Complete nuclear bomb plant earmarked for Libya found in South Africa
Authorities hunting traffickers in nuclear weapons technology recently uncovered an audacious plan to deliver a complete uranium enrichment plant to Libya.
The discovery provides fresh evidence of the reach and sophistication of the Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan's global black market in nuclear know-how and equipment. It also exposes a previously undetected South African branch of the Khan network.
Details of the plot began to emerge in September, when police found the elements of a two-storey steel processing system for the enrichment plant in a factory outside Johannesburg. They were packed in 11 freight containers for shipment to Libya.
South African officials will say only that they discovered nuclear components. It appears, however, that the massive system was designed to operate 1000 centrifuges for enriching uranium.
Once assembled in Libya, the plant could have produced enough weapons-grade uranium to manufacture several nuclear bombs a year. Delivery of the plant would have greatly accelerated Libya's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
Dr Khan already had secretly shipped to Libya a supply of processed uranium fuel for the enrichment plant, international inspectors said.
An off-the-shelf enrichment facility was built for Libya because unlike other customers of the Khan network, such as Iran and North Korea, Libya lacked the technical expertise or manufacturing base to build the complex facilities necessary.
Some of the centrifuges for the plant were shipped separately from Malaysia, because the specialised steel needed was not available in South Africa. The interception of that cargo by US and Italian authorities in October 2003 led to the Johannesburg raid and spurred Libya's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, to renounce efforts to develop banned weapons.
In the September 1 raid, police found a video that detailed the workings of Dr Khan's top-secret government enrichment laboratory in Pakistan, plus trunks filled with designs from the lab.
The discovery of a South African connection to Dr Khan's web has led to four arrests, including some people who had been involved in the country's former nuclear program.
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"Once assembled in Libya, the plant could have produced enough weapons-grade uranium to manufacture several nuclear bombs a year. Delivery of the plant would have greatly accelerated Libya's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
Dr Khan already had secretly shipped to Libya a supply of processed uranium fuel for the enrichment plant, international inspectors said. "