Posted on 06/18/2006 7:08:27 PM PDT by jveritas
Document CMPC-2003-000537 is a secret and personal memo written in November 1999 by the director of the Iraqi National Monitoring Department (NMD) and addressed to the Minister of the Iraqi Military Industrialization Commission (MIC). The memo talks about a Neutron Source Device with High Radioactive Activity that was found in one Iraqi University and the NMD is asking that it should be returned to the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization. The Neutron Source Device can be also called Neutron Generator or Neutron Initiator. This Neutron Generator device was not declared to the UN inspectors all the time they were in Iraq from 1991 to late 1998 when they were kicked out of Iraq. In fact Neutron generators were prohibited to be used by the Iraqis according to this UN document ( http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/documents/S-2002-515.pdf page 133 of this UN document pdf, an * next to an item means it is porhibited).
Beginning of the Translation of page 1 and 2 of document CMPC-2003-000537
In the Name of God the Most Compassionate The Most Merciful
The Republic of Iraq
The Presidency of the Republic
The Military Industrialization Commission
The National Monitoring Department
Number 12/M/3/94
Date 18/11/1999
Secret and Personal
The Respected Minister of Military Industrialization
Subject: Neutron Source
The University of Al Mustansirya/Science Faculty informed us in its letter No. 2369 on 24/10/1999 of the existence of a Neutron Source (Am-Be) in one of its laboratories and was previously brought by Dr. Midhat Al Zubaidi one of the ex-researchers (currently retired) of Firnas Center and we did the following:
1. Send a team from the department to investigate this Source where it was revealed it a Source (P-Be) with a high radiation activity (Aciory) brought in the year 1996.
2. A meeting was held in our department on Sunday 14/11/1999 with all the people concerned from the Atomic Energy Agency and the Firnas company and the Science Faculty/Al Mustansirya University and the following was revealed:
A. The Atomic Energy Organization clarified that this Source was not documented in their archives because it was previously shrouded by secrecy and it was delivered to Dr. Midhat Al Zubaidi at the end of year 1989.
B. Dr. Midhat clarified that he received the Source from the Organization in 1993 during the period where the equipment from the previous program were returned to the Al Tuwaitha site and he transferred to the Engineering Faculty/Baghdad University and then it was returned to its current location in Al Mustansirya University in the year 1996.
3. Dr. Khaled Ibrahim Said clarified that it is possible that this Source can be used by the Fourth Group where Dr. Midhat Al Zubaidi was one of its members in the year 1989 and for the purpose of doing some experimentations.
4. Information about this Source was previously requested by the Agency because it was imported to the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization under the name of Al Basra University. And the Organization sent a team to Al Basra University to investigate or try to find it without any results.
In light of these infractions we suggest the return of the Source to the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization and including and declaring it among the Radioactive Sources that it possesses.
With regards… Sir
General Engineer
Hussam Ahmad Amin
18/11/1999
End of the Translation.
I also found in my reading of document ISGQ-2003-00000813.pdf which is a 2002 document that the Iraqi were working to produce TANTALUM COATED GRAPHITE as part of research activities for the year 2002. This very special coating of Graphite with Tantalum to create a highly corrosion resistant surface for graphite. The document by itself does not say what is the use for this but for sure one of the few applications is that this Tantalum coated graphite can be used with the highly corrosive UF6 or Uranium Hexafluoride which is the basic component for ENRICHED URANIUM. In fact A Tantalum coated Graphite was totally prohibited for use in Iraq since it falls under the prohibited nuclear activities per this UN document ( http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/documents/S-2002-515.pdf pages 84 and 133 of this UN document pdf, an * next to an item means it is prohibited).
Yep, and that is about as deep as I want to get into it. Tritium does basically the same thing. The goal is to get the most yield out of the smallest amount of nuclear material.
I first post my work right here on FR and all the translations that I have done so far are on my FR profile page http://www.freerepublic.com/~jveritas/.
Also I do have a blog where all my translations are posted http://iraqdocs.blogspot.com/.
Do you have a ping list? I'd like to be on it if you do.
Freeper eyespysomething is the main organizer of the Iraq documents and its ping list, she will be glad to put you on the list.
ever hear of the radioactive boy scout?
Tantalum has been studied as an alternate target for
proton beam breeding of neutrons
Who? :)
Thanks for another great find and great translation.
No. Polonium-210 emits alpha particles during its radioactive decay, which interact with the Beryllium to produce neutrons. The neutrons can be used for several different purposes, not just in nuclear weapons.
If this was a Po-Be source and it was over ten years old, it would be virtually useless. Polonium-210 has a half-life of 140 days, and after five half-lives, any source of radioactivity is basically inert (it doesn't make sense that this would be a "P-Be" source, since "P" is the designation for Phosphorus).
You are welcome :)
What do you think about the Tantalum coated Graphite?
Why is the document saying that this device has "High Radioactive Activity"?
Now obviously, If Tony DID know something, he may not have wanted to discuss it for some strategic reason, I suppose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.