The
annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy
Agency in Vienna, Austria, commenced September
17 with a renewed determination for nuclear safety.
The conference began with a moment of silence and
two songs by the Vienna Boys choir, honoring the
victims of last Tuesday's attack on the United
States.
Ministers
of energy, science and technology representing the
US, Japan, Korea, Austria, Russia and Iran gave opening
statements about nuclear safety, which has now been
thrust into a new context. The conference, which will
conclude September 21, will discuss the development
of non-military use of nuclear technology, IAEA's founding
goal since 1957.
Spokesperson
Melissa Fleming said that the shared
feeling of the meeting was
that "Nuclear power should not get
into the hands of the wrong people."
IAEA's primary purpose is to improve
the security of member countries and
to strengthen border security to contain
the nuclear threat.
In the wake of last week's devastating
attacks on the United States, international
media has focused attention on the consequences
of a fully fueled jet crashing into a
nuclear power plant.
"An attack of a hijacked civilian
plane was never taken into consideration
when they were building the plants in
the 60's," Fleming said. Today's
jets are stronger and could penetrate
nuclear containment, but aviation specialists
assure that targeting a nuclear plant
would not be as simple as targeting the
World Trade Center. "It would have
to be incredibly precise," Fleming
said.
These concerns aside, the conference
is also expected to address the non military
uses of nuclear power--its environmental
affects and its potential as an alternative
to fossil fuel.
|
