Nuclear Lost and Found

[Carolab]

In its recent twice-annual report to the Security Council, the IAEA warned that satellite imagery and open surveillance information shows "widespread and apparently systematic dismantlement that has taken place at sites previously relevant to Iraq's nuclear program...in many instances the dismantlement of entire buildings that housed high precision equipment...formerly monitored and tagged with IAEA seals, as well as the removal of equipment and materials." IAEA inspectors were kicked out of Iraq in March 2003 at US behest and have not been welcome since. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said the missing dual-use machinery could be used in manufacturing bombs. As Charles Duelfer confirmed, Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons sites had been closed down and monitored by the IAEA since 1991. Under antiproliferation agreements the US and Iraq's interim government are obligated to inform the agency about missing equipment and material from former sites but haven't done so. It appears the US occupation allowed bomb-making equipment to be stolen and possibly fall into terrorists' hands.

From The Nation 11/8/04

[bigbrewha]

1. Wow again

unbeleivable, i hate this country, so full of ignorance, so many leaders who can't lead. Kerry has to win, this planet can't take another 4 years of this.

[punpirate]

2. The only good possibility in this is...

... that most of the manufacturing equipment can be used for other purposes--casting equipment, CNC milling machines, lathes and turning centers are useful for other than making nuclear weapons, and it's possible that much of it was sold on the black market and is now making widgets in Romania.

Still, all that equipment could have been on some group's shopping list.

*sigh*

[Moderator]

3. locking

LBN articles need a link.