Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "nuclear terrorism" ...

  • Assault on Pelindaba

    "Assault on Pelindaba is a story about global nuclear weapons proliferation and the very real threat of nuclear terrorism post 9/11. Experts agree that acquiring plutonium or highly enriched uranium, the material to actually make a nuclear weapon, is not easy."

    Tags: nukes; atomic weapon; radiation; Hiroshima; September 11, 2001; Manhattan Project; Interpol;

    By Jeff Fager; Bill Owens; Scott Pelley; Graham Messick; Michael Karzis; Kevin Livelli; Terry Manning; Chris Everson; Ian Robbie; Anton Van Der Mewre

    CBS News

    2008

  • America and the Islamic Bomb: The Deadly Compromise

    The book "chronicles the role the United States and its allies played in allowing Pakistan to first develop and then peddle nuclear weapons technology."

    Tags: Pakistan; terrorism; Middle East; nuclear; nuclear weapons; plutonium; War on Terror; Cold War; United Kingdom; Britain; smuggling

    By David Armstrong; Joseph Trent

    Book

    2007

  • Dirty Bombs

    "Radioactive devices are stolen from cars, disappear from construction sites, fall off trucks and generally go astray at a startling pace. A computer database compiled by The Canadian Press showed how dozens of these tools - from a darkroom truck in northern British Columbia to a device used for molecular separation in Montreal - have gone missing in the last five years. The items vanished despite federal disaster planning reports that warn terrorists could wreak multimillion-dollar havoc if a nuclear gauge was used to build a crude 'dirty bomb.'"

    Tags: radioactive; dirty bomb; bioterrorism; terrorism

    By Jim Bronskill; Sue Bailey; Dean Beeby; Rob Russo

    The Canadian Press (Ottawa)

    2007

  • Radioactive Roadtrip

    A Primetime investigative team examined security at nuclear research reactors at universities across the country and discovered shockingly lax security at numerous locations. Their findings contradicted assurances of a "heightened state of security awareness" from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. After the report aired several members of Congress called for investigations of the state of security at nuclear reactors.

    Tags: nuclear energy; nuclear regulatory commission; uranium; dirty bomb; security; terrorism; Departmeng of Homeland Security

    By Brian Ross;Rhonda Schwartz;Maddy Sauer;Jill Rackmill

    ABC News Primetime Live

    2005

  • Radioactive

    This investigation uncovered just how easy it is to buy enough radioactive material in the former Soviet Union to make a dirty bomb. The investigation was focused on Georgia. The reporters found that radioactive materials were found in Georgia every year since the Russians left, that for $10,000 they could buy enough Cesium - 137 to make a bomb, and that security around the facilities for radioactive material is very lax. The president of Georia discussed his security concerns with the reporters.

    Tags: radioactive; nuclear weapons; dirty bomb; sting operation; terrorism; Saakashvili

    By Dan Rather;Tom Anderson;Kelly Buzby;Alexander Gurevich;Tom Honeysett;Derek Williams;Josh Howard;Mary Murphy

    CBS News 60 Minutes

    2004

  • Nuclear Terror

    The CNN Presents Team went to Pakistan, Korea, Hong Kong Macau, Russia, and across the US for this report, talking to current and former intelligence officials, government sources, and scholars in this field. These experts pointed CNN to three countries they feared cold be the source of nuclear material for terrorists: Russia, Pakistan, and North Korea.

    Tags: nuclear terrorism; nuclear weapons; nuclear war; dirty bomb

    By David Lewis;Brian Rokus;Max Tkachenko;Mike Chinoy;Jill Dougherty

    CNN (Atlanta)

    2004

  • Chemical Insecurity

    60 Minutes learned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had documents showing that 100 chemical facilities in this country stored enough toxic chemicals for each to put more than a million people at risk in the event of an accident or deliberate attack. The news team investigated what kind of security existed at "high-risk" facilities, talked to experts, present and former government officials and environmentalist groups to put this report together. The three month investigation looked at plants in highly populated cities like Los Angeles, New York, Houston and Chicago; and found that there are no federal regulations in place when it comes to security.

    Tags: TAPE; chemical insecurity; bio terrorist; terrorist attack; chemical weapons; nuclear weapons; chemical plant; nuclear plant; WMD; toxic chemicals; deliberate attack; security; terrorism; anti-terrorism expert; risk management plan; Environmental Protection Agency; Clean Air Act; Chemical Safety Board; American Chemistry Council; chemistry; chlorine gas

    By Steve Kroft;Janice Tomlin;Lori Knight;Robert Reingold

    CBS News 60 Minutes

    2003

  • 20/20 First Responders

    This report looks at whether the "first responders" that is the fire departments and emergency technicians can respond effectively in the event of any terrorist attacks, especially if weapons of mass destruction are used. After talking to officials, the report concluded that the emergency task force does not have any training nor the equipment to counter such a threat.

    Tags: bio terrorism; weapons of mass destruction; 9/11; nuclear weapons; terrorism; first responders; fire fighters

    By Audrey Latman;Jaimi Floyd;Joe Schanzer;Carla Delandri;David Sloan

    ABC News

    2003

  • "Indian Point: Asleep at the Gates"

    This story is an investigation into security at the Indian Gates Power Plant, where overworked security guards are often caught falling asleep on the job. The guards were working mandatory overtime in preparation for a "Nuclear Regulatory Commission force-on-force terrorism drill."

    Tags: power plants; overworked guards

    By Brian Conybeare;Konstandino Stratigeas

    News 12 Westchester

    2003

  • Made in the USA

    This article uncovers the various law suits that have been filed by some 3,500 sick vets from the first Gulf War against American companies that have supplied weapons to the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. The supply of weapons include nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The article goes back in history when presidents Ronald Regan and George Bush were proponents of this aid to Iraq. The article looks at the fact that the initial aid given to Iraq was economically favorable for the U.S.

    Tags: First Gulf War; war on terrorism; Saddam Hussein; George Bush; Ronald Regan; biological weapons; veteran soldiers

    By Jim Crogan

    LA Weekly

    2003