South Africa Reports Critical Stage in Nuclear Black Market Probe

[seemslikeadream]

Daniel Geiges, front, and Gerhard Wisser, back, appear in court in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, Thursday Sept. 9

Marlene Smith
Vienna
15 Sep 2004, 14:07 UTC

South Africa has told the International Atomic Energy Agency it has carried out raids to secure nuclear equipment and documents that authorities believe were part of a global black market, selling weapons designs to countries like Libya.
The South African government began investigating the illicit smuggling network run by Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Quadeer Khan last year with the help of information provided by Libya.

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He told reporters that as many as 30 countries, many European, could have been involved in the network under investigation for supplying Libya, Iran, and North Korea with nuclear technology.

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Mr. Minty said police raids discovered 11 shipping containers of components associated with a centrifuge uranium-enrichment plant as well as instrumentation and documents. The equipment was seized and placed under IAEA seals.

"The investigation has reached a sensitive stage. I should say now that the matter is extremely sensitive and because we are turning at critical points of the investigation and at the same time we have court cases," he said.

Mr. Minty said two men, Daniel Geiges and South African-German citizen Gerhard Wisser, face charges for illegally importing, exporting, and possessing and producing controlled items in activities going back three or four years. Both men were connected with Krisch Engineering and Tradefin Engineering, companies raided by the South African police where illegal nuclear-related equipment was found.
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http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=8A9A4BA2-D5F5-4A4F-8D9329DCF73461AC&title=South%20Africa%20Reports%20Critical%20Stage%20in%20Nuclear%20Black%20Market%20Probe

[struggle4progress]

1. 'Nuclear' case opens in S Africa

<snip> The case came as South Africa agreed to co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its investigation of the activities of the Pakistani scientist, AQ Khan.

Dr Khan last year confessed to leaking nuclear secrets illegally to countries including Libya, Iran and North Korea.

IAEA's head Mohamed ElBaradei said on Tuesday the South African investigation was providing good information about the Libyan and Iranian nuclear programmes. <snip>

A third man - who was arrested last week on similar charges - decided to turn state witness to help the investigation, Mr MacAdam said. <snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3664258.stm

So the Bushistas will be shrieking "Iran! Iran!" to prevent any of the news agencies from asking questions about Khan and Pakistan.

[bobthedrummer]

2. South Africa and Israel clandestinely pursued a joint nuclear program at

one time. It worked.:nuke:

[seemslikeadream]

3. Sth Africa's nuclear smuggling case gets UN help

Sth Africa's nuclear smuggling case gets UN help
Friday, 17 September 2004, 12:29 pm
Press Release: United Nations

South Africa gets help from UN atomic watchdog in probing nuclear smuggling case

South African authorities are working closely with the United Nations atomic watchdog agency in investigating cases of illicit trafficking of sensitive nuclear technology allegedly intended to help Libya’s now-abandoned nuclear weapons programme.

Earlier this year the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for a “vital” upgrading of security to prevent nuclear technology from falling into the wrong hands through an emerging global network of sophisticated black marketeering in weapons technology.

The Chairman of the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Abdul Samad Minty, told a media briefing in Vienna, where the IAEA Board of Governors is meeting, that the probe related to the import and export of a controlled flow-forming lathe as well as production and possession of certain components associated with a centrifuge enrichment plant.

Arrests have been made and police searches of companies and facilities have uncovered shipping containers associated with a centrifuge uranium enrichment plant, he said yesterday. Enriched uranium can be used to produce nuclear bombs. IAEA safeguards inspectors have placed the containers as well as other uncovered equipment under Agency seal, he added.
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http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00228.htm