ISIS has a ‘dirty’ nuke? Intelligence says they have enough radioactive material
June 12, 2015
10:55 PM MST Facebook Twitter More Comment
ISIS may have a nuclear weapon. According to Australian intelligence sources, the militant group that has sown such violence in eastern Syria and northwestern Iraq in their stated purpose of bringing about a worldwide caliphate have seized enough radioactive material to effectively build a “dirty” nuclear bomb.
The Independent reported June 10 that ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) has seized enough radioactive material during their reign of terror in the Levant to have the capacity to potentially construct a large and devastating “dirty” bomb. Australian intelligence reports state that the material, which was taken from government facilities captured by ISIS in the past several months, constitutes enough for the militant group to possibly put together their very own WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction).
And with the first anniversary of the declaration of the caliphate and the Islamic religious holiday of Ramadan imminent, there are those that believe that ISIS will be especially active in the next few months. There is also concern that ISIS, in the capture of hospitals and government facilities, may also turn to weaponizing biological and chemical materials. “Isis is likely to begin and end Ramadan with attempted spectacular military offensive actions in Iraq and Syria,” The Independent quoted from a report from the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
Julie Bishop, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, spoke with The Australian about the growing concerns (which are shared by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — NATO), stating that “the insurgents did not just clear out the cash from local banks” when they began fighting for their extremist goals and taking over territory. It has become such a worrisome topic that Bishop spoke about it at the recent meeting of the Australia Group, a 40-nation conference that exists to rid the world of chemical weapons.
Needless to say, the rest of the civilized world would prefer that ISIS never gain enough radioactive material for a “dirty” bomb (or biological and/or chemical material, for that matter). Given that the extremist Islamic organization has shown itself completely insensitive and intolerant to people of other religious sects within and without Islam, it undoubtedly goes without saying that Australian intelligence (and NATO) have developed scenarios of worst-case intensity in regard to the eventuality that ISIS build and use a WMD of some sort.
Besides, ISIS has made it clear that declared its ambition to develop WMDs. In fact, the militants did so in the most recent edition of its propaganda magazine Dabiq (via a separate The Independent article), noting that they could hypothetically purchase a nuclear bomb from Pakistan.
But if one should think that talk of WMDs in the hands of ISIS might be nothing but a psychological scare tactic on the part of the militant group or an alarmist viewpoint taken by Western nations, it should be noted that Indian defense officials have previously warned about the possibility of ISIS gaining a nuclear weapon. Indian officials reported that religious extremists might possibly acquire a nuclear weapon from Pakistan.
Islamic State has proved to be tenacious in its ability to take and hold parts of Syria and Iraq. While some military and foreign affairs experts believe a wait-and-see approach is still called for, others that fear that the ISIS brand of religious extremism could become too entrenched if left to its own propagandist and militant ends.
In a show that the United States is taking the ISIS threat a bit more seriously, President Barack Obama recently ordered an extra 450 military advisers to Iraq to combat the militants. According to CNN, there are currently about 3,050 U.S. forces in Iraq. Most (about 2,250 troops) are deployed in support of Iraqi security forces. Some 450 are engaged in training Iraqi troops and another 200 act as advisers.
