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Administration Confronts Nuclear Terrorism

National Security Network
April 11, 2010

Next week, President Obama will host an international Nuclear Security Summit in Washington - an unprecedented gathering of world leaders and the largest Washington summit since World War II.  The summit comes on the heels of a vibrant set of achievements by the Administration to advance American national security by reducing the threat posed by nuclear weapons.  Earlier this week, the Administration unveiled its new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which outlines the country's long-term nuclear security policy.  Then, the President signed a treaty with Russia to reduce the American nuclear arsenal, locking in a transparent nuclear relationship with Russia while bolstering U.S. leadership in the arms control sector.  And as President Obama said yesterday when he signed the new START treaty alongside Russian President Medvedev in Prague, while this was an important milestone, it was "just one step on a longer journey."

This journey began last year in Prague, when the President unveiled his historic 21st Century nonproliferation agenda.  In that speech, he outlined the concrete steps that his Administration would take to counter the global threat of nuclear weapons, proliferation, and nuclear terrorism in order to protect America and its allies.  One year later, the President has made landmark achievements on this ambitious agenda.  National security experts agree that preventing the dual threats of nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation should be at the top of America's security agenda, and the Administration has responded.  Next week's Nuclear Security Summit will, in addition to seeking concrete actions to secure vulnerable nuclear materials, once again demonstrate the Administration's strong international leadership in countering the threat of nuclear terrorism. 

Washington convenes unprecedented Nuclear Security Summit. On Monday, heads of state from almost 50 countries, including India, Pakistan, Russia, and China, as well as representatives from the IAEA, the United Nations, and the European Union will gather in Washington for a two-day summit to address vulnerable nuclear materials and the threat of nuclear terrorism.  The representatives were asked to provide information on their own nuclear security commitments, as well as take part in forming a global action plan.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained that the goal of the summit is to "secure all vulnerable nuclear materials as swiftly as possible to prevent them from falling in to the hands of the terrorists."  The summit could not be more relevant, as Kenneth Luongo of the Fissile Materials Working Group explains, "the growing global stockpile of nuclear and radiological materials and the increasing boldness of terrorists are changing the international requirements for nuclear security.  What have not yet changed are the international obligations that respond to these evolving circumstances."  Recognizing the importance of this goal, the Fissile Materials Working Group is holding a parallel Next Generation Nuclear Security Summit alongside the official event, to enhance the transparency and accountability necessary if efforts to secure nuclear materials are to succeed.  These summits come on the heels of other landmark accomplishments by the Obama administration to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons.  [Arms Control Association, September 2004.  Arms Control Association, January/February 2010.  Secretary Clinton, 4/8/10]

There is widespread bipartisan recognition of the grave danger posed by nuclear terrorism. In 2003, then-Presidential candidate John Kerry and President George W. Bush both declared the possibility of nuclear armed terrorists as the "gravest danger" and the "greatest threat" faced by the United States.  Yet despite their strong declaration, momentum to act faded.  Now, seven years later, in a renewed and vibrant effort, President Obama is taking the necessary steps to confront the threat of nuclear terrorism and protect America and its allies.

Co-Chairs of the Fissile Materials Working Group describe the urgent threat: Alexandra Toma and Kenneth Luongo warn "With enough nuclear material to build more than 120,000 Hiroshima-sized nuclear bombs spread around the globe, and significant amounts of these materials inadequately secured in dangerous regions, the nuclear terrorism threat is real and it's time to get serious about rapidly locking down and reducing these dangerous stockpiles."  [The Hill, 3/11/10]

The 9/11 Commission subsequent studies explain the presence of this threat: The 2004 9/11 Commission report stated that "the coalition strategies we have discussed to combat Islamic terrorism should therefore be combined with a parallel, vital effort to prevent and counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)."  Then, in 2005, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project: Final Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations reiterated that, "Our report shows that al Qaeda has tried to acquire or make weapons of mass destruction for at least ten years. There is no doubt the United States would be a prime target.  Preventing the proliferation of these weapons warrants a maximum effort - by strengthening counterproliferation efforts, expanding the Proliferation Security Initiative, and supporting the Cooperative Threat Reduction program."  The Project therefore recommended that, "The President should develop a comprehensive plan to dramatically accelerate the timetable for securing all nuclear weapons-usable material around the world and request the necessary resources to complete this task."  [9/11 Commission Report, 2004.  9/11 Public Discourse Project, 11/14/05]

Senior Fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center and former CIA intelligence officer Rolf Mowatt-Larson agrees that this threat is indeed real: "...these statements should not be interpreted as empty rhetoric and idle threats: Osama bin Laden has signaled a specific purpose for using WMD in al Qaeda's quest to destroy the global status quo, and to create conditions more conducive to the overthrow of apostate regimes throughout the Islamic world.  His argument is essentially that even weapons of mass destruction-which are outlawed under Islam-are a justifiable means of countering US hegemony...In this light, it is not surprising that the group's top WMD priority has been to acquire nuclear and strategic biological weapons."  [Belfer Center, January 2010]

