CAIRO: The investigation into traces of uranium found in Egypt has been closed, according to Egypt’s Ambassador to Austria Ihab Fawzi, who said in Vienna that he was told as much by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
An IAEA report leaked last May indicated that traces of enriched uranium were found at the Inshaas site where Egypt has its nuclear program.
Fawzi said that the traces of uranium found would be investigated as part of the agency’s routine inspections on the site. He added that the traces of uranium could have been a result of contaminated containers, which has happened in other countries in the past.
“It is not that unusual for the agency to find traces of nuclear material in environmental samples at nuclear sites in a country. As needed, these are followed up by the Department of Safeguards, a diplomat close to the IAEA previously told Daily News Egypt.
Egypt offered in explanation to what came in the report that the uranium “could have been brought into the country through contaminated radioisotope transport containers, according to the leaked IAEA report.
President of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Agency Mohammed El-Kolali said at the time, “The inspectors found particles of enriched uranium and asked us for an explanation. We told them they must come from those containers.
Environmental swipe samples were taken at the site during 2007 and 2008. Further tests were being conducted to ascertain whether the uranium was weapons grade, i.e. rich enough to be used as in a nuclear bomb.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki refuted the reports of the discovery at the time the report was leaked, labeling it “fallacious and old. He said in a statement that “the IAEA always affirms – in its reports – the peaceful nature of the Egyptian nuclear activities.
In the statement, Zaki expressed his astonishment “that media sources obtained information included in the IAEA report, which is expected to be announced in its meeting in June 2009, the matter that questions the motives behind leaking such issues.
