This factsheet looks at the implications for civil nuclear power of recent trends in paramilitary targeting, especially tends in economic targeting and mass-casualty attacks.

It shows that there is a definite trend in paramilitary targeting from hard targets such as security forces to 'soft' targets including energy infrastructure and banking centres. More specifically, the evidence points to an increase in value to terrorists of energy infrastructure targets such as oil pipelines and refining plants. Nuclear power plants and fuel production facilities are likely to become increasingly valuable targets for terrorists as countries rely on nuclear power more and more. Given the potentially disastrous consequences of nuclear terrorism, even a small risk is too great.

This is the 3rd in a series of factsheets published as part of our Secure energy project.