Global Security Newswire

Israel this month conducted an exercise on the emergency response to an attack involving a radiological "dirty bomb," CNN reported on Tuesday (see GSN, Dec. 9, 2011).

An assault involving such a weapon, which would use conventional explosives to disperse radioactive material, is a "hypothetical but plausible scenario," according to Israeli Health Ministry official Lion Poles, who helped prepare the drill. While Israel regularly conducts exercises on dealing with missile attacks or WMD incidents, the nation had not previously organized a radiological preparedness program such as the "Dark Cloud" event on Jan. 18.

The scenario involved the detonation of a vehicle bomb that released cesium 137 in the port municipality of Haifa. Emergency medical responders transported mock patients to local hospitals for care and decontamination. Other officials, separately, sought to address the potential mental and public health repercussions of a radiological strike.

There was no mention within the drill of Iran, which the Israeli leadership believes is pursuing a nuclear-weapon capability. Tehran says its atomic activities have no military component.

A dirty bomb would produce far fewer casualties than a nuclear explosion but could provoke fear and require significant remediation of the affected area (Frida Ghitis, CNN, Jan. 24).