was the IAEA aware of the two tons of
partly enriched uranium?
"was the IAEA aware of the two tons of
partly enriched uranium?"
Yes, this was the stuff that was documented and sealed by the IAEA after 1991. Hence the fact that its existence wasn't being used as justification for another war. Not really sure why we have a spate of articles now bringing it up like it was some kind of startling discovery.
Yes. Hell. The book titled BULLSEYE IRAQ ISBN: 0-425-11259-4,1987/1988 by Dan McKinnon, Berkely series, gives all the details on how he obtained yellowcake from various sources such as Niger, Portugal, how/when he purchased hot labs from Italy, the reactors from France and Russia, various equipment from Germany etc., centifuge equipment the whole enchallata. And that was all written exposed in the late 80s. After the Israelis bombed the Osirik nuclear plant at the al-Tywautha facility 12 miles southeast of Baghdad, he was set back. But prior to that for a long while the while Iraq was still (on paper only) a signatory to the NPT (non-nuclear poliferation treaty), the IAEA where quite aware of his nuclear activities. They knew he was working on Uranium enrichment processes simply because he had obtained all the required equipment. And his greed was so great he made no bones about constantly pressuring the French and Russians to sell him very highly enriched fuel rods, well exceeding what was required for the reactors he purchased from them for commercial power generation. The IAEA was totally helpless, being on scribes in effect with no powers of policing, so he got away with it. Only the main Tammuz 1 reactor under the main buildings dome was destroyed. Much of the whole facility did not receive a scratch during the Israeli attack. So he had years to continue working at final refinement techniques in order to produce fissionable grade material.
If you read this book then compare the tons of stuff that has been regurgitated over and over again, it almost becomes a very sad comedy after awhile. Nothing new has come forth that has not been known for a number of years.