Uranium Enrichment and Refinement

Nuclear Terrorism Risk Seen Growing
7 February 2007

REUTERS(LONDON)---Western governments must take seriously the possibility of terrorists exploding a nuclear bomb as the necessary materials and know-how for producing a nuclear weapon become easier to acquire, security analysts associated with the EastWest Institute argue in two new reports. In a separate report, London's influential Chatham House think-tank said it is feasible that terrorists could acquire an atomic bomb, build one themselves, create an "improvised nuclear device" or blow up a nuclear power station. According to Paul Cornish, the head of the international security program at Chatham House, the design, materials and engineering for a bomb "have all become commodities, more or less available to those determined enough to acquire them."
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/02/07/AR2007020701919.html

Source Reliability: 8

Comment: According to the EastWest Insititute, materials and know-how on how to make a nuclear bomb, will continue to become more accessible as more states move towards acquiring nuclear capabilities. One of the largest concerns is that terrorist organizations will acquire uranium that does not need to be put through the enrichment process, but however, can be used to create a low-grade improvised bomb. This bomb would not release as much force as an atomic explosion; however, the force would likely still be equivelant to that of an explosion of a few kilotons of TNT.

--Nate