Posted on 07/07/2004 2:39:03 AM PDT by bone52
US reveals Iraq nuclear operation The US has revealed that it removed more than 1.7 metric tons of radioactive material from Iraq in a secret operation last month. "This operation was a major achievement," said US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham in a statement.
He said it would keep "potentially dangerous nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists".
Along with 1.77 tons of enriched uranium, about 1,000 "highly radioactive sources" were also removed.
The material was taken from a former nuclear research facility on 23 June, after being packaged by 20 experts from the US Energy Department's secret laboratories.
It was flown out of the country aboard a military plane in a joint operation with the Department of Defense, and is being stored temporarily at a Department of Energy facility.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog - the International Atomic Energy Agency - and Iraqi officials were informed ahead of the operation, which happened ahead of the 28 June handover of sovereignty.
'Dirty bomb'?
The explosion of a so-called "dirty bomb" in a city by a terrorist group is a major concern of Western intelligence agencies.
Rather than causing a nuclear explosion, a "dirty bomb" would see radioactive material combined with a conventional explosive - probably causing widespread panic and requiring a large clean-up operation.
Uranium would not be suitable for fashioning such a device, though appropriate material may have been among the other unidentified "sources".
Mr Abraham added that the operation had also prevented the material falling into the hands "of countries that may seek to develop their own nuclear weapons".
The 1,000 "sources" evacuated in the Iraqi operation included a "huge range" of radioactive items used for medical purposes and industrial purposes, a spokesman for the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration told AP news agency.
Bryan Wilkes said much of the material was "in powdered form, which is easily dispersed".
The IAEA has been among organisations which have warned that many countries have lost track of radioactive material.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/3872201.stm
Published: 2004/07/07 04:39:32 GMT
Get with the program man.
I bet the government didn't want anybody to know until this stuff was safely under wraps.
Come on, Saddam only wanted that uranium to bake cookies and Kurds, and Israelis, and Kuwaitis, and Saudi's. And the US and anyone else he didn't like the look of when the shredders didn't work.
Kinda sad this had to come out before the DNC convention.
1.7 Metric TONS is a sizable quantity. AND it was taken from a NUCLEAR reseach facility.
Kinda deflates the whole missing WMD mantra. I guess Bush DID NOT lie, after all.
If we take away their WMD line...with what will the Rats campaign on?
BTTT
It's a lie to say Iraq didn't have WMD. The media and the Rats are lying about Iraq, in spite of claiming Saddam has them during the Clinton presidency and the months before OP Iraqi Freedom.
I dont think the terrorists will have trouble finding materials for a dirty bomb as long as Iran is in the Nuclear business.
Welcome to FReerepublic.
I think the UN should pay for Blix to get an eye test.
The enriched Uranium, as the article points out, is not dirty bomb material. Depending on how highly enriched it was, it may very well be nuclear bomb material. But it also may not be.
Uranium's half life is much too long to be effective in the dirty bomb role....it isn't nearly radioactive enough to be useful for a dirty bomb. Uranium, despite widespread fear-mongering by the peaceniks about 'depleted uranium rounds' is very stable. However, the article points out that there were lots of 'other' radioactive sources. It is those 'others', like cesium, which are dangerous in a dirty bomb.
More evidence that the Bush Administration is working around the clock for our protection and without fanfare.
bump
Oh, the Democrats just want to eat their yellowcake and have it too.
Possible October surprise ping!
True, but raw uranium is almost worthless. It is the enriching that is really hard. And it is highly enriched that is really really hard to do. Weapons grade enriching is much harder even that enriching for the nuke power industry.
By the logic of having the Uranium, Niger is one of the biggest nuclear powers in the world. They just can't make any of it go boom.
The real story in all this is how much of it was enriched, and how highly enriched was that stuff. If 'they' get their hands on relatively highly enriched Uranium, making a nuclear device out of it is easy.
Kaddaffi just handed over the research materials, equipment, and IIRC, about 1.5 metric tons of enriched uranium...about, what? 4 months ago?
120 days, and the entire world seems to forget, that Iraq Libya & Egypt collaberated on a secret atomic weapons project.
You never hear a word about it..
DAMMIT PEOPLE !! HOW MUCH WMD DO YOU NEED TO SEE A THREAT??
"The real story in all this is how much of it was enriched, and how highly enriched was that stuff."
Don't try informing us with fact...;-)
The other article(s) state the uranium was "low-enriched", which, instead of being "yellow cake", wouldn't you say it was more like ground wheat.
Oh, I think the other article(s) also state the removed material had been under UN supervision since GW1.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1166775/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1166563/posts
Does anyone here have a compiled list of WMD already confirmed found in Iraq since our freeing the Iraqi slaves from that sadistic bastard? I've read many different sources recently (re: Poland finding sarin..etc) but was wondering if one list already compiled by someone here or a reputable news source. I'm currently at work and need some info for co-workers who unfortunately are libs. :-) Thanks!
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