With the republican convention coming to new york, this is of particular concern. The possibilities that al qaeda might acquire the materials and the knowledge for building nuclear weapons or dirty bombs or might attack commercial nuclear power facilities to trigger a nuclear meltdown, are of particular concern. Nuclear terrorism refers to any person or persons who detonate a nuclear weapon as an act of terrorism i. Are terrorist groups interested in carrying out nuclear attacks. Lessons from aum shinrikyo, al qaeda, and the kinshasa reactor. Determined terrorist groups can acquire and detonate a nuclear bomb.
Deterring al qaeda from using a nuclear weapon, should it acquire one, is a harder challenge than analysts have argued. Country reports on terrorism 2015 is submitted in compliance with title 22 of the united states code, section 2656f the act, which requires the department of state to provide to congress a full and complete annual report on terrorism for those countries and groups meeting the criteria of the act. From the decimation of al qaeda to the iran deal and the nuclear security summits, difficult actions taken by courageous and hardworking americans and others have prevented the future we feared. We have had significant access to highly classified raw. At this time osama bin laden organized to help the volunteers, who became known as al qaeda or the base. In event of a terrorist nuclear attack, an accurate and fast determination. Multilateral cooperation and the prevention of nuclear terrorism. Terrorist nuclear intentions for over two decades, al qaeda leaders have repeatedly expressed in public their willingness to employ. And it is in this spirit that graham allison in 2004 produced a thoughtful, influential, and wellargued book, nuclear terrorism. Suggestions for deterrence based on punishment have severe limitations. Apr 02, 2010 will originate with al qaeda s central leadership, a critical component of a broader strategy to prevent such an attack will involve continued efforts to weaken al qaeda s leaders and eliminate or at the very least restrict their sanctuary in pakistan.
Osama bin laden has said that he feels a religious duty to acquire nuclear and chemical weapons, and al qaeda operatives have made repeated attempts to buy stolen nuclear material in order to make a nuclear bomb. The impossible challenge of deterring nuclear terrorism by al. Al qaeda senior leaders traveled to the site of the capsized ferry in order to confirm ubeidis death. Like aum, al qaeda had the motivation, financial means, and physical security to pursue an acquisition program.
On 11 september 2001 a new epoch in warfare emerged. The ultimate preventable catastrophe, harvard universitys graham allison argues that al qaeda is most likely to steal a small nuclear weapon from russias arsenal or construct its own rudimentary nuclear bomb made from highly enriched uranium, and then smuggle the device into the united states inside a ship or truck. The potential for radiological terrorism by alqaeda and the. Indiapakistan relations, riddled with crises since the 1980s, have become still more unstable since the advent of nuclear weapons. Understanding radiologic and nuclear terrorism as public health. In 2002, an american convert to islam, jose padilla, was arrested for plotting to build a radiological weapon after returning from an al qaeda training camp in pakistan. How iran serves as a key geographic hub for alqaeda. Case study political geography and al qaeda terrorism. For example, there are strong indications that al qaeda chief ayman al zawahiri is in the country. Pdf aum shinrikyo, al qaeda, and the kinshasa reactor. Abd al aziz al masri, a dedicated nuclear operative, had conducted nuclear related experiments in the afghanistan desert in the late 1990s. The best counterweapons of mass destruction nuclear terrorism defense, therefore.
This sort of analysis on issues of nonproliferation and international terrorism is not often covered in opensource research. According to president bush and other top security officials, nuclear plants remain high on the list of possible future terrorist. So as the original organizer of al qaeda, analysis has focused on the rise of bin ladenhis. Alqaeda, broadbased militant islamist organization founded by osama bin laden in the late 1980s. Alqaeda in the united states henry jackson society. Jul 25, 2004 according to the 911 commissions recently released report, indian point may already have been in al qaeda s crosshairs. Potter, the four faces of nuclear terrorism monterey, ca. Core al qaeda and its yemeni affiliate, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap, in particular still aspire to carry out largescale attacks that could result in significant property damage and high insured losses. Nuclear terrorism is a low probability, high consequence threat. National commission on terrorist attacks upon the united states. Alqaeda has sought nuclear weapons for almost two decades by attempting to purchase stolen nuclear material and weapons and has sought nucl. As a result, the taliban was removed from power, all known al qaeda training. It wont affect our way of life, and it isnt a threat to our national security.
