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  Nuclear terror threat remains despite progress: Barack Obama

Nuclear terror threat remains despite progress: Barack Obama

Published : Apr 2, 2016, 6:35 am IST
Updated : Apr 2, 2016, 6:35 am IST

US President Barack Obama warned on Friday of a persistent threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear materials despite progress in reducing such risks, and called on world leaders to do more

US President Barack Obama. (Photo: AFP)
 US President Barack Obama. (Photo: AFP)

US President Barack Obama warned on Friday of a persistent threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear materials despite progress in reducing such risks, and called on world leaders to do more to safeguard nuclear facilities.

“There is no doubt that if these madmen ever got their hands on a nuclear bomb or nuclear material, they would certainly use it to kill as many people as possible,” he told a global nuclear security summit in Washington. Mr Obama cited concerns about groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS trying to obtain nuclear materials, saying this was no time for the international community to be complacent. Mr Obama was hosting more than 50 world leaders for his fourth and final summit focused on efforts to lock down vulnerable atomic materials to prevent nuclear terrorism. North Korea’s nuclear defiance was also high on the agenda. He has less than 10 months left in office to follow through on one of his signature foreign policy initiatives. While progress has been made, many arms-control advocates say the diplomatic process — which Mr Obama conceived and championed — has lost momentum and could slow even further once he leaves the White House in January.

A boycott by Russian President Vladimir Putin, unwilling to join in a US-dominated gathering at a time of increased tensions between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine and Syria, adds to doubts that the meeting will yield any major decisions.

As official summit meetings began, Mr Obama insisted that “we’ve made significant progress” and said the required 102 countries had ratified an amendment to a nuclear security treaty that would tighten protections against nuclear theft and smuggling. “Our nations have made it harder for terrorists to get their hands on nuclear materials. We have measurably reduced the risks,” Mr Obama said.

Location: United States, Washington