Authorities in the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan are investigating why a train traveling from Kyrgyzstan to Iran was carrying radioactive cargo.
The amount of radioactive material was not enough to make a weapon.
But the Kyrgyz government says it still doesn't know how or when the material was placed on board the train. On Dec. 31, 2007, emergency workers gathered at Belovodskaya station in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to greet a train that was turned back after it set off radiation detectors in Uzbekistan en route to Iran.
Specialists pinpointed one car, which was emitting radiation at levels 1,000 times higher than normal.Emergency workers say the source lay in a pile of dirt and garbage beneath 50 tons of scrap metal.Kyrgyz newspapers report that this is the third time in three years authorities have intercepted trains leaving Kyrgyzstan with radioactive cargo.
In this case, Kyrgyz officials say the radioactive substance consisted of several grams of cesium-137, which is often used in medical and industrial instruments.
Alexander Melikishvili, of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, says that in powder form, cesium-137 could also be used to make a dirty bomb.
"From the perspective of a terrorist, the ideal device would entail cesium-137, with some sort of conventional explosive," he says.There wasn't enough cesium-137 aboard this train for a weapon, prompting some to conclude it accidentally got mixed in with the scrap metal.
At this time the last thing Iran needs is a threat of a bomb. Eventhough this may be a false alarm this hurts the ligitmacy of the Irannians at a time where they are finilizing work on a nuclear power plant.
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The amount of radioactive material was not enough to make a weapon.
But the Kyrgyz government says it still doesn't know how or when the material was placed on board the train. On Dec. 31, 2007, emergency workers gathered at Belovodskaya station in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to greet a train that was turned back after it set off radiation detectors in Uzbekistan en route to Iran.
Specialists pinpointed one car, which was emitting radiation at levels 1,000 times higher than normal.Emergency workers say the source lay in a pile of dirt and garbage beneath 50 tons of scrap metal.Kyrgyz newspapers report that this is the third time in three years authorities have intercepted trains leaving Kyrgyzstan with radioactive cargo.
In this case, Kyrgyz officials say the radioactive substance consisted of several grams of cesium-137, which is often used in medical and industrial instruments.
Alexander Melikishvili, of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, says that in powder form, cesium-137 could also be used to make a dirty bomb.
"From the perspective of a terrorist, the ideal device would entail cesium-137, with some sort of conventional explosive," he says.There wasn't enough cesium-137 aboard this train for a weapon, prompting some to conclude it accidentally got mixed in with the scrap metal.
At this time the last thing Iran needs is a threat of a bomb. Eventhough this may be a false alarm this hurts the ligitmacy of the Irannians at a time where they are finilizing work on a nuclear power plant.
Grade this post click here to read full article
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