Libya in Early Stages of Nuclear Program, U.N. Inspector Says

[zimv20]

link (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Libya-Nuclear-Agency.html?hp)


TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) -- The U.N. nuclear chief said Monday that his visits to four once-secret nuclear sites proved that Libya was in the early stages of a weapons program before it dismantled its efforts.

Mohammed ElBaradei and a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency found equipment had been taken apart and boxed up at the sites in the capital, Tripoli.

Libya obtained its nuclear technology from a ``sophisticated network'' or ``cartel'' operating in several countries -- though ``not necessarily'' with those countries' knowledge, ElBaradei told reported.

He also underlined that Libya never reached the stage of enriching uranium to weapons grade. ``It was a question of years, not a question of months,'' he told CNN.


The United States imposed sanctions against Libya in 1986, claiming it supported terrorist groups. It continues its embargoes but after Gadhafi's nuclear promise hinted at improved economic relations.


hmmmmm..... when this story broke recently, the press and WH painted it as a huge deal, since libya was so close to having nukes.

libya's action may bring a lifting of US sanctions, which would restore oil trade between the two countries.

[Sayhey]

Anyway you look at it this is a very good thing. Now if we could only get Bush and Blair to follow suit.

[mactastic]

and Sharon and Musharaf and Vajpayee and Chirac too....

[Dont Hurt Me]

I dont think this would have happened if we were not in Iraq, I know there are a lot of people who hate bush but lets give him some credit. we need to discourage all nations from wanting nukes maybe this will sink into Iran.

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by mactastic
and Sharon and Musharaf and Vajpayee and Chirac too....

let's not forget Hu and Putin and .... damn this list is too long!

[zimv20]

Originally posted by Dont Hurt Me
I dont think this would have happened if we were not in Iraq

i would suspect that that had some role, but i don't think it's the main one. as some articles have pointed out, khadafi (sp?) has been working on getting the sanctions lifted for some 10 years now.

i bet bush's oil ties have as much to do w/ it as iraq. there's a lot of profit to be made by both sides. the fact that libya's so-called nuclear program was a small price to pay for those profits suggests to me there's something other than the threat of WMD at work here.

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by Dont Hurt Me
I dont think this would have happened if we were not in Iraq, I know there are a lot of people who hate bush but lets give him some credit. we need to discourage all nations from wanting nukes maybe this will sink into Iran.

If this is a side benefit of Iraq, I will gladly take the benefit even if I still don't agree with the main policy of preemptive invasions. I think zim is right that there are other reasons that play into this as well. I do give Bush and Blair credit for whatever role they played (I understand it is the British who did most of this.)

[Dont Hurt Me]

I think this will be a very positive development for Libya and its people meaning we can all do better by working together rather then building bombs to destroy. I wonder if the Palestinians and all those bombers will ever figure this out. as long as the bombings go on the palestinians will never have nothing and the people will continue to live in poverty. I see Libya making some good first steps.

[mactastic]

But we have to ask, why are we so willing to forgive this dictator, who wronged us more recently than say Castro, who we are still embargoing almost 50 years later. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with access to oil. Of course it might be because there is no influence on Congress like the kind the Cuban bloc in Florida can produce.

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by Dont Hurt Me
I think this will be a very positive development for Libya and its people meaning we can all do better by working together rather then building bombs to destroy. I wonder if the Palestinians and all those bombers will ever figure this out. as long as the bombings go on the palestinians will never have nothing and the people will continue to live in poverty. I see Libya making some good first steps.

Sadly, I think some of the Palestinians learned the lesson of the Stern Gang and the Irgun that sometimes bombers and terrorists become prime ministers.

[meta-ghost]

sunday's nytimes described many in washington who are wondering if iran and libya's recent disclosures in nuclear development are linked. the speculation is a rather grim scenario (and i don't exactly want to pass on a bunch of dark clouds cause there are other possibilities) that goes something like this:
tripoli and tehran are make a pre-emptive move. they share a common knowledge - the idea that terrorist have indeed succeeded in acquiring a nuke weapon and are in the process of setting up a strike on a usa city. tripoli and tehran believe by coming clean now they will protect themselves from the following american response.

[zimv20]

Originally posted by meta-ghost
the speculation is a rather grim scenario (and i don't exactly want to pass on a bunch of dark clouds cause there are other possibilities) that goes something like this:
tripoli and tehran are make a pre-emptive move. they share a common knowledge - the idea that terrorist have indeed succeeded in acquiring a nuke weapon and are in the process of setting up a strike on a usa city. tripoli and tehran believe by coming clean now they will protect themselves from the following american response.

wow. thanks for putting THAT unpleasant thought into my head, your disclaimer notwithstanding.