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| Africa: North |
| Libya’s black market deals shock nuclear inspectors |
| 2004-01-17 |
| Colonel Muammar Gadafy of Libya has been buying complete sets of uranium enrichment centrifuges on the international black market as the central element in his secret nuclear bomb programme, according to United Nations nuclear inspectors. The ease with which the complex bomb-making equipment was acquired has stunned experienced international inspectors. The scale and the sophistication of the networks supplying so-called rogue states seeking nuclear weapons are considerably more extensive than previously believed. The purchase of full centrifuges, either assembled or in parts, marks a radical departure in what is on offer on the black market. While it is not yet clear where Col Gadafy obtained the centrifuge systems, at least 1,000 machines, believed to have been made in Malaysia, were seized last October by the Italian authorities on a German ship bound for Libya. Diplomatic sources familiar with the results of a recent visit to Libya by nuclear experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the Gadafy bomb programme differed in crucial respects from nuclear projects in Iran, Iraq or North Korea. "What was found in Libya marks a new stage in proliferation," said one knowledgeable source. "Libya was buying what was available. And what is available, the centrifuges, are close to turnkey facilities. That’s a new challenge. Libya was buying something that’s ready to wear." |
| Posted by:TS |
#10 Libya’s black market deals shock nuclear inspectorsThe IAEA is easily shocked. I'm not. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-1-17 9:30:43 PM |
| #9 With respect to the Malasian centrifuges, I would expect to see some in Syria. Does anyone think tha Indoneasia would be buying as well? If I were a world class asswipe, instead of a smalltime ignoramus, I would buy several shipments of centrifuges and sneak them into Niger to use a turnkey centrifuge to make tunrkey enriched uranium delivered in JIT fashion. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-1-17 5:38:13 PM |
| #8 The real mystery to me is why we have not yet had to deal with dozens of bootleg nukes. The answer is that the seller's have common sense. Selling the equitment to make a nuke is one thing, but if they sold the entire nuke and it went off in, say, New York city. Then the sellers would be screwed along with the buyers. Self-preservation motivates even men of greed to have a limit. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-1-17 4:38:30 PM |
| #7 It seems to me the function of the IAEA is to conceal, not to reveal, nuclear proliferation, so us Murcans don't get all upset and bomb somebody again. If that's right, then you could make the agrument that the IAEA is the most dangerous organization in the world. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-1-17 2:41:23 PM |
| #6 I think it's getting pretty clear that Col. Q. was deep, deep, deep cover CIA. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-17 2:16:21 PM |
| #5 Another USELESS un function. They also claim that Iraq isn't developing Nukes. Do you believe? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2004-1-17 1:12:05 PM |
| #4 U enrichment centrifuges? Why no, officer, these are just large ice-cream spinning tubs. Didn't you ever make your own ice-cream by turning that crank in the bucket until your arm fell off? The Colonel just loves ice-cream. The real mystery to me is why we have not yet had to deal with dozens of bootleg nukes. I can only guess that the cook up your own nuke schemes have all been just fund raisers in disguse. |
| Posted by: Craig 2004-1-17 1:05:07 PM |
| #3 Certainly other countries are buying the equipment. The big question is why the seller in Malaysia hasn't been raided and their records seized. It's almost like the IAEA doesn't want to know. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-17 12:14:53 PM |
| #2 A question. Why would we assume Libya has the market on buying "turnkey facilities"? Would we not assume other countries have these and we don't know it. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2004-1-17 11:37:02 AM |
| #1 made in malaysia from designs stolen by Paki scientists? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-17 11:28:14 AM |