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Traces of Enriched Uranium Reportedly Found in Iran

(New York Times) - International inspectors have found traces of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian facility, according to a new confidential report distributed Tuesday by the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA). The traces could be an indication that Tehran has already produced weapons-grade nuclear materials. Iran denied producing nuclear materials, said the report. The Iranians, the report said, explained that the trace particles found by inspectors at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant had been on the equipment when it was purchased from another country. Information about the origins of the Iranian program points to Pakistan as the likely source of the centrifuge designs and components necessary for uranium enrichment. Pakistan's government has denied such a role. In an interview with the German magazine Stern, the director general of the agency, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, commenting on the traces of highly enriched uranium, said, "This worries us greatly."
2003-08-27 00:00:00
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