The Sum of All Fears

A recent movie portraying Tom Clancy's book The Sum of All Fears sketches a scene of the ultimate terrorist nightmare—an attack at the Super Bowl with a nuclear weapon. Such an attack would, of course, cause an unimaginable death toll and hysteria far beyond what the United States has ever experienced.

The movie raked in millions of dollars, but how likely would a terrorist nuclear attack be? According to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, "hundreds of thousands of Americans are potentially at risk of nuclear attack." National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice further stated that such an event would "make September 11 look like child's play."

According to most of the experts, the potential for terrorists to actually build a nuclear bomb is very small. In fact, according to NewsMax.com, "one senior scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory believes that the possibility of such an achievement is so remote that it can be essentially ruled out." Even the nation of Iraq apparently did not get the job done after 10 years and spending $10 billion.

Nevertheless, Stephen Younger, Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, recently said: "Extensive searches in Afghanistan showed Al-Qaeda was interested in nuclear technologies. Al-Qaeda leaders may have connections in other countries that already have the technological base for building nuclear weapons. They have the money to make such links."

Although most experts consider it very unlikely that Al-Qaeda would be able to accomplish a full-fledged nuclear explosion on U.S. soil, there is another threat that is much more likely. In May of this year, the FBI arrested a U.S. citizen who was allegedly working with Al-Qaeda to explode a so-called "dirty bomb" on American soil.

Newsmax.com recently reported: Al-Qaeda is behind "pirate raids on ships carrying radioactive material through the straits (between Indonesia and Malaysia) in a bid to obtain ingredients for a dirty bomb."

The dirty bomb concept would not involve a nuclear explosion with a mushroom cloud rising above the scene. A dirty bomb would consist of conventional explosives combined with radioactive materials. When the conventional explosives, such as TNT, were detonated, their explosive force would blast the radioactive material over a wide area. After the initial explosive force, the real danger would be the residual radioactivity that could possibly remain in a city for years.

One long-term effect of radioactivity, of course, would be an eventual great increase in cancer within a city's population. Though authorities might try their best to decontaminate the area, some believe that it might take years for the radioactivity level to fall to a safe level. The Federation of American Scientists believes that "the risk of cancer in some contaminated areas would be so high that the government would desert or demolish the area."

A detonation of a dirty bomb in one of our cities, such as Washington D.C. or New York City, would likely cause tremendous panic. This, of course, is one of the purposes of terrorism. Some believe that one serious episode of dirty bomb terrorism would cause another nosedive in the economy, which is also one of the goals of terrorism.

How difficult would it be, currently, for terrorists to get their hands on enough radioactive material for a dirty bomb? According to a recent article by Carrie Dahlberg in the Sacramento Bee: "Despite fears that radioactive material could be shaped into a dirty bomb, hundreds of radioactive products are for sale through catalogs, Web sites and suppliers to anyone with a license to own them."

She went on to say: "Even nuclear industry workers, who often dismiss fears of radiation as overblown, quietly acknowledge that setting up a front business and buying a license may well be the 'back door' to building a dirty bomb. Thousands of private users nationwide are licensed to handle tools, medical equipment and machines containing [radiation] ideal for dirty bombs."

It is well known that Osama bin Laden has every intention of acquiring nuclear devices—whether an actual nuclear bomb, or a radioactive dirty bomb much more easy to obtain.

The time is coming when God will allow the United States to be buffeted for its collective national sins—for its collective rejection of the Creator. This will happen to bring us as a nation to our God. Terrorism is only one aspect of the traumas that will inflict the U.S. Drought, famine, disease, economic failure, and military challenges will slowly break the "pride of our power."

If you would like to know more about the future as revealed by God in His Word, please request the free booklet How God Intervenes in World Affairs.

There is also tremendous good news on the horizon as well—a time when all the evils of society, including terrorism, will be a thing of the past. Please request your copy of the booklet Do You Believe The True Gospel?

This is Jeffrey Fall, with commentary for the Living Church of God.