fear) Although * myself live ne.t (oor to the 4iggest
city in the =nite( States an( a pair of nuclear reactors5 * feel that in the event of a nuclear attac"5
the country #ill (o its 4est to remain strong an( 4uil( for a 4etter future) he costs5 ho#ever5 #ill
4e (evastating to us all)
Rosen 9
7or"s %ite(
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Times) 1: March 2012) 7e4) 13 March 2014)
%ha((oc"5 'ail Russell) !Patriot Act, hree %ontroversial Provisions hat %ongress Kote( to
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!?re>uently As"e( Luestions a4out Nuclear 6om4s)/ Centers for Disease Control and
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2014)
Ray5 Michael) !6oston Marathon 6om4ing of 2013)/ )nc,clopedia "ritannica) 1 May 2013)
7e4) 13 March 2014)
Reuters) !Stolen Ra(ioactive Material %oul( Ma"e N<irty 6om4)&/ New or! Post) 4 <ecem4er
2013) 7e4) 13 March 2014)
Sharp5 ravis an( Frica Poff) !=n(erstan(ing an( Preventing Nuclear errorism)/ The Center for
Arms Control and Non+Proliferation) 3 <ecem4er 2001) 7e4) 13 March 2014)