IT ADDRESSES THE QUESTION OF WHETHER SUBNATIONAL GROUPS OR EVEN INDIVIDUAL ENTREPRENEURS MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE NUCLEAR TERROR AND TRACES BRIEFLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II. THE PROLIFERATION OF EASILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS EMPHASIZED, AND THE ATTITUDES ABOUT SUCH WEAPONS THAT MAY HAVE DESENSITIZED PEOPLE TO THEIR DESTRUCTIVENESS ARE WARNED OF. ARGUMENTS FOR PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO NUCLEAR TERRORISM POSSIBILITIES CONTEND THAT IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR SMALL GROUPS TO STEAL OR MAKE AND DELIVER CRUDE WEAPONS. THIS ARTICLE SHOWS THE DIFFICULTIES WITH SUCH AN APPROACH AND ANALYZES THE VIEWPOINTS OF TERRORISTS THEMSELVES TOWARDS NUCLEAR TERROR. IT OUTLINES TERRORISTS' ALTERNATIVES AND THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL PATHOLOGIES. FOCUS IS ON THE MOTIVATION FOR USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY TERRORISTS GROUPS, USING THE LATIN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY, AND FEDAYEEN ORGANIZATIONS AS EXAMPLES. SUMMARY OBSERVATIONS NOTE THAT, WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE FOR SMALL GROUPS TO CONSTRUCT CRUDE BOMBS, THE FOLLOWING POINTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE DEBATE ON NUCLEAR TERRORISM: (1) BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF DISCRIMINATION, NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE NOT A GOOD COUNTERWEAPON FOR GOVERNMENTS TO USE AGAINST TERRORIST GROUPS; (2) PRECISION-GUIDED WEAPONS ARE NOT USEFUL TO TERRORISTS BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND COMPLICATED DELIVERY SYSTEMS OF SUCH WEAPONS (RIFLES, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR ASSASSINATIONS); AND (3) TECHNOLOGY (IN THE FORM OF X-RAY EXAMINATION OF MATERIALS, FOR INSTANCE CAN REDUCE A SOCIETY'S VULNERABILITY TO TERRORISM AND CAN HELP PRESERVE THE SAFETY AND PRIVACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL. (RFC)