IAEA chief sounds warning on nuke terrorism
Source: Agencies |
July 2, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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THE head of the UN atomic agency warned yesterday against complacency in preventing nuclear terrorism, saying progress in recent years should not lull the world into a false sense of security.
"Much has been achieved in the past decade," Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency told a gathering of 1,200 delegates from around 110 states in Vienna to review progress on the issue.
"Many countries have taken effective measures to prevent theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, illegal transfer, or other malicious acts involving nuclear or other radioactive material. Security has been improved at many facilities containing such material."
Partly as a result, he said, "there has not been a terrorist attack involving nuclear or other radioactive material."
"But this must not lull us into a false sense of security," IAEA chief warned. "If a 'dirty bomb' is detonated in a major city, or sabotage occurs at a nuclear facility, the consequences could be devastating."
"The threat of nuclear terrorism is real, and the global nuclear security system needs to be strengthened in order to counter that threat," he added.
Major international efforts have been made since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States a decade later to prevent nuclear material falling into the wrong hands.
"Much has been achieved in the past decade," Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency told a gathering of 1,200 delegates from around 110 states in Vienna to review progress on the issue.
"Many countries have taken effective measures to prevent theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, illegal transfer, or other malicious acts involving nuclear or other radioactive material. Security has been improved at many facilities containing such material."
Partly as a result, he said, "there has not been a terrorist attack involving nuclear or other radioactive material."
"But this must not lull us into a false sense of security," IAEA chief warned. "If a 'dirty bomb' is detonated in a major city, or sabotage occurs at a nuclear facility, the consequences could be devastating."
"The threat of nuclear terrorism is real, and the global nuclear security system needs to be strengthened in order to counter that threat," he added.
Major international efforts have been made since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States a decade later to prevent nuclear material falling into the wrong hands.
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