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The threat of nuclear terrorism against the United States and the rest of the world is real, significant and imminent. As should become clear from the background information that follows, avoiding nuclear terrorism may only be possible if the United States makes it a top policy priority, with the full mobilization of the nation's economic and diplomatic resources.
- Terrorist organizations and their state
sponsors are actively seeking nuclear weapons
and nuclear material to make weapons.
- These terrorist
organizations have publicly stated their
desire to acquire nuclear weapons and
to destroy Western civilization.
- The terrorists
have the capability to make a nuclear
bomb (if they have the nuclear material)
and smuggle it into the U.S. without
being stopped.
Even
a single, small, crude nuclear bomb is enough
to kill millions of
people in New York City or Washington, D.C.
and maim and injure millions more, plunge the
world into a major economic depression, and
fundamentally change the way we live. If
terrorists acquire nuclear material, they could
make this a reality tomorrow.
The only practical way to
stop a nuclear attack is by preventing
nuclear material and nuclear weapons from getting
into the hands of terrorists and their sponsors.
To achieve this goal, this petition calls for
the U.S. Congress and Administration to:
- Immediately
secure “loose” nuclear
material and weapons around the world,
and
- Strictly
control the transport, trade, and production
of plutonium and highly enriched uranium
(either of which may be easily used to
make a primitive but effective nuclear
bomb).
This petition also seeks to encourage
other countries to help us reduce the risk
of nuclear terror. We believe
the U.S. must reach out to other nations
and offer incentives to comply, specifically:
- We will offer monetary
and technological incentives to encourage
countries to comply and defray their costs.
- To demonstrate our dedication
to this effort, the U.S. should suspend its
production of new nuclear weapons.
But
incentives are not enough; it is important
to also show that we are serious about preventing
nuclear terrorism and that we regard
another state’s failure to help reduce
the risk of nuclear terror as a clear risk
to U.S. security. Thus,
the petition also makes it clear that the acquisition
by non-nuclear weapons states of nuclear
materials capable of making bombs (these
materials are not necessary for nuclear power
generation) will be considered hostile acts
against the United States, freeing us to
act accordingly.
Finally, the petition calls
for the creation of a position, reporting directly
to the President, with ultimate authority
and responsibility for safeguarding our nation
from the danger of nuclear terrorism.
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