Introduction the Global Politics of Combating Nuclear Terrorism

The challenge of preventing nuclear terrorism gained new urgency after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Prior to 9/11, concerns about “loose nukes” generally focused on the possibility of the transfers to “rogue states” of nuclear weapons or the material and technologies to make such arms. Few experts considered large-scale nuclear violence by non-state actors to be likely, or for that matter, the aim of terrorist groups. After 9/11, however, this nuclear calculus changed, and it became conventional wisdom that at least some terrorist organizations sought nuclear explosives for the explicit purpose of inflicting massive punishment.