Uproar in Ghana after president unveils his own statue    Putin hails 'courageous' Trump after election win    Israel passes law to deport relatives of attackers, including citizens    Monkey mayhem in South Carolina after 43 primates escape research facility    Russian anti-war teenager faces five years in jail after failed appeal    SR 3.95 million fines for 3 employees of a company and 6-month jail for one for violating Capital Market Law    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Crown Prince hails Saudi medical team that performed world's first fully robotic heart transplant    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN to inspect Libya's uranium stocks
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 12 - 2013

UNITED NATIONS – A UN nuclear team will visit Libya this month to assess the safety of thousands of barrels of milled uranium - known as yellowcake - amid concerns about the country's deteriorating security situation, a UN official said on Monday.
“With respect to yellowcake, we have received information indicating that 6,400 barrels are stored in a non-functional former military facility close to Sabha in the south,” UN Libya envoy Tarek Mitri told the Security Council.
“They are under control of a Libyan army battalion,” Mitri told the 15-nation council. An inspection team from the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit this month to verify the stockpiles and storage conditions, he said.
Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Alexander Pankin raised Russia's concerns about Libya's uranium and weapons that might have gone astray in the aftermath of the country's 2011 civil war during the closed-door consultations on the situation in Libya, council diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Moscow has strongly criticized the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya to protect civilians, which led to the ouster of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The Vienna-based IAEA confirmed two years ago towards the end of the country's half-year civil war that Libya's previous government had stored raw uranium near Sabha. An agency spokeswoman said at the time the IAEA would begin to implement agency safeguards there once the situation in Libya stabilized.
IAEA safeguards usually include regular inspector visits, seals and possible camera monitoring of nuclear-related sites.
The enriched uranium required for use in atomic reactors or weapons is produced in centrifuges that spin uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6) at high speeds. The UF6 is derived from yellow cake, a milled concentrate from mined uranium ore.
Gaddafi announced plans to give up his nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs in late 2003 after the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Libya's current government is struggling to contain militias that helped overthrow Gaddafi two years ago but kept their guns after the NATO-backed rebel offensive unseated him.
There have also been concerns that thousands of shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles known as MANPADS disappeared after Libya's 2011 civil war.
Mitri said the UN Support Mission in Libya has received preliminary information on MANPADS from Tripoli but has asked for more details about the MANPADS under control of the Libyan government. He said the United Nations was looking for greater cooperation from “international partners” on arms proliferation in Libya.
Mitri said chemical weapons experts would also be traveling to Libya soon to verify the elimination of Libyan toxic gas stocks.
“Further to the verified destruction earlier this year of almost 9 metric tons of mustard gas, an inspection team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is expected to visit later this month,” he said.
Mitri said the OPCW team will “observe and verify the destruction of chemical weapons in line with Libya's obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.”
He added that the Libyan government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to create a national arms management system and the UN mission in Libya, known as UNSMIL, will be assisting in that process. – Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.