Global Jihad: temi, piste di diffusione e il fenomeno del reducismo ...

Introduction 129
According to many world leaders the greatest threat to international peace and
security this century is the confluence between terrorism and weapons of mass
destruction – nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological weapons.
Those with
access to the most up-to-date
intelligence on international terrorist activities have
reiterated
the seriousness of this threat time and time again. They warn it is not a
question
of ‘if’ but only of ‘when’.
Although
the terrorist use of chemical or biological weapons is a truly horrifying
possibility, it is considerably more difficult than radiological terrorism
and would
likely cause less damage than nuclear terrorism. This paper, therefore, focuses on
these two distinct but clearly linked threats – the possible acquisition and use of
nuclear or radiological weapons by non-state actors. In particular it examines
technical aspects of nuclear and radiological terrorism, its possible motivations, the
capacity which have to be acquired to implement
such attacks and the existing
countermeasures.
129 DISCLAIMER: All data for the paper has been extracted from recent open source research and reports, in
particular, published documents and public websites. Therefore, the data is only as accurate as is reported in the
public sphere. Any possible inaccuracies are the sole responsibility of the LNCV General Secretariat. It should be
noted that issues relating to the security of high-activity radiological sources and details of their malicious use are
sensitive in nature. They can often be considered as sensitive to national security and as a result are classified. No
such resources have been used in the development of this work and as a result there are areas within it which
may appear sparse to those with the opportunity to have a thorough grounding in this information. The authors
beg the indulgence of these individuals.
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