'Dirty bomb' threat answered by huge U.S. cleanup project
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Associated Press
May. 27, 2004 12:00 AM
VIENNA - Moving to ease the threat of "dirty bomb" attacks, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a $450 million global cleanup of nuclear materials Wednesday to keep them out of terrorist hands.
The Global Threat Reduction Initiative will remove and secure high-risk radioactive materials that pose a menace to the international community, Abraham said.
"Where 100 years ago authorities had to worry about the anarchist placing a bomb in the downtown square, now we must worry about the terrorist who places that bomb in the square, but packed with radiological material," he told an International Atomic Energy Agency conference on nuclear safety.
The initiative was praised by the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, but some experts said it would not go far enough fast enough.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, concerns have grown that terrorists may be trying to acquire material for a "dirty bomb," which uses conventional explosives to spread low-level radioactive material over several city blocks.
The approach of the Athens Olympics on Aug. 13-29 has focused fresh attention on the threat.
The United States provided Greek police and border officials with radiation-detection equipment this week.
Dennis