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IAEA Chief Says Nuclear Terrorism A Serious Threat
Berlin (AFP) Jun 26, 2006 The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog warned Monday there was a real threat that terrorist groups could resort to nuclear weapons. "We worry about sub-national groups, extremist groups acquiring nuclear weapons. It is a nightmare because they will use it," said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ElBaradei was speaking at a conference on nuclear disarmament in Berlin organised by the Social Democrats, who are partners in Germany's ruling coalition. He said that in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States, extremists had become more sophisticated and were trying to lay their hands on nuclear arms. "We have seen the interest of these groups in acquiring nuclear weapons." ElBaradei said the nuclear arms race was still being fuelled by the fact that many nations saw such weapons as a status symbol. "There is still an aura of power, a status of prestige that comes with nuclear weapons," he said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the more governments developed nuclear arms, the greater the risk would be that terrorist groups could gain access to them. But, he said, the primary problem would be an escalation of the international nuclear arms race over the next decade, particularly if "the Iranian and North Korean nuclear crises are not resolved." Steinmeier has lent Germany's voice to initiatives by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to resolve the standoff over Iran's nuclear programme, which the West sees as a front for a weapons drive. "It is not about discriminating against any one country, but about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and also about shielding Israel from any threat to its existence," he said.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Iran Says Oil Weapon Only A Last Resort
Tehran (AFP) Jun 26, 2006Iran said Monday that it would only use its vast oil resources as a weapon of last resort in the international dispute over its nuclear programme. The comments came the day after Iran's oil minister threatened to use oil as a weapon if the country's "interests are attacked", amid mounting pressure on Tehran's hardline leadership to freeze sensitive atomic work. |
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