French Freighter intercepted by Germans in Egypt carrying Nuclear Material

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

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Maybe Germany still has a shred of decency within it,

Since when?

[longjack]

I just saw this post. Here's the story from the German Online Magazine "Spiegel":

Paraphrased:

A Stuttgart company, Optronic, through a North Korean middleman tried to deliver 22 tons of aluminum tubes for enriching uranium. This could have made 400 centrifuges. The boss of the Stuttgart company has been arrested.

The freight was to be delivered to the Chinese airplane builder Shenyang. North Korea was the true addressee, suspects the German government.

The German government denied the deal, but the goods were loaded on the French freighter "Ville de Virgo" on April 3 in Hamburg. When the German government learned of the ship's journey they intervened in Paris. The captain was informed and the container was unloaded in Egypt.

Opteron's boss denies the charge. His lawyer said the boss didn't want to close the deal after the government had stepped in, but surprisingly a Hamburg company called and said it would take over the export.

"Spiegel"..Atomschmuggel-Verdacht gegen deutsche Firma

longjack

[xm177e2]

The CDU/CSU, for example. Stoiber and Merkel are very decent, upstanding people, and when they get back into power relations between Germany and the US will go back to being very friendly.

[longjack]

Here's the translated lead-in to the article:

German Company Suspected of Atomic Smuggling

The Federal Government has stopped a container freighter which was loaded with material which is suitable for making an atomic bomb. A Stuttgart company had tried to deliver the controversial freight to North Korea. The Company's Boss has already been arrested.

xm177e2: I agree with you about relations changing to 'normal' when the CDU/CSU regains power. Roland Koch, the governer of Hessen, seems to be the star on the CDU's horizon.

longjack

[P.O.E.]

Rogues are not limited to rogue states. There's been plenty of speculation on shadowy transactions by those from many countries, including the US.

Just as f'rinstances, so-called Islamic charities, arms and drug smugglers, etc.

So interdiction by a sovereign state is not unheard of in these cases.

[George W. Bush]

The "French" freighter is probably just registered in France. Ships can be registered in any country. A truly huge percentage of the ocean-going vessels are registered in some dinky island that no one has ever heard of. The country of registry doesn't indicate who owns it or who owns its cargo.

National governments only own their own warships, I think.

[Catspaw]

These wouldn't be the same type of aluminum tubes that were shipped to Iraq that Hans Blix or ElBaradi said *wouldn't* be used for nuke production, now would they?

[MEG33]

Yes..seems Liberian registration comes to mind.

[DainBramage]

Asses of We Sell

[cardinal4]

At the risk of sounding naive, arent companies supposed to file copies of the End User certificate with their respective governments? I know forgery is fairly easy, but I understand maritime companies and shipping companies have come under a lot of scrutiny since 9/11. It behooves all parties involved to make sure its on the up and up.

[DainBramage]

Actually it was a German doing the smuggling on a French Ship!

Colonol Hogon...I know nutting..NUTTING!

[longjack]

These wouldn't be the same type of aluminum tubes that were shipped to Iraq that Hans Blix or ElBaradi said *wouldn't* be used for nuke production, now would they?

It is high..it is far..it is gone! A home run, catspaw. Good hit.

Here's a sentance from the "Spiegel" article:

Die Aluminiumrohre sind dazu geeignet, Gasultrazentrifugen zur Urananreicherung herzustellen.

The aluminum tubes are suitable for producing gas ultra centrifuges to enrich uranium

Here's Al-Baradei's comment from a "Time" article.:

Al-Baradei even put the kibosh on at least one specific charge made by Washington when he reported that aluminum tubes alleged by U.S. officials to have been imported by Iraq for use in uranium-enrichment centrifuges were, in fact, unsuitable for this purpose and had been used, as Iraq claimed, for missile-engine development.

"Time", Jan. 9, 2003..Iraq D-Day Remains Elusive

longjack

[JustPiper]

So they loaded up the barge from Saddam hey?

[P.O.E.]

I must admit I don't know much about this side of business. I'd imagine the details, when tracked back, would reveal some interesting relationships between the shipper the others in on the deal.

[kcar]

"Fallout between Franch and Germany?"

Next time Germany attacks France the US should just express its sincere regrets in the UN Security Council, while ackowledging that it is an internal EU matter. Between the UN, the EU, and the stiff resistance by the French military the Germans will be duly chided.

[LayoutGuru2]

Ouisels

Sweet!!!

[redhead]

Bumping...

[rmlew]

At this point, it isn't clear at all, what is going on.
There is a lot going on here. The details are sketchy.

Where does Egypt fit in, if at all? What jurisdiction does Germany have, in an Egyptian port, over a French vessel?

The German navy is helping patrol major shipping lanes with the war on terror.
The ship was probably in or near Port Said, the opening of the Suez Canal.

[cricket]

"The "French" freighter is probably just registered in France. Ships can be registered in any country."

. . .true, but seriously doubt that the 'French connection' here is just 'happenstance'.

In moving materials such as this, cannot imagine that every aspect is not considered and contrived for the maximum protection of all involved.

[cricket]

"Axis of Ouisels ping."

. . .LOL and a bump :^)