U.S. Candidates Vary on Nuclear, Chemical Security

The two major U.S. presidential contenders offer differing approaches to protecting their country from terrorism involving nuclear or chemical materials, the Bergen County, N.J., Record reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 28).

Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has promised he would cooperate with U.S. partner states to shatter terrorist networks around the world while preventing such groups from obtaining nuclear bombs or other devastating weapons.

Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has called for a comprehensive four-year effort to secure all nuclear weapons storage sites in the world, and to boost the capabilities of other nations to track and interdict illicit transfers of WMD material.

To bolster the security of dangerous industrial chemicals, McCain has recommended establishing a new system of chemical plant vulnerability reviews and requiring plant operators to fix potential weaknesses.

Obama has called for better training at chemical plants and new precautions to limit the dispersal of dangerous chemicals from such facilities.  He also wants chemical sites to replace hazardous agents and technologies with safer alternatives when possible.

In a bid to bolster transportation security, McCain has said he would tap advanced technologies and data analysis techniques to improve cargo and passenger screening on ships and airline flights before they reach the United States. 

Obama has proposed placing additional federal security personnel at airports, boosting aviation security spending and creating a new terror watchdog list.  He has also advocated scanning all U.S.-bound cargo shipments for potential WMD ingredients and improving efforts to share cargo information internationally (Peter Sampson, The Record, Oct. 28).

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