... AP reported today as follows:

American troops who suggested they uncovered evidence of an active nuclear weapons program in Iraq unwittingly might have stumbled across known stocks of low-grade uranium, officials said yesterday. They said the U.S. troops might have broken U.N. seals meant to keep control of the radioactive material.
...
The Marines said they discovered 14 buildings at the site which emitted unusually high levels of radiation, and that a search of one building revealed "many, many drums" containing highly radioactive material. If documented, such a discovery could bolster Bush administration claims that Saddam Hussein was trying to develop nuclear weaponry.
...
But, an expert familiar with U.N. nuclear inspections told the Associated Press that it was implausible to believe that U.S. forces had uncovered anything new at the site. Instead, the official said, the Marines apparently broke U.N. seals designed to insure the materials aren't diverted for weapons use -- or end up in the wrong hands.
...
Several tons of low-grade uranium has been stored at Tuwaitha, Iraq's principle (sic) nuclear research center and a site that has been under IAEA safeguards for years, the official said. The Iraqis were allowed to keep the material because it was unfit for weapons use without costly and time-consuming enrichment.
...
The uranium was inspected by the U.N. nuclear agency twice a year and was kept under IAEA seal -- at least until early this week, when the Marines seized control of the site.
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I omitted several paragraphs of the story (indicated by the ellipses). I added the bold emphasis in the penultimate paragraph.

In any event, seems pretty clear that this "find" wasn't what it was initially cracked up to be. Just another good reason to adopt -- and maintain -- a wait and see attitude. ----- jim o\-S