American officials, who wished to remain unnamed, stated on Friday that the White House aims to keep uranium collected from 24 research reactors in 16 countries out of terrorists' reach. They did not name any specific country but implied that gaining their cooperation might be difficult. A day earlier, Russia, Yugoslavia, and the United States completed a covert operation to remove about 60 kilograms of uranium from a reactor near Belgrade and transported it by plane to a secure area in Russia. The U.S. government assisted in planning the operation and funding it, and American officials say Washington wants to help more countries safeguard their uranium stockpiles. The uranium removed from Russia is sufficient to build at least two nuclear bombs.
Removing Nuclear Materials from Terrorists' Reach - 2002-08-24
American officials announced efforts to secure uranium from research reactors in 16 countries to prevent it from falling into the hands of terrorists. A recent operation successfully removed 60 kilograms of uranium from a reactor in Yugoslavia to Russia. This is significant as it highlights ongoing international efforts to control nuclear materials and prevent proliferation.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The U.S., Russia, and Yugoslavia conducted a covert operation to secure 60 kilograms of uranium from a reactor in Yugoslavia and transport it to Russia. This is part of a broader effort to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists.
- 60 kilograms of uranium were removed from Yugoslavia.
- The uranium is enough to build at least two nuclear bombs.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Post-9/11, there has been increased global focus on securing nuclear materials to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%