By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jul 5, 2:04 PM ET
"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 removal of 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" — the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment — was a significant step toward closing the books on Saddam's nuclear legacy. It also brought relief to U.S. and Iraqi authorities who had worried the cache would reach insurgents or smugglers crossing to Iran to aid its nuclear ambitions..."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080705/ap_on_...wcake_mission_1
Am sure the spinmeisters will use this as a "rendemption" talking point for the Bush Administration. However, alot of questions remain unanswered to me. For example, was this stockpile previously declared to weapons inspectors ? Can understand the secrecy completely but in itself, Yellowcake is not a weapon of Mass Destruction. The statement sold to us was: "Saddam Hussein is an Evil Dictator possessing weapons of Mass Destruction". I wonder if this was basis of McCain's crystal ball logic, "It was on a matter of time until Hussein aquired wmds" ? Lots of questions and fall out this week, no doubt.
Full Version: Yellowcake removed from Iraq
That is the 500 tons of yellowcake found after Gulf War I. Non issue at this point but I am sure the news blitherites will be massaging this as some kinda victory for the Kommander-n-shrub.
QUOTE (kernaljessup @ Jul 5 2008, 07:31 PM) 
That is the 500 tons of yellowcake found after Gulf War I. Non issue at this point but I am sure the news blitherites will be massaging this as some kinda victory for the Kommander-n-shrub.
Ok, thanks. I can understand the secrecy in a volatile region, especially when our so called leaders accelerated that volatility with the ole enron loophole still open. And perhaps it gives me a better understanding of the dirty bomb fear which accelerated the need for border security by msm fear-n-smear tactics. Just wondered why after one year Weapons Inspectors did not find wmds in Iraq and then this revelation. Another misleading point of the article itself leads to believe this is "enriched" and "uranium" when at the same time it is referred to as yellowcake, a base mineral resource of uranium yet to be processed. So it has been there for at least 16 years that we know of maybe even as far back as the Reagan Presidency ?
What's interesting is the forged and debunked memo from Niger claimed that Saddam was trying to purchase 500 tons of uranium from Niger. Coincidentally that 500 tons mention in the Niger memo is the exact amount discovered in Iraq and secured after Gulf War I. 
http://cryptome.org/niger-docs.htm
http://cryptome.org/niger-docs.htm
QUOTE
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,4296828.story
...Yellowcake alone is not considered potent enough for a "dirty bomb" -- a conventional explosive used to disperse radioactive material -- but it could cause widespread panic if incorporated in a blast. Yellowcake also can be enriched for use in reactors and, at higher levels, weapons.
The Iraqi government sold the yellowcake to a Canadian uranium producer, Cameco Corp.
A Cameco spokesman, Lyle Krahn, said the yellowcake would be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in nuclear power plants.
The deal culminated more than a year of diplomatic and military initiatives, kept hushed in fear of ambushes or attacks once the convoys were underway: 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 8,500-mile trip to Montreal.
Tuwaitha and an adjacent research facility were well known for decades as the centerpiece of Hussein's nuclear efforts. U.N. inspectors had documented and safeguarded the yellowcake, which had been stored in aging drums and containers since before the 1991 Persian Gulf War. There was no evidence of any yellowcake dating from after 1991, the senior U.S. official said.
U.S.-led crews transferred the yellowcake to secure barrels for the shipment.
...Yellowcake alone is not considered potent enough for a "dirty bomb" -- a conventional explosive used to disperse radioactive material -- but it could cause widespread panic if incorporated in a blast. Yellowcake also can be enriched for use in reactors and, at higher levels, weapons.
The Iraqi government sold the yellowcake to a Canadian uranium producer, Cameco Corp.
A Cameco spokesman, Lyle Krahn, said the yellowcake would be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in nuclear power plants.
The deal culminated more than a year of diplomatic and military initiatives, kept hushed in fear of ambushes or attacks once the convoys were underway: 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 8,500-mile trip to Montreal.
Tuwaitha and an adjacent research facility were well known for decades as the centerpiece of Hussein's nuclear efforts. U.N. inspectors had documented and safeguarded the yellowcake, which had been stored in aging drums and containers since before the 1991 Persian Gulf War. There was no evidence of any yellowcake dating from after 1991, the senior U.S. official said.
U.S.-led crews transferred the yellowcake to secure barrels for the shipment.
QUOTE (kernaljessup @ Jul 5 2008, 07:31 PM)
That is the 500 tons of yellowcake found after Gulf War I. Non issue at this point but I am sure the news blitherites will be massaging this as some kinda victory for the Kommander-n-shrub.
Hi. Was wondering how it could be from Gulf 1 since we didn't invade Iraq, just threw them out of Kuwait.
Is there an article about it?
Thanks
No problem candyman. Here ya go.
QUOTE
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3009082.stm
Missing Iraq uranium 'secured'
Saturday, 21 June, 2003
...The visit was agreed after weeks of pleading by the IAEA, which has kept the radiological materials at the site safely under UN seal for 12 years.
However, members of the UN group - all non-Americans, with expertise ranging from nuclear physics to arms-control analysis - are not authorised to look at issues of health and safety arising from, for example, the misuse of the barrels.
In preparation for the visit, the Americans ordered villagers to sell back the barrels for $3 each. The Pentagon says it has so far received about 100 of the 3,000 missing barrels.
Missing Iraq uranium 'secured'
Saturday, 21 June, 2003
...The visit was agreed after weeks of pleading by the IAEA, which has kept the radiological materials at the site safely under UN seal for 12 years.
However, members of the UN group - all non-Americans, with expertise ranging from nuclear physics to arms-control analysis - are not authorised to look at issues of health and safety arising from, for example, the misuse of the barrels.
In preparation for the visit, the Americans ordered villagers to sell back the barrels for $3 each. The Pentagon says it has so far received about 100 of the 3,000 missing barrels.
Thanks for the link. Surprised Bush & Co. didn't plant some WMDs with the yellowcake - they missed a golden opportunity 
QUOTE (kernaljessup')
What's interesting is the forged and debunked memo from Niger claimed that Saddam was trying to purchase 500 tons of uranium from Niger. Coincidentally that 500 tons mention in the Niger memo is the exact amount discovered in Iraq and secured after Gulf War I.
http://cryptome.org/niger-docs.htm
http://cryptome.org/niger-docs.htm
Can you say Downing Steet memo, and fixing the facts around the policy?
QUOTE (kernaljessup @ Jul 6 2008, 09:06 AM)
No problem candyman. Here ya go.
Premise having passed through my delicate mind recently concerns the similiarty of accusations against Iraq compared to revelations of Libya's program. Thinking like a deviant mind, it would be easy to dig up the Libyan program through disclosures and substitute Iraq for Libya. I say that because someone inferred the busted up nuke scientist and his rogues may have sold secrets to Iran. They got from point A to C without any emerical evidence being demonstrated like a lack of human firsthand intelligence and not of the Curveball quality. What the fuck was their first clue, curve or ball ?
QUOTE (candyman @ Jul 6 2008, 06:11 AM)
Thanks for the link. Surprised Bush & Co. didn't plant some WMDs with the yellowcake - they missed a golden opportunity
they did tell the soldiers over there that they found WMD...they did do that...fuckers
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