Monitoring Desk: The UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) has warned of a serious and potential threat of nuclear terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
According to a report released on May 17, the widespread availability of new technologies, such as militarised drones and artificial intelligence, means that the current threat of nuclear terrorism is higher than ever before. The report indicates that Afghanistan, where Al-Qaeda maintains a strong presence, must be closely monitored.
The report stated:
“Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organisation behind the September 11 attack on New York that brought down the Twin Towers, has repeatedly stated its intention to commit acts of nuclear terror, and there have been numerous recorded incidents in which radiological material has either been smuggled or stolen. In 2021, for example, Tajikistan reported that 133 tablets containing uranium dioxide were stolen, potentially for trafficking either within the country or into Afghanistan, where Al-Qaeda has a strong presence.”
“I think the threat has never been as high as it is today,” said Mauro Miedico, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT).
“Terrorist groups and individuals are engaging much more actively with new technologies. Terrorist groups have recruited experts, including AI specialists, and we have seen the use of drones in terrorist acts. This potentially increases the possibility that they could launch a dirty bomb via drone.”
It is pertinent to mention that the United Nations, intelligence agencies of the United States, the European Union, Central Asian states, and Pakistan have repeatedly raised alarms that Afghanistan has become a hub for global terrorist groups and a serious threat to international peace since the Afghan Taliban took control of the country in August 2021. However, this threat has not yet been taken seriously enough in the past.
As the report suggests that terrorist groups in Afghanistan are increasingly using advanced technologies and gathering militants from the Middle East, the threat of nuclear terrorism emanating from Afghanistan has become an unavoidable possibility.
