April 1996

Nuclear Terrorism
and Nuclear Smuggling:

How Can We Safeguard Security in an Era of Increasing Proliferation?

In the post Cold War era, terrorist groups and outlaw nations aggressively seek to obtain weapons of mass destruction, and the impoverished and unstable republics of the former Soviet Union offer them tempting sources. All the ingredients are in place for an explosive rupture of the security system that until now has kept these critical materials out of the global arms bazaar.

This Mainstream Media Project campaign addressed how to respond to the growing dangers of nuclear and chemical terrorism on our own soil. Our 14 guests participated in 64 interviews focusing on such questions as:

• Should we revive a ballistic missile defense system, as Republicans were suggesting, or is the greater threat a suitcase bomb delivered to Kennedy Airport?
  
  
• Should we tighten security measures in this country, even at the expense of civil liberties?
  
  
• How can we help Russia police its nuclear and chemical installations and reinforce arms-control pacts that keep both sides within safe bounds?

Guest Speakers

Helen Caldicott, Former Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility

Joseph Cirincione, Senior Associate, Henry L. Stimson Center

Richard Combs, Monterey Institute for International Studies

Jonathan Dean, Senior Advisor, Union of Concerned Scientists

Gloria Duffy, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

Daniel Ellsberg, Director, Manhattan Project II

Dan Hirsch, Director, Committee to Bridge the Gap

Michael Krepon, President, Henry L. Stimson Center

Jack Mendelsohn, Former Deputy Director, Arms Control Association

Robert Musil, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility

Dan Plesch, Director, British American Security Information Council (BASIC)

Jessica Stern, Former Director, Nuclear Terrorism Division, U.S. National Security Council

Ted Taylor, Nuclear Scientist

Aaron Tovish, Acting Secretary General, Parliamentarians for Global Action

Paul Walker, Former Lead Staffer, House Armed Services Committee

Jennifer Weeks, Representative for Arms Control and International Security, Union of Concerned Scientists