
Samantha Neakrase
Senior Director, Global Nuclear Policy Program
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.
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on nuclear and biological threats.
A new international study group tackles the 85 percent of materials outside of international security mechanisms.
"We encourage leaders around the world to embrace this spirit of cooperation, recognizing that the challenges of nuclear security transcend borders and demand collective action rooted in mutual trust."
Hosted by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the three-day workshop brings together senior officials, technical experts, and regional representatives to address emerging nuclear security challenges.
Sign up for regular updates on innovative, real-world solutions to existential threats.
{ location = 'https://www.nti.org/get-updates/' }, 300);">Get Updates