The threat of nuclear terrorism became a global concern from "summary" of The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
The idea that terrorists might acquire nuclear weapons was not new. Since the early days of the Manhattan Project, security experts had worried about the possibility of nuclear theft or sabotage. But after the end of the Cold War, these concerns took on a new urgency. Suddenly, there were more nuclear weapons in more places than ever before, and many of these weapons were poorly guarded. The collapse of the Soviet Union had left a dangerous legacy: thousands of nuclear warheads, scattered across a vast and unstable territory. The threat of nuclear terrorism became a global concern. Governments around the world scrambled to improve security at nuclear facilities and tighten controls on nuclear materials. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took on a new role as the watchdog of the nuclear black market, tracking down illicit trafficking in weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. But despite these efforts, the danger remained real. The specter of a nuclear 9/11 haunted the imaginations of policymakers and the public alike. What if a terrorist group managed to steal a bomb from a poorly guarded stockpile? What if they built their own bomb using stolen materials? The consequences were too terrible to contemplate. A single nuclear explosion in a major city could kill millions of people and cause untold destruction. The psychological impact would be even greater, spreading fear and panic around the world. The challenge of preventing nuclear terrorism was immense. It required not only better security and tighter controls on nuclear materials, but also improved intelligence and cooperation between nations. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) played a crucial role in this effort, setting out a framework for disarmament and non-proliferation. But the NPT was only as strong as its weakest link. Rogue states and terrorist groups were not bound by its rules, and they had little incentive to comply. As the world grappled with the threat of nuclear terrorism, the legacy of the Manhattan Project loomed large. The scientists and engineers who had built the first atomic bomb had never imagined that their creation would one day fall into the hands of terrorists. But that was the world they had helped to create. Now it was up to a new generation to find a way out of the shadow of the bomb.
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