![]() |
Vienna (AFP) Nov 8, 2006 Terrorists could exploit some countries' lack of "a sense of urgency" in controlling the nuclear weapons threat by unleashing a devastating attack, warned a senior US diplomat in Vienna on Wednesday. "Frankly, not all countries may have the same sense of urgency" to control the spread of nuclear weapons technology, said Gregory Schulte, US Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency and to the United Nations in Vienna. Schulte however refused to name the countries which he thought were reacting too slowly. Schulte spoke to reporters after a diplomatic seminar organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and aimed at putting into place UN Resolution 1540 from 2004 which addresses the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the terrorist threat. Warning against a false sense of security he said "there is a tendency to think that terrorists equipped with weapons of mass destruction might only detonate them in one or two cities". The diplomat played a slide show simulating the potential destruction that a 10 kilotonne nuclear bomb would cause to Vienna's historic city centre, "vaporising" all people and buildings within a kilometer (0.6 miles). A single such attack would affect the entire world on an economic level, he added, noting the global ramifications of the September 11 terrorist attacks. "Traffickers are going to look for weaknesses," he warned. "We need to work with all the countries to help secure their technologies and borders," he added. Schulte also recognised that "implementing all the provisions of Resolution 1540 is a complicated process" sometimes requiring legal reforms and said the United States was prepared to assist with legal transitions.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links International Atomic Energy Agency Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century 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
Moscow (RIA Novosti) Nov 09, 2006Reports of a possible delay in launching the reactor Russia is building for Iran's first nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr are unfounded, the Russian nuclear equipment export monopoly, Atomstroiexport, said Wednesday. |
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |