South Africa nuclear research facility admits to second break-in

[bananas]

Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Johannesburg - Not one but two groups of intruders managed to breach security at South Africa's Pelindaba nuclear research facility last week, when armed robbers stormed the control room and shot and injured a worker, it emerged Tuesday. Briefing the media on the embarrassing security breakdown at Pelindaba, near Pretoria, in the early hours of Thursday, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) head Rob Adam revealed that the western section of the plant had also been breached.

<snip>

Gerber had tried to tackle a group of armed men who managed to get into the electronically-sealed control room and were making for the control panel, he told Pretoria News in a hospital interview.

The four gunmen made off with a computer, Tuesday's press conference heard.

<snip>

Weapons-grade uranium is still stored at the site under international supervision, according to unconfirmed reports.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/141217.html

[Greyskye]

1. wow

that's some scary lack of security.

[bananas]

4. Yeah - the security guard was off-duty, lucky he was there.

He was only there to be with his fiancee who works there.
He fought them off after being shot in the chest.
Apparently they were the only ones in the control room.
He was interviewed in the hospital: http://www.pretorianews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20071109061218448C528585

[bananas]

2. Shocking new information on SA nuke attack

Shocking new information on SA nuke attack
13 November 2007, 15:56 GMT + 2

INITIAL reports that criminals had gained access to South Africa’s high-security Pelindaba nuclear facility west of Pretoria were alarming in their own right.

But today’s bombshell revelation by authorities that the incident was a planned and co-ordinated “military-style” attack aimed at seizing the institution’s computers is cause for grave concern.

<snip>

It is highly unlikely that the “military-style” gang which attacked the facility was merely after the computers for their paltry resale value.

<snip>

There can be no question now that a full probe into the breach at Pelindaba must be undertaken and our nuclear information must be secured as an urgent priority.

<snip>

more: http://blogs.thetimes.co.za/hartley/2007/11/13/shocking-new-information-on-sa-nuke-attack/

[The Animator]

3. So the real question is...

Do you think it was Al Queda, or some other terrorist organization?

Or do you think it was us? It's been six years since 9/11 and the American people may need another "another Pearl Harbor" to convince them that they need to sacrifice all their civil liberties.

[DCKit]

5. No, the REAL question is "What passes for 'high security' in SA?" nt

[bananas]

7. Good point - as Al Gore said, "During my 8 years in the White House,

"During my 8 years in the White House, every nuclear weapons proliferation issue we dealt with was connected to a nuclear reactor program."
http://www.nyu.edu/community/gore.html

Another REAL question is "What passes for 'high security' in USA?"
The US Air Force lost track of 6 nuclear cruise missiles for 36 hours - fortunately, they recovered all 5 of them!

[bananas]

6. Valerie Plame might know

monitoring nuclear weapons trafficking was part of her job.

[RainDog]

8. mercenaries

who are probably also employed by Blackwater, or some other such group. Blackwater uses South Afr. apartheid soldiers. who better to know the terrain?

who knows who they are doing it for, tho.

[Sirveri]

9. Doesn't make sense. We already know how to build bombs.

If we were going to fake something we'd steal weapons grade materials, not blue prints.