WTF???US diplomats broke laws by sending uranium on commercial flight, says leaked cable

[malaise]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/us-diplomats-broke-laws-by-sending-uranium-on-commercial-flight-says-leaked-cable/story-fn775xjq-1225970009126
<snip>
AMERICAN diplomats secretly sent uranium on a commercial airliner, in violation of US government rules about the abuse of the diplomatic bag system, and laws governing the air transportation of hazardous materials.

The metallic powder was sent from the US Embassy in Burma, according to a cable published by WikiLeaks.

Under international agreement, cargo sent in a “diplomatic pouch” cannot be opened, or even X-rayed, by host countries. But the shipment violated State Department and Federal Aviation Administration rules, that bans the transportation of most radioactive materials on passenger flights.

In June this year, the FAA fined two Indian companies $430,000 for transporting depleted uranium on British Airways flights from Mumbai to Boston in 2008.
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Truth will out!!

[snappyturtle]

1. Will U.S. hypocrisy ever end? nt

[pgodbold]

10. No.

[ret5hd]

2. I thought our govt claims DU is harmless.

[mrfrapp]

4. Cute n/t

[JohnyCanuck]

9. Uranium in all its forms is much more dangerous than commonly recognized

says British scientist and radiation specialist Chris Busby PhD.

See the video of a talk by Busby posted in the DU videos forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x534384

[sabrina 1]

3. Every day we learn more and that is why they are desperate to

shut down Wikileaks.

I wonder will see this reported in our news media? The NYT has been doing a fairly good job of reporting on the Wikileaks cables, but they are now under a threat with being charged as spies from Joe Lieberman.

[malaise]

6. What's he worried about

Is his cable coming up??

[sabrina 1]

8. The way he's acting, I think it's possible.

Being part of the whole corrupt system, though, he's probably terrified of what he doesn't know is going to come up.

[EFerrari]

5. American cities would have to be sprinkled with DU before some people

realize that Wikileaks is doing a good thing in uncovering this kind of behavior.

[malaise]

7. It's that simple

They have been lying to us for ages.

[struggle4progress]

11. There are some problems with this story: the weight, for example, seems off

[rainbow4321]

12. Kinda wondered about that scenario when I initially read the cable

I don't care WTF multilevel layers of material they packed it in...the cable writer took time to add that they packed it in glass and lead and then a wooden container.
But then went onto say it was sent via commercial flight via a diplomatic container/bag? to Virginia to be tested.
And that they purposely didn't tell the country of Burmese for fear the Burmese officials might go and try to find where their source got it from. In other words "we needed to be able to smuggle it out of the country". Now imagine someone doing that to the FAA. And what the consequences would be for that person.