Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2002 International RERTR Meeting

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENDING THE USE OF HEU
IN THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE:
AN UPDATED ASSESSMENT

Alexander Glaser¹ and Frank von Hippel²

¹Interdisciplinary Research Group in Science, Technology, and Security (IANUS),

Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany.   Currently, Research Fellow, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

²Professor of Public and International Affairs, Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University.

ABSTRACT

The events of September 2001 have created a renewed urgency with regard to the disposition and future use and management of nuclear weapons- usable materials.  Highly enriched uranium (HEU) has received particular attention because it is relatively easy to use in a nuclear weapon and therefore an obvious candidate for diversion or theft by state or nonstate actors. The role of the RERTR program in this context and its contribution to global security can hardly be overemphasized. This article reviews existing or proposed activities to reduce the threat posed by HEU, how these activities are linked to the RERTR program, and outlines the most urgent steps to be taken to approach the ultimate objective of eliminating non-weapons HEU inventories in the world.