With a wide open border to the rest of the world, it’s only a question of when. Evidence of uranium smuggling has already been found on the border.
Our enemies learned from 9/11 that they need to hit us hard the first time with a new attack before we smarten up(it’s pretty much impossible to hijack planes today).
A single nuke would do very little to hurt the US and would force us to secure the border, but many nukes hitting simultaneously could cause complete chaos. The psychological impact of a nuke attack could be devastating enough.
Technology offers prosperity but also gives power to madmen.
A confession, I once worked in the nuclear industry. I have been part of a plutonium cleanup at a laboratory, and I once did calculations for the impact of power plant hypothetical nuclear releases.
Outside of the "fear-factor" having to do with theoretical increases in the number of cancers, I think that a nuclear devise of two (if post cleanup is dealt with aggressively and not bogged down with EIS analysis)would do little long term economic data. Hosing down the area and flushing things into rivers or oceans and then putting a fresh coat of paint on things would do much to either get rid of or encapsulate any residual radiation.
Having talked to "bomb" people who talk in LD-50/30's and civilian power people who talk in the tiniest of dose rates was a very interesting eye-opener.
Did you write Dead Heat? That is the beginning of the book.