Radioactive material stolen in Iraq

baghdad - Iraq turns out for months in search of a stolen suitcase with radioactive material. The authorities reported the theft of the party iridium-192 in November by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Searches have so far yielded nothing.

The doomsday scenario of the Iraqi authorities is that the material in the hands of Islamic State (IS) falls, suggested an anonymous official from the Interior Ministry.,, They could attach to make a dirty bomb simply to explosives. '' Such a bomb with radioactive material, not to be confused with a nuclear weapon could contaminate an area with radiation, with all its consequences.

The thieves stole the material from a warehouse near Basra, in southern Iraq, along with measuring equipment. It is according to the IAEA material from Category 2. This means that improper handling of the stuff can be deadly if one is hours or days shall be exposed to. It would be 10 grams.

The radioactive isotopes were used in the inspection of materials for the oil and gas pipe lines. The nuclear material is in some kind of protective suitcase the size of a laptop. It is according to Baghdad disappeared from a warehouse of the American company Weatherford. This company offers its services in the oil sector, however, has announced nothing to find out the stuff and not have to be responsible. It would have been owned by researchers at the Turkish SGS Turkey.

Such material is already much more often stolen or lost, with no dirty bombs were made. Have extemisten in southern Iraq such as Islamic State moreover no foothold.