Your question answers itself.
IAEA was monitoring North Korea’s weapons program in one location while weapons were being developed at another location right down the road. In other words, IAEA monitoring doesn’t mean much. As a side note, despite Wilson’s comments to the contrary, IAEA monitors were not active in Niger (another of Wilson’s misrepresentations of the truth).
Saddam’s nuclear research continued apace. The yellowcake was tagged and documented outside, but so what? It was not removed, it was there ready for use if and when he should decide to abrogate his agreements with IAEA. And, as we have noted, he was looking for other supplies that IAEA wouldn’t know about. Not hard to do, IAEA is rather like Clouseau when it comes to investigating anything. They’ve never found anything yet that someone else didn’t find for them.
So, as you note, he has 500 tons of the stuff, his research continues, and he’s looking for more of the stuff.
Some have suspected Libya’s program was also Saddam’s program. When we went after Saddam it wasn’t long before Khadaffi squealed. And I have seen press reports that Iraqi engineers were working in Libya on their program. And, as I’ve mentioned, Libya’s public and their secret uranium caches both came from Niger.
Thanks Marron. You obviously understand this stuff better than I do. Not wanting to be accused of either drinking the koolaid or eating the yellow cake - I choose to strain for understanding.
QUESTION: Where else in the world can one find unmined enriched uranium in vast quantities other than Nigeria, Canada and Australia?