SUN EDITORIAL:

Guarding against terrorism

U.S. should join other world leaders in effort to better secure nuclear weapons

Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

Of all the potential global terrorist threats that remain, none is potentially more serious than that involving a nuclear attack. It was a point underscored by researchers at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, which released a blueprint on Monday that President-elect Barack Obama should seriously consider.

In a report titled “Securing the Bomb 2008,” the researchers make a convincing case that “preventing a terrorist nuclear attack must be a top international security priority — for the next U.S. president and for leaders around the world.”

Although it is widely assumed that al-Qaida and other terrorist groups will do everything in their power to acquire nuclear weapons, the Harvard team found gaping holes globally in the ways those weapons and their components are secured.

Russia, which holds the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, has poorly trained guards and spends little money on nuclear security. Nuclear power Pakistan is home to individuals with “violent Islamic extremist sympathies” who would love to get their hands on their nation’s arsenal.

China has engaged in broad dialogue over the security of its nuclear program but there is “little evidence yet that this has led to substantial improvements on the ground.” And let’s not forget the United States, whose Air Force inadvertently flew an airplane cross country that was armed with six nuclear warheads.

One common-sense recommendation Obama should adopt is to join other world leaders in a global effort to lock down all nuclear weapons and stockpiles of potential nuclear bomb material. Despite strained relations between the United States and Russia, the two countries have a shared interest in keeping nuclear material away from terrorists.

Obama should also work with other leaders on consolidating nuclear stockpiles because having fewer storage locations would make it easier and more cost-effective to provide security. And there should be international agreement on a set of nuclear security standards so potential weak links are eliminated.

We would also like to echo another recommendation made in the report — the appointment of an adviser to Obama whose job would be to coordinate all efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism. As the researchers stated, the president needs someone who will “wake up every morning thinking ‘what can we do today to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack?’ ”

Discussion: 14 comments so far…

By jfnance32

11/22/08 at 3:10 a.m.

Suggest removal

Russia has no problem with nuclear technology and material moving to countries like Iran.

They sell nuclear technology like it is candy.

This problem with Iran building a nuclear war machine could have been easily prevented if Russia did not sell them nuclear technology and material.

I think the writers of the report and the story have their head buried into the sand in a state of complete and total denial.
By johnevegas

11/22/08 at 6:41 a.m.

Suggest removal

"I think the writers of the report and the story have their head buried into the sand in a state of complete and total denial."

Your shadow bud. I think the writers of the report are right on the money. They are forward thinking nance, not backward critical..."could have been easily prevented if".

You want to be backward critical? What really caused the problem was the American CIA effectively overthrowing the government in Iran in 1953, for our own convenience. Hence, the motivation for Iran to hate us and work with Russia, and a thousand other decisions they've made just like it.

I can only imagine what the middle east would be like if Iran was one of our allies in the region, and how that might have effected our power there.

But as I said, who cares now? The next step is forward, not looking over our collective shoulder.
By jfnance32

11/22/08 at 8:21 a.m.

Suggest removal

Ok....Obama will do his magic and get Russia to stop sending nuclear parts and fuel to Iran.

LOL........................................
By Scott

11/22/08 at 11:27 a.m.

Suggest removal

Newsflash: The US already has been securing nuclear material under an agreement with Russian since about 1994.

Maybe you could do a little research before finding another problem for the messiah Obama to fix?
By Andrew

11/22/08 at 11:46 a.m.

Suggest removal

Ben Franklin said, "Those who want to give up liberty for security deserve neither".

GWB and Cheney have terrorized their own people.
They investigated 911, 411 days after it happened and then stacked the committee to get their corrupted official report.

The best way against terrorism at home is to make sure all the proper checks and balances are in place.

"The House Judiciary Committee wants to question the president's chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers, about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. But President Bush says they are immune from such subpoenas. They say Congress can't force them to testify or turn over documents.

U.S. District Judge John Bates disagreed. He said there's no legal basis for that argument. He said that Miers must appear before Congress and, if she wants to refuse to testify, she must do so in person."
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008...
By Scott

11/22/08 at 11:52 a.m.

Suggest removal

Clinton fired them ALL when he took over, but you probably forgot that.

Nice quote by Franklin though.
By azsk8fan

11/22/08 at 12:48 p.m.

Suggest removal

If the terrorists want 'in' bad enough all they have to do is head to Mexico and then it's a clear shot to the US from there.
By PatriciaLV

11/22/08 at 1:39 p.m.

Suggest removal

Scott, Scott, Scott ..... sigh.

The trouble with partisan rhetoric is that it's virtually never backed up with complete, in-context, actual facts.

And every last one of your posts has borne this out in spades.

Take this last one, for example. Yes, Clinton DID "[fire] them ALL when he took over". But what you left out (conveniently) is that the nine that were fired under Bush WEREN'T fired when he took office. It was a few years LATER when he (read: Cheney) realized that they didn't exactly keep in lockstep with the party line.

And therein lies the difference.

I realize actual facts don't matter much to the Rush crowd, but I'll keep supplying them as long as your bunch keeps twisting them :)
By jfnance32

11/22/08 at 5:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

Newsflash.....Russia has been selling nuclear technology and fuel to Iran and will continue to sell nuclear technology and fuel not only to Iran but to other new countries.

JohnEEEEEVegas says that Obama's magic will stop this.

Lets see.................I am sure in 4 years JohneVegas will be shooting off excuses for Obama left and right.
By johnevegas

11/22/08 at 9 p.m.

Suggest removal

"JohnEEEEEVegas says that Obama's magic will stop this."

Uh oh, somebody must have made a point you don't like. You're back to lying again. Please quote the original post where I said anything like that.
By jfnance32

11/22/08 at 11:23 p.m.

Suggest removal

I knew you would back track from your post.

It was a quarantee you would back track.

You said, "I think the writers of the report are right on the money."

The only way the writer of the reports are "right on the money" if they and Obama believe that Obama can magically change Russia's policy of giving fuel and technology to countries like Iran.

Do you still think they are "right on the money"?

How can they be "right on the money" if Russia could care less about changing its policy of selling Nuclear technology and fuel to countries like Iran?

Perhaps, you tell Putin to read some books on "shadows" ...Mr Scholar of Mystery........LOL
By PatriciaLV

11/23/08 at 4:09 a.m.

Suggest removal

Not magic, Jim, DIPLOMACY and TACT and RESPECT and NEGOTIATIONS versus sabre-rattling.

We've had this discussion before. You see where sabre-rattling has got us. Now let's try the adult way to get along with each other.

No guarantees, but RESPECT usually gets a much better result than two-year-old-like temper tantrums.

BTW, didn't Gee Dubya tell the world that he saw into Putin's soul that he was a good guy? Oops. Guess the powers of psychic ability were a little off that day.
By johnevegas

11/23/08 at 6:16 a.m.

Suggest removal

You're a stunningly polarized man, as Patricia has pointed out so clearly.

Obama's magic? How you get there from what I actually said is the real magic Jim. You add your sarcastic condescension to it and spin it into some corner or another and maybe it sounds the same. But not when someone has the ability to reason in gradients and think outside his emotions.
By fremmasmind

11/23/08 at 7:39 a.m.

Suggest removal

You people expect our government to safeguard the American people from its own wrong doings? Be careful the military industrial complex is reading these comments.

« Previous Ten Next Ten »

Live chat: Tuesday, noon PST; Chat with Krista Creelman; Problem Gambling Center executive director Krista Creelman will answer questions about gambling addiction from Las Vegas Sun readers from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. ... Submit question