2004 CRS Report for Congress: Potential for Terrorist Nuclear Attack Using Oil Tankers

Congressional Research Service Reports ^ | 12/07/2004 | Jonathan Medalia

[1curiousmind]

While much attention has been focused on threats to maritime security posed by cargo container ships, terrorists could also attempt to use oil tankers to stage an attack. If they were able to place an atomic bomb on a tanker and detonate it in a US port, they would cause massive destruction....SNIP...

Detecting a bomb on a tanker would be difficult...SNIP

To stage a nuclear attack using a tanker, terrorists would need to aquire a nuclear device and smuggle it onto a ship...SNIP

Terrorists might also smuggle a bomb onto a ship at sea...

[1curiousmind]

Before we write these Somali pirates off as desperate greedy, moronic thugs, there just might be something more sinister at play here.

I've posted on other related threads that there is the potential for this whole piracy thing to be a cover for a plot to load a nuclear bomb onto a large ship while it is detained, and then detonated once released.

Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? I don't think so.

Remember the latest AQ threat a few weeks ago specifically mentions AQ control of SOMALIA as proof of their ability to affect the world.

WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN?

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Welcome back FR.

You were missed.

[iThinkBig]

I’ll just speculate. It means they get paid a few million dollars for two hundred million in cargo, the cargo is returned and the perpetrators show up dead in the next six months. I have other concerns about nuclear terrorist threats. But the timing of such would coincide with rising global hostilites, so I do not lose much sleep over it (today). And one thing I will give credit to President Bush for is keeping America a nuclear free zone. Those efforts and intelligence will keep America safe for a bit.

[GOP_Thug_Mom]

much to ponder. I’ve worried about the ports for a while. do you think we’re in trouble here in Houston??? {8^P)

[PatriotGirl827]

I’d like to add to that question. How about southeast Florida? I think we have 2 or 3 major ports down here.

[Age of Reason]

Why would they draw attention by hijacking a giant tanker, when buying and using a little yacht or fishing boat would draw much less attention?

[1curiousmind]

“do you think we’re in trouble here in Houston???”

_____________________

I haven’t got a clue. Really I think we are all in trouble in that so many veiled warnings are coming from British Intelligence, CIA, even Joe Biden’s ominous prediction.

I am just trying to connect the dots. That’s all. I actually feel more strongly that the next major attack will likely happen in England, and more likely biological then nuclear.

[rjp2005]

We know planning a nuclear hit on NY between 2010-2013. How they will attempt it, we don’t know.

I’m less inclined to believe it will be a ship method. We’ve got alot of eyes and ears on those.

[1curiousmind]

“Why would they draw attention by hijacking a giant tanker, when buying and using a little yacht or fishing boat would draw much less attention?”

__________________________

That’s very true. I’ve thought about that. I’m not saying that this tanker is necessarily going to be the target. Only that the rate of these attacks is unbelievable. Literally hundreds in recent months. It would be easy for just one of such attacks to be the planned operation to load a nuclear device or dirty bomb. And in the chaos that could be missed.

It’s conceivable that the bulk of these pirates are just that....desperate, greedy pirates. But AQ could exploit this to coordinate an attack.

Like I said...I only feel that this is possible...not probable.

[El Sordo]

For an interesting twist on that idea, Check out William Gibson’s book “Spook Country”.

In it he postulates that the piracy is actually allowed to provide a cover for the inspection of certain ships.

[Logical me]

I've been concerned about another thing. Suppose that the shipment of oil was interrupted to America. We would crumble in about 6 months. We do not have enough oil resources to support America. Thanks to 30 years of Democratic stupidity, they will be the internal source that will destroy America.

[1curiousmind]

I’ve not heard of that book, but that is certainly an interesting notion. I’m sure we would be surprised by how intelligence is being gathered in this day and age.

[El Sordo]

It is just a novel though and not something scholarly.

Just an interesting lunchtime read.

[GOP_Thug_Mom]

I've been concerned about another thing. Suppose that the shipment of oil was interrupted to America. We would crumble in about 6 months. We do not have enough oil resources to support America. Thanks to 30 years of Democratic stupidity, they will be the internal source that will destroy America.

And to take that a little further off the subject: I've been thinking about how the gas prices are dropping (I paid $1.69 yesterday). I live in Houston where tons of plants are. One man said to me the other day, "Well, with prices dropping, it's not gonna pay to start drilling here!..." !!!!

And there we have it! As soon as the world saw our wonderful congressmen (a plug for my own, Ted Poe ;) back in August demanding a vote on drilling here, they realized we were getting serious about energy independence. What have they done? They've dropped prices so that we give up that 'ol notion of drilling here. Wish there was a safe way to hoard gasoline....