US defense chief says nuclear conference is first real world effort to corral loose nukes

Defense chief says nuke meeting a good first step

WASHINGTON — The gathering of nearly 50 world leaders this week represents the first real concerted international effort to confront the threat of nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.

Gates said the nuclear security conference opening Monday offers a way to reinforce existing global controls on nuclear materials and look for new ways to secure the world’s stockpiles of nuclear raw materials.

“It’s an area that people talk about a lot, but frankly there hasn’t been the concerted international attention in these two areas that there might have been,” Gates said at the Pentagon. “I think that it creates some real opportunities.”

The Pentagon does not have a formal role in the conference, although the U.S. military would almost certainly have a major role in responding to the nightmare scenario the session is intended to prevent: a terror group launching a nuclear weapon.

Gates said the revised U.S. nuclear strategy released last week pays new attention to containing the proliferation of nuclear technology and materials and gaining better control of nuclear materials around the world.

U.S. officials estimate that stockpile at roughly 1,600 tons of highly enriched uranium and 500 tons of plutonium. That could be enough to build well over 100,000 nuclear weapons.

Gates spoke after signing a defense cooperation agreement with Brazil.

Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said his country is close to deciding whether to purchase U.S.-made F-18 fighter planes or planes made by a competitor.

Jobim said a recommendation on which model to buy will go to Brazil’s president this month or next. The deal is estimated at $4.4 billion.

Last week, Jobim said he favors the purchase of a French fighter jet.