DATE=4/23/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-230122
TITLE=GEORGIA URANIUM SHIPMENT (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=SELINA WILLIAMS
DATELINE=TBILISI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  GEORGIAN PHYSICISTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A CACHE OF
URANIUM LEFT A DEFUNCT NUCLEAR REACTOR IN GEORGIA IN THE EARLY
HOURS OF THE MORNING (THURSDAY).  SELINA WILLIAMS REPORTS FROM
THE GEORGIAN CAPITAL, TBILISI, THAT A LARGE U-S MILITARY
TRANSPORT AIRPLANE -- THAT WILL PROBABLY BE USED TO FLY THE
MATERIALS OUT OF THE COUNTRY -- WAS STANDING BY UNDER HEAVY
SECURITY AT THE CITY'S AIRPORT (EDS: UPDATE INTO AFTER
CONFIRMATION THE PLANE HAS DEPARTED).

TEXT:  FIVE KILOGRAMS OF HIGHLY-ENRICHED URANIUM AND SPENT
NUCLEAR FUEL -- LEFTOVERS FROM AN OLD NUCLEAR RESEARCH REACTOR --
WERE BEING PREPARED FOR REMOVAL FOR AT LEAST A WEEK.

SOMETIME ON WEDNESDAY THE NUCLEAR MATERIALS WERE PLACED INTO
SPECIAL PROTECTIVE CONTAINERS WHICH WERE THEN LOADED ONTO LARGE
TRUCKS.  BY THURSDAY MORNING THE TRUCKS HAD LEFT THE TERRITORY OF
THE REACTOR IN THIS FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC.

SHUCURY ABRAMIDZE, A NUCLEAR PHYSICIST WHO HAD HELPED WITH THE
PREPARATIONS TO REMOVE THE MATERIALS, SAID WHEN HE CAME TO WORK
IN THE MORNING EVERYTHING WAS GONE.  MR. ABRAMIDZE SHOWED
JOURNALISTS THE EMPTY COOLING PONDS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY HELD THE
RADIOACTIVE FUEL RODS.  THE TERRITORY AROUND THE REACTOR WAS NO
LONGER UNDER THE HEAVY SECURITY THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE DURING THE
PAST WEEK.

IN AN OPERATION CODE-NAMED "AUBURN ENDEAVOR" -- A TEAM OF
AMERICAN EXPERTS HAD BEEN FLOWN IN TO HELP THE GEORGIANS PREPARE
THEIR REMAINING URANIUM FOR REMOVAL FROM THE COUNTRY.

U-S AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS ALL AGREED IT WAS IMPORTANT TO
REMOVE THE MATERIALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FROM THIS POTENTIALLY
VOLATILE CAUCASUS REGION, THAT IS  NOT  FAR FROM IRAN.

SOME EXPERTS SAY THE AMOUNT OF URANIUM WAS TOO SMALL TO BE USED
TO MAKE A NUCLEAR BOMB, BUT OTHERS DISAGREE.

THE NUCLEAR CARGO WILL BE ACCEPTED BY A REPROCESSING PLANT IN
SCOTLAND, WHERE IT WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO MEDICAL ISOTOPES FOR
THE TREATMENT OF CANCER.

BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR HAD OFFERED TO TAKE THE
NUCLEAR CACHE FROM GEORGIA AFTER RUSSIA WENT BACK ON AN ORIGINAL
PROMISE TO ACCEPT THE MATERIAL.

THE UNITED STATES WAS INVOLVED IN A SIMILAR OPERATION FOUR YEARS
AGO TO TRANSPORT MORE THAN A HALF-TON OF BOMB-GRADE URANIUM FROM
THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN TO A REPROCESSING PLANT
IN THE U-S STATE OF TENNESSEE.  BUT POTENTIAL OPPOSITION FROM U-S
ENVIRONMENTALISTS PREVENTED THE COUNTRY FROM TAKING ANY MORE
NUCLEAR MATERIALS. (SIGNED)

NEB/SW/PCF/JO



23-Apr-98 12:28 PM EDT (1628 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.