U.S. Firm Said Among Nuclear Black Market

[dArKeR]

By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer

VIENNA, Austria - An investigation of the black market supplying nations wanting nuclear arms has spread to more than 20 firms — some of them North American — the chief of the U.N. atomic agency told The Associated Press Friday. A senior diplomat identified one of the firms as U.S. based.

Demanding anonymity, the diplomat also said the Syria and Saudi Arabia are also being investigated as possible buyer nations, beyond Iraq (news - web sites), Iran, Libya and North Korea (news - web sites) — the countries known to have been in contact with Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan and members of his procurement network.

But the diplomat, who is familiar with the Vienna-based IAEA told The AP that beyond suspicions prompting a continuing investigation, "there has been no proof" on Syria and Saudi Arabia that would warrant them being reported to the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040710/ap_on_re_eu/nuclear_black_market&cid=518&ncid=716

Halliburton?

[teryang]

1. Its ElBaradei at Hebrew University- the irony!

Israel, possibly the most egregious example of nuclear proliferation is the unspoken focus of nuclear weapons proliferation issues in the middle east. This history of illegal armaments production is not even mentioned. It's the hypocritical standard of international nuclear enforcement.

The photo is on an updated article at www.yahoo.com

<Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei speaks during a lecture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem Thursday July 8, 2004. More than 20 firms _ including at least one American company _ have supplied rogue nations seeking nuclear arms, marking the first time a U.S. company has been linked to the black market network. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, who is heading a probe into the illicit sales, avoided specifics on the locations of the companies in an interview with The Associated Press Friday, July 9, 2004. (AP Photo/Sasson Tiram)>

[KoKo]

2. Kick...wonder if this will go anywhere. Who is the "US firm?" n/t

[lil-petunia]

3. Gimme an

H
A
double L
I

[Robb]

4. It could be just about anybody with access, I expect

The money/temptation's good. :shrug: