http://www.aftenposten.no/english/world/article.jhtml?articleID=744707

Swedish uranium may be missing

Large amounts of uranium may have gone missing from a nuclear technology
company in Sweden. The American Central Intelligence Agency fears a worst-case
scenario where the material has already fallen into terrorist hands, newspaper
Expressen reports.

"The company (Ranstad Mineral) is a security risk and we have taken the matter
to top level to get the Swedes to stop them," a CIA spokesman told the Swedish
newspaper.

The CIA operative claims to know that the little Swedish company has educated
Syrian nuclear physicists in the treatment of uranium. He also has information
that a Swedish consultancy has sold nuclear equipment to Syria that can be used
in the treatment of radioactive material.

"If it transpires that radioactive or nuclear material has been sent on from
Sweden to Syria then this is a very serious matter for Sweden," the CIA source
said.

After a meeting with the CIA operative Swedish authorities raided Ranstad
Mineral several times and shut the company down on the grounds of deficient
security.

"It was one of the worst things I have seen. The company has extremely serious
deficiencies in its registration system," said Carl Magnus Larsson, divisional
leader of the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority after their inspection.