UN warns of nuclear terror race

[Don Rizzle]

The UN's chief nuclear inspector has warned of a "race against time" to stop a terrorist nuclear outrage.
International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei said the threat was "real and current".

At the start of a two-day international summit on nuclear proliferation in Australia, he pointed to an extensive trade in radioactive materials.

Officials from the Asia-Pacific region are discussing how they can keep nuclear power out of terrorist hands.

Mr ElBaradei said the IAEA's investigations into Libya and Iran's suspected weapons programmes had revealed an extensive black market for radioactive materials.


 Proliferators and terrorists operate globally
Alexander Downer
Australian Foreign Minister 

There had been around 630 confirmed incidents of trafficking in nuclear or other radioactive materials since 1993, he said.
"We have a race against time because this was something we were not prepared for," he said.

"We need to do all we can to work on the new phenomenon called nuclear terrorism, which was sprung on us after 9/11 when we realised terrorists had become more sophisticated and had shown an interest in nuclear and radioactive material," he added.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told delegates at the conference in Sydney that the problem was worldwide and no-one could be complacent.

"Proliferators and terrorists operate globally so any nuclear security weakness at the local or regional level risks being exploited," he said.

He said it was imperative for the world to take this emerging threat seriously.

Crude devices

He said the radical Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah, blamed for the Bali bombings two years ago, would not hesitate to use radiological weapons in its campaign of terror.

While it is considered highly unlikely the group could obtain or build a nuclear bomb, there is a fear about the potential use of crude radiation devices, says the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney.



Australia hopes the summit will increase cooperation with its neighbours in the Asia Pacific region, our correspondent says.

New Zealand has said it is important to ensure sensitive and radiological materials are properly managed to stop them falling into the wrong hands.

The conference is also expected to look at international efforts to address the nuclear aspirations of Iran and North Korea.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3991305.stm

[7even]

how are countries that havent caused trouble in decades not allowed to have nukes when a country that started 2 wars in 4 years under the leader they just re-elected is?

[Don Rizzle]

I'd rather see no countries with nukes

[7even]

I'd rather see no countries with nukes

And I rather see my dick in the mouth of that hot tongue ringed bitch at the bus station this morning, but some things just aint supposed to happen.

[rafsta]

I'd rather see no countries with nukes

And I rather see my dick in the mouth of that hot tongue ringed bitch at the bus station this morning, but some things just aint supposed to happen.

the world is what we make it, its not impossible for u to get head from a hottie with a tongue ring at the bus stop, maybe you doin sumn wrong, just like maybe the world is doin something wrong.

[Jimmy Cash2120]

no nukes would be good but it's not possible
as technology evolves, so will wepon tech, ie WMDs
you will always have people who will use weapons for terror

[rafsta]

no nukes would be good but it's not possible
as technology evolves, so will wepon tech, ie WMDs
you will always have people who will use weapons for terror

i dont think us as humans arent responsible enuf to possess such power, were too smart for our own good...