US cable: Nuclear smuggling attempted in PHL in 2007

Divers in the Philippines attempted to sell to the US nuclear materials they found in a shipwreck in 2007, according to one of the latest disclosures from whistleblower site WikiLeaks. The US Embassy in London reported to the US Secretary of State in Washington, DC, the attempted sale of uranium 'bricks' discovered in unnamed Philippine waters. In a private cable on November 21, 2007 marked "sensitive", US diplomats relayed information "in regard to the sale of Uranium that formerly belonged to the US." The cable described "a potential incident of illicit trafficking in and possible offer of nuclear and/or radiological materials." According to the cable, on the previous day, November 20, the Embassy's Foreign Service National Investigator Unit (FSNI) was contacted by a man who claimed that nuclear material had been found in the Philippines and that attempts were being made to sell the material overseas. "He had worked with divers in the Philippines previously and was recently contacted by them with information that they had found 5-6 Uranium 'bricks' at the sight (sic) of an underwater wreck. (He) stated his contacts expressed a desire to sell the 'bricks' for profit," the cable said. Uranium is an unstable radioactive element that is one of the main components used in nuclear weapons. The cable went on to say that the Embassy also received an email with nine photos attached of the alleged radioactive material. The cable pointed out that neither UK nor Philippine authorities were informed of the existence of the radioactive material and the sale attempt. The incident only came to light today, February 2, with the latest WikiLeaks disclosure. In a press statement, the Philippine-based militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) denounced the incident and raised concerns about the movement of weapons-grade nuclear material in Philippine territory. "This is quite alarming. We are a country that does not allow nuclear weapons, nor do we operate any nuclear power plant. We can only think of a few American entities that are nuclear-capable. These are the US troops. The question is, what are the US forces doing with nuclear material in our country?" said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr. GMANews.TV is still trying to reach the US Embassy in the Philippines and the Department of Foreign Affairs for comment. — GMANews.TV