Nuclear Security Too Poor to Stop 'Dirty Bombs' -UN

Reuters ^ | 3/11/03 | Louis Charbonneau

[kattracks]

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said on Tuesday greater security measures were urgently needed to keep radioactive material out of the hands of terrorists, who could use it to wreak havoc with "dirty bombs."

Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that despite an increased awareness of the need for better security since September 11, 2001, radioactive material continues to be lost or stolen.

"In view of recent reports about terrorist plans to build and deploy radiological dispersion devices... it is clear that additional security measures are urgently needed," he told a conference in Vienna.

Dirty bombs -- the popular term for radiological dispersion devices -- are made by attaching radioactive material to a conventional explosive to spread it over a wide area.

While a dirty bomb might not necessarily kill its victims, ElBaradei said the most severe impact would be "panic and social disruption associated with exposure to radiation, the very purpose of an act of terror."

"While a number of countries are stepping up relevant security measures, many others lack the resources ... to effectively control radioactive sources," he said.

ElBaradei said the problem of radioactive material disappearing from regulator's records was especially acute in the countries of the former Soviet Union, where the IAEA has cooperated with Russia and the United States on operations to recover deadly radioactive material.

"Two joint missions were carried out in Moldova and Tajikistan last year and more are planned for this year," he said.

ElBaradei said there have been more than 280 confirmed cases of criminal trafficking of radioactive material, but "the actual number of cases may be significantly larger than the number reported to the agency."

He said September 11 clearly demonstrated that terrorists would not be afraid to handle deadly radioactive material to construct a dirty bomb.

"Given the apparent readiness of terrorists to disregard their own safety, the personal danger from handling powerful radioactive sources can no longer be seen as an effective deterrent," ElBaradei said

[Caipirabob]

Watch your wallets, folks. They've had all too long to learn from the rats.

[Russell Scott]

I'm still waiting for Arafat to get UN approval to send suicide bombers into Israel. And when is the UN Security Council going to vote to decide if The Sudan can continue its civil war slaughter of the Christians in the south. Or how about a vote on the Colombian rebels attacks on their civilian population. And then this bastard organization of professional lounge lizards is going to tell us what we can and cannot do to protect ourselves. I don't think so. If I was President Bush, I would demand this worthless organization of peace nazis get out of our country ASAP. That would be a huge step in the right direction in the war on terror.

[putupon]

The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency is a poodle named FiFi.

[trebb]

The IAEA has recently put forth a categorical denial that Iraq has or has been trying to get nukes - then they turn around and do a Chicken Little on the proliferation of the stuff. Just another attempt by the UN to try to establish a foothold in the tax base and inch into world control...