Chairman Linder Holds Subcommittee Hearing on Existing Nuclear Threats

CHAIRMAN LINDER HOLDS SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON EXISTING NUCLEAR THREATS

Yesterday, Congressman John Linder (R-GA), Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, held a hearing entitled "Reducing Nuclear and Biological Threats at the Source." The hearing addressed the severe problems created by nations when they leave behind a legacy of material and personnel with dangerous skills once they have ended, or even reduced, their Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program. Both can serve as valuable resources to terrorists, allowing weapon programs to be accelerated or providing capabilities that would otherwise be beyond their reach. Today's hearing examined recent U.S. efforts to prevent such outcomes.

"The end of the Cold War and the break up of the Soviet Union brought a great sigh of relief to Americans. Unfortunately, the elimination of one threat simply brought a new, and equally dangerous, threat to our doorstep. With the chances of an all out nuclear or biological war greatly reduced, the Soviet Union is left with a legacy of nuclear and biological weapons programs that still have the power of doing enormous harm in the wrong hands."

The hearing discussed the range of efforts being made to secure nuclear and biological material and to redirect former weapons scientists into peaceful endeavors. The Committee members discussed bilateral efforts with Russia such as the Cooperative Threat Reduction programs that have been successful securing nuclear warheads and biological pathogens as well as stabilizing employment for nuclear and biological experts. The Committee also focused on the need for nations in the G8 and organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency to work closely with the United States to ensure that nuclear materials, and the scientists with the necessary knowledge work with them, stay out of the hands of terrorists.

"We have no room to fail in this mission. The detonation of a nuclear device, or the dispersal of a biological agent, would be catastrophic and must be prevented. But we cannot do it alone. I hope that our work hear today will help continue to pressure the international community follow through on their $20 billion pledge to prevent acts of terrorism using WMD's."

http://linder.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=243&Month=6&Year=2006