The impossible challenge of deterring nuclear terrorism by al qaeda. How institutions protect against the threat of nuclear terrorism scott d. Al qaeda operatives have made repeated attempts to buy stolen nuclear material from which to make a nuclear bomb. That might have been true at the time, but on 911, al qaeda re wrote the terrorist. The second case study examines al qaeda s nuclear activities. Oct 20, 2020 under luqman khubab, son of former al qaeda chemical, radiological, biological, and nuclear cell chief abu khabab al masri, al qaeda appears to have sustained such a cell in the afghanistanpakistan region, perhaps technically unsophisticated but cashrich, which attempts to trade in the black market of loose nuclear materials. They say that wmd terrorism is far beyond the capability, and even the intent of terrorist groups such as al qaeda. Abu al khair al masri aka abdallah muhammed rajab abd al rahman was the former. United nations rogue nations is an international governing body formed in 1945 to increase political and economic cooperation among its member countries. The al qaeda terrorist network has been seeking nuclear weapons for years. Recent developments there is now intense national and international attention to the risks of nuclear terrorism. Some definitions of nuclear terrorism include the sabotage of a nuclear facility andor the detonation of a radiological device, colloquially termed a dirty bomb, but consensus is lacking. The impossible challenge of deterring nuclear terrorism.
Nuclear explosion this form of nuclear terrorism is the gravest in terms of the number of casualties, the immediate vast destruction and the lethal longterm effects on human health and the environment. Qaeda were raised in 2002 when 31yold jose padilla was detained on suspicion that he. Now it seems clearer than ever that iran was emboldened to boost al qaeda s terrorist capabilities as it benefited financially from the windfall that resulted from the sealing of the nuclear deal. For example, there are strong indications that al qaeda chief ayman al.
First, in the sudan during the mid1990s, al qaeda tried to obtain nuclear materials that could be used to make a. The center for nonproliferation studies, monterey institute of international studies, 2004, 18, 21, 25, 29. Al qaeda in the united states vii executive summary for over a decade, al qaeda aq and al qaeda inspired terrorism has posed the most significant threat to u. We have sought to understand how al qaeda raised, moved, and stored money before and after the september 11 attacks, and how the u.
Al qaeda created a dedicated program to develop nuclear weapons led by ayman al zawahiri, the groups current leader. Abd al aziz al masri 117 is probably ali sayyid muhamed mustafa al bakri, an al qaeda explosives and chemical expert. Although nonstate actors have never successfully acquired a nuclear weapon, documented attempts demonstrate some groups are interested in nuclear terrorism. Jun 06, 2011 the study notes that, in addition to al qaeda, terrorists from the north caucasus region remain committed to carrying out catastrophic attacks, have carried out reconnaissance at nuclear weapons storage sites, have plotted to hijack a submarine with nuclear weapons on board, have planted radiological materials in moscow, and have repeatedly. Russia joint threat assessment on nuclear terrorism pdf. Al qaeda and the japanese cult aum shinrikyo both made repeated attempts to get nuclear weapons or the material and expertise needed to make them, and there is evidence that chechen terrorists may have sought nuclear weapons as well. A new framework for defining the enemy, america enterprise institutes critical threats. May 15, 2018 preventive actions taken since 2004, both in counterterrorism and in counterproliferation, have been extraordinary. Pdf al qaedas organizational structure and its evolution. Some claim that the likelihood of a nonstate actor acquiring such weapons is virtually zero. Joyner abstract nuclear terrorism poses a grave threat to national security, a fact dramatically demonstrated on 11 september 2001 by al qaeda s attacks against the world trade center and the pentagon. Al qaeda operatives have established a new home base in iran where senior members of the terrorist group are living a normal life while developing new plots, according to secretary of. By exposing irans secret deal with al qaeda, allowing it to funnel funds and operatives through its territory, we are illuminating yet another aspect of irans unmatched support for terrorism, the u. A total of 6 countries offered a range of military assistance to the united states, including overflight and landing rights and accommodations for u.
