2.5 tons of uranium missing in Libya sparks concern

by ian

Startling news coming from Libya, where the UN says that ten drums of natural uranium are missing.

The Libyan army posted a video claiming that they had recovered the barrels, but the video has not yet been verified. The International Atomic Energy Agency says about 2.5 tons of the raw material could not be found.

While the uranium is in its metal form, the agency warned the loss “may present a radiological risk” and “nuclear security concerns.” The ore can be enriched over time to create 12 pounds of nuclear weapon-grade material.

Libya ended its nuclear weapons program in 2003. But the country has experienced civil war and unrest since 2011.

The watchdog organization did not disclose which storage site had lost the drums. But they did say the site required “complex logistics” to reach.

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