Libya Returns Nuclear Fuel to Russia

[Dav1936531]

Does this mean the Iranian "Atoms for Peace" "electricity production program"
also actually produces byproducts that can be enriched by running them through
centerfuges produced by Dr. Khan's proliferation network based on the
centerfuge design he stole from the Dutch company that briefly employed him?

At one time Qadaffi was public enemy number one, but his about face on these
proliferation matters is providing a source of intelligence that is going to
change the entire world for the better.
Dave

MOSCOW (AP) - Enriched nuclear fuel the former Soviet Union provided to Libya
two decades ago was returned to Russia on Monday, the International Atomic
Energy Agency said.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted an unidentified Atomic Energy Ministry
spokesman as saying 88 nuclear fuel assemblies - bundles of rods that contain
fuel used for reactors - were returned from the Tajura research center outside
Tripoli, which had received it between 1980 and 1984.

The Tajura facility includes a 10-megawatt reactor built in 1980 with equipment
from the Soviet Union.

A statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear
watchdog, said it helped Libya in recent days with the removal of weapons-grade
uranium from the research facility for transport back to Russia.

Libya, after long negotiations with the United States and Britain, recently
acknowledged having a nuclear weapons program and pledged to scrap it.

The uranium was 80 percent enriched and was in the form of fresh, unused fuel,
the Vienna-based IAEA said in a statement. It was in fuel components containing
about 28.7 pounds of fissile uranium-235, as well as about 6.6 pounds of
non-fissile uranium, the statement said.

Naturally occurring uranium contains only small amounts of the isotope
uranium-235, which is needed to support chain reactions in nuclear reactors and
weapons. The metal must be refined to boost the concentration of that isotope,
a process called enrichment.

The $700,000 fuel return operation was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy
under a three-way program with Russia and the IAEA to address nuclear safety
and proliferation risks.

The IAEA said Russia intends to blend it down into low-enriched uranium, making
it unsuitable for use in a nuclear weapon.

Uranium enriched to 80 percent of the U-235 isotope is barely usable for
nuclear weapons. Bombmakers prefer 90-percent or more enriched uranium. The
IAEA says 55 pounds of highly enriched uranium is considered ``significant,''
that is, sufficient for a bomb.

03/08/04 23:30 EST

[Keith Willshaw]

"Dav1936531" > wrote in message
...
> Does this mean the Iranian "Atoms for Peace" "electricity production
program"
> also actually produces byproducts that can be enriched by running them
through
> centerfuges produced by Dr. Khan's proliferation network based on the
> centerfuge design he stole from the Dutch company that briefly employed
him?
>

Sort of. All you need for the enrichment is a supply of uranium and the
capability to turn it into Uranium hexafluoride gas. The Iranians are
known to have enrichment facilties. They claim its for peaceful use
only. Commercial reactors typically use fuel enriched to less than
10% while you want 90% or better for a bomb.

Keith

[Dav1936531]

>From: "Keith Willshaw"
>
>
>Sort of. All you need for the enrichment is a supply of uranium and the
>capability to turn it into Uranium hexafluoride gas. The Iranians are
>known to have enrichment facilties. They claim its for peaceful use
>only. Commercial reactors typically use fuel enriched to less than
>10% while you want 90% or better for a bomb.
>Keith

Exactly. Although the previous article about the Japanese stuff supplied to
Libya didn't explicitly say, it sounded like they sold them the gassification
equipment.

Am I correct to think that how far (on a percetage basis) you can enrich the
uranium depends on how large (in numbers of centerfuges) your centerfuge
cascade is?

The Iranian mullahs are lying through their teeth about their enrichment
practices and have suspended inspections until they can clean up and present a
Potemkin Village to the UN inspectors.

Colin Powell is over in Pakistan right now getting the skinny on what equipment
the Iranians have (i.e., how many centerfuges they have purchased). There
should be some interesting developements vis-a-vis Iran when he comes back.

Now.....if we can only get the Germans and the French behind breaking apart Dr.
Khan's (and no....I don't believe for one second that he's the only Pakistani
official involved) little proliferation ring........
Dave

[Keith Willshaw]

"Dav1936531" > wrote in message
...
> >From: "Keith Willshaw"
> >
> >
> >Sort of. All you need for the enrichment is a supply of uranium and the
> >capability to turn it into Uranium hexafluoride gas. The Iranians are
> >known to have enrichment facilties. They claim its for peaceful use
> >only. Commercial reactors typically use fuel enriched to less than
> >10% while you want 90% or better for a bomb.
> >Keith
>
> Exactly. Although the previous article about the Japanese stuff supplied
to
> Libya didn't explicitly say, it sounded like they sold them the
gassification
> equipment.
>
> Am I correct to think that how far (on a percetage basis) you can enrich
the
> uranium depends on how large (in numbers of centerfuges) your centerfuge
> cascade is?
>

Pretty much.

Keith