SYDNEY -- The day terrorists start blackmailing democratic governments with homemade "dirty bombs" is closer than people think. World leaders must act now to prevent such a demonstrable nuclear catastrophe.
Scientists and statesmen from around the Pacific who gathered here recently to ponder nuclear safeguards were too prudent to put the threat so bluntly. But the weight of their guarded words outside closed conference discussions clearly signaled the urgency of a worldwide threat.
William Potter, of the respected Monterey Institute for International Affairs, warned that governments have failed to appreciate the changed nature of the nuclear threat; they continue to focus primarily on rogue nations.