NewsMine — war-on-terror — Viewing Item

Japan missing plutonium { January 28 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1042491288304 http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1042491288304 Japan 'loses' 206kg of plutonium By Bayan Rahman in Tokyo Published: January 28 2003 20:12 | Last Updated: January 28 2003 20:12 Japan on Tuesday admitted that 206kg of its plutonium - enough to make about 25 nuclear bombs - is unaccounted for. Government scientists said that 6,890kg of plutonium had been extracted since 1977 from spent nuclear fuel at a processing plant about 120km north east of Tokyo. But that is 3 per cent short of the amount the plant was estimated to have produced. About 5kg to 8kg of plutonium are needed to make a 20-kiloton atomic bomb similar to the one that destroyed Nagasaki in 1945. Experts said the missing amount was surprisingly large. There is normally a margin of error of 1 per cent or less when measuring liquid plutonium, which can dissolve into other elements. Japan's admission comes at a time of acute sensitivity because of the threat of nuclear proliferation in north-east Asia following North Korea's revival of its mothballed nuclear programme. However, there is no evidence that North Korea was linked to the missing plutonium even though it is known to smuggle goods in and out of Japan. "This is an unusually large amount of plutonium to be unaccounted for, which makes me uncomfortable, although I think it's highly unlikely that it was stolen," said Tatsujiro Suzuki, senior research scientist at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry. The science ministry, which reported the discrepancy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), dismissed the idea that the plutonium had been stolen. It said about 90kg was probably diluted into waste-water and about 30kg probably dissolved into other elements. It admitted it was baffled by the remaining 86kg but said initial output projections may have been too high and the plutonium may not have been produced. Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the IAEA, said: "The Agency [is] confident that no nuclear material has been diverted from the facility." The IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has urged Japan to strengthen its procedures for measuring nuclear material since it first noted discrepancies in 1998. Additional reporting by Clive Cookson in London and Andrew Ward in Seoul

afghanistan africa alqaeda asia china cuba eastern-europe haiti iran iraq israel kashmir latin-america mideast-misc muslim-empire north-korea pakistan russia saudi-arabia syria turkey united-states venezuela Anand questions support war on terrorism { September 9 2003 } Belfast police station bombed { June 6 2002 } Bush goes offensive european critics aids { May 21 2003 } Canada liberals defeated in elections { June 29 2004 } Canadian liberals face loss after 12 years { December 2006 } Canadians elect fragile conservative government { January 23 2006 } Children increasing used as soldiers Fake macedonia terror tale and deaths { May 17 2004 } Food prices causing world social unrest { March 2008 } Fueling terrorism { November 21 2002 } Global apartheid africa iraq { December 23 2002 } Global military spending hits over trillion Global military spending tops one trillion { June 7 2005 } Ira accused of betraying dublin { February 22 2005 } Irish group designated terrorists Italian prime minister silvio berusconi media mogul Japan missing plutonium { January 28 2003 } Journalists killed by military at high rate No evidence for victories in terror war Pakistanis blame america for sectarian violence { May 31 2005 } Serbian prime minister shot { March 13 2003 } Study says conflicts genocide are in decline { October 18 2005 } Terrorism kills tiny number compared to war This war on terror is bogus { September 6 2003 } Top general says war on terror will last generations { December 13 2006 } Usps iodide pills { December 3 2002 } War on terror breeds terrorism { March 11 2004 } Widening violence in poor nations { September 17 2004 } Files Listed: 28

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.