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Africa North
Radioactive material said stolen from Egypt plant
2012-01-19
Radioactive material has been stolen from a nuclear power station on EgyptÂ’s Mediterranean coast that was the site of violent protests last week, state-run Al Ahram newspaper reported on Thursday.
Oh goody...
A safe containing radioactive material at the Dabaa nuclear power plant was seized while another safe containing radioactive material was broken open and part of its contents taken, the newspaper said.
"Abdul, look, we can use this glass rod as a night light!"
"Shaddup and let's get out of here, Mahmoud. This place gives me the willies!"
The government has alerted security authorities and asked that specialised teams help in the search for the stolen material, Al Ahram reported.

More than a dozen people were wounded last week when military police tried to disperse hundreds of Egyptian protesters demanding the relocation of the Dabaa plant, which is still under construction.
Misguided Egyptian Greenpeace volunteers or Muslim Brotherhood cats-paws?
Plant staff have refused to go to the site because of the deterioration in the security situation there, al-Ahram said.

About 500 Egyptians rallied in front of the plant last week to demand that the project be terminated, with some saying they had lost their land on the plantÂ’s site. Soldiers and the protesters hurled stones at each other and exchanged gunfire after the protesters demolished a wall surrounding the site, a security source and witnesses said.
Posted by:Steve White

#14  Apparently this happened *during* the extended protests.

This is the el-Dabaa plant that was attacked.

Posted by: Anonymoose   2012-01-19 17:37  

#13  What a lovely session of Rantburg University! Thank you all. :-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-01-19 17:03  

#12  My bet is Iridium 192 with a short 73 day half life. Still not something you want to carrying around in your pocket unless you are already one of the Pharoah's eunnuch.
Posted by: Jack is Back!   2012-01-19 15:30  

#11  They didn't say how much and of what kind.

A dirty bomb is hard to do right. Too much explosive and the radiation is diluted. Too little explosive and nobody notices. You also need enough quantity of radioactive material. A few grams isn't enough.

Redneck Jim probably has it about right.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey   2012-01-19 14:30  

#10  I'm no expert on things like this but I have to wonder if the IAEA or some other body has some kind of a standard requirement for the posting of guards at nuke sites. Did the thieves walk right past the guards, did the guards help the thieves or were there no guards at all? Not even a single, solitary, lonely rent-a-cop?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-01-19 12:16  

#9  I were them I would pass on the Cobalt 60 rockete idea just in case Israel retaliated with Ursnium 235 or Plutonium 239 rockets.
Posted by: JFM   2012-01-19 11:22  

#8  They might want to pass on the idea of launching Cobalt 60 tipped rockets, since much of the time they can't even hit Israel with rockets launched from Gaza.
Posted by: Glenmore   2012-01-19 09:51  

#7  Is it still considered stealing when the authorities give you directions and the keys?

Frank G has the right response although I would include any other means of delivery too.
Posted by: AlanC   2012-01-19 09:28  

#6  Probably Cobalt 60 sources

That hasn't changed much, fyi.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2012-01-19 09:21  

#5  X-ray all welds too. Probably Cobalt 60 sources unless things changed over the decades.
Posted by: Penguin   2012-01-19 08:57  

#4  Often it's used to 'X-ray' foundation, cement pours and plumbing while under construction TW. A older method for examining cast structures.

Less than medical grade in potency, I think.
Posted by: Skidmark   2012-01-19 08:45  

#3  Why is there radioactive material on-site for a power plant still under construction?
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-01-19 08:12  

#2  perhaps the Jooooos should make a promise:
if any radioactive shit comes over in a mortar/rocket? More will come back. Seriously
Posted by: Frank G   2012-01-19 00:35  

#1  Won't be hard to find, look for fresh graves, With a Geiger counter.

Or Glow in the dark Baddies.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2012-01-19 00:35  

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