Nuclear security


No Mercy: Singapore Law Makes Nuclear Terrorism Punishable by Death

Under a new law passed Monday in Singapore, assailants found to have used a nuclear or radioactive material in a future terror attack on Singapore will face summary execution.

While it may not be a high probability scenario, the rise of Daesh and recent discoveries of biohazardous material in the South Pacific compelled the Singapore government to address the contingency.

Just three months ago, Malaysia cuffed eight people allegedly involved in a scheme to steal Iridium-92, “a radioactive material which can be used to make dirty bombs,” a senior Singapore defense official said.

One contentious point in the legislation is that people outside of Singapore are subject to the punishment we well. This could spark conflict, for instance, if a nation harboring an individual alleged to be a terrorist by Singapore says the accused belongs to their jurisdiction and thus is not prosecutable under Singaporean law.