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| Iraq |
| IAEA Confirms Yellowcake Found in Rotterdam Likely From Iraq |
| 2004-01-16 |
| The U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed Friday that Iraq 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. "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 pounds of uranium oxide. |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #6 Jon, the IAEA is largely staffed and run by third-world nationals from nations with extensive nuclear programs. Which do you think is their primary goal: putting an end to proliferation, or covering up their homelands' misdeeds? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-16 4:58:35 PM |
| #5 of course it was found "by Rotterdam-based scrap metal company Jewometaal" It's the Mossad/Joooooos! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-16 3:51:14 PM |
| #4 That last paragraph is yet another bald-faced lie from the press. Bush's claim was based on British intelligence, that the Brits (last I heard) still stood behind. There were forged documents, but they weren't the only evidence. Shhhhhhh........the AP would rather that the average Schmoe not be aware of those things.... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-1-16 1:50:35 PM |
| #3 Wow this IAEA spokeswomen must be really out of touch to say "I wouldn't hype it up to much",who's she think she's fooling.More to the point what is the IAEA's crap adgenda all about when it keeps constantly trying to play down nuclear threats from countries and groups all around the world,are they just stupid or they some sort of loony left 'peace group'? |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-1-16 1:48:21 PM |
| #2 So, how many tons have been smuggled out in "scrap metal" containers? It's not like someone put the stuff in there to use as a doorstop. Nice how the iaea poo-poos the whole thing - "i wouldn't hype it too much". Oh yeah? Time to take a good hard look at the jordanian 'scrap metal' industry. |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2004-1-16 12:57:35 PM |
| #1 That last paragraph is yet another bald-faced lie from the press. Bush's claim was based on British intelligence, that the Brits (last I heard) still stood behind. There were forged documents, but they weren't the only evidence. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-16 12:55:45 PM |