Posted on 09/28/2002 12:15:23 PM PDT by SunStar
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish paramilitary police have seized more than 33 pounds of weapons-grade uranium and detained two men accused of smuggling the material, the state-run Anatolian news agency said on Saturday.
Officers in the southern province of Sanliurfa, which borders Syria and is about 155 miles from the Iraqi border, were acting on a tip-off when they stopped a taxi cab and discovered the uranium in a lead container hidden beneath the vehicle's seat, the agency said.
The incident happens at a time of mounting speculation the United States could launch a military attack on neighboring Iraq for its alleged program of weapons of mass destruction.
U.S. President George Bush has accused Baghdad of clandestine efforts to develop a nuclear bomb as his administration works to build international support for an operation to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Officials at Ankara's Atomic Energy Institute would not confirm they had been notified about the material, which Anatolia had reported.
"Our investigation on whether the uranium was destined for a neighboring country is continuing," a Sanliurfa police official was quoted as saying by Anatolian.
Police officials in Sanliurfa and Ankara declined to comment on the case.
Authorities believe the uranium came from an east European country and has a value of about $5 million, Anatolian said.
It was not immediately clear when the operation was carried out. Anatolian only gave the first names of the suspects, which appeared to be Turkish.
Smugglers use Turkey's porous eastern border to import drugs, and hundreds of thousands of migrants each year illegally cross the rugged frontier on their way to more affluent European Union nations.
Police in Istanbul seized more than 2.2 pounds of weapons-grade uranium last November that had been smuggled into Turkey from an east European nation. The smugglers were detained after attempting to sell the material to undercover police officers.
Captured weapons-grade uranium weighing more than 33 pounds is on display at the paramilitary police headquarters of southeast province of Sanliurfa, Turkey, September 28, 2002. Turkish gendarmes seized the uranium and detained two men accused of smuggling the material, Anatolian Agency said. Authorities believe the uranium came from an eastern European country and has a value about $5 million. (Photo by Anatolian/Reuters)
The Euro trash has been compromising the U.S. efforts to prevent the spead of WMD.
Their business dealings with the countries on the list of terrorist states is legendary and continuing.
Hey, I'm all for laying 33 pounds of uranium on Tiny Tom's lap. Heck, I may even chip in for a lead apron for the little guy. Or perhaps we can borrow one from a pediatrician...
In English, too! Can we say "Baby Milk Factory?"
I would expect the weapons-grade uranium would be just about sending the radiation detectors right off the top end of the scale.
Insert in Tiny Toms Clymer and if he glows it is weapons grade.
Let 'em if they want to- they can see it much better if they remove the shielding. And they might just be stupid enough to do it.
Too bad they weren't just as eager to see the roomful of evidence on Clinton some years back.
Not so sure...there's printing on the other side, too, that looks like it might be in another language. I can't quite make it out. Can anyone?
Each day that Tom Daschle delays the President will cost additonal American Blood. Tom Daschle is blinded by his quest for personal power. Tom Dashcle's actions will cost our country lives and treasure.
This is my question to Tom Dashcle:
Are you willing to lose New York
Los Angeles
New Orleans
Washington DC
London
Tel Aviv
Were you planning on killing Americans with your 33 lbs of weapon-grade uranium??
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