An opportunity to review nuclear security

by: Hopeful

Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 08:48:00 PM EST

Another source, a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the case, said authorities have been aware of Mobley for some time.

If "some time" is months then okay, but if it is years then there could be a serious problem. I strongly believe that most non-natural naturals are due to a series of multiple failures: The 9/11 attacks and the failed Christmas bombing are prime examples. So if the background-check "system" failed here it is definitely worth looking into, even though it certainly seems he didn't have access to a plant recently, and even if a hostile person did, I trust there are security measures within the plant. I think the letter Bob Menendez sent to the NRC (PDF) today struck the right tone, especially this part:

According to the Yemeni government, Sharif Mobley was among 11 al-Qaeda suspects arrested during a series of raids in Sana'a, Yemen in early March.  While being treated at a local hospital, the suspect allegedly fatally shot a guard and wounded several others as he made a failed attempt to escape custody.  What makes this incident particularly troubling is that the suspect had previously worked at the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear reactors in New Jersey along with other reactors in the area from 2002-2008 and had been cleared by several federal background checks, most recently in 2008.

At this point, without further information about the case, it would be irresponsible to assume at what point the man in question began to engage in terrorist activity or if the federal background screening system missed any red flags. However, the window of time between his last background check and this incident in Yemen is relatively short, which raises concerns.

Thus, I would like a full briefing that covers the following questions:

   * Is there any intelligence that suggests when this man became involved in terrorist activity?
   * Is there any reason to believe that the federal background check system missed warning signs about this man's affiliations?
   * Does there need to be a review or a revamping of the background check system?
   * At any time in his employment at New Jersey nuclear reactors, could this man have handled or gained access to sensitive areas or material that would be valuable to a terrorist organization?

There's no reason to panic over this guy, make too many assumptions, or to launch furious partisan attacks. But we do need to review the security system.