Nuclear Terrorism

Nuclear terrorism is the use of a nuclear weapon or a radiological weapon as an act of terrorism, covering incidents ranging from sabotage of a nuclear facility to the intentional irradiation of citizens to detonating a radiological device, popularly called a dirty bomb. The 2005 United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism defines the offense as unlawfully and intentionally using radioactive material with intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, substantial damage to property or the environment, or to compel a person, organization, or state to act or refrain from acting. Nuclear powers have worked since the earliest years of nuclear weapons and the rise of global terrorism to prevent terrorist organizations from acquiring nuclear weapons or fuel, and countries such as China and the United Kingdom restrict access to nuclear weapons and materials as part of wider prevention efforts. A 2011 report from the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University distinguished four possible pathways to a nuclear terrorist attack: using a stolen or black market nuclear weapon, building a crude device with the help of recruited nuclear scientists, building a device from fissile material the group produced itself, or attacking or sabotaging a nuclear facility outright. Despite documented thefts and trafficking of small amounts of fissile material, there is no credible evidence that any terrorist group has obtained or produced nuclear material in the quantity or purity needed for a viable nuclear weapon. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/