Bomb in the Backyard / Nuclear Threat - Essay Example

Full Topic: Potential of Nuclear Terrorist attacks on USA Potential of Nuclear Terrorist Attacks on USA In my opinion USA faces a considerable threat from nuclear terrorism and the likelihood of terrorist groups attempting a nuclear attack is very high. The arguments against nuclear terrorism against USA mainly stems from lacking motivation and/or the ability to access the tools necessary for manufacturing nuclear weapons by the terrorist groups. However, the situation has considerably changed during the recent past.

Evidences show that cost effectiveness of nuclear devices can be very attractive to the extremist groups and their expertise has extended to nuclear technology (Zimmerman and Lewis, 2006). The evidences suggest that some terrorist groups and/or nations which nurture terrorism may have already acquired Uranium and professional which are required for making nuclear weapons (Bunn, 2008). Diagrams of American nuclear power plants were also found in al-Qaeda materials in Afghanistan. Nuclear terrorism is currently described by the president of the USA as the most immediate and extreme threat to the global security.

USA prepares for nuclear terrorism by developing the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA) which is a layered security system for detecting nuclear and radiological terrorism within the United States and other countries. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is vigilant against new types of terrorist recruitment and engages in improving detection technologies, strengthening international partnerships, and building expertise in nuclear forensics (DHS, n.d.). However, what measures are there to effectively disarm a nuclear weapon once it is detected?

It can be concluded that USA faces a significant threat from nuclear terrorism but is not fully prepared for protecting against it. ReferencesBunn M. (2008). The Risk Of Nuclear Terrorism – And Next Steps To Reduce The Danger. In. Testimony for the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate on 02 April 2008. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Nuclear Security. Web. Homeland Security. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/topic/nuclear-securityZimmerman P.D. and Lewis, J.G. (2006).

The Bomb in The Backyard. Foreign Policy, 33-39.