Iraqi nuclear assets ‘gone’

Satellite images show entire buildings have been dismantled without any record being made, said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog.


Apart from a couple of limited checks on the main nuclear facility at Tuwaitha last June after reports of looting – and with no teams now on the ground – the IAEA has to rely on satellite imagery and other sources.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Mr ElBaradei said buildings related to Iraq’s previous nuclear programme appeared to have been systematically dismantled and equipment and material removed.