A retired four star general and a reporter from Washington, D.C. came together at Iowa State Tuesday to increase awareness of the worldwide problem of weak security for weapons of mass destruction.

Gen. Eugene E. Habiger told a group of more than 50 people in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union that America faces a “dire threat” due to the accessibility of weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups.

“We need to make the world a safer place,” Habiger said.

He said his involvement in the fight to better secure nuclear materials began during his time as commander in chief of the U.S. Strategic Command. He said during that time, he was prohibited from limiting U.S. nuclear armament as much as he desired.

“I was appalled to discover that the U.S. Congress prohibited me from going below 6,000 nuclear weapons,” Habiger said.

After this discovery, Habiger began an unprecedented dialogue with his Russian counterpart about the security of nuclear weapons. Habiger found Russian government had similar attitudes to the American government. Habiger said these dialogues caused him to become involved in the worldwide security of weapons of mass destruction.

Martin Schram, a journalist and author of “Avoiding Armageddon,” said Habiger is a “courageous man” for opening dialogue with the Russians about the security of weapons of mass destruction material. Schram agreed weapon material must become more secure.

Schram said “dangerously insecure” materials that could be used to construct weapons of mass destruction present an especially urgent problem in the light of terrorism. Schram said Osama bin Laden has even stated it is his “religious duty” to obtain weapons.

Schram said nuclear materials are often protected only by chain link fences or bicycle padlocks on sheds, making them easily accessible to nuclear thieves. Schram said a Russian prosecutor once told him, “The truth is that in Russia today, potatoes are controlled more than nuclear fuel.”

Schram said two cases highlight the access thieves have to nuclear materials. He called the first thief “our worst nightmare,” although he didn’t look the part — in fact he was “a little fellow, an ordinary man, the accountant type.”

The thief had a job weighing uranium. The scales weren’t accurate, and he was able to take mass quantities of uranium without officials noticing. He stored the uranium on the fourth story of an apartment building overlooking a playground.

Officials discovered the man had uranium only when he was taken into police custody for being in the company of petty criminals. In fact, when the police discovered the man possessed uranium, they ran out of the station.

Schram said, in addition, a Soviet navy captain managed to crawl through a hole in a chain link fence and steal 4.5 kilograms of uranium, enough “to really do some damage.”

Schram said the public needs to urge political officials to increase security of weapons of mass destruction materials. He suggested signing petitions and contacting politicians.

“I just feel it’s urgent that we must do something,” Schram said.

Schram recalled a conversation with Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union. When Gorbachev said leaders must inform the public about the insecurity of weapons of mass destruction materials, Schram interrupted him and said he believes that citizens must inform public officials of the need for security. After initial indignation, Schram said Gorbachev agreed with his statement.

Schram said the securing of weapon material is crucial.

“We’re in a race against the terrorists, if we don’t speak with urgency, the results could be disastrous.”