Two items involving advanced and nuclear scientists that deserve greater attention:

France. This week, a French scientist of Algerian descent appeared before an anti-terrorism investigative judge for "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise" after it was found that he had been in touch with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - al-Qaeda's North African arm. London's Financial Times reported the 32-year-old was arrested after "discussing potential targets with his correspondents over the internet" ("Scientist at Cern Appears before Anti-terrorism Judge").  The case has raised concerns because of his sophisticated work at the Large Hadron Collider project on the French-Swiss border.  The scientist - who also spent time at Stanford - was involved in particle physics, not fissile material.  Small comfort.   

We'll see where this case goes, but it's a useful reminder of two key points.  1) the idea that only the poor and downtrodden are drawn to Bin Laden's view of the world is a dangerous myth.  2) France has a wealth of counterterrorism knowledge, gained from years of aggressive tactics and intelligence collection.  This is especially true when it comes to groups like AQIM, born out of the Algerian terrorism that has targeted France since 1995, and is now hitting Western interests across North Africa. 

Iran. There are reports of an Iranian nuclear scientist gone missing - with fingers being pointed at the United States. Last week, it was reported that Shahram Amiri, a researcher at a university with connections to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the country's nuclear program, vanished a few months ago after traveling to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage.  The incident was made public by Iran, with its Foreign Minister leveling claims about "U.S. involvement" in his disappearance.  Adding to the intrigue, several unconfirmed reports associate the man with the recently revealed Iranian nuclear facility at Qom.  (Washington Post: "Iran Blames U.S. in Disappearance of Scientist"). 

If Amiri had eyes inside of Qom, this could be a coup. If Saudi Arabia assisted us in removing Amiri, it's evidence that Riyadh is indeed very concerned about a potential Shia bomb.  And if this individual defected, it is bound to have a nerve-racking effect on the keepers of Iran's nuclear program. Regardless, vacation time at Iran's Atomic Energy Organization just got tougher to book.     

Remember A.Q. Khan?  I've sat through hearings examining this Pakistani nuclear proliferator par excellence, who greatly damaged global security. Khan started as a young scientist and engineer working at a European nuclear facility, where security was very lax. He stole secrets, beginning his notorious career. Checking the spread of scientific and technical knowledge is difficult. Yet it's essential. In the case of Mr. Amiri, I hope he has been checked for good.