Washington: The odds that terrorists will soon strike a major city with nuclear or biological weapons are now higher than ever, a top US panel has said, identifying Pakistan as an area of "grave concern" due to terror networks, history of instability and its atomic arsenal.

A draft study by a bipartisan task force created by the US Congress urged the incoming Obama administration to take "decisive action" to reduce likelihood of a devastating attack, which, it said, can come by the end of 2013.

The possibilty of a terror attack with weapons of mass destruction was increasing due to growing threats from rogue states and atomic smuggling networks, it said.

The assessment of threats singled out Pakistan as a "grave concern" because of terrorist networks, history of instability and arsenal of several dozen nuclear warheads, the Washington Post reported ahead of the release of the study.

"In our judgment, America's margin of safety is shrinking, not growing," said the draft report.

"Pakistan is our ally, but there is a grave danger it could also be an unwitting source of a terrorist attack on the US - possibly with weapons of mass destruction," it said.

Pakistan's buildup of nuclear arms also threatens to exacerbate a regional arms race, while presenting opportunities for terrorists to acquire weapons parts and critical technology, it concluded.

The report, ordered by Congress last year, feels that terrorists are more likely to obtain materials for a biological attack than to buy or steal nuclear weapons. But it said the nuclear threat is growing rapidly, in part because of the increasing global supply of nuclear material and technology.

"Without greater urgency and decisive action by the world community, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013," said the report.
Source : PTI