George W. Bush Presidential Library: NSC Correspondence Related to Lia, Georgia Radiological Accident

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

All information, analyses, summaries, assessments, transcripts, audio or visual recordings, or similar records included in National Security Correspondence related to the Lia radiological accident and the accident's aftermath. The Lia radiological incident occurred in the country of Georgia in late 2001 and early 2002. The accident was the result of improperly stored and abandoned Soviet-era radioisotope thermoelectric generators. This accident resulted in the injuries to three Georgian villagers. The accident happened just months after 9/11 and the government of Georgia openly asked for international assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (the IAEA) in locating the material.

This incident is likely to have generated considerable national security correspondence. Georgia's government was an ally of the United States. The United States is a member of the IAEA, and the Georgian government requesed help from the IAEA. Issues related to errant nuclear materials in the former Soviet Union were a prerogative of the United States as part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program created by the Nunn-Lugar act. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, threats related to "dirty bomb" attacks were routinely reported on in nightly newscasts and in the newspapers.

More information about the Lia incident can be found in this report published by the IAEA:

https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1660web-81061875.pdf

Please conduct a search for information, analyses, summaries, assessments, transcripts, audio or visual recordings, or similar records related to the Lia, Georgia incident. Limit the search to documents related to the Lia incident created from December 2nd 2001 to December 2nd 2005. An additional interest would be if the Lia incident and the aftermath was discussed in relation to the beginning of the Saakashvili administration some years later.

Thank you for your commitment to transparency and I look forward to working together until this request is resolved.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Robert Delaware