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Published on Tuesday, 10 January 2006 15:46
British officials have
allowed the export to Iran of a cargo of radioactive
material that experts believe could be used in a nuclear
weapons programme ,
On 31 August a truck
carrying 1,000kg of zirconium silicate supplied by a
British firm was stopped by Bulgarian customs at the
Turkish border on its way to Tehran.Zirconium can be
used as a component of a nuclear programme.
The
official who stopped the truck was alerted after its
cargo emitted unusual radioactivity levels. Bulgarian
officials said that the Turkish driver was arrested on
31 August. He was investigated \'for violating
international treaties... by transferring across the
border dangerous wastes, toxic chemical substances,
biological agents, toxics and radioactive materials\'.
The Bulgarians discovered the exporter was a British
firm and alerted the UK embassy in Sofia, which informed
London on 7 September.
There are technical rules
that control the trade in zirconium silicate. These
controls focus on how much of the material contains
hafnium, another rare metal. The British view is that
zirconium sulphate with more than 0.05 per cent of
hafnium does not require a licence, as it is difficult
to refine - although this is challenged by some experts.
After a two-month investigation involving the British
and Bulgarian authorities, it was agreed that the
British cargo did not need an export licence and could
be released and driven to Iran.
However, John
Large, an independent nuclear consultant, said: \'It
is not a very sophisticated process to extract the
zirconium from such material. Even though it appears
that technically this cargo does not fall within the
international controls, I would still be concerned.
Zirconium is used for two purposes: one for cladding
nuclear fuel rods inside a reactor and as material for a
nuclear weapon. If Iran wanted this material for any
illicit purposes, this would be one way it could get its
hands on it.\'
News
Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament 
