|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
U.S. Removes Radioactive Sources From Iraq
Late last month, the United States removed about 1,000 radioactive sources and almost 2 tons of low-enriched uranium from the Tuwaitha complex in Iraq and moved the material to an undisclosed location in the United States, the U.S. Energy Department announced yesterday (see GSN, May 24). The material was moved in a joint operation by the Defense and Energy departments, according to the New York Times. While none of the materials removed from Iraq were weapon-grade, they could either have been further enriched or used to make a radiological weapon such as a “dirty bomb,” said National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Bryan Wilkes. He added that some of the removed sources were in powdered form, making them easily used for a radioactive weapon. In addition, the Energy Department “repackaged” some of the “less sensitive” remaining nuclear materials at the Tuwaitha complex and left them there, the department said. The radioactive sources that were left behind included those “that continue to serve useful medical, agricultural or industrial purposes,” the department said (Matthew Wald, New York Times, July 7). U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham called the operation “a major achievement” (BBC News, July 7).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
