Libya nuclear components arrive in US
( 2004-01-28 11:20) (Agencies)
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, following up a promise to end his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, has shipped some 55,000 pounds of nuclear and missile components to the United States in a bid to break out of diplomatic isolation.
Bush administration officials indicated Gadhafi could expect some easing of economic pressure in return if he continued on a cooperative track. But one official told The Associated Press that Libya had not proved it no longer supported terrorism.
As a result, the State Department is not ready to cancel Libya's designation as a terror sponsor, said the official on condition of anonymity. Therefore, at least some economic sanctions will remain in place.
An American transport plane carrying the components arrived Tuesday at McGhee Tyson airport outside Knoxville, Tenn., with the equipment. It included stock to enrich uranium, centrifuge parts and guidance sets for long-range missiles, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
The equipment probably will be evaluated at the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee, the major storehouse in the United States for highly enriched bomb-grade uranium.
The "most sensitive documentation" associated with Libya's nuclear program arrived by plane last week, McClellan said.
Also, the spokesman announced that Libya had begun destroying chemical munitions.
Sen. Lamar Alexander called the shipment "a critical first step in securing nuclear materials and equipment to make sure they don't end up in the hands of terrorists."
Gadhafi, seeking a lifting of U.S. economic sanctions, promised last Dec. 19 to end development of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction.
"The world can see that Col. Gadhafi is keeping his commitment," McClellan said.
However, the White House gave no indication it was ready to ease the U.S. economic squeeze on Libya, nor did the State Department say Libya's designation as a supporter of terrorism would be canceled.
"As they take these essential steps and demonstrate its seriousness, its good faith will be returned and Libya can regain a secure and respected place among the nations," McClellan said.
He said the shipments were "only the beginning of the elimination of Libya's weapons."
Rep. Tom Lantos, the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, met Monday in Tripoli with Gadhafi for 90 minutes and reported the Libyan leader intended to follow through on his pledge.
Lantos, in an interview, said he would urge Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., to join him in a bipartisan appeal to the Bush administration to show "good faith" in Gadhafi by ending a ban on travel to Libya.
Gadhafi's turnabout, promoted by Britain with U.S. support, is being cited by the White House as a triumph in the campaign to halt the spread of nuclear technology.
After Gadhafi's pledge to abandon his quest for weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) said, "The next step is to make sure we have a clear understanding of what Libya possesses."
Powell said the administration intended to pursue aggressively reports that Libya obtained much of its nuclear technology from Pakistan.
"We know that there have been cases where individuals in Pakistan have worked in these areas," Powell said.
The Energy Department's Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn., was created as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bomb to end World War II.
Today, Y-12 refurbishes parts for every warhead in the nuclear arsenal and is the country's major storehouse for bomb-grade uranium.
Over the years, the facility has received uranium from other countries. Most notably, the plant received 1,320 pounds of uranium secreted out of Kazakhstan in 1994 in a nonproliferation mission code-named "Project Sapphire." The materiel was destined to be downblended into fuel for nuclear reactors.
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