RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
(left-to-right) Radioactive sources are often discarded in scrap metal yards LAEC; Contaminated piece of metal found in exported scrap metal at the port of Beirut in 2004 LAEC; far right: Highly enriched uranium metal investigated as part of IAEA nuclear forensics training D. Smith/IAEA
can get hold of a radiological source – and other less well documented examples of their attempts on radiological terrorism - why do AQ have such problems? Evidence emerging from Afghanistan from
the terrorist training camps used by Al Qaeda suggests that they had not experienced any diffi cult in obtaining radiological material. Open source reporting has noted apparent RDD experiments carried out at one location in Afghanistan that was thought to be their CBRN research centre.
Bridging the chasm So why has the West not witnessed an AQ RDD attack? It could all come down to some
very simple things. There may be those who do not yet feel that Dr Zawahiri has made his case from a theological viewpoint. Their view may be that his careful navigation through the Islamic scriptures is somehow artifi cial - that he embarked upon his writings on the basis of he knew the answer he wanted to get, that the use of CBRN weapons was permissible - and looked at the Islamic scriptures from that viewpoint. That is not a traditional way for Islamic jurisprudence to operate. Starting at the outcome, and working
backwards looking to develop the arguments,
is a way of trying to prove a case. Another way is to start at the beginning and work forwards to see what arguments build on each other – a far more traditional and proven route of interpretation of what is a very large canon of Islamic law and teachings. Whatever the truth of the situation
the West cannot take chances with the potential for an RDD. All it takes is for one specifi c chain of events to occur that saw intent and capability build a bridge over the chasm that currently
appears to separate them and a RDD could be detonated. That would be an event that would make history for all the wrong reasons.
Sandia Labs
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