Nuclear Security Summit 2016
Leaders of more than 50 countries are convening in the US capital of Washington D.C. today for the fourth Nuclear Security Summit 2016, a high-level diplomatic world meeting, aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe.
The recent deadly attacks in Brussels have fueled grave concerns in the minds of world leaders that Islamic State and other radical terrorist organizations could eventually target nuclear plants and develop radioactive “dirty bombs”.
But the main and a gravest concern that would be hotly discussed in the Summit is that of the nuclear arsenal possessed by terrorist infected state like Pakistan and a rogue state like North Korea; and the possible fall of dirty bombs in hands of radical and terrorist organizations. These countries have a long and a tarnished history of nuclear proliferation and are alleged to functioned as nuclear black marketers. Islamic State had secretly monitored a Belgian nuclear scientist, further raising fears of dirty bomb. The scientist could be seen coming and going from his home during 10 hours of surveillance footage recovered from the home of Islamic State terrorist Mohammed Bakkali, who was arrested after the Brussels attacks.
On this background many countries of the world have already started to take precautionary steps. Just couple of days back Japan approved the largest-ever defence budget of $44 billion and also effected new laws easing restraints on its military and permitting Japanese troops to participate in conflicts along with United States and other friendly nations for safeguarding Japanese security.
The Republican Presidential race candidate, Donald Trump too has said that he is open to the idea of both Japan and South Korea developing their own nuclear deterrents. He has also said that US troops will have to stay in Afghanistan, because of the fact that they are stationed right next to Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons that are to be protected from falling in hands of extremists and terrorists.
Pakistan has already withdrawn from the Nuclear Security Summit 2016 fearing international pressure on its out-of-control nuclear weapons program. Pakistan's proxy military rulers have sent a low-level bureaucrat for the summit after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has used the garb of Lahore attacks for skipping from international embarrassment and cornering.
Meanwhile the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has arrived in the US to attend the Nuclear Security Summit. Significantly, the US is reported to have reiterated its support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group and Missile Technology Control Regime while no such support is forthcoming for Pakistan.
Hopefully the Summit will give a boost to world peace and arrest the illegal spread and proliferation of nuclear weapons in hands of rogues.