In october 2001, a topsecret team was dispatched to new york city to search for a nuclear bomb. Nuclear explosion this form of nuclear terrorism is the gravest in terms of the number of casualties, the immediate vast destruction and the lethal longterm effects. Al qaeda, along with some north caucasus terrorist groups that seek to establish an islamic caliphate in russia, have consistently stated they seek nuclear weapons and have tried to acquire them. The potential for radiological terrorism by alqaeda and. According to a cia agent codenamed dragonfire, al qaeda had gotten hold of a nuclear weapon produced by the former soviet. Al qaeda had a focused program reporting directly to. Oct 15, 1999 the second case study examines al qaeda s nuclear activities. Al qaeda is not a state, has no clear command authority, and has no clear nuclear weaponsemployment doctrine.
Al qaeda is a sunni salafi jihadi network with affiliates and supporters spread all over the globe. Mowattlarssen, a former senior cia officer, is a senior fellow at the belfer center for science and international affairs at harvard kennedy school. Jun 05, 2016 the prospect of a wellorganized network like al qaeda gaining access to a nuclear or biological weapon represents a serious threat to us and international security. The impossible challenge of deterring nuclear terrorism by. Center for the study of weapons of mass destruction. According to commentary from senior al qaeda officials, he was seeking nuclear material in southern africa.
Isis has ruled ruthlessly and killed with few restraints in its syrian holdings. Among the questions posed to the postseptember 11 work, one is of particular interest. Aug 10, 2016 al qaeda has likewise shown an interest in radiological as well as chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The report recommends that the security council broaden the arms embargo to keep this third generation of followers from obtaining militaryquality materials or using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. In the same interview, ayman zawahiri, another senior official of the group, said that al qaeda had obtained nuclear weapons through the asian nuclear black market. Al qaedas religious justification of nuclear terrorism. Since 2015, key leaders of al qaeda s central organization and much of the leadership of the south asia faction appear to be in afghanistan. Nuclear terrorism refers to any person or persons who detonate a nuclear weapon as an act of. Al qaeda has sought nuclear weapons for almost two decades by attempting to purchase stolen nuclear material and weapons and has sought nuclear. It began as a logistical network to support muslims fighting against the soviet union during the afghan war and transformed into the active terrorist organization known for. More recently, threats of radiologic terrorism from al. Arms proliferation and control, global security, homeland security and public safety, international affairs, national security and terrorism, nuclear terrorism, nuclear weapons and. With al qaeda s attacks on the world trade center in new york city and the pentagon in washington dc, the united states suffered one of the most catastrophic attacks on the continental united states in the nations history.
Negroponte judged there to be a a high probability that within two years al qaeda would attempt an attack using a nuclear or other weapon of mass destruction. And as with aum, al qaeda followed a twotrack strategy. Between war and terrorism 363 francois gere 16 the united states confronting terrorism 398 arnaud blin 17 terrorism in southeast asiathreat and response 420 rohan gunaratna bibliography 435 contributors 445 index 447. Jan 03, 2007 taliban regime which had harbored al qaeda since 1996 and against al qaeda strongholds in afghanistan. February 6, 2001 us district court southern district of new york. Al qaeda s religious justification of nuclear terrorism. One reason for al qaeda s remarkably low activity in the last years is that 911 proved to be substantially counterproductive from al qaeda s standpoint. Deterring al qaeda from using a nuclear weapon, should it acquire one, is a harder. Nuclear terrorism can manifest itself in several different forms. Munro professor of political science, the mimi and peter haas university fellow in undergraduate education, and senior fellow at the center for international security and cooperation and. Combating a modern hydra al qaeda and the global war on.
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