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Friday, May 8, 2009

IAEA finds highly-enriched uranium in Egypt

WASHINGTON — The International Atomic Energy has reported finding tracers of highly-enriched uranium — suitable for a nuclear weapon — in Egypt.   

An IAEA report said inspectors found HEU particles in Egypt in 2007 and 2008, Middle East Newsline reported. The agency, which limited circulation of its report to the 35-member board of governors, said it did not know the source of the highly-enriched uranium.

"Circulation of the report is restricted, and it cannot be released to the public unless the IAEA board decides otherwise," the agency said on May 7.

"In the past, the board has authorized the release of the annual Safeguards Statement and an associated summary. It is being invited to do so again for the 2008 report."

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The 82-page report, dated May 5, contained one page that discussed an investigation into unreported Egyptian nuclear activities. The report, titled "Safeguards Implementation Report for 2008," said HEU particles were found in Inshas, a town northeast of Cairo and the site of two nuclear research reactors. Both reactors have come under IAEA supervision.

Egypt has not denied the discovery of HEU. The report said Egypt asserted that the source of the particles could have come from containers contaminated with radioisotopes. Radioisotopes have been used in agriculture and medicine.

This marked the first time IAEA has determined the presence of HEU in Egypt. Highly-enriched uranium marks the key element in most nuclear weapons.

The regime of President Hosni Mubarak, which has called for an end to Israel's purported nuclear program, has acknowledged the findings. But officials said the Foreign Ministry would require several days to study the report before issuing a response.

In 2004, IAEA determined that Egypt failed to report experiments that could be used for nuclear weapon programs. The agency concluded that Egypt had been obligated to report these experiments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In its latest report, the agency said inspectors would return to Inshas to take additional samples. The report said the goal was to determine the source of the HEU in Egypt.



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