Event Summary
The Task Force on Department of Energy Nonproliferation Programs with Russia concludes that the danger of nuclear weapons or weapons-usable material being stolen from the former Soviet Union and used against the U.S. or U.S. troops is "the most urgent unmet national security threat."
The Task Force was commissioned to conduct a full review of Energy Department programs intended to safeguard Russian nuclear material. Co-chaired by former White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler and former Senator Howard Baker , the panel included former Senators David Boren , Gary Hart , Jim McClure , Sam Nunn , and Alan Simpson , and former Congressmen Butler Derrick , Lee Hamilton , and David Skaggs .
The panel''s specific recommendations include:
- Drastically shrinking the number of sites at which nuclear materials are held;
- Accelerating security upgrades at the remaining sites;
- Assisting the Russians in establishing a reliable accounting system for all war heads and materials;
- Funding "contract research" and financial incentives for early retirement for Russian nuclear scientists facing desperate financial conditions.
http://www.hr.doe.gov/seab/