Report Says Lack of Focus on Threat of Nuclear Terrorism Stems From Failure
to Grasp Global Economic Consequences of a Nuclear Terrorist Attack
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104
<http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-2
8-2008/0004856447&EDATE> &STORY=/www/story/07-28-2008/0004856447&EDATE=
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nuclear
terrorism, a stated top concern of both major-party presidential
candidates, is garnering little attention as an issue because of a failure
to focus on the global economic consequences of such an attack, according
to a new report by the Saga Foundation released today. The report, Nuclear
Terrorism: Local Effects, Global Consequences, (available at
http://www.sagafoundation.org <http://www.sagafoundation.org/> ) contends
that a nuclear terrorist attack is the
most serious threat to the U.S. homeland and the most likely nuclear attack
scenario the nation faces. While the destructive effects of nuclear weapons
have been studied in detail, the economic aftershocks likely to follow such
an attack have received scant attention.
The report contends that a nuclear terrorist attack and a predictable
set of presidential decisions that would likely follow would spark an
economic chain reaction that could freeze the U.S. economy in a matter of
days. Fear of a follow-up attack would require a nationwide sweep for other
terrorist nuclear devices that could shut down freight transit, bring
manufacturing to a halt and - in an age of just-in-time inventory - quickly
empty shelves of basic necessities.
In addition to the global economic aftershocks, clean-up costs from a
nuclear terrorist attack would dwarf the post-9/11 clean-up. Such an attack
would likely plunge the country into war as U.S. forces sought to
neutralize the responsible terror group, and any governments supporting it.
And post-attack government decision-making would likely entail severe
curtailment of our civil liberties.
"Given the bipartisan agreement on the seriousness of the nuclear
terrorist threat, it is surprising how little work has been done to fully
grasp the consequences of failure in our endeavors to prevent nuclear
terrorism," said Saga Foundation President David Bartoshuk. "At a time when
all Americans are focusing on grim economic news, it is all the more
important to understand the economic stakes involved in a nuclear terrorist
attack and, by so doing, energize our efforts to address the threat."
The Saga Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Redwood City,
Calif., devoted to addressing the dangers of nuclear terrorism, lauds the
efforts made to date to secure nuclear weapons material around the world
but believes that much more needs to be done and contends that a clearer
public understanding of the consequences of nuclear terrorism will add
urgency to these efforts.
Detailed city-by-city studies of nuclear blast effects must now be
matched by detailed step-by-step war-gaming of the decision-making that
would likely follow a terrorist nuclear attack.
Saga Foundation research indicates that the general public remains
concerned about the nuclear terrorist threat but is pessimistic that
government can mount an effective effort to prevent such an attack from
happening. The report urges current and future U.S. administrations to
consider a comprehensive approach to the nuclear terrorism threat, building
upon the efforts to date which have focused on securing nuclear material.
These include more aggressive use of asset-freezing powers, reduction as
well as elimination of nuclear material, robust interdiction efforts,
improved global port security, and increased international capability to
investigate and thwart nuclear technology smuggling.
The report's authors, David Bartoshuk, John Diamond and Peter Huessy,
bring a combined 60 years of experience working in and writing about
national security affairs. Their differing perspectives on many national
security issues point up the bipartisan nature of the nuclear terrorist
threat and the opportunity to achieve consensus on a comprehensive,
multi-pronged approach to the problem.
Contacts: David Bartoshuk
Saga Foundation President
650-369-9944
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
John Diamond
Saga Foundation Washington Fellow
202-834-5684
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
SOURCE Saga Foundation
(F)AIR USE NOTICE: All original content and/or articles and graphics in this
message are copyrighted, unless specifically noted otherwise. All rights to
these copyrighted items are reserved. Articles and graphics have been placed
within for educational and discussion purposes only, in compliance with
"Fair Use" criteria established in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976.
The principle of "Fair Use" was established as law by Section 107 of The
Copyright Act of 1976. "Fair Use" legally eliminates the need to obtain
permission or pay royalties for the use of previously copyrighted materials
if the purposes of display include "criticism, comment, news reporting,
teaching, scholarship, and research." Section 107 establishes four criteria
for determining whether the use of a work in any particular case qualifies
as a "fair use". A work used does not necessarily have to satisfy all four
criteria to qualify as an instance of "fair use". Rather, "fair use" is
determined by the overall extent to which the cited work does or does not
substantially satisfy the criteria in their totality. If you wish to use
copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you
must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to:
<http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml>
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
THIS DOCUMENT MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND DISSEMINATION IS
PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNERS.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
--------------------------
Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
--------------------------
Brooks Isoldi, editor
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.intellnet.org
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has
not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of
The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT
YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of
intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods,
techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other
intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use
this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,'
you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
