Customs Fails To Detect Uranium Shipped Into Country By ABC Reporter

[AvesPKS]

ABC (9/11, story 7, 3:50, Jennings) reports, "Every day this week we have spent some time on the broadcast focused on homeland security. Tonight, the results of a very controversial ABC News investigation. Last year, ABC's Brian Ross, to test security at the nation's ports, sent a shipment of radioactive but not dangerous uranium from Turkey to New York City, and it was never detected. This year, to see if things had improved, Brian and his team sent a shipment from Indonesia to Los Angeles." ABC (Ross) adds, "For a second year, US Customs screeners failed to detect a shipment in a container from overseas that nuclear weapons experts say they should have -- 15 pounds of depleted uranium. Depleted uranium is harmless, but scientists say it would give off much the same signature as weapons-grade uranium packed the same way, shielded by lead." The investigation "began in Jakarta, Indonesia, the site of two deadly bombings tied to Al Qaeda." In Jakarta, "we put the uranium in a suitcase, then packed it in a teak truck and quickly found a company willing to ship it to the US with almost no questions asked. No one from the Indonesian or US government inspected it there either. Not with homeland security officials envisioned when they talked about added vigilance overseas to protect American ports." Sen. Dianne Feinstein: "This is a case in point which establishes the soft underbelly of national security and homeland defense in the US." Ross: "Three weeks after leaving Indonesia, the ship carrying the ABC News container pulled into the port of Los Angeles. It was targeted for screening, because it came from Jakarta, but Homeland Security inspectors, using their best scanning equipment, like this device, did not detect the depleted uranium inside. Yet Homeland Security officials claim they passed the test with flying colors." Undersecretary for Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson: "We targeted it, inspected it, confirmed it was not of a danger to America." Ross: "But our container left the port without being opened -- the only way, scientists say, screeners could know whether the material inside was harmless or a danger to America. Within minutes, it was on the 110 freeway moving through the heart of downtown Los Angeles. And Homeland Security officials did not learn what had happened until hours later, after our truck driver, whom he told we were from ABC News, became nervous, and authorities were notified." Allison: "The tests that you put to them, which looks to me to be a fair test, they failed." Ross: "The government reaction has been to investigate ABC News. Agents were dispatched at midnight to our Los Angeles bureau, where they demanded the material and threatened to file criminal charges against ABC personnel." Ross: "Did you think I was a terrorist?" Undersecretary Hutchinson: "I think you're a news reporter trying to carry out a hoax on our inspectors." Ross: "Called a hoax or a test, the fact is, the security system at the ports failed, once again. Officials say there is help on the way, that hundreds of new radiation detection devices, new and improved, they say, are to be ordered this month, in place, and they say it will detect even the kind of material that we sent."

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: AvesPKS

ABC (9/11, story 7, 3:50, Jennings) reports, "Every day this week we have spent some time on the broadcast focused on homeland security. Tonight, the results of a very controversial ABC News investigation. Last year, ABC's Brian Ross, to test security at the nation's ports, sent a shipment of radioactive but not dangerous uranium from Turkey to New York City, and it was never detected. This year, to see if things had improved, Brian and his team sent a shipment from Indonesia to Los Angeles." ABC (Ross) adds, "For a second year, US Customs screeners failed to detect a shipment in a container from overseas that nuclear weapons experts say they should have -- 15 pounds of depleted uranium. Depleted uranium is harmless, but scientists say it would give off much the same signature as weapons-grade uranium packed the same way, shielded by lead." The investigation "began in Jakarta, Indonesia, the site of two deadly bombings tied to Al Qaeda." In Jakarta, "we put the uranium in a suitcase, then packed it in a teak truck and quickly found a company willing to ship it to the US with almost no questions asked. No one from the Indonesian or US government inspected it there either. Not with homeland security officials envisioned when they talked about added vigilance overseas to protect American ports." Sen. Dianne Feinstein: "This is a case in point which establishes the soft underbelly of national security and homeland defense in the US." Ross: "Three weeks after leaving Indonesia, the ship carrying the ABC News container pulled into the port of Los Angeles. It was targeted for screening, because it came from Jakarta, but Homeland Security inspectors, using their best scanning equipment, like this device, did not detect the depleted uranium inside. Yet Homeland Security officials claim they passed the test with flying colors." Undersecretary for Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson: "We targeted it, inspected it, confirmed it was not of a danger to America." Ross: "But our container left the port without being opened -- the only way, scientists say, screeners could know whether the material inside was harmless or a danger to America. Within minutes, it was on the 110 freeway moving through the heart of downtown Los Angeles. And Homeland Security officials did not learn what had happened until hours later, after our truck driver, whom he told we were from ABC News, became nervous, and authorities were notified." Allison: "The tests that you put to them, which looks to me to be a fair test, they failed." Ross: "The government reaction has been to investigate ABC News. Agents were dispatched at midnight to our Los Angeles bureau, where they demanded the material and threatened to file criminal charges against ABC personnel." Ross: "Did you think I was a terrorist?" Undersecretary Hutchinson: "I think you're a news reporter trying to carry out a hoax on our inspectors." Ross: "Called a hoax or a test, the fact is, the security system at the ports failed, once again. Officials say there is help on the way, that hundreds of new radiation detection devices, new and improved, they say, are to be ordered this month, in place, and they say it will detect even the kind of material that we sent."

YOu do realized DU is barely radioactive....

 

[Moonbeam]

YOu do realized DU is barely radioactive....
--------------------
Whereas anthrax spores send a Geiger counter off the charts?

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
YOu do realized DU is barely radioactive....
--------------------
Whereas anthrax spores send a Geiger counter off the charts?

of course.

 

[dahunan]

Isn't this a really old story ... sort of like ENRON

 

[Moonbeam]

No