News Review Special Edition

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International Developments, October 1 - November 15, 2002

International Conference Called on 'Dirty Bomb' Threat

On November 13, US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei announced that, together with Russia, they would be sponsoring a three-day conference in March 2003 on the threat of terrorist use of radiological dispersal devices (RDDs), popularly known as 'dirty bombs', involving the release of radioactive materials in a conventional explosion. An Energy Department press release noted:

"Abraham proposed the conference two months ago while attending the IAEA's 46th General Conference in Vienna. The International Conference on Promoting the Security of Radiological Materials will be open to all member countries of the IAEA to join together in addressing threats posed by dirty bombs. ... Topics of discussion for the conference will likely cover four major themes: 1) recovering and securing high-risk, poorly controlled radioactive sources; 2) strengthening long-term regulatory control of radiological materials; 3) interdicting illicit trafficking/border controls; and 4) RDD scenarios, possible consequences, mitigation strategies, and emergency response. Radiological Dispersal Devices...are much simpler to make and use than nuclear weapons. Materials for use in "dirty bombs" exist in many usable forms from medical isotopes to other radiography sources. The comparative ease to which these types of materials are available and can be put to use in a dirty bomb presents a special challenge to international non-proliferation efforts. The international conference will build on several earlier initiatives launched by Abraham and his counterparts in Russia. In May 2002, Abraham and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantesev agreed to work cooperatively to secure radioactive sources in Russia. ... Earlier this year, in June, the US, Russia, and the IAEA established a tripartite working group on 'Securing and Managing Radioactive Sources.' This working group is developing a coordinated and proactive strategy to locate, recover, secure, and recycle orphan (radiological) sources through the Former Soviet Union."

Stressing the gravity of the threat, Secretary Abraham commented (November 13): "The detailed instructions on how to make dirty bombs found in Al Qaeda's caves make horrifyingly clear our need to have a firm plan to reduce the vulnerability of dangerous radiological materials to acquisition by those seeking to use them as weapons... The primary purpose of this international conference is to address the new and present dangers posed to our communities and further develop the international framework for dealing with the specific threat posed by dirty bombs... Safeguarding weapons usable material should be the highest priority for the IAEA and its member countries. However, the organization also needs to seek ways to formally expand its scope to deal with the dangers posed by lower grade nuclear materials. Working with Director General ElBaradei and our counterparts in Russia, this conference is a first step to expanding those efforts."

Note: on November 15, Yuri Vishnyevsky, head of Russia's Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Gosatomnadzor, told reporters in Moscow that "instances of the loss of nuclear materials" from Russian nuclear facilities "have been recorded, but what the quantity is is another question." Vishnyevsky added: "Of those situations that we can talk about in actuality, they involve either grams of weapons-grade, or kilograms of the usual, uranium used in atomic power plants. Most often, these instances are connected with factories preparing fuel: Elekrostal in the Moscow region, and Novosibirsk [in Siberia]... After September 11, the situation with regard to security at all Russian nuclear facilities changed for the better, but it has still not reached perfection".

Related material on Acronym website:

Conference Announcement, November 13

Reports: Remarks by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, press availability with IAEA DG ElBaradei, November 13, 2002, US Energy Department transcript (http://www.energy.gov); Energy Secretary Abraham - US, Russia & International Atomic Energy Agency to host March 2003 international 'dirty bomb' conference in Vienna, US Department of Energy Press Release, PR-02-237, November 13; Russia - nuclear material missing, Associated Press, November 15.

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