Within hours of the Brussels attacks earlier this month we learned that
rogue terrorists presumably operating under the banner of the Islamic State
had set their sights on a high-value target so significant that it could
have left hundreds of thousands of people dead.
According to investigators, the terrorists who carried out the attacks had
been actively planning to take over and/or target a nuclear power plant. They
went so far as to plant hidden cameras at the power plant director’s home so
they could monitor his movements and even killed a security guard in the
process.
The plan, which failed to come to fruition, called not just for suicide
bombing several dozen civilians, but for turning Western Europe into
radioactive wasteland for the next several thousand years.
The threat is most certainly real and senior officials from Europe to the
United States are now warning of the potential for a large-scale nuclear
attack:
Security officials warn that the ingredients for a nuclear device or a
“dirty bomb” are alarmingly insecure.
“We know that terrorist organizations have the desire to get access to
these raw materials and to have a nuclear device,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s
deputy national security adviser.
…
The havoc such an attack could wreak in an urban area such as New York or
London is concerning enough that leaders scheduled a special session on the
threat during the two-day summit. U.S. officials said the leaders would
discuss a hypothetical scenario about a chain of events that could lead to
nuclear terrorism.
Source: Denver Post
Officials have known for months that chemical, biological, radiological
and nuclear (CBRN) weapons of mass destruction have been smuggled undetected into Europe. In December of last
year Swiss police identified and arrested two terrorists suspected of transporting toxic chemical
gases and explosives, which were believed to be part of a plot for a
future attack.
At this point, with lax border security in Europe and the United
States, the potential for coordinated and devastating attacks has grown
exponentially. Moreover, as we learned with Brussels where the threat to
their nuclear facilities was identified well in advance but nothing was done
to improve security, the reality is that the bureaucracy inherent within
our governments makes it all the more likely that terrorists will eventually
carry out a successful attack using CBRN weapons.
According to officials, here are some scenarios that show how a strike
might happen:
The most devastating but
improbable scenario involves a group stealing a fully functional bomb
from a nuclear-armed country. Most nuclear experts point to Pakistan as the
likeliest source, though that would require cooperation with someone on the
inside of Pakistan’s military.
Easier to pull off would be
for IS or another group to obtain fissile material like highly
enriched uranium, then turn it into a crude nuclear device delivered by truck
or ship.
A third possibility is that extremists could bomb an existing
nuclear facility, such as the Belgian waste plant, spreading highly
radioactive material over a wide area.
The most likely scenario that
security experts fear is that a group could get ahold of radioactive
material, such as cesium or cobalt, for a dirty bomb that could be carried in
a suitcase. Those materials are widely used in industrial, academic
and hospital settings, with no consistent security standards across the
globe. Last year, an Associated Press investigation revealed multiple
attempts by black market smugglers to sell radioactive material to Middle
East extremists.
And before you think we’re safe here in the United States and this is
Europe’s problem, keep in mind that in the summer of 2014 there were multiple
incidents of nuclear material being stolen from labs in Mexico. What’s
of interest is that the materials stolen are exactly what officials described
above – Cobalt and Cesium-137 – both of which could be
used to manufacture a radiological dirty bomb.
How To Prepare For A Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear
Disaster
While the effects of a nuclear detonation or other CBRN related disasters
are such that anything in the immediate blast radius will be killed, it
is the fall-out after such an event that would have the most significant
impact on the population.
In her book The Prepper’s
Blurprint Tess Pennington provides a list of extensive strategies
for how to survive a nuclear disaster. The type of disaster, your
proximity, and your level of preparedness will determine your
specific response.
In short, Tess says Plan “A” is just as you may have guessed –
get out of the area:
If you are told to evacuate keep the following points in mind… If you are
driving, keep the car windows and vents closed, and use recirculating air.
Due to the fear of panic and gridlock that will ensure from mass
evacuations, most governments will delay mandatory evacuations until the last
minute. This will only cause mass confusion and chaos at gas stations,
grocery stores and on the streets. The best way to prevent this is to
stay ahead of the crowd and prepare ahead of time.
If you are evacuating during a CBRN event you better plan on delays. And
delays could mean life threatening exposure.
Here are two life saving recommendations to consider, as you and your
loved ones will be out in the open:
If you are caught in a situation where you can’t get out, you’ll have to
shelter in place. Much of how your Plan “B” will work depends on your
location, proximity to threat and existing preparedness stockpiles. For the
majority of people out there, you may be at home or at work. Some recommendations
from The Prepper’s Blueprint:
If told to stay indoors, turn off the air conditioner and other air
intakes and go to a basement. Seal basement windows and entrances to prevent
fallout from getting inside. If you go outside you will need to remove your
outer clothing before coming inside the shelter.
Likewise, creating a sealed area near the entrance of the shelter will
prevent fallout dust from entering. Seal the entryway, bubble wrap or plastic
sheeting to prevent the dust from coming in.
Preparing for a CBRN disaster includes a variety of strategies. The Urban Guide For Surviving a Nuclear Attack is a good
starting point that covers various devices, taking shelter and dealing with
fallout.
Some additional resources:
The threat of a Nuclear, Chemical, Biologicial or Radiological event is
more real today than ever before. While it is widely believed by citizens of
the United States and Europe that such an event will be stopped by law
enforcement, military and intelligence services, the fact of the matter is
that there are thousands of individuals operating in terror cells around the
world whose sole purpose is to kill as many people as possible.
They are actively looking for ways to compromise the system.
They did it in New York in 2001. They did it in London, Madrid, Paris, San
Bernardino and Brussels.
And they will absolutely do it again. Anyone who thinks otherwise
is naive.
Prepare for it, because once it hits it will be too late.
