IAEA Says Iraq Likely Source of Material!!!

Yahooooooooo via AP ^ | 1/16/04

[areafiftyone]

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The U.S. nuclear watchdog confirmed Friday that Iraq (news - web sites) was the likely source of radioactive material known as yellowcake that was found in a shipment of scrap metal at Rotterdam harbor.

Yellowcake, or uranium oxide, could be used to build a nuclear weapon, although it would take tons of the substance refined with sophisticated technology to harvest enough uranium for a single bomb.

A spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency said the Rotterdam specimen was scarcely refined at all from natural uranium ore and may have come from a known mine in Iraq that was active before the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites).

"I wouldn't hype it too much," said spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. "It was a small amount and it wasn't being peddled as a sample."

The yellowcake was uncovered Dec. 16 by Rotterdam-based scrap metal company Jewometaal, which had received it in a shipment of scrap metal from a dealer in Jordan.

Company spokesman Paul de Bruin said the Jordanian dealer didn't know that the scrap metal contained any radioactive material. He said the dealer was confident the yellowcake, which was contained in a small steel industrial container, came from Iraq.

Jewometaal detected the radioactive material during a routine scan and called in the Dutch government, which in turn asked the IAEA to examine it.

Fleming said the agency will compare the chemical composition of the sample to other samples of ore taken from Iraq's al-Qaim mine, which was bombed in 1991 and dismantled in 1996-97.

She estimated that the Rotterdam sample contained around 5 1/2 pounds of uranium oxide.

President Bush (news - web sites) came under heavy criticism last year when he asserted in his State of the Union address that Iraq was shopping in Africa for uranium yellowcake intelligence that turned out to be based on forged documents.

[So Cal Rocket]

Paging Mr. Wilson, Mr. Wilson, please pick up the white courtesy telephone.

[republicanwizard]

Oh, let's be honest here. When's the last time President Bush came into the harbor? Probably dropped it there?

That's the most interesting theory I've heard...:)

[Sir Gawain]

"I wouldn't hype it too much," said spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. "It was a small amount and it wasn't being peddled as a sample."

Your title: IAEA Says Iraq Likely Source of Material!!!

[Eva]

That was my thought, too. It looks like Iraq may not have been trying to obtain the yellow cake, it looks like they succeeded.

[Paradox]

Rotterdam-based scrap metal company Jewometaal

Oh, sure, whose gonna believe THESE guys, they are part of the conspiracy!

[Constitution Day]

The use of only three exclamation points shows an admirable restraint. ;)

[Republican Wildcat]

That's the original title (minus the !!!)

[Southack]

"was scarcely refined at all from natural uranium ore and may have come from a known mine in Iraq..."

Isn't it funny that we don't hear the "no war" crowd talk about Iraq's known uranium mine very much...

[COEXERJ145]

Within a few hours, it will all be denounced by someone in the administration. Happens every time something interesting is found.

[John H K]

Iraq has 500 tons of Yellowcake sitting at Tuwaitha under IAEA seal that it's had for 2 decades.

[areafiftyone]

I was sitting on my hands when I typed - it wasn't easty ya know!! ;-)

[areafiftyone]

easty=easy

[John H K]

It's not particularly interesting.

I wonder if anyone actually bothered to read the article.

[XHogPilot]

"I wouldn't hype it too much," said spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. "It was a small amount...

What makes these bureaucrats so sure there isn't more? This is the second simple minded dismissal I've read on this discovery. There is only one purpose for uranium yellowcake - production of nuclear grade uranium.

[oceanview]

exactly right. and I cannot figure out what the strategy is. The Niger story is true, the Wilson thing aside which just related to one piece of phony evidence, but no case is made.

[oceanview]

this is how iraq disposed of the yellowcake they had, they had it mixed in with Jordanian scrap metal which was then sold around the world.

[mewzilla]

But the IAEA never looked under al Tuwaitha, did they?

[Dog]

Ummmmmm Iraq did have a uranium mine....

Iraq Al Qaim

According to intelligence information, Iraq is performing repair work at the Al Qaim uranium concentration plant, where it used to extract uranium before the 1991 Gulf War. (dpa Feb 23, 2002 / Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung Feb 24, 2002) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Dog]

Ummmmmm Iraq did have a uranium mine....

Iraq Al Qaim

According to intelligence information, Iraq is performing repair work at the Al Qaim uranium concentration plant, where it used to extract uranium before the 1991 Gulf War. (dpa Feb 23, 2002 / Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung Feb 24, 2002) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------