Posted on 08/23/2002 9:08:37 AM PDT by Bad~Rodeo
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - Nuclear fuel and waste in Serbia still pose a hazard despite the recent shipping of a large amount to Russia, an official said Friday.
Serbian police, fearing the shipment Thursday would become the target of a possible terrorist attack, sealed off nearly half of Belgrade for six hours as the 1,797 pounds of highly enriched fuel was trucked from the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, just outside Belgrade, to the airport.
"This project is the start of an operation to clear out Vinca of used and unused nuclear fuel as well as hazardous radioactive waste," Dragan Domazet, Serbia's Minister for Technology, Science and Development, said Friday.
The fuel shipped Thursday would have been enough to develop two and a half nuclear warheads, Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry said. Although not as potent, the remaining fuel and waste could also be used to develop weapons, a Vinca scientist speaking on condition of anonymity said Friday.
The fuel rods transported to Russia on Thursday were given to the Vinca institute in 1976 for research work.
After World War II, former Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito hoped to develop nuclear weapons at Vinca. Later in the 1990s, dictator Slobodan Milosevic had the same idea, but because of sanctions against his country, he had no funds for such a project, Serbian scientists, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said.
Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry on Friday hailed the operation to extract nuclear fuel from Yugoslavia as a "splendid example" of U.S.-Russian cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
The uranium was brought to an Atomic Energy Ministry plant in Dimitrovgrad, a Volga River town about 470 miles east of Moscow.
"Thus has yet another potential threat of terrorism or nuclear theft been eliminated," the ministry said.
The U.S. State Department organized and paid $720,000 to finance the operation. The Yugoslav government cooperated, the ministry said. In Russia, the uranium would be processed into a low-enriched form.
Following the ouster of Milosevic in 2000, the new Serbian government began a program to reduce environmental hazards. Removing toxic and nuclear materials is part of the program.
Domazet said that the removal of nuclear fuel was organized with the help of international groups and the U.S. government, which donated $10 million to decommission Vinca.
Bringing the rods to the airport took about six hours, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
"We were vigilant and ready to cope with any potential assailant, including bin Laden himself," the officer said.
The cargo did not pose any environmental threat, Domazet said.
The Vinca nuclear reactor was developed in early 1950s as a part of former Yugoslavia's national nuclear program. It was closed and partly decommissioned in early 1980s.
I'm all for rounding up all the nuclear materials lying loose everywhere, but my question is why is it that WE pay for everything imaginable all over the world? The Russians are developing new weapons, working on the space station, building all kinds of ships, etc., etc., - and still we pay for something that is clearly their responsibility. If we're gonna pay for stuff like that, it should at least be brought here, and owned by us.
I guess $720,000 is infintesimal to the cost of damage if these materials were stolen by allies of bin Laden based in Kosovo.
Yugoslav nuclear program was very open and lots of data was very well known to the scientific comunity and International Atomic Agency in Wiena!Only in the beggining in the late 50`s attempt was made to produce a nuclear weapon but after the small accident with the reactor in 1959 when some of the scientists were iradiated(4 died) program was abandoned.One of the scientists (survived) was my profesor of physics in college and told me a lot about Vinca and actual desaster.
Secondly,in 1984 the main reactor was shut down for major overhaul and ,since than was not operational because there was no money,and because Yugo Goverment(before Milosevich) had decided that it`s an old technology and that it`s beter to build a cyclotron machine for research in fundamental particle physics.$18 milion was spent 70% of the machine built but than came 92 and sanctions....Contemporary Yu Government needs $3-4 milion to finish the project which includes establishment of new laboratories and institutes and five new technical faculties."Yugoslavs have knowlege in spades in Vinca,if theu decide to build an atomic bomb!" was an objective and complimentary comment by one well informed American scientists!But,nobody wants or wanted to build a nuclear weapon in Vinca!Story about Miloshevich and his plans to build a nuke,but didn`t have a money is laughable!With 45 kilos of weapons grade uranium you need a very little money to make a nuke!Ever heard of "dirty bomb"???Put 5 kilos of weapons grade uranium in a 250 kg warhead of Yugoslav "Huricane"(ORKAN) MRLS range 60+km 0r SA-7 Frog range 70+ KM ANDspread the highly radioactive uranium all over....Kosovo and Camp Bondsteal for instance and....Got a picture??
The truth is much different:uranium and couple of tons of other byproducts(highly radioactive and toxic) were stored in pools of hevy water for the last 15 years and attempts were made to get rid of the stuff.Russians refused to take it back and reprocess it in 1993,they were stuck with their own waste!International Atomic Agency couldn`t take it because of the sanctions!In the mean time,aluminum barrels with uranium were leaking and rusting and became a hazard!
There was no "RAID AND SEIZURE" of Serbian uranium as Western media had reported recently!For God`s sake,how can you "raid and sieze" something which was SOLD to you,and,additionaly,I,the seler am providing transport and security???Secondly,Yugoslavs would never,never sold that uranium to the terrorists or some other states!How could they when they know that Kiefer Sutherland and Antony Hopkins are there to stop them from destroying the world!I forgot George Cloney and Nicole Kiddman!
This article is crap ,just like the rest of them dealing with this subject!
And I say this publicly,I don`t need anonimity!
As far as invasion goes,be my guest!
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