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IAEA Disputes Syrian Uranium Claims
An analysis by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) disputed
The uranium traces come from annual environmental samples the agency took from “hot cells,” containments that are shielded to allow safe handling of radioactive material. The hot cells are in a facility that also houses
The IAEA described the detected particles as being “of a type not declared at the facility.”
According to an Aug. 28 IAEA report,
Yellowcake is milled and chemically processed uranium powder. It is not subject to IAEA safeguards because it is a form of uranium at the very early stages of creating nuclear fuel or material for a nuclear weapon. A diplomatic source familiar with IAEA safeguards said in a Nov. 18 e-mail that “uranyl nitrate on the other hand, is a precursor chemical for further uranium processing, including possibly enrichment, so it is covered by safeguards and must be declared.”
The IAEA carried out a follow-up inspection Nov. 17 to validate a new Syrian explanation for the presence of uranium particles.
This marks the second time that
The first set of uranium traces was uncovered at the Dair al Zour site by the IAEA’s initial investigations in June 2008. (See ACT, December 2008.)
The agency is also continuing to investigate Syrian procurement efforts, which the IAEA says “could support the construction of a reactor.”