The FBI has reportedly foiled four attempts to sell nuclear material to the Islamic State, and there will no doubt be more. Certainly the Islamic State is a willing buyer. Last May, its magazine Dabiq (which is itself named after the northern Syrian town where Islamic prophecy holds that the final military showdown between the Muslims and the non-Muslims will take place) included an articleentitled “The Perfect Storm,” purportedly written by the Islamic State’s hostage-cum-propagandist John Cantlie, and predicting that the self-styled caliphate would be a nuclear power within a year.
But not to worry: Barack Obama is on the case! White House spokesman Josh Earnest declared: “The United States government is committed to counter the threat of nuclear smuggling, and ensuring that terrorist groups who may seek to acquire these materials are never able to do so. Seizures of nuclear and radioactive materials in Moldova demonstrate the Moldovan government’s commitment to countering these tactics.”
“AP INVESTIGATION: Nuclear black market seeks IS extremists,” by Desmond Butler and Vadim Ghirda, Associated Press, October 7, 2015 (thanks to Nichole):
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Over the pulsating beat at an exclusive nightclub, the arms smuggler made his pitch to a client: 2.5 million euros for enough radioactive cesium to contaminate several city blocks.
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