Rather than just Screen Cargo, US Must Secure Loose Nukes

The Bush Administration recently unveiled a new $60 million U.S. security program that will screen American-bound cargo for radioactive material at ports in Pakistan, Oman, South Korea, Honduras, Britain and Singapore.  Screening cargo headed to the United States for radioactive materials is a step in the right direction. I believe, however, that the highest security priority should be placed on eliminating the loose nuclear material around the world that terrorists could use to build a nuclear weapon. That is why I authored a proposal, which Congress passed, to increase the Global Threat Reduction Initiative’s budget by $27 million (click here for more information).  I am now developing a comprehensive plan for the United States, working with the international community, to identify, secure and eliminate loose nuclear material.

The 9/11 Commission stated that securing loose nukes should be the United States’ number one priority in order to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack. As many experts have noted, even with the new port security measures in place, a terrorist could still easily smuggle highly enriched uranium (HEU) into the United States, assemble a nuclear weapon, and detonate it in a location like Times Square. There are more than 1,200 metric tons of HEU in facilities outside the United States that need to be secured and eliminated.  There is also an unknown quantity that still needs to be located.

It is clear that more needs to be done to locate, secure, and eliminate HEU.  While screening ports is important, we must focus on preventing terrorists from obtaining the materials needed for making a nuclear weapon long before they can place a bomb in a container ship. This is one of my top priorities for the 110th Congress and, I hope, it is one of the President’s as well. 

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