[Westbrook]

I don’t know how real the threat of an emp is. I don’t know if enough studies have been done on it.

But I’ve read that a 50 KT device detonated 300 miles above the surface could fry the electronics for about a 300 mile radius on the ground, a circular are of about 300,000 square miles.

Such a weapon would require a missile capable of escape velocity, which I don’t think ISIS possesses.

More likely a small nuke or dirty bomb in a large city. Maximizes immediate loss of life and provides the best terror factor bang for the buck.

[DonaldC]

They could create more fear with a Washington sniper type attack or IEDs, and fear is what they are all about. For destruction like you speak of, that will take a state and don’t worry, Iran is working on it.

[grey_whiskers]

Read up on Starfish Prime. There are a couple of good threads here on Free Republic about it, if you get past the naysayer trolls.

In the meantime, here are a couple of related links:

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/emp-notes.html

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/E1-E2-E3.html