Seventeen nations sent more than 250 officials to Spain this week for an exercise intended to help them prepare for potential acts of nuclear or radiological terrorism, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, April 16).
The three-day event, conducted 90 miles west of Madrid, encompasses a hunt for radioactive material and deactivation of a radiological "dirty bomb," according to the Spanish Interior Ministry.
The intent is to "prepare to prevent a terrorist attack with nuclear or radioactive material by intervening and neutralizing it, and protect the civilian population if needed," the agency said.
The exercise is being conducted under the 75-nation Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Oct. 15).