Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KAMPALA266
2008-02-12 10:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kampala
Cable title:
NUCLEAR SMUGGLING INCIDENT/PORTAL DETECTION IN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0010 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHKM #0266 0431044 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 121044Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA TO RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0971 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9976
UNCLAS KAMPALA 000266
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INS/CTR AND PM/ISO/PMAT (24/7)
INFO DS/IP/AF, T, DS, INR, IO/T, INR/SPM, PM/ISO, PMAT,
S/CT, S/P, S/ES-O, INL, S/P
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KCRM KNNP MNUC PARM PTER KCOR UG
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR SMUGGLING INCIDENT/PORTAL DETECTION IN
KAMPALA- FEBRUARY 12, 2008
REF: SECSTATE 162091
UNCLAS KAMPALA 000266
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INS/CTR AND PM/ISO/PMAT (24/7)
INFO DS/IP/AF, T, DS, INR, IO/T, INR/SPM, PM/ISO, PMAT,
S/CT, S/P, S/ES-O, INL, S/P
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KCRM KNNP MNUC PARM PTER KCOR UG
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR SMUGGLING INCIDENT/PORTAL DETECTION IN
KAMPALA- FEBRUARY 12, 2008
REF: SECSTATE 162091
1. (SBU) Post wishes to alert the Department and
Washington agencies per reftel that it has received a
report indicating a potential incident of illicit
trafficking in nuclear and/or radiological materials.
This report came to post's attention via walk in interview.
Information
concerning this report was relayed telephonically to PMAT
at 0430 (Washington, DC time) on February 12, 2008.
2. Details of the incident follow:
A) Current location of material: Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC).
B) Transport status of material: Stationary.
How secure is it: Not yet known.
What does the host government plan to do with it: the
Chieiftaincy of Military Intelligence has been notified. Not
yet known what they plan to do with it.
C) Assessment of the likelihood that the appropriate
authorities can/will secure the material: Unlikely.
D) If in transit, means of transport: Currently stationary.
May be in transit in the next few days via public
transportation or hired taxi.
E) Intended destination of material: Tentatively Kampala,
Uganda.
F) Routing of material, if via multiple ports: Across
DRC/Ugandan border.
G) Supplier and/or origination point of material: Supplier
is Congolese male (no further information). Origination
point of material is undisclosed location in DRC.
H) Type of material: Highly enriched grade pure uranium
liquid. Poor quality photocopies of the canister and a
charter indicating the uranium level was provided. There is
no evidence to indicate the two copies are relevant to each
other. Copies will be sent to MPAT, NTRG and DS/IP/SPC/WMD.
Further copies are available upon request. Contact
information is listed in para. 3.
I) Date and time of incident: Not yet known.
J) Source of the report: Walk-in.
K) If an alarm, technical information: Not applicable.
L) What else if anything was being smuggled with the
material: Nothing else at this time.
M) Specific place where alarm or incident occurred: Not
applicable.
N) Additional details of walk-in interview: The SOURCE is a
Ugandan who sells gold that has been purchased from Congolese
miners. A friend of the SOURCE knows a Congolese male with
uranium for sale and would like the SOURCE to broker the
transaction with a buyer. Per the SOURCE, there was a
Pakistani buyer in Kenya who is not able to purchase the
uranium due to the ongoing civil unrest in Kenya (NFI). The
SOURCE was asked to provide a good quality photograph of the
canister with the headline of a current newspaper in the
background to ascertain if the canister even exists. This
information has been shared with the Chieftaincy of Military
Intelligence officer. RSO section will take no further
action without additional guidance from Washington, DC.
3. (SBU) Action officer at post for handling incident is
Assistant Regional Security Officer Kevin W. Murphy,
reachable via mobile phone: 256-772-200-517, office:
256-414-30-6207, unclas email: murphykw2@state.gov, clas
email: murphykw@state.sgov.gov.
BROWNING
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INS/CTR AND PM/ISO/PMAT (24/7)
INFO DS/IP/AF, T, DS, INR, IO/T, INR/SPM, PM/ISO, PMAT,
S/CT, S/P, S/ES-O, INL, S/P
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KCRM KNNP MNUC PARM PTER KCOR UG
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR SMUGGLING INCIDENT/PORTAL DETECTION IN
KAMPALA- FEBRUARY 12, 2008
REF: SECSTATE 162091
1. (SBU) Post wishes to alert the Department and
Washington agencies per reftel that it has received a
report indicating a potential incident of illicit
trafficking in nuclear and/or radiological materials.
This report came to post's attention via walk in interview.
Information
concerning this report was relayed telephonically to PMAT
at 0430 (Washington, DC time) on February 12, 2008.
2. Details of the incident follow:
A) Current location of material: Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC).
B) Transport status of material: Stationary.
How secure is it: Not yet known.
What does the host government plan to do with it: the
Chieiftaincy of Military Intelligence has been notified. Not
yet known what they plan to do with it.
C) Assessment of the likelihood that the appropriate
authorities can/will secure the material: Unlikely.
D) If in transit, means of transport: Currently stationary.
May be in transit in the next few days via public
transportation or hired taxi.
E) Intended destination of material: Tentatively Kampala,
Uganda.
F) Routing of material, if via multiple ports: Across
DRC/Ugandan border.
G) Supplier and/or origination point of material: Supplier
is Congolese male (no further information). Origination
point of material is undisclosed location in DRC.
H) Type of material: Highly enriched grade pure uranium
liquid. Poor quality photocopies of the canister and a
charter indicating the uranium level was provided. There is
no evidence to indicate the two copies are relevant to each
other. Copies will be sent to MPAT, NTRG and DS/IP/SPC/WMD.
Further copies are available upon request. Contact
information is listed in para. 3.
I) Date and time of incident: Not yet known.
J) Source of the report: Walk-in.
K) If an alarm, technical information: Not applicable.
L) What else if anything was being smuggled with the
material: Nothing else at this time.
M) Specific place where alarm or incident occurred: Not
applicable.
N) Additional details of walk-in interview: The SOURCE is a
Ugandan who sells gold that has been purchased from Congolese
miners. A friend of the SOURCE knows a Congolese male with
uranium for sale and would like the SOURCE to broker the
transaction with a buyer. Per the SOURCE, there was a
Pakistani buyer in Kenya who is not able to purchase the
uranium due to the ongoing civil unrest in Kenya (NFI). The
SOURCE was asked to provide a good quality photograph of the
canister with the headline of a current newspaper in the
background to ascertain if the canister even exists. This
information has been shared with the Chieftaincy of Military
Intelligence officer. RSO section will take no further
action without additional guidance from Washington, DC.
3. (SBU) Action officer at post for handling incident is
Assistant Regional Security Officer Kevin W. Murphy,
reachable via mobile phone: 256-772-200-517, office:
256-414-30-6207, unclas email: murphykw2@state.gov, clas
email: murphykw@state.sgov.gov.
BROWNING