Nuclear Bomb Material Removed from Czech Research Reactor

VIENNA, Austria, October 6, 2005 (ENS) - Fourteen kilograms, nearly 31 pounds, of highly enriched uranium that could be used to assemble a nuclear weapon were safely returned to the Russian Federation from the Czech Republic this week, the United Nations nuclear oversight agency announced.

Safeguards inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitored and verified the packing of the highly enriched uranium for transport last week, on September 26-27, from a research reactor at the Czech Technical University in Prague.

The agency said the transfer of the fresh, not spent, nuclear fuel was a joint effort of its inspectors, the United States, the Czech Republic and Russia, as part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), a U.S. initiative. <snip>

Ten months ago, in December 2004, there was another Czech return. Six kilograms of highly enriched uranium were safely returned to the Russian Federation. The nuclear fuel was originally supplied to the Czech Republic by the Soviet Union for use in the Soviet-designed 10 megawatt LVR-15 multi-purpose research reactor, located in Rez near the Czech capital, Prague. <snip>

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2005/2005-10-06-02.asp

Oh I know. Marketing.

UN watchdog agency assists safe removal of nuclear weapons-grade uranium

6 October 2005 – As part of the ongoing battle to prevent nuclear proliferation and terrorism, the United Nations atomic watchdog agency has assisted the return from the Czech Republic to Russia of 14 kilogrammes of highly enriched uranium (HEU) that could be used to assemble a nuclear weapon.

The mission, completed last week, was a joint effort between the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United States, the Czech Republic and Russia, as part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), which seeks to identify, secure and recover high-risk vulnerable nuclear and radiological materials around the world.

The nuclear fuel was originally supplied to the Czech Republic by the former Soviet Union for use in a Russian designed multi-purpose research reactor operated at the Czech Technical University for education and training of physics and engineering students.

IAEA safeguard inspectors monitored and verified the packing of the HEU for transport from the reactor and arranged the shipment and all related logistics as part of its technical cooperation activities. The fuel removal was funded by the US Department of Energy. <snip>

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=16111&Cr=&Cr1=


That's the UN's headline and language ...