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Posted on 05/30/2004 8:35:41 AM PDT by sarcasm
A few days after Libya's historic pledge on December 19 to abandon the quest for nuclear weapons, Libyan intelligence officials met visiting US diplomats to deliver some unsettling news: a sizeable quantity of nuclear equipment bought by Libya appeared to be missing.
The equipment had been ordered from black-market suppliers months earlier and was now long overdue, the Libyans disclosed. US officials say the Libyans wanted to prepare the Americans for the possibility that more illicit nuclear shipments could suddenly appear on Tripoli's docks.
"They clearly expected more things to turn up," one of the US participants said.
Four months later, the wait continues. Despite a search that has spanned the globe, US and international investigators are still struggling to account for a number of sensitive parts Libya ordered for its uranium enrichment plant - parts that could potentially be used by other countries or groups seeking nuclear weapons.
The whereabouts of the parts is one of several mysteries that has preoccupied officials involved in the biggest investigation of nuclear smuggling in history - the inquiry into the black-market network led by the former Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Libyan officials have acknowledged buying parts for at least 4000 advanced centrifuges known as P2s - machines that, when assembled, would have given Libya the capability to produce enough enriched uranium for several nuclear bombs a year.
An atomic expert said on Saturday that as US, British and United Nations experts were busy disarming Libya, a shipment of nuclear bomb-related machinery from Turkey slipped past Western intelligence into Libya in March.
This stuff will literally blow up in our faces. Shameful that we let it come to this.
Kaddafi is a consumate survivor, and could well have been supporting Al Qaeda, perhaps in assembling a nuke or other WMD, but always careful to erase the leads back to him.
By such a public "divorce" with the Islamofascists, he is trying to protect himself from the swift and certain retaliation that would follow a WMD strike against the US.
Heads up, folks!
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"This stuff will literally blow up in our faces."
IMO, it's only a matter of time. The genie is out of the bottle.
After it happens in a major US city, then let's discuss the REALLY important things like global warming, arsenic levels in our drinking water, and the snail darter.
Let's talk about job losses and a lousy economy and diversity, etc., etc.....................
I'm shocked! We should tell Khaddaffy duck he has 48 hours to locate them.
We're going to find out, sooner or later, if Abdul will pray, to a glowing crater.
Gee, I wonder where it will show up. Syria? Iran?...
Actually this stuff has shown up just in the last few days and they TURNED IT IN IMMEDIATELY.
I'll try to find the link.
Libyian officials turned this stuff in as soon as it arrived in Libya.
There may be more floating around, but it looks like Libya is really trying to come completely clean. Hopefully they will help us track whatever is still out there.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1144466/posts
I'd look for it in Iran or worse yet in the hands of some terrorist group.
You are exactly correct. I appreciate Lybia's new openness, but I do believe they did so to avoid being the answer to: "Who's got next?"
If they are aware of something, hopefully in addition to opening up their WMD research-- they are sharing names, locations and account numbers.
Kadaffi turned pro USA last March. After George Bush promised he would get his wish to be on "Queer Eye for the Arab Guy". And get a fashion makeover and his tent redecorated.
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