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> This a.m. on one of the Sunday Morning Let's go to War with Iraq US > television info-mercials, Senator Trent Lott said that the > Uranium which was > siezed yesterday? was headed for Iraq. I have not read that > anywhere. The > articles said it was on the Turkey/Syrian border. Does anyone have any > information on this? Hi Roger, The BBC's story on this is available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2286597.stm. I've reproduced the text below. It indicated that the uranium's destination, and even its grade, was unknown. Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=topnews&StoryID=1514687) reports that only 5 oz (140 g) of material has been seized, and that its grade has yet to be determined. It also reports that the US administration is responding cautiously. Colin Rowat work | Room 406, Department of Economics | The University of Birmingham | Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK | web.bham.ac.uk/c.rowat | (+44/0) 121 414 3754 | (+44/0) 121 414 7377 (fax) | c.rowat@bham.ac.uk personal | (+44/0) 7768 056 984 (mobile) | (+44/0) 7092 378 517 (fax) | (707) 221 3672 (US fax) | c.rowat@espero.org.uk Turkish police seize smuggled uranium By Tabitha Morgan Istanbul Turkish police say they have seized 100 grams of weapons grade uranium, which had been smuggled into the country from Eastern Europe. At first officers announced gave the quantity as 15 kilograms (34.5 pounds) but later explained that this included the weight of a lead container. Two men have been arrested for questioning in the south of the country, close to the Syrian border. According to the Turkish state news agency, the uranium was being transported in a taxi, concealed beneath the seats. The taxi was intercepted near the south-west town of Sanliurfa, after police received a tip-off. Smuggling route It is not yet clear where the uranium, estimated to be worth $5m on the black market, was being taken, but it is unlikely there would have been a market for it within Turkey. The Turkish media have been speculating that the alleged smugglers, both Turks, may have planned to take the weapons grade material through Syria and on into Iraq. The seizure is the biggest of its kind in recent years. Since the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Turkey has been a transit route for smuggled nuclear materials, many of which have found their way onto the black market in Istanbul. Last year two men were arrested in the city after trying to sell a kilo of uranium wrapped in newspaper to undercover police agents. While the Turkish authorities will welcome this latest seizure, they will be uneasy about the international focus on Turkey as a smuggling route for such dangerous materials. _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk