Dirty bomb

The term dirty bomb is most often used to refer to a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), a radiological weapon which combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. Though an RDD is designed to disperse radioactive material over a large area, the conventional explosive would likely have more immediate lethal effect than the radioactive material. At levels created from most probable sources, not enough radiation would be present to cause severe illness or death. A test explosion and subsequent calculations done by the Department of Energy found that assuming nothing is done to clean up the affected area and everyone stays in the affected area for 1 year, the radiation exposure would be "fairly high".

Incidents

In 1995, rebels from Chechnya planted, but did not detonate, an RDD in Moscow's Izmailovo Park. The bomb consisted of dynamite and caesium-137 removed from cancer treatment equipment. Reporters were tipped off about its location, and it was defused.

Related Topics:
Chechnya - Moscow - Izmailovo Park - Caesium

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On June 10, 2002, U.S. officials announced they had a month earlier captured an alleged al-Qaida terrorist named José Padilla in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Padilla was subsequently transferred from FBI custody to a military brig in Charleston, S.C. The Bush Administration accuses him of planning to set off a dirty bomb, but he has not yet been charged with a crime and is being held as an "illegal enemy combatant" without trial, a status that is being fought in the courts.

Related Topics:
June 10 - 2002 - Al-Qaida - Terrorist - José Padilla - O'Hare International Airport - Bush Administration

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~