Libya's decision was sealed with intercepted shipment

WASHINGTON - Nearly three months after the successful operation, the Bush administration confirmed on Wednesday interception of an illegal shipment of thousands of parts of uranium-enrichment equipment bound for Libya.

The seizure in early October sealed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's decision to dismantle his nuclear weapons program, according to the Associated Press and other media outlets that cited a U.S. official they did not identify.

Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton plans to fly to London today to make plans with Britain for holding Gadhafi to his Dec.19 pledge to dismantle.

The intercepted parts were being delivered to Libya on a German-owned freighter that was diverted to an Italian port.

The United States and Britain plan to send experts to Libya this month to analyze the extent of Libya's nuclear program and its quest for biological and chemical weapons as well as modern missiles.

Top Bush administration officials are convinced the programs are far more extensive than outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency and said this week that the United States and Britain would pursue their own joint program to uncover Libya's operation and hold Gadhafi to his promise to uproot development of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as well as potent missiles.

The interception of centrifuge parts bound for Libya was first reported in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal. The White House and State Department then confirmed the report with few details and no explanation why confirmation took nearly three months.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, told the Associated Press on Tuesday he did not want American or British help on the ground in Libya.

"As far as I'm concerned, we have the mandate, and we intend to do it alone," ElBaradei said.

But senior American officials confirmed an active U.S. and British role and said Libya's programs were far more extensive than the U.N. agency had disclosed.

The shipment originated in a Persian Gulf port, but the officials declined to identify the country Wednesday. Nor would they say which country or countries may have supplied the centrifuge parts, citing ongoing investigations.

In September, British and American intelligence authorities learned a German freighter was to depart the gulf port bearing centrifuge equipment, the Associated Press reported, citing the unidentified U.S. official. The agencies alerted their German counterparts, who contacted the ship's owner.

The German shipper, BBC Chartering and Logistic GmbH, ordered the ship to divert to the Italian port.

There, British and American authorities discovered the centrifuge parts, which can be used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

The seizure came as part of a U.S.-led international effort to halt commerce in weapons of mass destruction that was launched in May.

In mid December, officials from 16 countries held talks on developing skills to block the transfer of missiles and weapons technology.

Six exercises in early 2004 are planned, led by the United States, France, Germany, Poland, and two by Italy.

The goal is to prevent North Korea and other rogue states from spreading and acquiring weapons and technology.

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