Since 1945 when the United States detonated the world's first atomic bomb, eight other nations have built nuclear weapons and nearly two dozen others are suspected of seeking nuclear technology. (Requires Flash) |
Evidence that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden may have tried to acquire nuclear weapons for use on targets in the United States has led to an increased urgency to track atomic weapons and material. |
The global watchdog against nuclear proliferation, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has used its diplomatic sway to varying success in its fight to limit the spread of atomic weapons of mass destruction. |