Global Jihad: temi, piste di diffusione e il fenomeno del reducismo ...

Republic in December 1994. In all of these cases, the perpetrators were brought to
trial and convicted.
Since 1995 there has not been a single confirmed case involving weapons grade
material in the open source literature, but as described above trafficking does
continue in high-activity sources and other dual-use equipment. It is possible that
international assistance to secure nuclear materials in the NIS has achieved a
significant success. It is also possible that an increased awareness of the seriousness
of nuclear smuggling issues has pervaded the NIS and has helped provide a positive
deterrent to nuclear theft and diversion. 166 Alternatively, it is possible that this data
is indicative of a shift away from sub-state acquisition of weapons grade material
towards an increased desirability for high-activity radiological sources.
FIGURE 2: Incidents confirmed to the IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database in 1993-2004 167
Data recently released by the IAEA (Figure 2) clearly indicates that levels of incidents
involving the illicit trafficking of nuclear material dropped sharply between 1993 and
2004, whilst during the same period similar incidents involving other radiological
sources steadily increased.
Radioactive materials other than nuclear materials involved in the incidents reported
to the IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database have mostly been in the form of sealed
166 Emily S. Ewell, “NIS Nuclear Smuggling Since 1995: A Lull in Significant Cases?”, The Nonproliferation Review,
Spring-Summer 1998, Vol. 5, No.3, p119-125.
167 Taken from: IAEA, The IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB): Fact Sheet for 1993-2004, International Atomic
Energy Agency, [Online] http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/RadSources/fact_figures2004.pdf [Last
Accessed 17/04/05]
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