US Gov't Web site Reveals Nuclear Info

In an effort to drum up support for the Bush Administration's decision to go to war with Iraq, Congressional Republicans pressured the government to make public documents showing Saddam Hussein's efforts to both research and obtain weapons of mass destruction.

Although the move may have been intended to benefit the war effort, it may have actually benefited America's enemies, the New York Times reported Friday. Experts claim that when looking at the entire group of documents, it could be viewed as a primer to build an atomic bomb.

The site has since been taken down while the government reviews the included data to ensure it is appropriate for the public. But it may be too late say some experts, as the initiative has been online since March, and the documents in question have been online for several weeks.

Some of the information included charts and diagrams on building firing circuits and information on the cores of an atom bomb. Earlier information gave details on producing chemical agents tabun and sarin, although that was taken down due to protests by UN arms officials.

Experts asked by the NYT called the data release "irresponsible," and "a cookbook" that is "helpful" to those counties aiming to develop nuclear weapons. However, one cautions that the material would benefit countries more than it would terrorist groups.