Nuclear security summit to focus on countering nuke suicide

US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said the two-day Nuclear Security Summit to open in Washington later Thursday will address means of preventing terror organizations, such as Daesh (or ISIS/ISIL) from possessing nuclear materials.

In press statements, he said "We know that terrorist organizations have the desire to get access to these raw materials and their desire to have a nuclear device. That was certainly the case with al Qaeda, and that is certainly the case with ISIL as well. And given the ongoing concern about chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria, we have seen ample proof that terrorist organizations like ISIL have no regard for innocent human life or international norms, and that only redoubles the need for us to have effective international nuclear security approaches."

In addition, this year's summit will include a special summit that will focus leaders on the threat of groups like ISIL, who have targeted urban areas across the globe, he said.

ISIL clearly is an organization that poses a threat not just to individual countries, but to global security. And having this many leaders together at once provides us an important opportunity, in the wake of the recent attacks in Brussels and other countries, to address how we can enhance our capabilities to work together to confront the threat posed by ISIL, both in the context of preventing the spread of nuclear materials and also with respect to enhancing our own counterterrorism activities, he added. 

On Thursday morning, the US President will hold a trilateral meeting with President Park of the Republic of Korea and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. This meeting is an opportunity for these three leaders to discuss the threat posed by North Korea, and to discuss how we can advance our trilateral security cooperation. These are obviously two of our most important allies in the world, Rhodes said.

Then later on Thursday, the US President will host President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China for a bilateral meeting. This, too, will present an opportunity to address the threat posed by North Korea and also to advance US and China cooperation on a range of issues, he added.

Thursday night, the US President will host all of the leaders at the White House for a working dinner, during which they will share perspectives on the evolving nuclear terrorism threat, the official said.

On Friday morning, the US President will be meeting with members of the P5-plus-1 on the margins of the Convention Center. He will have an opportunity to mark the progress that has been made in implementing the Iran deal. Thus far, we have seen Iran meet its major commitments with respect to the nuclear agreement -- whether it's shipping stockpiles out of the country, whether it's converting the Arak reactor, or whether it's disconnecting and putting under continuous monitoring centrifuges, or adhering to the inspections and verification regime that is central to our ability to monitor the implementations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Rhodes said.

So the President will meet with leaders of the P5-plus-1 as well as the IAEA, which, of course, is the body that works with us to ensure Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal. And again, just as we're focused on nuclear security, we're very focused on nonproliferation and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. And Iran was the country, in 2009, that we were most concerned about in terms of the continued spread of nuclear weapons, Rhodes said.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action demonstrates how steady and principles diplomacy can be successful in achieving outcomes and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons, he said.

Later, on Friday morning, the President will preside over three plenary sessions with the leaders and their top ministers. After reflections from the Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, who hosted the last Nuclear Security Summit, on the events that have transpired since the 2014 summit, the leaders will discuss the steps that they have taken in their own countries to improve nuclear security, he added.

Over lunch, the leaders of the U.N. and the IAEA and Interpol will offer their views on how their institutions can enhance nuclear security. And the leaders will discuss how to advance international cooperation on nuclear security, he said.

Source : MENA