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Fears Raised over Syria's Uranium Stockpile

(Financial Times-UK) James Blitz - Nuclear experts in the U.S. and Middle East have raised concerns about the security of up to 50 tons of unenriched uranium in Syria. David Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security, said: "There are real worries about what has happened to the uranium that Syria was planning to put into the Al-Kibar reactor shortly before the reactor was destroyed in 2007." Experts have concluded that Al-Kibar would have needed about 50 tons of natural uranium fuel to become operational. Such a stockpile would be enough to provide weapons-grade fuel for five atomic devices. Some government officials have raised concerns that Iran, which urgently needs uranium for its nuclear program, might try to seize Syria's stockpile. Their fears have been triggered by signs of movement at what they allege is a secret uranium conversion facility at Marj al-Sultan near Damascus. The officials said: "Syria is almost certainly in possession of good quality uranium of the type that Iran has been trying to acquire on the international market for years. It would certainly be possible to transfer this from Syria to Iran by air."
2013-01-09 00:00:00
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