Reuters, Washington Sunday, 3 April 2016
US President Barack Obama urged
world leaders on Friday to do more to safeguard vulnerable nuclear
facilities to prevent “madmen” from groups like ISIS from getting their
hands on an atomic weapon or a radioactive “dirty bomb.”
Speaking at a nuclear security summit in
Washington, Obama said the world faced a persistent and evolving threat
of nuclear terrorism despite progress in reducing such risks. “We cannot
be complacent,” he said.
Obama said no group had succeeded in obtaining
bomb materials but that al-Qaeda had long sought them, and he cited
actions by ISIS militants behind recent attacks in Paris and Brussels
that raised similar concerns.
Obama hosted more than 50 world leaders for
his fourth and final summit focused on efforts to lock down atomic
materials to guard against nuclear terrorism, which he called “one of
the greatest threats to global security” in the 21st century.
Obama has less than 10 months left in office
to follow through on one of his signature foreign policy initiatives.
While gains have been made, arms-control advocates say the diplomatic
process – which Obama conceived and championed – has lost momentum and
could slow further once he leaves the White House in January.
‘Dirty bomb’ threat
Obama said the required 102 countries have now
ratified an amendment to a nuclear security treaty that would tighten
protections against nuclear theft and smuggling. “We have measurably
reduced the risks,” he said.
