French Freighter intercepted by Germans in Egypt carrying Nuclear Material

fox news ^ | 4-26-03 | fox news

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Perhaps see post #23 and the link there!

[green team 1999]

Egypt bought 24 missiles from north korea,(on the news months ago)and want to start the uranium mines on the sinai,egypt want material for some bombs too,

now someone try to fit that with the news of the ship,because egypt needs the equipment to purified the uranium.

[GretchenEE]

I don't think they [the Germans] are as arrogant as the frenchmen

Arrogance requires a "something lighter" in the attitude than Germans are wont to have. Hence, the thinnest book in the world: Four Hundred Years of German Humor.

[BrooklynGOP]

Germans intercepting the French? Hah. Talk about double back stabbing...

[AMNZ]

Starting to sound like good solid competition. Germans wanting some make-up points with U.S. with marks against the French. Never mind Germany's shipment of sodium cyanide to NK in Feb. on the same ship that took the NK scud missles to "Yemen".

[knak]

Suspect nuclear-related shipment to NKorea intercepted: report

The German government has intercepted a shipment of German-made aluminium tubes probably destined for use in North Korea's nuclear programme, according to a German magazine.

The weekly magazine Der Spiegel said in its issue due to be published on Monday that 22 tonnes of aluminium tubes, essential in the manufature of enriched uranium, were loaded onto a French ship in Hamburg in early April just as German federal vetoed the shipment.

The German government alerted the French authorities, who ordered the ship's captain to unload the containers in Egypt.

Officially the tubes were on their way to a Chinese aeronautics company, but according to Der Spiegel Berlin believes this company was a front for North Korea.

The German firm's business contact was a North Korean national, it said.

The paper said the head of the German company, called Optronic and which is based at Koenigsbronn in southern Germany, had been detained for questioning.

The prosecutor's office in Stuttgart confirmed it had opened an investigation into a local firm suspected of contravening foreign trade regulations, but gave no further details.

On Thursday, in the first direct high-level contact between the United States and North Korea since the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear programme erupted last October, North Korea confirmed it possessed nuclear weapons.

Suspect nuclear-related shipment to NKorea intercepted: report

[putupon]

Maybe the Nazis were POed @ the Vichys for saying they wanted to end the Oil for Food UniversalNitwits sanctions the other day.

[putupon]

Thanks

[VRWC_minion]

If the French were smuggling something and they were about to be stopped by the US, what better plan to mitgate damages than to have a friendly nation intervene before the US could.

[putupon]

Curiouser and curiouser

[John H K]

Ugh...Admins REALLY need to "fix" the headline of this thread, then.

To most people "Nuclear Material" means uranium or plutonium, not aluminum tubes that could be used in the production of either.

[abnegation]

Actually this was the wording on the Fox News Alert....nuclear materials....

[El Gato]

Inspections don't work, we need occupation troops in France.

I'm afraid that would be a quagmire. The VD problem alone would doom the effort.

[putupon]

Ugh...Admins REALLY need to "fix" the headline

Everybody thinks they can do better.

The Fox announcer said "nuclear material". Next time, you post a breaking story first and you can use your title.

So nyah-nyah-nyah to you.

If Admin would take that extra y out of Eygypt though, I would appreciate it.

[cardinal4]

Keep in mind, the German contribution to the war on terror is Naval patrols around the Horn of Africa. This might be why the intercept was made in Egypt; a quick half a day run up the Red Sea to Egyptian waters. Thats just my speculation..

[geedee]

No . . . no . . . Who's on first, What's on second and . . .

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Why are the Germans intercepting a French freighter? I thought they were members of the same club. Perhaps the French neglected to pay the customary gratuity.

[mass55th]

"Maybe Germany still has a shred of decency within it..."

From my WWII desk calendar:

On April 27, 1941, Athens, Greece, surrenders to German forces without firing a shot. The Greeks give up to protect that city's monuments and buildings from bomb damage.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I think we need to send weapons inspectors to france

I understand Inspector Blix may be available.