[iwar] [fc:Terrorists.'Could.Make.Atom.Bomb.By.Raiding.Hospitals']

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-11-01 08:27:00
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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 08:27:00 -0800 (PST)
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London Times
November 1, 2001

Terrorists 'Could Make Atom Bomb By Raiding Hospitals'

By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent

Terrorists seeking radioactive material for use in a "dirty" atomic bomb 
could steal it from hospitals, which lack the security to prevent such a 
theft, the world’s nuclear watchdog said yesterday. 

Isotopes that could be packed with explosives in a crude but deadly nuclear 
device are commonly used in cancer treatment, yet are rarely protected by 
adequate security, the International Atomic Energy Agency said. 

Standards in many parts of the world are so poor that such radioactive 
sources are effectively "orphaned" of any regulatory control, and would be 
simple to steal. Many are currently unaccounted for, and may already have 
fallen into the hands of terrorists, the agency said. 

Tens of thousands of radiation sources are used around the world in 
radiotherapy, with many more found in other medical, industrial and food 
irradiation devices. 

Abel Gonzalez, the agency’s director of radiation and waste safety, said the 
lack of security surrounding them was almost an invitation to terrorists, 
particularly those who, like the September 11 attackers, would not be 
deterred by the great personal danger they would face by handling such 
material. 

"Security of radioactive materials has traditionally been relatively light," 
he said. "There are few security precautions on radiotherapy equipment and a 
large source could be removed quite easily, especially if those involved have 
no regard for their own health. 

"Moreover, in many countries, the regulatory oversight of radiation sources 
is weak. 

"We are dealing with a totally new equation since September 11. The 
deadliness of handling intensely radioactive material can no longer be seen 
as an effective deterrent." 

The potential effects of a dirty bomb, the agency said, are shown by an 
incident in Goiânia in Brazil in 1987, when a highly radioactive caesium-137 
source was stolen from an abandoned radiological clinic by scrap-metal 
thieves. The 20-gramme capsule was cut into pieces, and the thieves handed 
sections to friends and family members to sell on. As a result, 14 people, 
four of whom died, suffered radiation burns and another 249 were 
contaminated. More than 110,000 people had to be monitored for exposure over 
the following months. 

A dirty bomb detonated in a major city might be expected to have similar 
effects. The death toll might not be high, but the impact on the city would 
be great. 

Western intelligence sources said that such an attack was possible but 
unlikely. "Of course this is something that terror groups could do, but the 
worry is that we are being unnecessarily alarmist about al-Qaeda’s likely 
tactics," one source said. 

"The morbid fear is that even with a minuscule amount of radioactive material 
packed into a conventional bomb, it would cause mayhem with people for miles 
around afraid of being contaminated." 

Osama bin Laden may have access to such material in Afghanistan, he added. 
"There are hospitals in Kabul which had cancer and X-ray equipment that was 
provided by the Red Cross and other international organisations so it is on 
his own doorstep." 

In Britain, security of medical radioactive sources is governed by the 
Radioactive Substances Act, which requires hospitals to keep a precise 
account of where its materials are. Access is tightly controlled, and all 
materials are shielded and inspected by the Environment Agency and the Health 
and Safety Executive. 

"Every hospital must account for every source in its possession, and waste 
material must also be disposed of properly," Michael Clark of the National 
Radiological Protection Board, said. 

Most radiotherapy devices in Britain rely on isotopes such as iridium-192 and 
iodine-131. These would cause serious contamination if used in a dirty bomb, 
but would be unlikely to cause large numbers of deaths. Some hospitals keep 
several hundred grammes of such material. 

The IAEA, which is holding a symposium of experts on nuclear terrorism this 
week at its headquarters in Vienna, also gave warning of the dangers of an 
attack on a nuclear power station. 

Mohamed ElBaradei, the agency’s director-general, said: "After September 11, 
we realised that nuclear facilities — like dams, refineries, chemical 
production facilities or skyscrapers — have their vulnerabilities. There is 
no sanctuary any more, no safety zone. 

"We are not just dealing with the possibility of governments diverting 
nuclear materials into clandestine weapons programmes. Now we have been 
alerted to the potential of terrorists targeting nuclear facilities or using 
radioactive sources to incite panic, contaminate property and even cause 
injury or death among civilian populations."

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