From The International Herald Tribune:
An angry Libya delayed atom dealWASHINGTON — In the early morning of Nov. 25, 2009, a large Russian cargo plane left the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on a secret mission, but without its intended cargo.
A small stockpile of spent nuclear fuel destined for disposal in Russia remained behind in a lightly guarded research center, apparently because of a fit of pique by Libya's leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
In a frantic cable to Washington, U.S. officials in Tripoli warned of dire consequences unless the carefully brokered deal to remove the 5.2 kilograms, or 11.4 pounds, of highly enriched uranium stored in seven five-ton casks was quickly resurrected.
If the enriched uranium ''is not removed from the casks within three months, its rising temperature could cause the casks to crack and to release radioactive nuclear material,'' the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli reported, according to cables made public by WikiLeaks. ''Security concerns alone dictate that we must employ all of our resources to find a timely solution to this problem, and to keep any mention of it out of the press.''
The seeds of what appeared to be the demise of the secret deal were planted weeks earlier in New York, when Colonel Qaddafi expressed unhappiness that he was not permitted to set up his tent in Manhattan or to visit the site of the destroyed World Trade Center towers during a United Nations session.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/world/africa/04libya.html
Will not time reveal the lasting importance of friends and mutual respect? Be kind to those who think well of you and those you know and try to add positive elements to your world. Promote peace in your heart and sunshine in the minds of those around you by your own good works. Elevate the level of discussion by thinking less of the issues and more of how you can reduce the tension of stress that arises with honest disagreement. Relax by breathing more deeply and consciously.
