Samantha Neakrase
On Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Appointment
The Importance of Securing Military Materials
In a new post for Harvard's Nuclear Security Matters forum, Samantha Pitts-Kiefer describes a key truth about non-state actors wishing to inflict mass casualties: "Terrorists wishing to steal the material needed to build a crude nuclear device care little how that material is characterized; they will go wherever the material is the least secure to obtain it."
A common misconception is that weapons-usable nuclear materials classified as "military" are most secure than civilian materials. These military materials–comprising 85 percent of the global weapons-usable nuclear material inventory–are also susceptible to theft. "If an 84-year-old nun can break into the Y-12 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee—considered the most secure nuclear facility housing military materials in the United States—what could a group of armed terrorists, aided by a complicit or unwitting insider, do?" asks Pitts-Kiefer.
Read the piece for steps states can take to secure military materials.
Stay Informed
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on nuclear and biological threats.
More News
Sam Nunn, Richard Lugar and Des Browne Launch Initiative to Improve Security of Military Nuclear Materials
A new international study group tackles the 85 percent of materials outside of international security mechanisms.
NTI Releases New Paper on Nuclear Facilities in Times of Crisis
A new NTI paper, Nuclear Facilities in Times of Crisis, evaluates existing strategies for reducing risks and recommends additional steps that governments, industry, and other stakeholders can take to build resiliency.
NTI Convenes Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities Ahead of ICONS
During the 17th meeting of the Global Dialogue, participants developed plans to ensure successful outcomes at ICONS and leverage that momentum to reinvigorate nuclear security internationally.
