Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) on Wednesday called on the Obama administration to do everything in its power to help the Iraqi government locate a cache of radioactive material that is believed to have been stolen by elements loyal to ISIS.
Iraqi officials disclosed early Wednesday that they have been struggling to locate "highly dangerous" radioactive materials that went missing last year.
Officials fear that the material could fall into the hands of ISIS affiliates, who would use the material to fuel a dirty bomb or other type of radiological attack.
The Obama administration must provide the Iraqi government with the resources needed to locate and recover these materials, Kirk told the Washington Free Beacon.
"Given the administration’s failure to deter the Assad regime [in Syria] from repeatedly using chemical weapons, it’s critical the United States do everything it can now to assist the Iraqi government in finding the stolen radioactive materials and to prevent ISIS terrorists from ever getting the capability to attack with dirty bombs or other catastrophic radiological weapons," Kirk said.
Security officials have expressed concern that terrorist forces could use the materials to launch a massive attack in Iraq or elsewhere in the region.
"We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh [ISIS]," a security official based in Baghdad was quoted as telling Reuters. "They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb."