Employing Our Nuclear Weapons Expertise in the Aftermath of 9/11
Over the past several decades, most efforts dedicated to reducing nuclear threats focused on large-scale nuclear weapons. After 9/11, the threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons gained our attention. These weapons are often referred to as “battlefield” nuclear weapons, “mini-nukes,” or “nonstrategic” nuclear weapons.
Research and analysis conducted by the Forum in the late 1990s and early 2000s revealed that tactical nuclear weapons pose a unique threat. They are relatively portable, and many are stored in countries without adequate oversight and security, leaving them vulnerable to theft.
This threat was only made more real after 9/11 when terrorists made their desire to obtain and use nuclear weapons clear, and there was a growing chorus of terrorism experts and analysts suggesting that the United States use tactical nuclear weapons in retaliation.
To begin to address these threats, the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) convened a group of experts to explore options for controlling tactical nuclear weapons.
Because of the Forum’s expert knowledge on the security risks posed by tactical nuclear weapons established prior to 9/11, staff were invited to present at the UNIDIR conference and contribute to a book on the subject.
Not only did the Forum help to inform the debate about the future of tactical nuclear weapons in that critical period after the worst terrorist attacks to occur on U.S. soil, but it continues to contribute to the ongoing debates about global security threats. Its work is regularly cited by experts including the Congressional Research Service, which helps to inform lawmakers as they grapple with this complex and potentially destabilizing class of weapons of mass destruction.
