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Libyans were in initial stages of nuke technology: Elbaradei
Tripoli (Libya), Dec 29: The UN nuclear chief said today that his visits to four once-secret nuclear sites proved Libya had been in the early stages of a weapons programme before it dismantled its efforts, and said the equipment and technology had come from a number of countries.
Tripoli (Libya), Dec 29: The UN nuclear chief said
today that his visits to four once-secret nuclear sites
proved Libya had been in the early stages of a weapons
programme before it dismantled its efforts, and said the
equipment and technology had come from a number of countries.
``What we have seen is a program in the very initial
stages of development,'' Mohammed Elbaradei told reporters.
``We haven't seen any industrial-scale facility to produce
highly enriched uranium; we haven't seen any enriched
uranium'' _ the material needed for developing nuclear
weapons.
Elbaradei and his team of experts visited four
previously unmentioned nuclear sites in and around Tripoli
yesterday, and he said all the equipment had been dismantled
and boxed up. The inspections follow leader Moammar Gadhafi's
decision to abandon his country's attempts to produce weapons
of mass destruction.
Elbaradei said the origins of Libya's technology
would easily be identified ``as they were of a familiar
design.''
He suggested a ``sophisticated network'' was behind
the technology: ``a number of different people in a number of
different places, a network which you can call a cartel but
not necessarily with the knowledge of a particular country or
countries. It has been across many countries in the world.''
Elbaradei had said earlier that Libya received its
weapons equipment "through the black market and middle people".
He declined today to reveal the number or names
of Libyan scientists or whether they received training in
Europe or the United States but said they were ``Well
competent scientists.''
Bureau Report