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原文传递 Terrorist Nuclear Attacks on Seaports: Threat and Response. Congressional rept.

题名：	Terrorist Nuclear Attacks on Seaports: Threat and Response. Congressional rept.
作者：	Medalia, Jonathan;
关键词：	Homeland-security; United-states; Nuclear-bombs; Threats-; Ports-Facilities; Response-; *Targets-.;Shipping-containers; Terrorism-; Shipping-; Coast-guard; Smuggling-; Defense-in-depth; Legislation-; Prevention-; Protection-; Inspection-; Vulnerability-; Detection-; Forensic-analysis; Policies-.
摘要：	This report focuses on a possible terrorist nuclear attack on a U.S. seaport, a low-probability but high-consequence threat. Ports are vulnerable; an attack could cause local devastation and affect the global economy. Terrorists might obtain a bomb in several ways, though each presents difficulties. Current ability to detect a bomb appears limited. The United States is using technology, intelligence, international cooperation, etc., to try to thwart an attack. Issues for Congress include choosing a suitable level of effort, safeguarding foreign nuclear material, improving port security, and mitigating the economic effects of an attack. Hearings and media articles since 9/11 have highlighted radiological dispersal devices, or 'dirty bombs,' which would use standard explosives or other means to disperse radioactive materials. Dirty bombs would be quite feasible for a terrorist group to make, given the limited expertise needed and the availability of explosives and radioactive material. An attack with such a weapon likely would kill or injure few people and cause little property damage, though it could cause panic and might require closing some areas for an undetermined time. While a terrorist attack using a nuclear weapon has much lower feasibility, it merits consideration because it would have much higher consequence. If terrorists smuggled a Hiroshima-sized bomb (15 kilotons) into a port and set it off, the attack would destroy buildings out to a mile or two; start fires, especially in a port that handled petroleum and chemicals; spread fallout over many square miles; disrupt commerce; and kill many people. By one estimate, a 10- to 20-kiloton weapon detonated in a major seaport or Washington, DC, would kill 50,000 to 1 million people and would result in direct property damage of $50 to $500 billion, losses due to trade disruption of $100 billion to $200 billion, and indirect costs of $300 billion to $1.2 trillion.
报告类型：	科技报告