Chinese contract for Mirion
06 August 2009
US-based Mirion Technologies has been awarded a contract - its largest ever - to supply radiation monitoring systems for ten new nuclear power reactors to be constructed in China.
Hongyanhe
The Hongyanhe plant will be monitored by Mirion systems
Under the contract, awarded by China Nuclear Power Engineering Co (CNPEC), Mirion will supply ten complete sets of radiation monitoring systems anticipated to be delivered between 2011 and 2013. The systems will be utilised in units at the Hongyanhe site in Liaoning province, the Ningde site in Fujian province and the Yangjiang site in Guangdong province. All the reactors will be of the Chinese CPR1000 design. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.
The systems will include components related to barrier leak control, effluent release monitoring, process operations, post-accident management and radioprotection of workers. The project covers the design, engineering, manufacturing, commissioning and training of all the systems, including several safety-related monitors.
In May, Mirion said it had been awarded a contract to supply over 20 body contamination monitors to the Smolensk and Volgodonsk nuclear power plants in Russia. The previous month the company won a contract to supply process and event monitoring systems to the Ulchin, Shin Kori and Shin Wolsung plants in South Korea.
In February, Mirion was awarded a contract to supply visual systems for the new interim spent fuel storage facility to be constructed at the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania. The same month, the company signed a contract with Canada's Bruce Power for the supply of over 100 whole body monitors.
Mirion was awarded a contract in January by Electricité de France (EdF) to supply 19 of its nuclear power reactors with active neutron dosimeters and readers. Last October, Mirion was awarded the contract to supply the process radiation monitoring systems and the building radiation monitoring system for the France's first EPR reactor, currently under construction at Flamanville.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Chinese_contract_for_Mirion-0608094.html
Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Nuclear Power in the USA
Nuclear Power in the USA
(Updated July 2009)
Related pages: US Nuclear Power Policy
US Nuclear Fuel Cycle
* The USA is the world's largest producer of nuclear power, with more than 30% of worldwide nuclear generation of electricity.
* The country's 104 nuclear reactors produced 809 billion kWh in 2008, almost 20% of total electrical output.
* Following a 30-year period in which few new reactors were built, since mid-2007 there have been 17 licence applications to build 26 new nuclear reactors.
* Government policy changes in the last 10 years have helped pave the way for significant growth in nuclear capacity. Government and industry are working closely on expedited approval for construction and new plant designs.
Go to article:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.html
(Updated July 2009)
Related pages: US Nuclear Power Policy
US Nuclear Fuel Cycle
* The USA is the world's largest producer of nuclear power, with more than 30% of worldwide nuclear generation of electricity.
* The country's 104 nuclear reactors produced 809 billion kWh in 2008, almost 20% of total electrical output.
* Following a 30-year period in which few new reactors were built, since mid-2007 there have been 17 licence applications to build 26 new nuclear reactors.
* Government policy changes in the last 10 years have helped pave the way for significant growth in nuclear capacity. Government and industry are working closely on expedited approval for construction and new plant designs.
Go to article:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.html
Go-ahead to break ground for new US reactors
Go-ahead to break ground for new US reactors
09 April 2009
Southern Nuclear has given notice to its main contractors to proceed towards two new reactors at Vogtle. Permissions already in place allow some construction work to begin.
Vogtle - new reactors
How Vogtle 3 and 4 could look
The reactors in question are two Westinghouse AP1000 units which Southern's subsidiary Georgia Power contracted Westinghouse and Shaw to build in April exactly one year ago. That contract was submitted to the Georgia Public Service Commission and gained approval in mid March - including permission for Georgia Power to begin recovering the cost of the new reactors from ratepayers bills.
The engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Westinghouse and Shaw will see the companies supply and construct the entire facility with the exception of 'certain items' provided by the plant's co-owners, although exact contract terms, conditions and value have not yet been released.
"We are poised to break ground on
one of the first new US nuclear
construction projects in more than
30 years."
J M Bernhard
Chairman, president and CEO of Shaw
Southern's application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC) reached a certain point in February at which limited construction work would be permitted at the site when the NRC released the final safety evaluation related to Southern's application for an Early Site Permit. The full result of the ESP application should be known by the end of this year.
