Bush, Putin to announce global nuclear terror plan

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, July 15 (Reuters) US President George W Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin will today announce the launch of a global plan to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The plan aims to keep track of potential terrorists, secure nuclear materials and permit a joint response if terrorists obtain a nuclear weapon, a senior Bush administration official said.

The two nations will call for a meeting with a number of like-minded countries in the autumn to elaborate on the plan and endorse a statement of principles about the initiative.

One key goal is to ensure states take all possible means to deny safe haven to terrorists seeking to acquire or use nuclear materials, the official said.

The two governments consider the possibility of a secret and sudden attack with chemical, biological or radiological weapons one of the greatest threats facing the world today, the official said.

REUTERS SB PM1404