IAEA urges return of experts to Iraq to address possible radiological emergency

Alarmed that nuclear and radiological materials in Iraq may no longer be under control after looting and destruction at nuclear sites, the United Nations nuclear watchdog today called on the United States and other coalition authorities to allow its experts to return to address a possible radiological emergency there.

"I am deeply concerned by the almost daily reports of looting and destruction at nuclear sites, and about the potential radiological safety and security implications of nuclear and radiological materials that may no longer be under control," the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, said in his third message on the issue in little over a month.

"We have a moral responsibility to establish the facts without delay and take urgent remedial action," Mr. ElBaradei said of reports about yellow cake being emptied on the ground from containers that were then taken for domestic use, and radioactive sources being stolen and removed from their shielding.

Noting that the IAEA had experienced international teams of radiation safety, nuclear security and emergency response specialists who could be deployed immediately into Iraq, Mr. ElBaradei again urged that the agency be allowed to send a safety and security team so that a potentially serious humanitarian situation can be addressed without further delay.

As hostilities in Iraq were coming to an end, Mr. ElBaradei wrote on 10 April to the US Government bringing its attention to the need to secure nuclear material stored at Tuwaitha – Iraq's nuclear research centre – and under IAEA seal since 1991. The IAEA received oral assurances that physical protection of the site was in place.

But after reports of looting there and at other sites, Mr. ElBaradei wrote again on 29 April, emphasizing the responsibility of the coalition forces to maintain appropriate protection over the materials in question. This includes natural and low-enriched uranium, radioactive sources such as Cobalt 60 and Caesium 137, and nuclear waste.

Mr. ElBaradei said he regretted that the IAEA had to date not received a response.