Full construction, however, can only start once a combined construction and operating license is issued for the project, expected in mid-2011.
Two reactors already operate at Vogtle, starting up in May 1987 and May 1989. Each of the Westinghouse pressurized water reactors (PWRs) is capable of generating 1215 MWe. The two new units will each produce 1105 MWe.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Go-ahead-for_groundbreaking_on_US_reactors_0904092.html
09 April 2009
Southern Nuclear has given notice to its main contractors to proceed towards two new reactors at Vogtle. Permissions already in place allow some construction work to begin.
Vogtle - new reactors
How Vogtle 3 and 4 could look
The reactors in question are two Westinghouse AP1000 units which Southern's subsidiary Georgia Power contracted Westinghouse and Shaw to build in April exactly one year ago. That contract was submitted to the Georgia Public Service Commission and gained approval in mid March - including permission for Georgia Power to begin recovering the cost of the new reactors from ratepayers bills.
The engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Westinghouse and Shaw will see the companies supply and construct the entire facility with the exception of 'certain items' provided by the plant's co-owners, although exact contract terms, conditions and value have not yet been released.
"We are poised to break ground on
one of the first new US nuclear
construction projects in more than
30 years."
J M Bernhard
Chairman, president and CEO of Shaw
Southern's application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC) reached a certain point in February at which limited construction work would be permitted at the site when the NRC released the final safety evaluation related to Southern's application for an Early Site Permit. The full result of the ESP application should be known by the end of this year.
Full construction, however, can only start once a combined construction and operating license is issued for the project, expected in mid-2011.
Two reactors already operate at Vogtle, starting up in May 1987 and May 1989. Each of the Westinghouse pressurized water reactors (PWRs) is capable of generating 1215 MWe. The two new units will each produce 1105 MWe.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Go-ahead-for_groundbreaking_on_US_reactors_0904092.html
Reactors ready for floating plant
Reactors ready for floating plant
07 August 2009
Russia's Afrikantov OKBM has completed the assembly of the second KLT-40S reactor for the country's first floating nuclear power plant, currently under construction in St Petersburg. The first reactor has already been delivered.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Reactors_ready_for_first_floating_plant-0708094.html
07 August 2009
Russia's Afrikantov OKBM has completed the assembly of the second KLT-40S reactor for the country's first floating nuclear power plant, currently under construction in St Petersburg. The first reactor has already been delivered.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Reactors_ready_for_first_floating_plant-0708094.html
Iran Nuclear Capability After 2013, Says US Intelligence by Daniel Luban
Iran Nuclear Capability After 2013, Says US Intelligence
by Daniel Luban, August 08, 2009
http://original.antiwar.com/luban/2009/08/07/nuclear-capability-after-2013-says-us-intelligence/
by Daniel Luban, August 08, 2009
http://original.antiwar.com/luban/2009/08/07/nuclear-capability-after-2013-says-us-intelligence/
Friday, August 7, 2009
TVA backs firm exploring small nuclear reactors $1 million contract may spur development
TVA to study installing small reactor at Oak Ridge
The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to spend about $1 million in the next year studying the possibility of putting a small nuclear reactor, designed by Babcock & Wilcox of Lynchburg, Va., near Oak Ridge, Tenn. Babcock is seeking certification for the reactor, which is about one-tenth the size of traditional reactors and would provide enough power for a city of 100,000 people. "It's part of TVA's interest in looking at different options going forward," said TVA spokesman Terry Johnson. Tennessean (Nashville), The (08/03)
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090803/NEWS01/908030339/TVA%20backs%20firm%20exploring%20small%20nuclear%20reactors
The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to spend about $1 million in the next year studying the possibility of putting a small nuclear reactor, designed by Babcock & Wilcox of Lynchburg, Va., near Oak Ridge, Tenn. Babcock is seeking certification for the reactor, which is about one-tenth the size of traditional reactors and would provide enough power for a city of 100,000 people. "It's part of TVA's interest in looking at different options going forward," said TVA spokesman Terry Johnson. Tennessean (Nashville), The (08/03)
