Earlier this year we reported that Texas game wardens on the southern
border have been issued radiation detectors due to concerns that
a nuclear or radiological device could be smuggled into the United States
through the porous Mexican border.
It appears that the Department of Homeland Security is also taking the
potential for a nuclear-based weapon of mass destruction seriously. According
to a new report from NextGov the government has ordered some $20 million worth of wearable intelligent nuclear
detection (WIND) units in an effort to boost domestic security:
Last year, DHS made a broad agency announcement soliciting proposals for
so-called Wearable Intelligent Nuclear Detection, or WIND, technology. Employees
would wear the products to ensure nuclear devices weren’t secretly being
transported in areas like marine vessels, metro systems, or other public
areas, according to DHS.
DHS was specifically searching for “advanced technology
demonstrations,” which are for “mature prototype capable of providing
reliable performance measurements in a challenging and realistic, albeit
simulated, operational environment,” the BAA said.
…
DHS’ Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, whose mission is to protect the
U.S. from nuclear devices, was specifically searching for a modular wearable
system that could sense, localize and identify nuclear particles, including
gamma rays and neutrons.
The move signals a real and emerging threat and one that the Obama
administration highlighted in March in which they warned of the four ways a large-scale nuclear attack on U.S. soil could
happen. Whatever the method, the end result would be devastating:
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.
We know for a fact that individuals from the middle east have been using
the Southern corridor to enter the United States illegally. We also know that
some of those individuals have ties to terrorist organizations.
With DHS actively looking for ways to detect nuclear radiation it appears
that an attack on the United States is now a serious possibility.
Of course, no threat has been announced to the public and chances are that
should one exist the American people won’t know until it’s too
late.
Preparing for such an
event is critical, because in the fallout (literally) there will be no
assistance from emergency responders for days or weeks. That means law and
order will break down, medical services will be non-existent and basic
necessities will become unavailable.
Having food, water, self defense armaments will be essential to survival.
But in a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiologicla, Nuclear) event, an evacuation plan will be just as critical.
And if you are evacuating in a CBRN situation, advanced CBRN-rated
breathing equipment will be a life saver.
As Tess Pennington notes in her book The Prepper’s Blueprint, you need to be ready to move the
moment a serious threat presents itself or you risk being stuck in the midst
of thousands of others who are trying to escape the danger:
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.
There is a real possibility that one morning we’ll wake up to a
massive terror attack on the United States.
Will you be ready for it?
Related:
Top
Tier CBRN Protection: The Most Advanced Tactical Gas Mask In The World
The Prepper’s
Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Guide To Prepare For Any Disaster
White House Warns Of Nuclear Terrorist Attacks: The Four Ways
They Could Strike…
Report: Cyber Attackers Infect Nuclear Power Plant Systems
With Computer Virus
5 Ways To Keep Your Vehicle Evacuation Ready
