Canada gets Saddam's uranium
The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program — a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium — reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.
The deal culminated more than a year of intense diplomatic and military initiatives — kept hushed in fear of ambushes or attacks once the convoys were under way: first carrying 3,500 barrels by road to Baghdad, then on 37 military flights to the Indian Ocean atoll of Diego Garcia and finally aboard a U.S.-flagged ship for a 13,500-kilometre trip to Montreal.
The Iraqi government sold the yellowcake to a Canadian uranium producer, Cameco Corp., in a transaction the official described as worth “tens of millions of dollars.” A Cameco spokesman, Lyle Krahn, declined to discuss the price, but said the yellowcake will be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in energy-producing reactors.
“We are pleased ... that we have taken (the yellowcake) from a volatile region into a stable area to produce clean electricity,” he said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home
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Well, who would have thought!! If any of this is true, then I wonder why the US didn't just take the stuff? After all, they spent trillions on the war to keep America safe.... they are entitled to some reward.
Edit @ 8:52pm
The original article got re-written ... same link, though:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home
Canada is the new home to a massive stockpile of concentrated natural uranium from Iraq, the last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program.
The 550 tonnes of “yellowcake,” the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment, was sold to Canadian uranium producer Cameco Corp. in a transaction the official described as worth “tens of millions of dollars.”
A ship carrying the cargo arrived Saturday in Montreal and Cameco spokesman Lyle Krahn said the yellowcake will be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in energy-producing reactors.
“We are pleased ... that we have taken [the yellowcake] from a volatile region into a stable area to produce clean electricity,” he said.
However, there was no confirmation from the Port of Montreal.
Robert Desjardins, co-ordinator of the port, said “we don't have any information” on such a shipment arriving there.
He said no ships under American flags were listed as being in the port Saturday, or as being expected.
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But it also raises serious security concerns, an environmental activist said Saturday.
“Cameco has made it clear that this uranium will simply be integrated into their commercial processing stream at its refinery in Port Hope and I assume that this uranium still needs to be shipped from Montreal to Port Hope – if it hasn't already been sent, not clear whether that's going by land or by sea, could be either, or by air,” said Dave Martin, the energy co-ordinator for Greenpeace Canada.
“I think Cameco and the Canadian government owe the Canadian public some disclosure on that front.”
etc.
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Confusing information. It arrived in Montreal today, but no, it didn't!
I agree with Greenpeace... some explaining is due!
The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program — a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium — reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.
The deal culminated more than a year of intense diplomatic and military initiatives — kept hushed in fear of ambushes or attacks once the convoys were under way: first carrying 3,500 barrels by road to Baghdad, then on 37 military flights to the Indian Ocean atoll of Diego Garcia and finally aboard a U.S.-flagged ship for a 13,500-kilometre trip to Montreal.
The Iraqi government sold the yellowcake to a Canadian uranium producer, Cameco Corp., in a transaction the official described as worth “tens of millions of dollars.” A Cameco spokesman, Lyle Krahn, declined to discuss the price, but said the yellowcake will be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in energy-producing reactors.
“We are pleased ... that we have taken (the yellowcake) from a volatile region into a stable area to produce clean electricity,” he said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, who would have thought!! If any of this is true, then I wonder why the US didn't just take the stuff? After all, they spent trillions on the war to keep America safe.... they are entitled to some reward.
Edit @ 8:52pm
The original article got re-written ... same link, though:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home
Canada is the new home to a massive stockpile of concentrated natural uranium from Iraq, the last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program.
The 550 tonnes of “yellowcake,” the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment, was sold to Canadian uranium producer Cameco Corp. in a transaction the official described as worth “tens of millions of dollars.”
A ship carrying the cargo arrived Saturday in Montreal and Cameco spokesman Lyle Krahn said the yellowcake will be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in energy-producing reactors.
“We are pleased ... that we have taken [the yellowcake] from a volatile region into a stable area to produce clean electricity,” he said.
However, there was no confirmation from the Port of Montreal.
Robert Desjardins, co-ordinator of the port, said “we don't have any information” on such a shipment arriving there.
He said no ships under American flags were listed as being in the port Saturday, or as being expected.
---
But it also raises serious security concerns, an environmental activist said Saturday.
“Cameco has made it clear that this uranium will simply be integrated into their commercial processing stream at its refinery in Port Hope and I assume that this uranium still needs to be shipped from Montreal to Port Hope – if it hasn't already been sent, not clear whether that's going by land or by sea, could be either, or by air,” said Dave Martin, the energy co-ordinator for Greenpeace Canada.
“I think Cameco and the Canadian government owe the Canadian public some disclosure on that front.”
etc.
--------------------------------------------------------
Confusing information. It arrived in Montreal today, but no, it didn't!
I agree with Greenpeace... some explaining is due!
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