Libyan nuclear cargo seized
2004-01-02 13:15
Berlin - Uranium enrichment components found on a German ship headed for Libya but seized in a US-led operation had been loaded in Dubai for an Asian company, Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily reported Friday.
Seizure of the cargo sparked speculation that it sealed Tripoli's surprise decision last month to publicly renounce weapons of mass destruction.
US officials, while confirming a freighter was diverted after intelligence reports that it was shipping centrifuge parts, have so far refused to specify the equipment's country of origin or the Gulf port where it was loaded.
However, the Sueddeutsche daily identified the port as Dubai and also said British businessmen were involved. It did not name its sources.
False cargo
The unidentified Asian company declared a false cargo, it added.
Neither the crew nor the shippers - the Germany-based firm, BBC Chartering and Logistic GmbH - knew that the real cargo was components for a centrifuge capable of enriching uranium.
They have been co-operating well with authorities, the paper added, quoting German government sources.
The seizure was made in October, US authorities announced on Wednesday, after the ship was diverted to an Italian port for searching.
US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli did not want to comment on whether it had been the key impetus in convincing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to give up weapons of mass destruction.
He noted that it occurred months after Gaddafi initiated secret talks with the United States and Britain on giving up such arms.
But he also pointed out that, after the seizure, Libya agreed to let US and British experts inspect its weapons facilities.