Nuclear smugglers sought terrorist buyers — AP INVESTIGATION

Smugglers have attempted to sell nuclear material to extremist groups in the Middle East, according to police in Moldova working with FBI investigators.

In addition, a thriving nuclear black market has emerged in the Eastern Europe to peddle radioactive materials repeatedly, particularly in Moldova, which is a former Soviet Union nation. There were at least four attempts of investigation within five years.

In an exclusive nightclub in the Moldovan capital, arms smuggler Valentin Grossu offered his terms: ‎€2.5m for enough radioactive caesium to contaminate several city blocks.

Moldovan police and judicial authorities shared investigative case files with AP in an effort to spotlight how unsafe the nuclear black market has become.

“As long as the smugglers think they can make big money without getting caught, they will keep doing it”, Mr Malic said.

“It’s a reminder to all of us that we have to tackle Isil harder”.

A search of Chetrus’ house uncovered plans for a dirty bomb and details of a separate deal to sell nuclear material to a real buyer.

The fear that hostile groups in the Middle East could get their hands on nuclear material from the Cold War era is not new.

It’s not the first time, according to reports, that the US has been targeted by our enemies in this way. In 2011, a group led by a mysterious Russian known as “The Colonel” who was rumored to be an officer with Russia’s FSB intelligence agency tried to arrange the sale of bomb-grade uranium and blueprints needed to manufacture a dirty bomb to an unknown man from Sudan.

Most recently, a smuggler was found to be actively seeking an ISIL buyer in February. The kingpin of the operation is still at large. His partner, who wanted to “annihilate America”, is out of prison. No doubt he may be back in business in no time trying to bring death and destruction to the U.S. The U.S. put diplomatic energy and money into containing the nuclear threats.

The vessel’s owners say they don’t believe so, but the question – along with the captain’s decision to plot a course near the storm – will nearly certainly be part of an investigation launched Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board into the disaster near the Bahamas that may have claimed 33 lives.

Ahead of the arrival of the hordes of visitors, dignitaries and foreign journalists who are now beginning to descend on Pyongyang for the celebrations, an Associated Press Television News crew was allowed to join the Red Cross on a visit to one of those communities in Sinyang County, which is just 150 kilometers (100 miles) from Pyongyang but takes three hours to reach by vehicle on mostly unpaved roads.

President Vladimir Putin is in Syria.

An expert on Russia’s nuclear supply, Professor Matthew Bunn, has labelled the black market operations “terrifying”.

Thanks to this administration, under the provisions of the recent Iran nuclear deal, Iran will have approximately $150 billion to spend on the black market for these materials.