TERRORIST CLOSING ATOM GAP, CIA SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01554R003300140007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 6, 2004
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 28, 1980
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For lease 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP80BO1554 003300140007-8
25X1
3 0 MAY 1980
25X1 MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
25X1
mentioned to me an excellent article in the Armed Forces
Journal by somebody named Smith--a pseudonym for a former intelligence officer.
The article was on the rescue operation. He thought it was a very balanced
view of that. Would you see if you could dig it out for me.
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP80BO1554R003300140007-8
 Approved Forlease 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP80B015503300140007-8
THE WASHINGTON POST
28 May 1980
While the possibility of a nuclear
holocaust is of paramount concern to
world leaders, a more likely threat is
worrying intelligence analysts: The in-
creasing danger that some irresponsi-
ble terrorist group will acquire a nu-
clear bomb or the material with which
to make one.
This is no wild-eyed fantasy
dreamed tip by scriptwriters for a Hot.
lywood disaster epic. It's a dead-serious
appraisal by the cold-eyed men of the
Central Intelligence Agency, who have
been keeping track of terorist groups
for years.
In fact, intelligence experts told my
associate Dale Van Atta, there is no
question in their minds that sooner or
later terrorists will achieve nuclear
"capability"-and their guess before
the end of this decade.
The CIA recently reported that
\vhile the number of international ter-
rorist incidents had decreased some.
what in 197, the actual destructive
violence of their operations had in-
creased.
What the public report left out, how-
ever, were the ominous conclusions of
a secret CIA document; "If the current
trend of increasing terrorist violence
continues, we would expect a corre-
sponding erosion of the constraints
against terrorist use of nuclear explo-
sives."
What has stopped them so far? "Ter-
rorists are and will continue to be
greatly sensitive to the quantity and
quality of security syst:ems protecting
nuclear weapons and the material
from which nuclear explosives might
be made," the repcrt states.
Because weapons are guarded more
closely than nuclear ingredients, the
report concludes, a ter rorist group will
most likely try to steal the material
and make its own bomb. "None of the
individual steps involved would be be-
yond the capabilities of a sophisticat-
ed, welt-funded group," the CIA warns.
The CIA analysts. figure that of
known terrorist ;roups, "the most
competent" for a nuclear attempt
would be "one of the Palestinian
groups," possibly in collaboration with
Western European terrorists and/or
the "Japanese Red Army."
For what cold comfort it provides,
the CIA analysis predicts that nuclear-
armed terrorists would be mostlikely
to use their bomb as "a credible threat
for blackmail and/or publicity," rather
than, for a direct attack. "In a extreme
situation, however, some might at.
tempt a detonation," the report warns.
l iemo to the President-There's
only one *.vay to end this nation's clan.
gerous dependence on foreign oil. We
must develop alternative fuels.
The CIA expects the Soviet Union to
cross the great divide into oil depend.
ency witin a year. Soon the two super.
powers will be competing for Persian
Gulf oil. Your strategic advisers have
warned that the resulting confronta-
tion could lead to World War III.
The crisis can he defused simply by
finding some other fuel to operate our
automobiles, trucks and tractors. For
years, I have been calling for an emer-
gency alternative fuel crash program.
I believe the nation that landed the
first men on the moon can develop a
substitute for oil.
But it will take another Manhattan
Project, mobilizing all the resources of
the United States. We must draft the
best scientists, engineers and man-
agers from American industry, not
just those the corporations consider
expendable. We must make-this the-,
nation's first priority, not just a sub-'.
ject for political rhetoric.
The first task is to overcome the {ib-
struction of the oil companies, which
are quietly blocking the development
of new fuels until they have squeezed.
every last dollar out of every last avail-
able oil well. True. they're studying al-
ternative fuels, because they know.
their wells eventually will run dry. Rut
the time has come to stop studying and
start developing oil substitutes.
Political Potpourri-Both the,
Democratic and Republican national
chairmen have held worried consulta
Lions with party leaders about the.
huge number of undecided voters.
They're worried that the Novemher-
election could be thrown into the.
House of Representatives, with irrepa-,
cable damage to the two-party system.
.... Republican favorite Ronald Rea-,
gan has been criticized for his short
sharp, simplistic answers to complex-
issues. Republicans seem to love this
style, but there aren't enough regis-.
tered Republicans to win the election
far him .... Some GOP moderates in.
Congress, who've had their doubts
about Reagan all along, are now saying
they're afraid President Carter wiltr
chew him tip in any campaign debate.
The GOP doubters fear Carter's care-;
ful, deatiled responses to questions'
will make him appear more knowl-
edgeable than Reagan .... The Cali-.
fornia Democratic primary looks like a
toss-up, with most blacks for Carter?
most I'Iispanics for Kennedy and most
others undecided '.... Carter is not>
popular in Ohio, but neither is ?ien
nedy. The latest polls show Carter.-
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