7 Deadly Myths About Weapons of Terror

National Defense Magazine uncovers commonly held misconceptions about weapons of mass destruction.

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Arlington, VA (PRWEB) May 16, 2009

Can Al-Qaeda download nuclear bomb recipes from the Internet?

Are terrorists poised to release deadly nerve gas in U.S. cities?

Will the US government be able to immediately retaliate after a nuclear attack?

This month's cover story in National Defense Magazine takes on "7 Deadly Myths About Weapons of Terror" and clears up some of these misconceptions.

1- U.S. Medical Excellence Extends to Disaster Response
The U.S. medical system works great when a patient needs a heart transplant, but not so well after a major disaster or quickly spreading disease.

2- Big-Budget Technology Is Needed to Counter Biological Terrorism
In the case of biological attacks, the best defense might be a good response. Even the most expensive high-tech sensors may not find a small vial of anthrax in a suitcase.

3- Smuggled Nukes Easily Can Be Detected at U.S. Entry Ports
The number of detectors that are being deployed at U.S. ports -- as well as their efficacy -- are overhyped, experts say. Detecting nuclear materials is tough under any circumstance. Neither highly enriched uranium nor plutonium are very radioactive. Only a few millimeters of lead can block its signature.

4- If the U.S. Were Attacked by a Nuclear Bomb, It would Immediately Retaliate
Unless a weapon is delivered by a missile, immediate retaliation is not realistic. It could take weeks or months to figure out where the nuclear materials came from or how the explosive device was built.

5- Terrorists Can Download Nuclear Bomb Recipes From the Internet
The Internet is a fountainhead of information, but terrorists seeking to build a nuclear bomb would need a lot more than open-source blueprints to pull it off.

6- Liquefied Natural Gas Ships Are Ticking Time Bombs
Can terrorists easily ram a speedboat into the side of a tanker and create a massive explosion that takes thousands of lives? Not likely, say experts. Because it is stored at such an incredibly cold temperature, it is difficult to ignite liquefied natural gas.

7- Nerve Gasses Are Terrorists' Chemical Weapons of Choice
Most non-state organizations would have a hard time producing deadly nerve agents such as sarin. To pull off a terrorist attack, they would be more likely to use chlorine gas, which is easy to obtain.

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