The discoveries coming out of Libya are truly chilling, revealing an unsuspected underground nuclear black market, possibly even with its own secret factories for machining “sensitive” parts: Libya Nuclear Components Said Headed for US. (Hat tip: Roll-aid.)

The Washington Post reported in Saturday’s editions that Libya’s quest for atomic weapons was aided by a sophisticated nuclear black market that offered weapons designs, real-time technical advice and thousands of sensitive parts — some apparently manufactured in secret factories.

Quoting diplomats and experts, the newspaper said the scale of the black-market operation exceeds anything seen before and it was undetected by western intelligence until recent months.