Building a Strong Security Culture

Last week, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) released its annual report on international nuclear security, “Securing the Bomb 2007” by Matthew Bunn. The report applauds the progress made in restricting access to nuclear materials over time through initiatives such as the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and others. However, Bunn also expresses concern over the numerous shortcomings of current nuclear security policies.

According to the report, the main threat of nuclear terrorism arises not so much from the possibility of a government covertly sharing its nuclear know-how and material, but rather from the scenario of non-state actors illegally acquiring such material from poorly protected facilities. Scant border surveillance and the lack of a common standard of nuclear security among countries heighten the risk of nuclear theft—especially in Russia and Pakistan.

The report offers a set of policy recommendations, including shared databases, testing of existing performance, security reviews for facilities and a global campaign to document the location of every nuclear weapon and piece of nuclear material. NTI also calls for the establishment of a “security culture” that will emphasize responsibility and accountability among individuals involved in the management and protection of nuclear facilities and material at every stage of the organizational hierarchy.

While making this set of recommendations on nuclear proliferation policy, the report nonetheless emphasizes that these steps need to be taken in conjunction with other broader security measures, in order for the Untied States to develop a system of “layered defense”. Such measures would include the disruption of terrorist networks and the deterrence of states deemed to be at risk of providing nuclear material to terrorist groups.

The Washington Post website features a map documenting the progress made by various countries in 2006 in securing nuclear material, as well as a quiz on nuclear threat awareness.