This is a follow up of sorts to my post on "Operation Sapphire", which was the US operation to remove a large amount of highly enriched uranium from Kazakhstan.

The Washington Post today has an online pictorial and story by Philip Pan that describe the results of Soviet nuclear weapons testing in Kazakhstan and the current struggle to control access to uranium in the country. Pan does a good job looking in depth at the issues of uranium access that cross borders from Russia, to Japan, North America and Europe. One note on the online pictorial, some of the images of the people affected by the radiation from the testing can be rather graphic and stark, so consider yourself warned before you click on the link.

What should be of concern in who ends up with control of Kazakh uranium are the regional concerns as Iran looks to develop its nuclear program. While it looks like there is no direct outright connection between Kazakh uranium and Iran's nuclear program has been acknowledeged officially that I know of, the geography of the area makes the possibility of a connection a little more real.

David Hoffman, a Washington Post contributing editor, has released a new book, Dead Hand, that explores the history of the US/USSR arms race during the 80s and 90s. In it, he devotes a few pages to Operation Sapphire in which he does report a connection between Kazakhstan and Tehran. His reporting only makes the concern of a connection between Central Asia and Iran's nuclear program a little more real. If you don't have time to get the book, take a listen to Terrry Gross' interview with Hoffman on her NPR Show Fresh Air.

Thanks to the Perry Castaneda online map collection at University of Texas for the map of Central Asia. Sphere: Related Content