#6
Terrorist nuclear threats focus on Pakistan, ex-Soviet Union
AFP
November 1, 2001

Pakistan could become a source of hardware for Islamic terrorists planning to build a nuclear bomb, while impoverished scientists from the former Soviet Union could provide the required know-how, the UN's atomic watchdog fears.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), due to discuss nuclear terrorism in Vienna Friday, has called on the world's nuclear powers to urgently review the safety of nuclear material in their arsenals.

The IAEA message was sent to the five formally declared nuclear powers -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States -- but also to India, Pakistan and Israel, all of which are either known to possess nuclear weapons technology, or believed to.

Pakistan, which staged tit-for-tat nuclear weapons tests with its long-time foe India in 1998, is struggling to contain public discontent at its government's support for US-led attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan.

"Security is good as long as there is a government in control," said IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei. "Hopefully I think they are under proper control," he said, referring to Pakistan's nuclear facilities.

But he added: "If there were a breakdown in the civil order of course you have worries. But so far I think they are under proper control."

While stressing that the IAEA's mandate does not specifically cover atomic weapons, ElBaradei called openly on all states with nuclear capabilities to tighten security.

"I hope that all of these countries are urgently reviewing the safety and security of their nuclear weapons," he said.

In a report prepared for the Vienna meeting Friday, the IAEA said it was worried by reports that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, which has support in Pakistan, has sought to buy nuclear technology.

ElBaradei added: "Any such materials in illicit commerce and conceivably accessible to terrorist groups is deeply troubling."

The IAEA added that, even if terrorists got their hands on Pakistani nuclear hardware, they would not necessarily be able to use it.

"There are safety measures with weapons to be activated in case of theft and I'm sure the Pakistani program is no different," he said.

In terms of expertise to put a bomb together, the former Soviet Union could provide a source, said an IAEA report.

"When the Cold War ended, thousands of highly knowledgeable scientists and engineers previously involved in the Soviet Union's weapons program were laid off or found their incomes drastically reduced.

Overall ElBaradei played down the chances of terrorists being able to produce a nuclear bomb, pointing out that it would require 25 kilograms of high enriched uranium or eight kilograms of plutonium.

"While we cannot exclude the possibility that terrorists could get hold of some nuclear material, it is highly unlikely they could use it to manufacture and successfully detonate a nuclear bomb.

But he added: "Still, no scenario is impossible."

"Another legacy of the Cold War are the disturbing reports, albeit unsustantiated, of missing nuclear weapons," the report said.

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