wse
September 2nd 04, 05:25 PM
EOUL/VIENNA (Reuters) - South Korea has admitted that government
scientists enriched uranium four years ago to a level that several
Vienna diplomats said was almost pure enough for an atomic bomb, the
U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday.
Although only a minute quantity of uranium was involved, two Western
diplomats close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said
the enrichment was below but "very close" to the threshold for
bomb-grade uranium.
"It was well beyond the level that would be needed for a civilian
program," one of the diplomats told Reuters. "The government says that
its program is peaceful and the IAEA is not making any judgments on that
issue."
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6136928
scientists enriched uranium four years ago to a level that several
Vienna diplomats said was almost pure enough for an atomic bomb, the
U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday.
Although only a minute quantity of uranium was involved, two Western
diplomats close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said
the enrichment was below but "very close" to the threshold for
bomb-grade uranium.
"It was well beyond the level that would be needed for a civilian
program," one of the diplomats told Reuters. "The government says that
its program is peaceful and the IAEA is not making any judgments on that
issue."
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6136928