Well, that's what it says here:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040522/news_1n22uranium.html
"Of the uranium, 500 tons is naturally occurring ore or yellowcake, a slightly processed concentrate that cannot be directly used in a bomb. Some 1.8 tons is classified as low-enriched uranium..."
I guess I was confusing the 1.8 tons of enrich uranium. Apologies. Pretty sure we removed about 2 tons out of Iraq in 2003.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040707-1923-iraq-dirtybomb.html
7:23 p.m. July 7, 2004
UNITED NATIONS – The United States didn't have authorization from the U.N. nuclear watchdog when it secretly shipped from Iraq uranium and highly radioactive material that could be used in so-called "dirty bombs," U.N. officials said Wednesday.
I'm not sure that article I posted is accurate. I don't believe that it's right to say "uranium ore or yellowcake" as if they are the same thing. There's a little bit of processing required to make yellowcake out of ore. Only a little, but a little nonetheless.
Perhaps the 500 tons they're referring to is ~both~ some ore and some yellowcake. Don't know.
But the 1.8 tons of lightly enriched stuff is interesting too.