Security should be tightened urgently to prevent radioactive material falling into the hands of terrorists, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said.
Additional measures were necessary “in view of recent reports about terrorist plans to build and deploy” devices capable of dispersing radioactivity, said the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Mohamed ElBaradei told a gathering of hundreds of nuclear experts in the Austrian capital Vienna that many countries lacked the resources to control radioactive sources. United States Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham promised more aid to help countries track down lost or stolen radioactive material. The US would give $3m next year to help poorer countries secure potentially dangerous radioactive sources, he announced. Full Story