There are growing problems in Africa with trafficking in materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned. The bombs could be detonated in order to scatter radioactive material. Last year the agency sent missions to Nigeria and Tanzania to help the authorities there cope with materials seized from traffickers. The IAEA has warned that if a dirty bomb exploded in a city it would cause complete panic. “Illicit trafficking in nuclear materials is an increasing problem for states in Africa”, a memo presented to the IAEA board in Vienna said, London’s Financial Times newspaper reported. A dirty bomb is a radiological weapon but unlike a nuclear bomb, its purpose is to contaminate rather than destroy. It uses normal explosives to disperse radioactive materials in the local environment, creating a hazard to health that could last for years unless cleaned up. The relative ease of making such a bomb means it is a potent terrorist weapon. Full Story
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