UN finds no sign of Egypt nuke bomb plans - diplomats

VIENNA - UN nuclear experts investigating undeclared Egyptian atomic experiments have found no evidence of a nuclear arms programme, Western diplomats said.

The UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began looking closely at Egypt last year after learning that its scientists had worked with uranium and other materials that could be used to make atomic weapons, the diplomats said.

The nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of governors meets on February 28 to discuss an internal report which is still being drafted that will detail such experiments that Egypt failed to declare, they added.

"The report will not be final but it will already be clear from it that there's really no problem with Egypt's nuclear programme in terms of proliferation," a Western diplomat said.

Egypt says its atomic work is for peaceful purposes only.

The experiments partly came to light after some scientists involved in the project published their research.

"It's nothing that's very serious," said another diplomat. "Egypt appears to be guilty of not informing the IAEA about work of some scientists that should have been declared. "

But one envoy said Cairo could still expect criticism. "I think they won't get off without some stern words perhaps. "

Diplomats said several Egyptian nuclear scientists, who may have acted without government approval, experimented with making uranium metal and preparing uranium for enrichment, a process of purifying uranium for use as fuel in power plants or bombs.

News about Cairo's undeclared nuclear activity has been embarrassing for the IAEA's Egyptian director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, who is hoping to be re-elected for a third term as its chief this year. He has declined to comment on the case.

Diplomats said Egypt's violations were minor compared to the undeclared work on nuclear fuel conducted by Iran and South Korea.

European diplomats said that Washington, which views ElBaradei as a serious irritant and wants him replaced, has been supportive of Cairo, making it clear it has no suspicions that the Egyptians were working on a bomb.

"It is more important (for Washington) to have Egypt as an ally than to get rid of ElBaradei," one European envoy said.

Last week, the head of Egypt's nuclear energy agency said the IAEA was certain Cairo's nuclear programme was "sound", Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

But the Vienna-based IAEA has asked Egypt to "take some corrective steps in declaring research activities", Aly Islam, head of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, told MENA.

IAEA recently visited a plutonium processing laboratory that was probably built in the 1980s and which Egypt says has never been used. The agency took samples to test for traces of plutonium, which can be used to fuel atomic weapons.

The diplomats said there would probably be another IAEA report when the agency's board meets again in June, because the results of environmental samples taken at nuclear sites in Egypt would not be ready in time for this month's meeting.

- REUTERS