US, Russia plan joint effort against dirty bombs
Date: 10-May-02
Country: USA
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said after nearly three days of talks with Alexander Rumyantsev, head of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency, the two governments would establish a task force to examine the issue and recommend remedies.
But despite what Abraham hailed as a "very strong working relationship and partnership" with Rumyantsev, neither official indicated progress in resolving a long-running dispute over U.S. charges that Russia is helping Iran develop nuclear arms.
Abraham did announce that Washington would resume purchasing plutonium 238 from Russia to help fuel the U.S. space program, with an initial order of 6 kilograms (2.7 pounds) to be placed immediately.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks on America, U.S. officials have expressed greater concern that terrorists might try to build a radiological dispersal device, or "dirty bomb" which could spread toxic radiation when exploded.
While such a device would not have the destructive capability of a nuclear weapon, materials for it could be easier to obtain.
Until now, non-proliferation efforts have mainly focused on securing nuclear weapons and fissile material that could be used in those arms, and more efforts are needed to also secure lower-level radioactive materials, Abraham told a news conference with Rumyantsev.
"Perhaps the most important step we took this week was an agreement to work together to protect the security of radiological sources that might be used to develop so-called dirty bombs. This will be a new logical extension of the work we're already doing together in protecting nuclear materials" in Russia, Abraham said.
The Sept 11 attacks on New York and Washington, which the U.S. blamed on Islamic militants, "made clear to the United States and Russia that more needs to be done," he said.
"Both countries have become concerned with radiological materials that, while not capable of causing a nuclear explosion, would be very suitable for use in so-called dirty bombs," he said.
"It's not that we believe such dirty bombs would be hugely devastating in terms of loss of life, but they can be highly disruptive. Thus, we need to look at what we can do to preclude such sources from becoming useful to terrorists," he added.
Radioactive materials can be found in many forms, including medical isotopes, radiography and beacons.
Rumyantsev said these materials are a serious problem and Russia is ready to work promptly to solve it.
On the plutonium 238, which is produced by Russian military reactors, Abraham cited a U.S. decision to resume purchasing the material as further evidence of U.S.-Russia cooperation ahead of a May 23 summit in Moscow between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The United States, concerned post-communist Russia was awash in unsecured nuclear material, signed a contract in 1992 to purchase plutonium 238 and some deals were consummated.
In recent years, purchases halted as the United States met its needs from domestic nuclear power sources, an Energy Department spokesman said. But now NASA "has increased needs" necessitating new purchases from Russia, he said.