IAEA Detects Plutonium Traces Near Egyptian Site

The International Atomic Energy Agency is investigating the origin of plutonium traces discovered near an Egyptian nuclear facility, diplomats said Friday (see GSN, Nov. 5).

The U.N. agency is now looking at whether the traces could have resulted from Egypt’s peaceful nuclear activities or if they are a sign of possible nuclear weapons activity, according to the Associated Press. The agency has received information suggesting that the plutonium may have been released into the environment no later than the 1980s, a diplomat said.

“From time to time these things pop up in places they should not be at,” the diplomat said. “Most of the time, there is a reasonable answer.”

Egypt unsuccessfully sought nuclear weapons in the 1960s and 1970s from the Soviet Union and China, AP reported. It now has a limited nuclear program for medical and research needs. Egyptian leaders have discussed building a nuclear power reactor (George Jahn, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Nov. 5).

Egyptian officials said the U.N. nuclear watchdog inspected nuclear sites in the country last month, according to the Associated Press.

Cairo yesterday denied that it was conducting a secret nuclear weapons program.

“Following newspaper and news agency reports about alleged Egyptian nuclear activity, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Electricity and Energy announce that these reports have no basis of truth,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Egypt is the country which has called to keep the Middle East region free from all weapons of mass destruction,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said, according to AP.

Egyptian presidential spokesman Maged Abdel Fattah suggested that the speculation surrounding Egypt’s nuclear program may be an attempt to discredit IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, who is Egyptian and is seeking a third term in office.

“What has been reported by some foreign media was merely an attempt to pressure some international employees with the aim not to renew their assignment,” Fattah said (Maamoun Youssef, Associated Press/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov. 7).

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