To the Journal editor:

Iran has the ability to make and deliver “dirty bombs” using conventional explosives in combination with its enriched uranium. These dirty bombs could be smuggled out of Iran and delivered by small airplanes, drones, ships or trucks.  Dirty bombs don’t require a nuclear explosion. Rather, the detonation of a bomb using conventional explosives could spread radioactive material over large areas making parts of cities, ports and/or military bases uninhabitable. 

Following our attack on Iran’s nuclear production facilities last summer, it was believed that Iran would not respond with dirty bombs for fear that their use would prompt massive retaliation by the U.S. and Israel. However, now that the U.S. and Israel have already launched such a massive attack on Iran, Iran’s surviving leaders may no longer be deterred from using dirty bombs.  

It should be recalled that when the U.S. toppled Sadam Hussain in Iraq, it didn’t destroy or secure his store of conventional weapons. These weapons were subsequently converted by insurgents into improvised explosive devices that were then used to kill many U.S. soldiers. 

Ironically, this lesson from the war in Iraq could be used to justify sending U.S. troops into Iran to secure Iran’s enriched uranium. Unfortunately, to be successful, a “boots on the ground” operation such as this will require accurate, advanced knowledge of all of the places where all of Iran’s enriched uranium has been hidden.

This, among other problems, suggests that U.S. and Israel’s decision to attack Iran may have opened a proverbial Pandora’s Box. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Kulisheck, is a professor emeritus at Northern Michigan University in the Department of Political Science. He taught courses on nuclear policy and diplomacy both on Northern’s campus and at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base.