Call it serendipity, but the authors of the new book I mentioned previously, which just became available here in the past couple of weeks, will be in a certain superpower capitol city in the near future.
Programmes
Dr Khan and the Keystone Cops
It appears that the story of Dr Khan provides a nearly endless saga for those seeking to discern lessons to be learned from his experiences. In that regard the newest batter to step up to the plate is the US Government Accountability Office, which just today, released the report Nonproliferation: US Efforts to Combat Nuclear Networks Need Better Data on Proliferation Risks and Program Results (GAO-08-21, October 31) .
Whoopee, it’s official – nuclear trafficking is a threat
You are not a truly significant global threat until someone significant holds a conference full of suitably distinguished people, complete with PhDs, talking about it. Thus, on that very reasonable premise, I am happy to note that the IAE is holding a junket, I mean a conference, next month, hosted by the British government.
This is, to be precise, the International Conference on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking: Collective Experience and the Way Forward, to be held November 19-22.
Abdul and Scooter and Dick
One more entry from Valerie Plame's book seems noteworthy. It appears that Dick Cheney was interested in Dr Khan, as well as Saddam Hussein. Jeez, Dick Cheney; as if Dr Khan didn't have enough problems. Read this excerpt from the very interesting afterword, written by Laura Rozen, the enormously capable reporter and blogger:
Congressional oversight? Surely you jest
We've mentioned the unfortunate plight of former US intelligence analyst Richard Barlow before. But this October 19 Congressional Quarterly article highlights a different aspect of his story; namely, is Congress really interested in trying to prevent nuclear proliferation or does it just grandstand? No, no, really, that is a serious question.
The P[b(j)] of Proliferation
The September 2006 issue of The Annals of The American Academy of Political and Social Science published, naturally, by The American Academy of Political and Social Science, had a special issue CONFRONTING THE SPECTER OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM (Oh dear, all caps; be afraid, be very afraid).
Anyway, one article, 'A Mathematical Model of the Risk of Nuclear Terrorism', by Matthew Bunn, ran the numbers, literally, for measuring the global risk of nuclear theft and terrorism. Warning, you may want to reach for your former algebra books before reading further.
The Reports of the Nexus Are Greatly Exaggerated
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard the conventional wisdom a thousand times, ie, the nuclear black market will help terrorist groups obtain the materials and technology to make a nuclear, or a radiological weapon. Well, here’s good news, sort of.