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090803/NEWS01/908030339/TVA%20backs%20firm%20exploring%20small%20nuclear%20reactors
Industry research group sees need for 45 more nuclear plants by 2030
Industry research group sees need for 45 more nuclear plants by 2030
NEI SmartBrief | Aug 04, 2009
The Electric Power Research Institute on Monday issued a report calling for 45 more nuclear reactors to be built by 2030 in order for the U.S. to meet new standards for emissions reductions. The group also called for more cleaner-coal power plants and an 8% reduction in electricity consumption. Reuters (08/03)
NEI SmartBrief | Aug 04, 2009
The Electric Power Research Institute on Monday issued a report calling for 45 more nuclear reactors to be built by 2030 in order for the U.S. to meet new standards for emissions reductions. The group also called for more cleaner-coal power plants and an 8% reduction in electricity consumption. Reuters (08/03)
Report Ties Dubious Iran Nuclear Docs to Israel
by Gareth Porter, June 04, 2009
http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2009/06/03/report-ties-dubious-iran-nuclear-docs-to-israel/
A report on Iran’s nuclear program issued by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month generated news stories publicizing an incendiary charge that U.S. intelligence is underestimating Iran’s progress in designing a "nuclear warhead" before the halt in nuclear weapons-related research in 2003.
That false and misleading charge from an intelligence official of a foreign country, who was not identified but was clearly Israeli, reinforces two of Israel’s key propaganda themes on Iran – that the 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran is wrong, and that Tehran is poised to build nuclear weapons as soon as possible.
But it also provides new evidence that Israeli intelligence was the source of the collection of intelligence documents which have been used to accuse Iran of hiding nuclear weapons research...
The most revealing glimpse of Israeli use of such documents to influence international opinion on Iran’s nuclear program comes from the book by Frantz and Collins. They report that Israel’s international intelligence agency Mossad created a special unit in the summer of 2003 to carry out a campaign to provide secret briefings on the Iranian nuclear program, which sometimes included "documents from inside Iran and elsewhere."
The "alleged studies" collection of documents has never been verified as genuine by either the IAEA or by intelligence analysts. The Senate report said senior United Nations officials and foreign intelligence officials who had seen "many of the documents" in the collection of alleged Iranian military documents had told committee staff "it is impossible to rule out an elaborate intelligence ruse."
by Gareth Porter, June 04, 2009
http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2009/06/03/report-ties-dubious-iran-nuclear-docs-to-israel/
A report on Iran’s nuclear program issued by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month generated news stories publicizing an incendiary charge that U.S. intelligence is underestimating Iran’s progress in designing a "nuclear warhead" before the halt in nuclear weapons-related research in 2003.
That false and misleading charge from an intelligence official of a foreign country, who was not identified but was clearly Israeli, reinforces two of Israel’s key propaganda themes on Iran – that the 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran is wrong, and that Tehran is poised to build nuclear weapons as soon as possible.
But it also provides new evidence that Israeli intelligence was the source of the collection of intelligence documents which have been used to accuse Iran of hiding nuclear weapons research...
The most revealing glimpse of Israeli use of such documents to influence international opinion on Iran’s nuclear program comes from the book by Frantz and Collins. They report that Israel’s international intelligence agency Mossad created a special unit in the summer of 2003 to carry out a campaign to provide secret briefings on the Iranian nuclear program, which sometimes included "documents from inside Iran and elsewhere."
The "alleged studies" collection of documents has never been verified as genuine by either the IAEA or by intelligence analysts. The Senate report said senior United Nations officials and foreign intelligence officials who had seen "many of the documents" in the collection of alleged Iranian military documents had told committee staff "it is impossible to rule out an elaborate intelligence ruse."
