February 11, 2009 5:26 PM
- Text
Bomb-Grade Uranium Seized In Sting
It was one of the most serious cases of smuggling of nuclear material in recent years: A Russian man, authorities allege, tried to sell a small amount of nuclear-bomb grade uranium in a plastic bag in his jacket pocket.
The buy that took place last summer, it turned out, was a setup by Republic of Georgia authorities, with the help of the CIA. Their quiet sting operation — neither U.S. nor Georgian officials have publicized it — is an unsettling reminder about the possibility of terrorists acquiring nuclear bomb-making material on the black market.
No evidence suggests this particular case was terrorist-related.
"Given the serious consequences of the detonation of an improvised nuclear explosive device, even small numbers of incidents involving HEU (highly enriched uranium) or plutonium are of very high concern," said Melissa Fleming of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.
Billions of dollars have been spent to tighten controls over nuclear inventories, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. But former Sen. Sam Nunn, who now heads the Nuclear Threat Initiative, warns that not all weapons and ingredients are locked down.
"That's the raw material of terrorism, and it's not properly secured in many cases," Nunn said. "Small amounts, but enough to make a crude weapon. A crude weapon could destroy a city and, indeed, shake the confidence of the world."
Details of the investigation, which also involved the FBI and Energy Department, were provided to The Associated Press by U.S. officials and Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.
Authorities say they do not know how the man acquired the nuclear material or if his claims of access to much larger quantities were true. He and three Georgian accomplices are in Georgian custody and not cooperating with investigators.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities have confirmed that weapons-grade uranium was confiscated from a Russian citizen in neighboring Georgia, but claim the ex-Soviet republic has not cooperated with Moscow while investigating the incident, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
According to Interfax, an unnamed source at Russia's nuclear agency, Rosatom, said the Russian was detained in December 2005, while a Georgian Interior Ministry official, Shota Utiashvili, said Thursday that he was detained in February 2006. Utiashvili identified the man as Oleg Khinsagov, a resident of Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, a Russian region that borders Georgia.
There was no immediate response to requests for comment lodged with Rosatom, the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry prior to the Interfax report. Following the report, Rosatom spokesman Ivan Dybov said the agency would not comment.
Merabishvili said Georgian attempts to trace the nuclear material since the arrest and confirm whether the man indeed had access to larger quantities have foundered from a lack of cooperation from Russia.
Merabishvili said he was revealing the story out of frustration with Russia's response and the need to illustrate the dangers of a breakdown in security cooperation in the region.
Interfax also cited an unidentified source at Rosatom as saying Georgian authorities had given Russia too small a sample to determine its origin and had refused to provide other information.
Russia has tense relations with Georgia, like Russia a former Soviet republic. Georgia has been troubled by Russia's support for separatists in two breakaway Georgian border regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The sting was set up after Georgian authorities uncovered extensive smuggling networks while investigating criminal groups operating in the breakaway republics, Merabishvili said.
"When we sent buyers, the channels through Abkhazia and South Ossetia began to expand, and we started seeing a huge flow of materials," he said. "Sometimes it was low-grade enriched materials, but this was the first instance of highly enriched material."
According to his account, during an investigation in South Ossetia, a Georgian undercover agent posing as a rich foreign buyer made contact with the Russian seller in North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.
After the Russian offered to sell the sample, the agent rebuffed requests that the transaction occur in North Ossetia, insisting the Russian come to Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The buy that took place last summer, it turned out, was a setup by Republic of Georgia authorities, with the help of the CIA. Their quiet sting operation — neither U.S. nor Georgian officials have publicized it — is an unsettling reminder about the possibility of terrorists acquiring nuclear bomb-making material on the black market.
No evidence suggests this particular case was terrorist-related.
"Given the serious consequences of the detonation of an improvised nuclear explosive device, even small numbers of incidents involving HEU (highly enriched uranium) or plutonium are of very high concern," said Melissa Fleming of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.
Billions of dollars have been spent to tighten controls over nuclear inventories, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. But former Sen. Sam Nunn, who now heads the Nuclear Threat Initiative, warns that not all weapons and ingredients are locked down.
"That's the raw material of terrorism, and it's not properly secured in many cases," Nunn said. "Small amounts, but enough to make a crude weapon. A crude weapon could destroy a city and, indeed, shake the confidence of the world."
Details of the investigation, which also involved the FBI and Energy Department, were provided to The Associated Press by U.S. officials and Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.
Authorities say they do not know how the man acquired the nuclear material or if his claims of access to much larger quantities were true. He and three Georgian accomplices are in Georgian custody and not cooperating with investigators.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities have confirmed that weapons-grade uranium was confiscated from a Russian citizen in neighboring Georgia, but claim the ex-Soviet republic has not cooperated with Moscow while investigating the incident, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
According to Interfax, an unnamed source at Russia's nuclear agency, Rosatom, said the Russian was detained in December 2005, while a Georgian Interior Ministry official, Shota Utiashvili, said Thursday that he was detained in February 2006. Utiashvili identified the man as Oleg Khinsagov, a resident of Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, a Russian region that borders Georgia.
There was no immediate response to requests for comment lodged with Rosatom, the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry prior to the Interfax report. Following the report, Rosatom spokesman Ivan Dybov said the agency would not comment.
Merabishvili said Georgian attempts to trace the nuclear material since the arrest and confirm whether the man indeed had access to larger quantities have foundered from a lack of cooperation from Russia.
Merabishvili said he was revealing the story out of frustration with Russia's response and the need to illustrate the dangers of a breakdown in security cooperation in the region.
Interfax also cited an unidentified source at Rosatom as saying Georgian authorities had given Russia too small a sample to determine its origin and had refused to provide other information.
Russia has tense relations with Georgia, like Russia a former Soviet republic. Georgia has been troubled by Russia's support for separatists in two breakaway Georgian border regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The sting was set up after Georgian authorities uncovered extensive smuggling networks while investigating criminal groups operating in the breakaway republics, Merabishvili said.
"When we sent buyers, the channels through Abkhazia and South Ossetia began to expand, and we started seeing a huge flow of materials," he said. "Sometimes it was low-grade enriched materials, but this was the first instance of highly enriched material."
According to his account, during an investigation in South Ossetia, a Georgian undercover agent posing as a rich foreign buyer made contact with the Russian seller in North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.
After the Russian offered to sell the sample, the agent rebuffed requests that the transaction occur in North Ossetia, insisting the Russian come to Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.
- 1
- 2
- Next Page »
17 Comments +
Popular Now in World
- 11-year-old played dead to survive Syria massacre
- Canada: Porn star named as severed foot suspect
- U.S. warns of failed Syrian peace plan
- Pope Benedict: Media exaggerating on leak scandal
- Italy quake death toll hits 17
- Iran relaunches Russian-made submarine
- Iran: "Flame" virus defeated; Data recovered
- 1,600-year-old mosaic at Israeli synagogue damaged
- Woman pulled from the rubble in Italy
- Angelina Jolie campaign against sexual violence
- 2 U.S. men kidnapped in Egypt resort area
- Charles Taylor gets 50 years for war crimes
- Pakistan: Doc jailed for militancy, not CIA help
- Italy hit by another deadly earthquake
- Human foot mailed to Canadian political office
- Blind activist: China justice system "farcical"
