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Kazakh Nuclear Test Site Protection Initiative to Wrap Up in 2012
Kazakhstan on Saturday announced the imminent completion of a multilateral initiative to bolster protective measures at a Soviet-era nuclear test site within its borders, the United Nations said in a statement.
“This year, we will complete the project to enhance physical security of the former Semipalatinsk Test Site,” which was shuttered in 1991, Kazakh acting Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov said in remarks to the U.N. General Assembly.
“We view this project, which is being implemented jointly with the United States and Russia, as our significant contribution to the global nonproliferation regime,” Umarov stated.
One initiative referred to as "Operation Groundhog" sought to prevent terrorists from acquiring radioactive soil from the site for use in a radiological "dirty bomb," Science magazine reported in 2003. A high-level defense official in 2009 described intensive efforts to “prevent nuclear residue material from falling into terrorists’ hands,” according to leaked diplomatic records released in 2010 by the transparency organization WikiLeaks.
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NTI Analysis
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Global Dialogue October 2012 Meeting
Nov. 9, 2012
This report includes resources from the October 2012 meeting of the Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities in Dalfsen, The Netherlands.
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White Paper: Options for Strengthening the Global Nuclear Security System
Oct. 2, 2012
This paper addresses the role of best practices and standards in strengthening security, the global security benefits of international assurances, and the feasibility of achieving a system that is comprehensive in its coverage of all weapons-usable nuclear materials. It was introduced at the second meeting of the Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities and does not reflect the consensus opinion of NTI or the group of global experts participating in the Global Dialogue.
Country Profile
Kazakhstan
This article provides an overview of Kazakhstan’s historical and current policies relating to nuclear, chemical, biological and missile proliferation.
