Should We Fear That Russian Nuclear Materials Are Being Smuggled To Terrorists?

FBI and Moldova have been thwarting Russian nuclear smugglers trying to sell radioactive and nuclear materials to terrorists. Four such sting operations have occurred in Moldova since 2010, with the smugglers trying to sell radioactive uranium and cesium for millions of dollars. But what is this material used for? Not nuclear weapons, but something called a Dirty Bomb, or radiation dispersal device. Our irrational fear of radiation makes a dirty bomb the ultimate weapon of terror. But a psychological weapon, not a nuclear weapon. The public should not be any more afraid of a dirty bomb than an ordinary car bomb.