The U.N. atomic agency chief urged the world Tuesday to step up efforts to protect existing nuclear material to prevent extremist groups from pursuing nuclear and radiological terrorism.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that in the last 10 years the IAEA has recorded more than 650 attempts to smuggle such material.
"Fortunately, only a relatively small number of these cases have involved high-enriched uranium or plutonium," ElBaradei said in a speech prepared for delivery at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
By Thomas Wagner
LONDON — The U.N. atomic agency chief urged the world Tuesday to step up efforts to protect existing nuclear material to prevent extremist groups from pursuing nuclear and radiological terrorism.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that in the last 10 years the IAEA has recorded more than 650 attempts to smuggle such material.
"Fortunately, only a relatively small number of these cases have involved high-enriched uranium or plutonium," ElBaradei said in a speech prepared for delivery at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
"But this should not be a source of comfort. If an extremist group were to acquire nuclear or radiological material, they would not think twice about using it."
ElBaradei said several agreements have been reached on how to enhance nuclear security, including U.N. resolution 1540, which the Security Council approved last year, and the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which was adopted a few months ago. Both call on countries to criminalize the illicit possession and use of radioactive material and aim to enhance efforts to detect and combat illicit trafficking.
"It is imperative that countries implement these measures as fully and as early as possible. We are in a race against time," he said.
ElBaradei also urged better control of access to nuclear fuel cycle technology.
He said more countries are seeking to master it for economic reasons "and, in some cases, as a good insurance policy for a rainy day." Whatever the reason, the know-how essentially transforms them into a "virtual or latent" nuclear weapons state.
Citing Iran, he also said more effective nuclear verification is needed, such as additional "transparency measures."
The IAEA's "verification efforts will not be regarded as fully 'effective' as long as its inspection rights remain uneven," he said.
Over the past three years, the IAEA has compiled a detailed picture of most aspects of Iran's nuclear program.
But, ElBaradei said, "given that the program was concealed for 20 years, and that a number of open questions remain, we asked that Iran provide additional transparency measures -- beyond the confines of the protocol -- to enable the agency to resolve these questions and to provide the required assurance about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program."
On Monday, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said the country plans to build at least one more nuclear power plant, despite the international concern over its atomic program.
Larijani said in Tehran he did not expect the plan to affect nuclear talks with Europe. "It is part of meeting our electricity needs; it is not a secret issue," he said. He said the two nuclear power plants would be open to international bidding.
ElBaradei said that without adequate funding, the IAEA cannot make verification effective.
"IAEA verification today operates on an annual budget of about $120 million -- a budget comparable to that of the Chelsea football (soccer) club" in England, he said.
