• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

 

23 December 2004

U.S., Spain Sign Pact to Prevent Trafficking of Nuclear Material

Agreement part of Department of Energy's Megaports Initiative

The United States and Spain signed an agreement December 21 in Madrid to install special equipment at one of Spain's busiest seaports to detect and stop hidden shipments of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

The Spanish port to receive the special equipment was not named in a Department of Energy (DOE) press release.

The agreement is part of the Megaports Initiative, a program created by DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) aimed at stopping illicit shipments of nuclear and other radioactive material.

Four other ports are already participating in the Megaports Initiative. They are located in the Netherlands, Greece, Sri Lanka and Belgium.

Following is the text of the statement:

(begin text)

U.S. Department of Energy

http://www.energy.gov

December 21, 2004

UNITED STATES AND SPAIN SIGN AGREEMENT TO PREVENT TRAFFICKING OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL

-- New Equipment Will Help Thwart Terrorist Attempts to Use Seaports to Smuggle Nuclear or Other Radioactive Materials that Could be Used in a Nuclear Device or a "Dirty Bomb"

MADRID, SPAIN - The United States and Spain today signed an agreement to begin a joint effort in the war on terrorism by installing special equipment at one of Spain's busiest seaports to detect and stop hidden shipments of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

The agreement is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Megaports Initiative, a program aimed at stopping illicit shipments of nuclear and other radioactive material. This is the fifth cooperative agreement and joins efforts currently in place in the Netherlands (Rotterdam), Greece (Piraeus), Sri Lanka, and Belgium.

U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Spain, J. Robert Manzanares, joined Ilmo. Sr. D. Nicolas Jesus Bonilla Penvela, Director of the Department of Customs and Special Taxes in signing the agreement.

The Megaports Initiative is part of the Department's "Second Line of Defense" programs, the U.S. government program designed to work with foreign governments to deter, detect, and interdict illegal shipments of nuclear materials.

"Successful detection of radioactive materials as they cross a country's borders is fundamental in stopping a nuclear or dirty bomb attack," said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. "The citizens of Spain, along with the United States and other countries, will be better protected against a nuclear terrorist attack with this equipment installed in Spain's seaports."

Under the Megaports Initiative, the Department of Energy's NNSA works with foreign partners to equip major seaports with radiation detection equipment and to provide training to appropriate law enforcement officials. The specialized radiation detection technology deployed under this program is based on technologies originally developed by Department laboratories as part of overall U.S. government efforts to guard against proliferation of weapons materials.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=December&x=200412231219051CJsamohT0.7639429&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html