Global Security Newswire

Officials from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration and various Moroccan government agencies last week conducted cooperative nuclear crisis training drills (see GSN, Sept. 16, 2009).

The four-day program in Rabat was intended to help the nations conducted to prepare for a larger exercise administered through the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, according to a press release from the nuclear agency.

The program addressed "plume modeling," preparation of emergency command sites and use of radiation detection devices, among other topics.

"NNSA's work with Morocco [is] part of our broader effort under the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism to build and enhance the global capacity to prevent and respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies," NNSA Associate Administrator Joseph Krol said in the release.

The United States has vast experience with the security of nuclear agents, and "NNSA is uniquely equipped to share expertise and collaborate with foreign counterparts on these global security issues," Krol stated. "It is an important example of our nation’s investment in nuclear security providing the tools tackle broader national and international challenges.”

A September 2009 agreement signed by U.S. and Moroccan officials detailed the two countries' cooperation in reducing the effects of a nuclear or radiological event. The United States has partnered with more than 75 countries to prepare for such crises (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, Jan. 15).