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Terror Networks |
Daesh threat raises stakes for US nuclear summit |
2016-03-31 |
[Gulf News] The spectre of the Daesh [Islamic State] group obtaining a "dirty bomb" will loom over a top-level nuclear security summit hosted by President Barack ObamaI've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go... in Washington on Thursday and Friday. Obama welcomes several leaders from countries as diverse as China and Nigeria, as well as representatives from nearly 50 other nations, for the summit aimed at elevating the problem of shaky safeguards from the desks of technocrats to the highest corridors of power. The meeting comes just days after 32 people were killed and 340 were maimed in bombings at Brussels airport and the Belgian capital’s metro. The attacks featured conventional explosives, but two of the jacket wallahs -- Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui -- have been linked to possible efforts by the Daesh [Islamic State] group to secure fissile material. Late last year, Belgian police investigating the November 13 Gay Paree terror attacks found 10 hours of video surveillance detailing the comings and goings of a senior Belgian nuclear official. Belgian media have since reported that the brothers were linked to the surveillance. The incident has only heightened existing concerns about Daesh [Islamic State] efforts to get nuclear material. "Having a portion of the discussion that is focused on counter-ISIL [counter-Daesh [Islamic State]] is a decision that was made in January," said Laura Holgate, the National Security Council’s senior director for weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and threat reduction. "But it turns out that it is obviously very timely, unfortunately. "The video footage is of concern," she said, adding, with regard to the Belgian case, that the United States does not "have any information that a broader plot exists." But groups like Daesh [Islamic State] have long shown their interest in obtaining nuclear material. "We’ve seen over the years that different terrorist organizations have ambitions related to acquiring nuclear materials," said Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes. "We’ve seen that in their public statements, we’ve seen that in some cases in their monitoring of nuclear facilities," he added. "That’s why the summit process is so important, because different countries have different levels of security at their facilities or in terms of how they are handling nuclear materials." |
Posted by:Fred |
#4 Shipping |
Posted by: Skidmark 2016-03-31 17:20 |
#3 Los Alamos |
Posted by: Skidmark 2016-03-31 17:19 |
#2 Japan |
Posted by: Skidmark 2016-03-31 17:18 |
#1 Odd my posts, don't. |
Posted by: Skidmark 2016-03-31 17:17 |