Task Force Urges Action To Deal With Loose Nukes

Belfer Center Director Graham T. Allison and Matthew Bunn, Assistant Director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program served as chair and vice-chair, respectively, of a high-level task force for the Center for Strategic and International Studies'' "Global Nuclear Materials Management" project, led by former Senator Sam Nunn.
 

The findings of the task force were released in July in a CSIS draft report entitled, "Funding Nuclear Security: What More Could Be Done To Secure Nuclear Warheads and Fissile Materials With More Resources?"
 

The task force on "Funding Nuclear Security" outlined a sweeping set of new steps to reduce threats posed by nuclear stockpiles in the former Soviet Union that would be possible if additional funds were applied to the task. Bunn said, "We managed to get our task force to sign off on a very aggressive agenda of possible new spending on dealing with loose nukes in the former Soviet Union."
 

Allison also served on the Senior Policy Panel, chaired by Senator Nunn, that integrated the results of all five task forces, and included most of the recommendations of the Allison-Bunn task force. The results of this CSIS effort were presented at a major international conference in Washington on July 22.
 

In its summary of the work of the five task forces, the Senior Policy Panel wrote, "The world simply cannot afford delay in addressing the urgent security hazards posed by nuclear insecurity in the former Soviet Union. And there is little remaining margin for continued decay of the U.S. nuclear infrastructure if the United States is to be technically credible in nonproliferation leadership in the 21st century. The opportunities are there; an investment of a few billion dollars, properly applied, could dramatically reduce the risks the world now faces. The fundamental requirement is leadership. The time to act is now -- before a catastrophe occurs."
 

Information about the project, as well as a transcript and executive summary of the July conference, can be found at http://www.csis.org/energy/gnmm.html. The report is scheduled to be issued to the public this fall.