FARC and Uranium????

[sonar732]

Great...as if we need this to add to our current situation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/colombia_uranium

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia is worried about documents on the laptop of a slain rebel leader indicating the guerrillas were trying to obtain uranium, but has no evidence they intended to use it as a weapon, the vice president said Wednesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/03/05/oas.colombia/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/03/05/oas.colombia/index.html)

[baggygreen]

If its true, they were probably looking to get it simply to on-sell at a tidy profit. I imagine someone has thought of using south americans as middlemen, might be a bit easier for people to sell weapons to south americans rather than the more traditional terrorists... just a thought

[Platapus]

Well since there is not a shortage of Uranium in the world, I doubt they can sell U3O8 (uranium ore) for anywhere near the amount mentioned in the article. U3O8 is just not that rare nor valuable.

The article does mention processed Uranium which can mean practically anything from concentration to enrichment.

The FARC does not have the infrastructure nor the facilities for any type of production Uranium enrichment. Concentrated Uranium would make a lousy RDD and there are much better radiological materials available if the FARC were so inclined.

"'Take note. To put the FARC and the word uranium in the same sentence is to make anyone's hair stand up,'" Santos said"

I think that pretty much sums it up. FARC and uranium sure makes for an emotional response and as such is useful for political manipulations.

I think the surrounding nations have more to worry about from the FARC than any nuclear scares.