Libya secretly produced a small amount of plutonium, imported enriched uranium and engaged in a number of other activities aimed at producing a nuclear weapon, a report by the UN nuclear watchdog said this evening.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said (these) "failures show that over an extended period of time Libya was in breach of the... safeguards agreement", which is a key part of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Among the numerous breaches of Libya's obligations to report its nuclear activities to the IAEA, the agency listed "failure to declare the import of UF6 (slightly enriched uranium) in 1985, 2000 and 2001 and its subsequent storage...and the import of uranium compounds in 1985 and 2002".
The report said Libya also failed to declare "the separation of a small amount of plutonium". Plutonium and highly enriched uranium are the two substances used to form the core of a nuclear bomb.
UF6 gas is the form of uranium in enrichment centrifuges to produce enriched uranium.
In December, Libya said it was scrapping its nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programmes and invited US, British and international experts to help it disarm.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei will travel next week to Libya to meet senior Libyan officials and review progress in the IAEA's dismantling of the country's nuclear weapons programme.
The IAEA is preparing reports on Libya and Iran ahead of its March 8th Board of Governors meeting.