The U.S. National Intelligence Director's Office said in a report this month that Kazakhstan might be willing to sell sensitive nuclear materials to Iran and other countries, the Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday (see GSN, July 1).
(Oct. 16) -
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, shown in February. The U.S. National Intelligence Director's Office expressed concern in a report this month that Kazakhstan might seek to export nuclear materials with weapon applications (Sean Gallup/Getty Images).
Kazakhstan possesses the world's second-largest known uranium ore reserves, behind only Australia, notes the unclassified analysis released by the national intelligence director's Open Source Center.
"Seemingly contrary to its promotion of a peaceful, nuclear weapon-free Central Asia, Kazakhstan foresees itself connected to the nuclear arena, and actively pursues collaborations with other countries in nuclear-related activities," the report states.
To date, Kazakhstan has only conducted uranium enrichment work inside Russia with extensive assistance from Moscow, according to the report. The enrichment process can produce material suitable for use in nuclear weapons.
"The concerns of the international community regarding the Kazakhstan-Russian enrichment cooperation ... focus on Kazakhstan's position as a country that may find it attractive to acquire enrichment technology, and Russia's ability to provide such technology in order to maintain clout in its traditional sphere of influence and retain a resource-rich neighbor," the report states (Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 15).
China might also be willing to provide Kazakhstan with uranium enrichment technology in effort to bolster ties with the former Soviet state, the analysis adds (Diane Barnes, Global Security Newswire, Oct. 16).