Libya's uranium, chemical stocks secure: US

The US State Department said on Thursday that it believes Libya's stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and mustard gas, built up by deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi, are secure.

The US State Department said on Thursday that it believes Libya's stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and mustard gas, built up by deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi, are secure.

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Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States was monitoring sites where the stockpiles are held through its "national technical means" -- a euphemism for spy satellites and other intelligence assets -- and was confident of their security.

Nuland stressed that the main U.S. weapons proliferation concern from Libya are shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles known as MANPADs.

Libya's chemical agents are believed to have decayed over the years, and present more of an environmental hazard than a military one. Nor is Libya believed to have the means to turn its uranium yellowcake into highly-enriched uranium that can fuel a nuclear weapon.