Illicit trafficking in or smuggling of nuclear & other radioactive materials has increased in recent years. Many nuclear smuggling cases have been traced to nuclear material that originated in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The U.S., has helped these countries secure nuclear material at civilian & defense facilities, but these assistance efforts face daunting challenges. This report addresses U.S. efforts to combat nuclear smuggling by: identifying the U.S. Fed. programs tasked with combating the threat of illicit trafficking in nuclear materials & the amount of U.S. funding spent on this effort; determines how well the U.S. assistance is coordinated among Fed. agencies; & assesses the effectiveness of the equipment & training provided by the U.S.
Illicit trafficking in or smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive materials occurs worldwide and has reportedly increased in recent years. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency1 (IAEA), as of December 31, 2001, there had been 151 confirmed cases of illicit trafficking of nuclear material since 1993. (See app. I for more information about nuclear smuggling cases.) A significant number of the cases reported by IAEA involved material that could be used to produce a nuclear weapon or a device that uses conventional explosives with radioactive material ("dirty bomb") to spread radioactive contamination over a wide area. Nuclear material can be smuggled across a country's border through a variety of means: it can be hidden in a car, train, or ship, carried in personal luggage through an airport, or walked across an unprotected border. Many nuclear smuggling cases have been traced to nuclear material that originated in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The United States, through the Department of Energy's Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC & A) program, has helped these countries secure nuclear material at civilian and defense facilities-this effort is considered the first line of defense against potential theft and/or diversion of nuclear materials. To address the threat posed by nuclear smuggling, the United States is helping these countries improve their border security-a second line of defense-but these assistance efforts face daunting challenges3. For example, Russia alone has almost 12,500 miles of borders with 14 countries, including North Korea. It is also in close geographical proximity to Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq.
Witnesses: Ms. Gary L. Jones, Dir., Natural Resources & Environment, Gen. Accounting Office (GAO); John M. Caravelli, Assistant Deputy Administrator for International Materials Protection & Cooperation, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Dept. of Energy (DoE); Lisa Bronson, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Technical Security Policy & Counter-Proliferation & Director, Defense Technical Security Administration; Ambassador Norman A. Wulf, Special Representative to the President for Nonproliferation, Department of State; & Jayson P. Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, & David Harrell, Chief, International Advisory Programs, U.S. Customs Bureau.
I will address (1) the different U.S. federal programs tasked with combating the international threat of illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and the amount of U.S. funding spent on this effort, (2) how well the U.S. assistance is coordinated among federal agencies, (3) the effectiveness of the international assistance equipment and training provided by the United States, and (4) information about efforts to combat nuclear smuggling at U.S. borders. My statement today is based on the results of our May 16, 2002, report on this subject1 and information we obtained from the U.S. Customs Service in May and June 2002. In summary, U.S. efforts to help other countries combat nuclear smuggling are divided among six federal agencies the Departments of Energy (DOE); State; and Defense (DOD); the U.S. Customs Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and the U.S. Coast Guard. From fiscal year 1992 through fiscal year 2001, the six agencies spent about $86 million to help about 30 countries, mostly in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe, combat the threat of smuggling nuclear and other materials that could be used in weapons of mass destruction. The six agencies have provided a variety of assistance, including installing radiation detection equipment, helping countries improve their ability to control the export of goods and technologies that could be used to develop nuclear weapons, and providing other equipment and training to generally improve countries' ability to prevent nuclear smuggling. In particular, DOE has installed radiation detection monitors at eight border crossings and plans to install similar equipment at close to 60 sites in Russia through its Second Line of Defense program. The State Department has provided radiation detection monitors, mobile vans equipped with radiation detectors, hand-held detectors, and other assistance to about 30 countries. DOD has also provided equipment and other assistance to about 20 countries. 7.
