If a Nuclear bomb were dropped....

[Excited Penguin]

It's not so much a contradiction as it is bad phrasing. I was continuing an earlier thought and didn't separate it from the random terrorist group line of thought. My bad.

The fact that there's a black market for certain materials doesn't mean it's not governments who are buying them. It's still quite a stretch to think a random group of people could both acquire and/or make atomic weaponry on their own.

Acquiring might well be possible.  Making is probably off the table, sure. And dirty bombs which have, ahem, fallout penetrating the DNA is another thing.

What America does with a nuclear attack on New York City is entirely dependant on the actors and circumstances, was my point. But our government will certainly strike at the first available target. It's the American Way.

Hopefully the right people will represent America if that scenario ever plays out.