YET another terrorist threat has been thrust into the media spotlight in recent weeks: “dirty bombs”, conventional explosives spiced with radioactive material.
But why is this particular weapon suddenly causing so much concern? And how worried should we really be? What’s changed is the realisation that not only are terrorists interested in exploding dirty bombs, the material is out there to build one. And while the devices might not kill many people, they could still do exactly what terrorists want: force the long-term evacuation of central London, downtown Manhattan or any other urban area attackers manage to hit.
Government and…
