[Toddsterpatriot]

I was (perhaps mistakenly) under the impression that radioactive iodine was only a byproduct of fallout from a nuclear explosion pulling iodine from the earth.

The iodine is a fission by-product.

I thought a dirty bomb would not create radioactive iodine, but rather just spread nuclear material...?

Right, the dirty bomb only spreads material.

If they hit a reactor, it would spread iodine. Other, easier to obtain radioactive sources would not.

[madconservative]

Thanks for the clarification!