nuclear-news

US military leaders plead Congress to pass Bills against nuclear terrorism

Senate, Grassley must take lead on preventing nuclear terrorism
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/266845-senate-grassley-must-take-lead-on-preventing-nuclear-terrorism By Retired Maj. Gen. Roger R. Blunt (U.S. Army)  – 11/08/12  We need every tool available to prevent nuclear terrorism.

Unfortunately, two treaties that have been awaiting Congressional approval for more than half a decade that will enhance our ability to protect nuclear materials and go after terrorists intent on using them are stalled in Congress. This is unacceptable.

Now that the election is over, one of the first orders of business when Congress returns
should be to get past the bickering and pass these two nonpartisan treaties our military leaders have been pleading for.
Defense and security experts down the line agree that nuclear
terrorism is a major threat in the 21st century. Since the end of the
Cold War, there have been more than 2000 confirmed cases of illicit or
unauthorized trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material. As the
9/11 Commission Report states, “The greatest danger of another
catastrophic attack in the United States will materialize if the
world’s most dangerous terrorists acquire the world’s most dangerous
weapons.” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper noted that
inadequately secured stores of chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear materials offer “potential source material” to terrorists.

But while nuclear terrorism is one of the biggest threats to our
security, it is also one of the most preventable. Two treaties with
very complicated names but very straight-forward goals will equip our
security and intelligence communities with tools they need to better
prevent attacks. The Convention on the 2005 Amendment to the Physical
Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and the 2005 International
Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT)
will increase our ability to confront nuclear terrorism by 1)
protecting domestic nuclear material and 2) promoting international
cooperation in investigating, extraditing and prosecuting suspected
terrorists.
In the age of globalization, word travels fast and exchanges happen
quickly. The black market demand and trade of nuclear materials
recognizes no state boundaries. There is a clear need for an
international legal framework that promotes cooperation to effectively
extinguish known threats. As of now, no such framework exists, causing
fragmentation and a lack of knowledge sharing between international
agencies. ICSANT would fix this. CPPNM would address the growing
problem of unsecured nuclear material. Current international
agreements only require physical protection of nuclear material during
international transport but allow it to be stored in warehouses with
only a padlock for protection the rest of the time. CPPNM would ensure
nuclear material is secure at all times.

These are common-sense measures supported by our military leaders and
enjoying broad bipartisan support, but their approval is in jeopardy.
The treaties need implementing language approved by the House and
Senate to complete ratification. The Republican House has already
approved language, but Republican Sen. Grassley recently added new
amendments to the Senate version of this legislation that, while well
intentioned, risks killing these treaties by running out the clock
during the lame duck Congress. There simply is not enough time to
start over and get these changes approved this year. Sen. Grassley
should drop these provisions, follow the lead of his Republican
colleagues in the House and pass these already strong anti-terror
treaties that are vital to keeping us safe.

Our enemies are not sitting idle, and we cannot continue to delay.
Sen. Grassley should build upon his previous leadership in national
security issues and pass the House version of these important
treaties. Not doing so would be a missed opportunity to strengthen
America’s ability to confront one of the major threats to our security
in the 21st century.
Blunt commanded the 97th Army Reserve Command and has been awarded the
Distinguished Service Medal. He served with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and held the career designator of Atomic Energy Officer.

November 9, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, safety, USA