Nuclear terrorism a growing global threat

THIS month marks the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only instance of the use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history. The massive loss of life and wider devastation caused ultimately led Japan to surrender - within days - to the Allied Forces, effectively paving the end of World War II.

Seven decades on, the world is transformed from that of 1945, but nuclear security remains a key issue. However, rather than concern being exclusively focused on potential use of atomic weapons by one of the handful of states with such an arsenal, the agenda of policymakers is increasingly attuned to the dangers of nuclear terrorism.

For instance, President Barack Obama declared in Prague in 2009 that atomic terrorism is "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security". Upon assuming office, his administration created the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) process and, to date, there have been three major NSS summits in Washington (2010), Seoul (2012) and The Hague (2014), with …