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Overview
Nuclear radiation, invisible and detectable only with special
instruments, has the power to terrify—in part because of its
association with nuclear weapons—and to become an instrument
of terrorists. Radioactive isotopes can be spread widely with or
without high explosives by a radiological dispersion device
(RDD) or so-called dirty bomb. This paper provides a general
overview of the nature of RDDs and sources of material for them
and estimates the effects of an assault, including casualties and
economic consequences. Many experts believe that an RDD is an
economic weapon capable of inflicting devastating damage on the
United States. This paper is in full agreement with that assessment
and makes some quantitative estimates of the magnitude of
economic disruption that can be produced by various levels of
attack. It is also generally believed that even a very large RDD is
unlikely to cause many human casualties, either immediately or
over the long term. A careful examination of the consequences of
the tragic accident in Goiânia, Brazil, however, shows that some
forms of radiological attack could kill tens or hundreds of people
and sicken hundreds or thousands. Nevertheless, contrary to popular
belief, RDDs are not weapons of mass destruction.
The authors recommend several policies and actions to
reduce the threat of RDD attack and increase the ability of the
Federal Government to cope with the consequences of one. With
improved public awareness and ability to respond, it should be
possible to strip RDDs of their power to terrorize.
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