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.