Colombia seizes 13.5 kilograms of uranium, possible Soviet origin
Colombia seizes 13.5 kilograms of uranium, possible Soviet origin: "From Monsters and Critics.com
Americas News
Colombia seizes 13.5 kilograms of uranium, possible Soviet origin
By DPA
Mar 2, 2006, 19:00 GMT
Bogota - The Colombian military seized 13.5 kilograms of depleted uranium, which could potentially be used in the creation of a so-called dirty bomb, the Colombian military said on Thursday.
The material may have its origins in one of the former Soviet Republics, US officials were reported as saying.
Officials have released two people arrested for attempting to sell it, because possession of uranium material is not against the law in Colombia.
The suspects had tried to sell the uranium for 315 million dollars to an undercover police agent on 24 February, said Brigadier General Gustavo Matamoros.
The uranium was seized in an area of the capital known to be a hotbed for right wing paramilitary activity, local media reported. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the two people had intended to use the uranium to make a dirty bomb, which combines conventional explosives and radioactive material.
Colombian officials have been working to trace the origins of the uranium, but members of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who tested the material\'s purity believe it may have come from one of the former Soviet Republics.
Depleted uranium is a by-product of the uranium enrichment process in nuclear power plants. Some countries use it to make shielding plates in nuclear power plants due to its high density, while the US and Russian military have been known to use it to make armour- piercing munitions.
A safe method of disposal of the material has yet to be developed, and the cost could run into billions of dollars.
� 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
© Copyright 2003 - 2005 by monstersandcritics.com.
This notice cannot be removed without permission.
"
Americas News
Colombia seizes 13.5 kilograms of uranium, possible Soviet origin
By DPA
Mar 2, 2006, 19:00 GMT
Bogota - The Colombian military seized 13.5 kilograms of depleted uranium, which could potentially be used in the creation of a so-called dirty bomb, the Colombian military said on Thursday.
The material may have its origins in one of the former Soviet Republics, US officials were reported as saying.
Officials have released two people arrested for attempting to sell it, because possession of uranium material is not against the law in Colombia.
The suspects had tried to sell the uranium for 315 million dollars to an undercover police agent on 24 February, said Brigadier General Gustavo Matamoros.
The uranium was seized in an area of the capital known to be a hotbed for right wing paramilitary activity, local media reported. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the two people had intended to use the uranium to make a dirty bomb, which combines conventional explosives and radioactive material.
Colombian officials have been working to trace the origins of the uranium, but members of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who tested the material\'s purity believe it may have come from one of the former Soviet Republics.
Depleted uranium is a by-product of the uranium enrichment process in nuclear power plants. Some countries use it to make shielding plates in nuclear power plants due to its high density, while the US and Russian military have been known to use it to make armour- piercing munitions.
A safe method of disposal of the material has yet to be developed, and the cost could run into billions of dollars.
� 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
© Copyright 2003 - 2005 by monstersandcritics.com.
This notice cannot be removed without permission.
"
posted by Greta Jane at Saturday, March 04, 2006
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