Just finished listening to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warn the world at the UN that they must stand firm in putting pressure on Iran to open up its nuclear program to inspection to avoid a military conflict. He reiterated that Israel never...never...allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon.
I agree with his concern and further wonder what are the ramifications for Israel and the U.S. if Iran does not produce a nuclear weapon but merely produces highly-enriched uranium through its "peaceful" nuclear program. I remember during the 2008 presidential race when Mitt Romney warned about Iran detonating a “super-dirty” radioactive bomb in a densely-populated urban region inside Israel, or America.
Let's take Orange County, Ca. as an example. To help me analyze the possibility of Iran detonating a "super dirty" radioactive bomb inside America, I consulted Dr. Gregory Moore, Director of the Center for Intelligence Studies at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio.
On May 17, 2012 Mitt Romney said during a fundraiser at the home of private-equity executive Marc Leder that if he were Iran, he would give fissile material to Hezbollah and if the US doesn’t stand down, he’d “let off a dirty bomb in Chicago or some other place.”
What if their “some other place” pick was Orange County? It would be a top choice location due to an extremely high human population density- the sixth most populated county in the U.S., with over 3 million residents, all confined in the smallest area-wise county in southern California. I discussed the possibility of Iran detonating a “super-dirty” radioactive bomb, in general, somewhere inside the U.S. and not specifically in this affluent and mostly-suburban Ca. county with Dr. Moore.
The unsettling news is that an Iranian highly-enriched radioactive dirty bomb would be vastly more dangerous than a cruder variety. It would contain plutonium-239, the most carcinogenic substance known, be surrounded by an incendiary material (thermite) which would vaporize the radioactive material, and be detonated by conventional high explosives, such as semtex, dynamite or TNT.
Although civilian nuclear reactors produce tens of tons of weapons-grade plutonium yearly, terrorists know the risks are high if they attempt to steal it from such highly-secured facilities or buy it from arms dealers or suppliers, who may be CIA undercover operatives. But, I heed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning before the UN. With a huge supply produced inside Iran, terrorists will no longer depend upon readily-available but less lethal radioactive material found in clinical radiotherapy centers, research labs, hospitals, construction sites, food irradiation plants, and smoke detectors.
Iran’s nuclear reactors will soon be running and producing significant amounts of plutonium-239 residue waste inside the reactor cores and in the spent nuclear fuel rods. The rods could be chopped up and dissolved in nitric acid to extract pure plutonium, and their terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, would gladly seek martyrdom by grinding the radioactive rubble into a dispersible powder form.
If they fulfill Romney’s suggestion, Orange County will be turned upside down. A large super-dirty, radioactive bomb, coupled with ideal winds, detonated in Buena Park or Anaheim would immediately kill and maim hundreds and create mass panic. Weapons-grade plutonium-239 inhalation toxicity is beyond human experience and a mere sniff could beget lung cancer. The inherent public horror created by the westward-moving radiation cloud would overwhelm safety forces from Coto de Caza to the densely-populated North Tustin, as they respond to stress-induced heart attacks and traffic accidents by people fleeing the immediate vicinity and from miles away, downwind.
A dead zone would result where people couldn’t live or work in for possibly years. Remember, it took six months to clean up Capitol Hill after a mere 5 grams of anthrax was mailed there. Restoring the detonation and downwind vicinity would be painstakingly slow as de-contamination teams donned in protective suits steam spray, vacuum, sandblast, and bulldoze tainted buildings, pavement, earth and vegetation. Annually, over 7 million tourists visit Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park alone, so thousands of locals and visitors alike would be quarantined in decontamination centers and not be allowed to return home.
The comforting news is that Dr. Gregory Moore told me the chances of such a super-dirty bomb attack somewhere within America's heartland by Iran is “not all that likely” at the present time, because the U.S. remains a lucrative funding source for its terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. Also, nuclear forensics is evolving and if the plutonium residue had Iran’s signature, they realize a U.S. retaliation would be swift and strong.
A teacher of terrorism, counterterrorism and geopolitics, Moore offered stipulations. Although he said such a super-dirty radioactive bomb attack was unlikely, the possibility cannot be entirely dismissed. He believes that U.S. efforts to pressure Iran about its nuclear program, coupled with America’s support for the rebellion in Syria could lead to a decision to act. Moore told me, “A significant event, such as an air strike on Iran‘s nuclear facilities could bring Iran to detonate one in the U.S. They would be responding to an attack against them and would feel justified.”
For the sake of all Israeli citizens...and Orange County residents...I heed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning at the UN. I also pray that Iran forever disregards Mitt Romney’s advice.
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy series Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean. The views expressed are his own and do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form
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2 comments:
please do an expose on israel exploding a bomb inside US. How many people Iran killed or kidnapped last year? how about the year before? how about 3 years ago? 0!!!! can you answer the same for israel.
Israel is more of a threat to the world than iran, because Israel has destroyed people's lives and places...
“What is the possibility of Iran, through Hezbollah, detonating a dirty radioactive bomb inside America?”
That depends on intent and capability.
INTENT:
Does Iran hate the “Great Satan” America and wish its demise? Yes, according to the claims of Iranian politicians, clerics and military.
CAPABILITY:
Does Iran have sleeper cells in America? Yes according to the claims of Iranian politicians, clerics and military.
Does Iran have easy access to radioactive materials? Yes.
Is there a means to deliver that material, undetected, through the USA border? Yes.
Dr. Gregory Moore focuses on the deadliest of radioactive poisons: Plutonium. However, using Plutonium, which may be traceable and backfire against Iran, is not something that Iran would do. Iran is not stupid. Especially when a lesser readable deadly radioactive substance is readily available and so could point to many different antagonists.
Cesium-137 is common and with a half life of a bit over 30 years; with an output of high energy beta decay plus gamma radiation; with its chemical reactivity, solubility in water and thus extreme water contaminant: these all make C-137 extremely dangerous when its availability is taken into account. Just 27kg of C-137 released in the Chernobyl Disaster has made a 4,000 km squared area of Belarus still useless for food production or for human habitation, and that disaster was in 1986.
Cells tend to locate themselves within easy and regular surveillance distance of major targets. It is most probable that a target selected for a radioactive attack would be a major target of hate and also where a prime cell already presently exists. Linked to this is the arrow of the clandestine transfer of the material into the country. So weighing the probables of these factors: the actual specific target can be identified. Orange County need not worry.
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