[ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] Nuclear Energy Fuels Lecture-FormerNRC Chairman

[Flood, John]

I don't disagree that an RDD attack will cause panic - the press will
eagerly take the lead on that, politicians following close behind (with
assistance from Scottish police, apparently).  But my point is that
every terrorist attack I know of has had an immediate death total, and,
while the folks who direct the planning of such attacks may have an
unrealistic idea of how many deaths may result from an RDD, they are
likely to understand that the radiological effects won't happen
immediately.  And that kind of a result is just not consistent with all
the attacks so far.

John R. (Bob) Flood
Radiological Health
Nevada Test Site
(702) 295-2514 
-----Original Message-----
From: Conklin, Al (DOH) [mailto:Al.Conklin at DOH.WA.GOV] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 7:08 AM
To: Earley, Jack N; Flood, John; Brennan, Mike (DOH); radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] Nuclear Energy Fuels
Lecture-FormerNRC Chairman

I don't agree that an RDD attack has a zero probability. They are too
easy to make. And I think that the terrorists do not understand
radiation any better than the Scottish police officer who believed that
death and destruction are inevitable from an RDD explosion. The
terrorist may believe that death will result from what will probably be
insignificant doses. The extent of panic will result from how public
officials handle it. Lots of us are trying really hard to educate many
of those officials to respond calmly and reasonably, but with
politicians, it will be whatever makes the best sound bite.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Earley, Jack N
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 1:27 PM
To: Flood, John; Brennan, Mike (DOH); radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] Nuclear Energy Fuels
Lecture-FormerNRC Chairman

There actually is a financial incentive for terror without body counts.
Short-selling prior to the 9-11 and London attacks was evident and
provides excellent returns to those who know that an attack is going to
occur. Since the accounts aren't trackable to individuals or
organizations and can be segmented to avoid conspicuousness, it may be a
better approach now that former fund-raising organizations have been
shut down. 

 
Jack Earley
Health Physicist
509.372.9532
-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Flood, John
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 12:40 PM
To: Brennan, Mike (DOH); radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] Nuclear Energy Fuels Lecture
-FormerNRC Chairman

I still find the idea of an RDD attack to have zero credibility.  Every
terrorist attack that I have heard of has the same objective - a body
count.  Every attack is designed to kill people.  To shift into a mode
where the objective is only to make a mess would be a complete change of
personality for terrorist movements of every type, and I see no value in
devoting limited resources to defeating a type of attack that has never
been attempted.

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