nuclear-news

Increasing danger of nuclear terrorism

Nuclear Terrorism: A Clear Danger, NYT, By KENNETH C. BRILL and KENNETH N. LUONGO, March 15, 2012 Terrorists exploit gaps in security. The current global regime for
protecting the nuclear materials that terrorists desire for their ultimate weapon is far from seamless. It is based largely on unaccountable, voluntary arrangements that are inconsistent across borders. Its weak links make it dangerous and inadequate to prevent nuclear terrorism.
Later this month in Seoul, the more than 50 world leaders who will
gather for the second Nuclear Security Summit need to seize the
opportunity to start developing an accountable regime to prevent
nuclear terrorism.

There is a consensus among international leaders that the threat of
nuclear terrorism is real, not a Hollywood confection. President
Obama, the leaders of 46 other nations, the heads of the International
Atomic Energy Agency  and the United Nations, and numerous experts
have called nuclear terrorism one of the most serious threats to
global security and stability.
At least four terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, have demonstrated
interest in using a nuclear device. These groups operate in or near
states with histories of questionable nuclear security practices.
Terrorists do not need to steal a nuclear weapon.

It is quite possible to make an improvised nuclear device from highly enriched uranium or
plutonium being used for civilian purposes. And there is a black
market in such material. There have been 18 confirmed thefts or loss
of weapons-usable nuclear material. In 2011, the Moldovan police broke
up part of a smuggling ring attempting to sell highly enriched
uranium; one member is thought to remain at large with a kilogram of
this material.

A terrorist nuclear explosion could kill hundreds of thousands, create
billions of dollars in damages and undermine the global economy.
Former Secretary General Kofi Annan of the United Nations said that an
act of nuclear terrorism “would thrust tens of millions of people into
dire poverty” and create “a second death toll throughout the
developing world.”….
There are no globally agreed standards for effectively securing
nuclear material. There is no obligation to follow the voluntary
standards that do exist and no institution, not even the I.A.E.A.,
with a mandate to evaluate nuclear security performance.

This patchwork approach provides the appearance of dealing with
nuclear security; the reality is there are gaps through which a
determined terrorist group could drive one or more nuclear devices….
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/opinion/nuclear-terrorism-a-clear-danger.html

March 16, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety