UN atomic chief warns on 'nuclear terrorism'

[bananas]

Source: Agence France-Presse

The world needs to do more to prevent "nuclear terrorism", the head of the UN atomic watchdog has warned ahead of an important summit and in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks.

"Terrorism is spreading and the possibility of using nuclear material cannot be excluded," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano told AFP in an interview late Thursday.

"Member states need to have sustained interest in strengthening nuclear security," he said. "The countries which do not recognise the danger of nuclear terrorism is the biggest problem."

Amano's comments came before a summit of around 50 leaders in Washington on March 31-April 1 on ensuring that nuclear material in the world's roughly 1,000 atomic facilities are secured.

<snip>

A grapefruit-sized amount of plutonium can be fashioned into a nuclear weapon, and according to Amano it is "not impossible" that extremists could manage to make a "primitive" device -- if they got hold of the material.

"It is now an old technology and nowadays terrorists have the means, the knowledge and the information," he said.

<snip>

"It is very possible this is the tip of the iceberg," Amano told AFP.

<snip>

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/un-atomic-chief-warns-nuclear-terrorism-134919251.html;_ylt=AwrC2Q5GT_VWrjsAcKnQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByZnU4cmNpBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM5BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--

[FLPanhandle]

1. Dirty bombs are the biggest risk

We have spent nuclear fuel rod holding areas all over the place. Yucca Mountain wasn't the best place, but would have been far better than the storage areas scattered everywhere.

Eventually, some group will get into one and Whoa Nellie.

[jtuck004]

2. Fear and Cheerios. Breakfast of Champions.

And while they might get some nuclear material and make a dirty bomb...

..would it kill more or be more poisonous than the Japanese government letting Fukushima poison us? - Are they terrorists too?...

The thing we should be thinking about is biological weapons - they want to start a war with the East that brings them their promised conclusion (much like some Christians on this side of the globe, btw.) The death and destruction caused by germs could very well do what no "dirty" bomb can.

[lark]

3. Our nuclear facilities would fall to terrorists.

The government tests our nuclear facilities and the facilities fail constantly to keep intruders out. We are so done for if they get some nuke savy ISIS guy inside one of these plants. Nuclear industry has no interest in taking the steps needed to secure their plants, too much money. They also aren't on the hook for damages due to a horrible law that makes us citizens have to carry the cost and not the people who've profited from this. We should close every nuclear plant that fails until they can pass an honest test. Of course our government is in thrall to these 1%ers, so nothing happens and we are still very much at risk.