A Future Terrorist Attack

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how a "dirty bomb" or a ready made chemical or radiological device would be the most effective way for a terrorist to attack the United States. The paper explains that these radiographic explosive devices would not only destroy relatively large areas of a city or residential area, but would disperse radiation and create psychological havoc and panic. The paper assesses the most likely targets for an attack and reveals that a terrorist could possibly target a less secure location that maximizes the damage to the infrastructure of a country. The paper explains that this could be an important energy or communications system that would affect many and strike a blow at the psychological morale of the country.

Outline:
Introduction
Possible Scenarios
Weapons and Materials
The Attack: Targets and Implementation

From the Paper:

"The danger of a terrorist attack on American soil has been extensively reported and commented on in the media, especially after the events of 9/11. Many experts are of the opinion that a terrorist attack is "inevitable" at some stage in the future. This view is supported by the recent proliferation of nuclear weapons, especially after the fall of Communist Russia and there have been many reports of the sales of arms and even nuclear components on the black market.
"However, commentators also point out that the construction and implementation of a fully - fledged nuclear device is still extremely difficult and the importation of components into a country like the Unites States with its stringent security regulation after 9/11, is a difficult task for the terrorists."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Are You Ready? [essay on-line]; available from http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030207-10.html; Internet: accessed 11 June 2007.
• American Militant Extremists: United States radicals. [essay on-line]; available from Council on Foreign Relations http://www.godiva.com:80/resources/history.html; Internet: accessed 17 June 2007.
• Axtman K. The terror threat at home often overlooked [essay on-line]; available from http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1229/p02s01-usju.html; Internet: accessed 17 June 2007.
• Barnaby Frank, "A Terrorist Weapon Waiting to Be Made: At the Very Least You Get Mayhem, at Most Armageddon," New Statesman, 29 September 2003, xxx [database on-line]; available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002034277; Internet; accessed 19 June 2007.
• Betts, Richard K. "How to Think about Terrorism: Will Better Intelligence and Technology Allow the United States to Anticipate Future Terrorist Attacks?. History Does Not Offer Much Reason for Optimism, but There Are Steps We Can Take Now". The Wilson Quarterly, Wntr 2006 [database on-line]; available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5015009766; Internet; accessed 19 June 2007.

More papers on A Future Terrorist Attack:

• Term Paper # 109707 : "Terrorist Attack on the U.S.: Beirut, 1983"
• Term Paper # 146433 : "The History and Future of Terrorism"
• Article Review # 3463 : "Terrorism: Preventing Future Attacks"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: