The FBI has reportedly foiled four attempts to sell nuclear material to the Islamic State, and there will no doubt be more. Certainly the Islamic State is a willing buyer. Last May, its magazine Dabiq (which is itself named after the northern Syrian town where Islamic prophecy holds that the final military showdown between the Muslims and the non-Muslims will take place) included an article entitled “The Perfect Storm,” purportedly written by the Islamic State’s hostage-cum-propagandist John Cantlie, and predicting that the self-styled caliphate would be a nuclear power within a year.

But not to worry: Barack Obama is on the case! White House spokesman Josh Earnest declared: “The United States government is committed to counter the threat of nuclear smuggling, and ensuring that terrorist groups who may seek to acquire these materials are never able to do so. Seizures of nuclear and radioactive materials in Moldova demonstrate the Moldovan government’s commitment to countering these tactics.”

“AP INVESTIGATION: Nuclear black market seeks IS extremists,” by Desmond Butler and Vadim Ghirda, Associated Press, October 7, 2015 (thanks to Nichole):

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Over the pulsating beat at an exclusive nightclub, the arms smuggler made his pitch to a client: 2.5 million euros for enough radioactive cesium to contaminate several city blocks.

It was earlier this year, and the two men were plotting their deal at an unlikely spot: the terrace of Cocos Prive, a dance club and sushi bar in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.

“You can make a dirty bomb, which would be perfect for the Islamic State,” the smuggler said. “If you have a connection with them, the business will go smoothly.”

But the smuggler, Valentin Grossu, wasn’t sure the client was for real – and he was right to worry. The client was an informant, and it took some 20 meetings to persuade Grossu that he was an authentic Islamic State representative. Eventually, the two men exchanged cash for a sample in a sting operation that landed Grossu in jail.

The previously unpublicized case is one of at least four attempts in five years in which criminal networks with suspected Russian ties sought to sell radioactive material to extremists through Moldova, an investigation by The Associated Press has found. One investigation uncovered an attempt to sell bomb-grade uranium to a real buyer from the Middle East, the first known case of its kind.  SOURCE