Daily Times

Last week, the main focus of Nuclear Security Summit was on the possibilities of chemical and biological terrorism in Europe, where experts of these weapons are available in large number. There are speculations that Muslim extremist organisations and the Islamic State (IS) may possibly carry out nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism in Europe. European parliament in its recent briefing warned that sectarian extremist groups based in Europe have money, scientists on their payroll, and can buy dangerous materials to assemble a dirty bomb. The participants in the summit in Washington warned that the possible use of biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear materials by terrorist organisations like the IS and EU-based extremist groups can inflict huge destruction and loss of human lives. The US president warned that terrorists could target any nuclear and military installation across Europe. On November 19, 2015, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls raised the spectre of ISIS planning a chemical or biological attack. There are speculations that terrorist groups may possibly establish their networks within the state institution of some EU member states, and may access nuclear and biological weapons.

In Europe, there is the general perception that as extremist and sectarian groups have already used some dangerous gases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, therefore, they could use biological weapons against civilian populations in Europe. If control over these weapons is weak, or if their components are available in the open market, terrorists can inflict huge fatalities in the region. Experts recently warned that the availability of such materials in the open markets of some European states can fall in the hands of local terrorist organisations, which may further jeopardise the security of the region. Two Belgian nuclear power plant workers had joined ISIS, leading to fears that jihadists had the intelligence to cause a meltdown disaster. Before the suicide attacks in Belgium, security agencies were fearful that perhaps ISIS operatives had been looking to target a nuclear plant as it emerged that two workers from a plant in Doel fled to Syria to join ISIS. Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon said at the time that authorities had determined there was a threat “to the person in question, but not the nuclear facilities.”

At the end of the nuclear summit, the joint statement said: “We believe that since Pakistan has strong credentials on nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation, it qualifies for full integration in the multilateral export control regimes.” The Obama administration also issued a stern warning to Pakistan and India to ensure the security of nuclear weapons. This inconsistent and contradictory approach of the US government towards Pakistan is an interesting diplomatic perception, which causes misunderstanding between the two states. Conversely, the statement submitted by Pakistan confirmed: “Within the framework of these instruments and the IAEA activities and programmes, Pakistan is committed to international cooperation consistent with our national priorities.”

The threat of nuclear terrorism and the use of dirty bomb by terrorist organisations in Britain and Europe cannot be ruled out as these groups have established close relationships with some disgruntled elements within government circles. They have established strong contacts with foreign embassies and terrorist organisations across the borders. The threat is very real, but some irresponsible states do not realise the sensitivity of the situation. The changing nature of the threat and the dramatic rise of the ISIS is a matter of great concern for major nuclear powers in Europe.

As the world has entered the era of mass murder techniques, ISIS and Takfiri terrorist organisations in Britain and Europe are trying to retrieve materials of dirty bomb and inflict maximum possible carnage to achieve their goal. Making a crude bomb for them is not a difficult task as highly professional and technical people have joined their ranks. International press reports on insufficient security dynamics of nuclear materials in Europe, but international community does not seek improvement of security of their nuclear installations. Despite some progress over the past decades, the security of nuclear weapons is endangered, as some materials remain dangerously vulnerable to theft. Pakistan and India also continue to expand their nuclear arsenals, now numbering many hundreds, and continue to rely on doctrines likely to lead to early dispersal of those weapons in the event of a crisis. North Korea has 100 nuclear weapons, while Iran continues to develop more dangerous strategies, and is a bigger threat to Afghanistan and the security of the Gulf States.

Cases of nuclear smuggling in some European states indicate that the possibilities of the use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons cannot be ruled out. The EU is in danger because all member states face a violent threat of nuclear terrorism from homegrown extremist and terrorist organisations. The November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks in France and the March 2016 attacks in Brussels, in which terrorists sought to retrieve nuclear weapons raised serious question about the nuclear security of EU member states. In several EU member states, experts of improvised explosives and nuclear explosives have reportedly come from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Africa and the Arab world.

Terrorists could attack or sabotage nuclear facilities, such as commercial nuclear power plants or research reactors, to cause a release of radioactive elements. On April 1, 2016, The Telegraph reported that the British prime minister warned that ISIS was planning to use drones to spray nuclear materials over Western cities. A British official told newspapers that world leaders already fear that the IS is trying to get nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to use them against civilians and nuclear installation in Europe.

The writer is the author of The Prospect of Nuclear Jihad in Pakistan, and can be reached at zai.musakhan222@gmail.com