Preparing Communities for Nuclear Terrorism

Abstract

Both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have designated the potential use of nuclear or radiological weapons by a terrorist organization as the most significant danger facing American society. In order to confront this threat the Obama Administration’s 2011 National Strategy for Counterterrorism states, “We recognize that no nation, no matter how powerful, can prevent every threat from coming to fruition. That is why we are focused on building a culture of resilience able to prevent, respond to, or recover fully from any potential act of terror directed at the United States.”1 Promoting the necessary transition of a “culture of resilience” from ambitious rhetoric to plausible reality requires American communities to serve as the primary initiators. Rather than begin with a top down strategy at the national level, it is necessary to ingrain a whole of community approach at the local, state, and federal stages. Through utilization of resiliency planning techniques stakeholders can prepare for a wide spectrum of hazards ranging from natural disasters to the threat of nuclear terrorism. The National Strategy for Counterterrorism affirms that, “Supporting community leaders and influential local stakeholders as they develop solutions tailored to their own particular circumstances is a critical part of our whole-of-government approach that contributes to our counterterrorism goals.” A catalyst for increasing community resilience is knowledge of the threat, what preparedness actions to take, how to implement those actions and communal consensus on why these actions are beneficial. It is important for community leaders to understand the risks associated with nuclear/radiological terrorism and the initial steps required to mitigate these dangers through resilience.