IAEA Reports Weapons-Grade Uranium Found in Egypt
A leaked IAEA report says the UN’s toothless nuclear watchdog found traces of weapons-grade uranium in Egypt.
UN nuclear inspectors have found traces of weapons-grade uranium in Egypt, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Dated May 5, the restricted report said IAEA inspectors detected the particles last year and in 2007. A senior diplomat accredited to the agency said that it was the first time the traces were reported by the Vienna-based nuclear monitor. He demanded anonymity for commenting on the restricted document.
It was unclear why the agency was disclosing the findings now. IAEA spokespeople did not immediately return calls asking for comment.
In its page-long section on Egypt, the 82-page document said Cairo believes the particles could have come into the country on containers with radio isotopes but said the IAEA was continuing its investigations because “it has not yet identified the source of the uranium particles.”
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