Al-Barad'e: we support Libya's keeping of a civilian atomic capability
Libya-UN, Politics, 2/24/2004

The director general of the International Agency for Atomic Energy Muhammad al-Barad'e said in Tripoli, yesterday that the agency will support Libya's request to keep a nuclear program for civil purposes after it will get rid off its military nuclear program, noting that he has agreed with the Libyan officials to "exert all possible efforts to end dismantling the Libyan weapons program by the fall of June.

Al-Barad'e said after his meeting with the Libyan foreign minister Abdul Rahman Shalqam "they want to keep their reactor for research and this is a legitimate matter and they want clearly to expand activities used in peaceful purposes." He added that the Atomic energy will support this request when Libya "gets rid off its nuclear program." The Libyan reactor at the nuclear research center in Tajoura is currently using depleted Uranium at a rate of 80% which might be used in producing the atomic bomb. Al-Barad'e said that he is currently discussing with the Libyans the possibility of converting this reactor to be operated by Uranium that cannot be used to produce such weapons. He added "we should know how and when they get this substitute material because they want to continue operating this reactor."

It seems that Libya wants to keep other equipment like a factory for depleting Uranium but Barad'e said he thinks that dismantling this firm does not constitute a problem because Libya " cooperated for getting rid of all sensitive aspects in its program and will also dismantle what is left of it." Al-Barad'e said after his meeting with the Libya deputy prime minister, the chairman of the " Libyan agency for atomic energy" Matouk Muhammad Matouk that he had agreed with him to " exert every possible efforts to end the dismantling of the Libyan nuclear weapons program "by the fall of June at the meeting of the council of the secretaries at the Atomic Agency in June."

Previous Stories:
  ElBara135dei stresses IAAE role in dismantling Libyan weapons   (1/20/2004)
  UN inspectors visit nuclear positions in Libya   (12/29/2003)
  Libya stops illegal immigrants   (11/20/2003)

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