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Global Security of Nuclear Materials Shows Gain, Report Says

<p>The number of countries with nuclear materials&nbsp;that terrorists could misuse has decreased,&nbsp;according to a report.</p>
Image: A Malmstrom Air Force Base missile maintenance team removes the upper section of an ICBM at a Montana missile site
A Malmstrom Air Force Base maintenance team removes the upper section of an ICBM at a Montana missile site.John Parie / U.S. Air Force via AP file

The number of countries that  possess nuclear materials like highly enriched uranium and plutonium that terrorists could use to create a nuclear weapon has decreased since 2012, but serious work remains, according to a report released Wednesday.

The study was released by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonpartisan group in Washington, D.C. According to the report, over the past two years, “seven countries — Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico, Sweden, Ukraine and Vietnam — have removed all or most of their stocks of weapons-usable nuclear materials from their territories … In doing so, they have taken one of the most important steps toward ensuring that terrorists cannot gain access to these nuclear materials.”  The progress means the number of nations with appreciable bomb-making nuclear material has decreased from 32 to 25.

The findings come ahead of the third nuclear security summit, which will be held in the Netherlands in March. President Barak Obama started the summit process to improve nuclear security – a key focus of his foreign policy. 

According to the NTI index, Australia ranks first among the remaining 25 countries in terms of overall nuclear security conditions, with Belgium, Canada, and Japan showing the most improvement. Pakistan ranks almost near the end at No. 22 but has improved its score by three points by improving its regulations for protecting dangerous materials. The United States and United Kingdom are tied for 11th place, but the U.S. ranks first in security and control measures. Worst on the list was North Korea.

The report also found the largest remaining challenge is the lack of "an effective global system for securing weapons-usable materials."

Nuclear security is one of the few issues on which Democrats and Republicans typically find common ground. The White House called NTI’s findings "a useful tool for measuring progress on nuclear security" and called on Congress to pass legislation that would allow the United States to ratify two key nuclear security treaties. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was encouraged by the progress, but he also underscored the threat that remains: "Pakistan’s inadequate safeguards are of very great concern."