The future of nuclear terrorism in individual terrorist tactics

Abstract

Could nuclear terrorism spread to the realm of individual terrorism and
‘lone wolves’ in the coming years? Although the threat has never materialised,
the possibility has been raised in recent decades by a number
of terrorism theorists, including Anders Breivik, one of the most lethal
lone wolves in the history of terrorism. In this paper, we will examine
terrorist literature that addresses the issue of nuclear terrorism and look
at ways a lone wolf or individual terrorist could carry out a nuclear or
radiological attack, either using a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)
or by attacking a nuclear power facility. The originality and relevance
of the arguments put forward in this paper lie in the fact that very few
studies address this threat specifically and that the primary documentary
sources have barely been explored by academia.