Nuclear Terrorism

摘要

This paper, which is based on a talk given to the British Pugwash Group at a Public Discussion Meeting on "Britain and Unconventional Terrorism" (December 10th, 2003), is aimed at those professional scientists and engineers who believe that issues of international peace and security are too important to be left to the politicians. I am conscious that it may inadvertently reach another audience - individuals who, for reasons of their own, have an unhealthy interest in the potential of nuclear terrorism. For this reason, I have tried to ensure that such people will find nothing here which is not already available in scientific literature or on the Internet. Nuclear Terrorism is a hostile act (or a threat of such an act) involving nuclear materials (fissile or radioactive) performed by a terrorist - a term which covers a wide range of individuals. What they all have in common is that for some reason they have become motivated to hurt or destroy sections of society which they have come to regard as the enemy.