The Quadrennial Defense Review, which guides the nation's defense policy, also recognized the threat: "The proliferation of nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological capabilities among state and non-state actors can threaten our ability to defend U.S. and allied interests, promote peace and security, ensure regional stability, and protect our citizens." [QDR, February 2010]

The new Nuclear Posture Review places countering nuclear terrorism at the top of the agenda.  "Concerns have grown in recent years that unless today's dangerous trends are arrested and reversed, before long we will be living in a world with a steadily growing number of nuclear-armed states and in increasing likelihood of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear weapons.  Therefore, for the first time, the 2010 NPR places this priority atop the U.S. nuclear agenda." [NPR, April 2010]

Obama administration strengthens the nation's defenses against nuclear terrorism.  President Obama has long been concerned about the possibility of nuclear-armed terrorists.  In 2008, as part of his Presidential campaign, Obama stressed the importance of investing in proper defenses to counter a nuclear terrorist attack.  Now, as President, he has identified nuclear terrorism as "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security." Seeking to counter the threat, the Obama administration is taking several critical steps to combat the possibility of nuclear terrorism.

Secure border crossings, and imports and exports from nuclear terrorist activity.  As outlined in Obama's Nuclear Posture Review, the United States fully supports the development of a trust fund for UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which seeks to develop and enforce, "national export controls to prevent no-state actors from obtaining weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-related materials and technology."  In a similar effort, the NPR commits the United States to expanding the Container Security Initiative, which "allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), working with host government Customs Services, to examine high-risk maritime containerized cargo at foreign seaports, before they are loaded on board vessels destined for the United States." [NPR, April 2010.  Department of Homeland Security]

Secure the world's vulnerable nuclear materials.  Obama's Prague Initiative, endorsed in UN Security Council Resolution 1887, commits the United States to securing all vulnerable nuclear materials worldwide.  This has been a priority for the Administration, and the pledge received a bipartisan standing ovation at the President's 2009 State of the Union address.  Additionally, Obama will likewise utilize the Global Threat Reduction Initiative in securing high-priority vulnerable nuclear material.  Meanwhile, the Administration looks forward to starting negotiations on a verifiable Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty that would "halt the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons." [Barack Obama, 4/5/09.  The Hill, 3/11/10.  NPR, April 2010]

Work with our allies to increase global security.  President Obama has shared in the past his enthusiasm for the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.  The Initiative, founded in 2006 by the United States and Russia, includes 77 member countries that are "signed-up to building legal infrastructure, law enforcement capabilities and emergency response capacity to deal with terrorist attacks involving nuclear or radiological materials."  Under the Obama administration's leadership, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism is set to become a durable international institution.  [Acting Assistant Secretary Eliot Kang, 6/16/09.  British American Security Intelligence Council, 4/7/10.  NPR, April 2010]

[Obama for America, 2008.  John Brennan, 8/6/09]

What We're Reading

Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the deposed Kyrgyz president, said he will not step down; meanwhile, the interim government is considering inviting Russian troops to help restore order.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan produced no breakthroughs on China's currency policy, but added to optimism in Washington that Beijing may be getting closer to allowing the yuan to appreciate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled his plans to attend next week's nuclear security summit in Washington, citing concerns that the meeting would be used by some countries to focus on Israel's nuclear program and its refusal to sign the nonproliferation treaty.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, whose Iraqiya alliance edged out Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's party in national elections last month, warned of potential chaos and violence if he is denied the right to form the country's next government.

In defiance of a government state of emergency, Thai anti-government protesters stormed into a telecom company compound where authorities had shut down their vital TV channel.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia supports sanctions on Iran but only on the condition that they be targeted at changing Iran's behavior, not punishing its people.

Citing "disturbing" circumstances in Sudan ahead of national elections, the United States said that it would consider supporting a brief delay in the voting for the sake of greater credibility.

Greece is not at the point where it needs a financial bailout and is in no danger of defaulting, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said; some market watchers disagree.

The United States stands ready to cooperate on a basis of reciprocity if plans for a new European Union system for tracking terrorism financing come through, a senior Treasury Department official said.

In an effort to curb the country's immigration problems, the Australian government has suspended the processing for all Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers, groups that make up 80 percent of all boats arrivals.

Commentary of the Day

Graham Allison argues that the new START treaty could reset U.S.-Russian relations -- and put Iran, North Korea, Pakistan on notice.

Paul Krugman writes that the lessons America should learn from Greece are to take on long-term fiscal problems and to avoid excessive penny-pinching that could lead to unemployment and deflation.

Amy Davidson says the U.S.'s policy towards Kyrgyzstan has been molded by our needs in Afghanistan.