It Pays to Have a Nuke By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
It Pays to Have a Nuke
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
What’s the lesson for Iran in this story? It pays to have a nuke. You get some respect, even a visit from Bill Clinton.
http://www.counterpunch.org/
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
What’s the lesson for Iran in this story? It pays to have a nuke. You get some respect, even a visit from Bill Clinton.
http://www.counterpunch.org/
Kim Jong-Il opens line to Washington: analysts
Kim Jong-Il opens line to Washington: analysts
Washington (AFP) Aug 5, 2009 - North Korea's Kim Jong-Il has deftly changed a tense game of nuclear brinksmanship with Washington by allowing a former US president to rescue two imprisoned journalists, analysts said Wednesday. Former president Bill Clinton's surprise visit to Pyongyang and the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who flew home to an emotional reunion Wednesday, opened a new path that could lead ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Kim_Jong-Il_opens_line_to_Washington_analysts_999.html
Washington (AFP) Aug 5, 2009 - North Korea's Kim Jong-Il has deftly changed a tense game of nuclear brinksmanship with Washington by allowing a former US president to rescue two imprisoned journalists, analysts said Wednesday. Former president Bill Clinton's surprise visit to Pyongyang and the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who flew home to an emotional reunion Wednesday, opened a new path that could lead ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Kim_Jong-Il_opens_line_to_Washington_analysts_999.html
Final Modernization First Stage ICBM Rocket Motor Delivered
Final Modernization First Stage ICBM Rocket Motor Delivered
Clearfield Ut (SPX) Aug 07, 2009 - Northrop Grumman has delivered the final, first stage solid rocket motor for the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) July 23 to the U.S. Air Force under the Propulsion Replacement Program (PRP). The delivery represents a significant milestone in the continuing modernization of the ICBM land-based arsenal. The first stage rocket motor was delivered at teammate Alliant Techsy ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Final_Modernization_First_Stage_ICBM_Rocket_Motor_Delivered_999.html
Clearfield Ut (SPX) Aug 07, 2009 - Northrop Grumman has delivered the final, first stage solid rocket motor for the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) July 23 to the U.S. Air Force under the Propulsion Replacement Program (PRP). The delivery represents a significant milestone in the continuing modernization of the ICBM land-based arsenal. The first stage rocket motor was delivered at teammate Alliant Techsy ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Final_Modernization_First_Stage_ICBM_Rocket_Motor_Delivered_999.html
US, UAE Nuclear Deal Would End if Terms Violated
US, UAE Nuclear Deal Would End if Terms Violated
Richard Lardner, Associated Press
The U.S. would cancel a nuclear energy agreement with the United Arab Emirates if the Middle East nation were to violate any terms of the deal, an Obama administration official said Wednesday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...ZYItpwD99AEEF01
* Statement by US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
http://www.state.gov/t/us/125782.htm
Richard Lardner, Associated Press
The U.S. would cancel a nuclear energy agreement with the United Arab Emirates if the Middle East nation were to violate any terms of the deal, an Obama administration official said Wednesday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...ZYItpwD99AEEF01
* Statement by US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
http://www.state.gov/t/us/125782.htm
G-8 Nations Press Iran on Nuclear Program
G-8 Nations Press Iran on Nuclear Program
Peter Baker, The New York Times
G-8 SummitThe world’s major industrial nations have given Iran until September to negotiate the dispute over its nuclear program, but remain vague and divided over what consequences they might try to impose should Tehran continue to defy them.
After a long discussion Wednesday night, President Obama and counterparts from the rest of the Group of 8 powers called on Iran to compromise on its uranium enrichment program, condemned its crackdown on the dissent after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election and repudiated the president’s statements denying the Holocaust.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/mi...html?ref=europe
* G-8 Summit Release on Nonproliferation (PDF)
http://www.g8italia2009.it/static/G8_Alleg...iferation,0.pdf
Peter Baker, The New York Times
G-8 SummitThe world’s major industrial nations have given Iran until September to negotiate the dispute over its nuclear program, but remain vague and divided over what consequences they might try to impose should Tehran continue to defy them.
After a long discussion Wednesday night, President Obama and counterparts from the rest of the Group of 8 powers called on Iran to compromise on its uranium enrichment program, condemned its crackdown on the dissent after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election and repudiated the president’s statements denying the Holocaust.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/mi...html?ref=europe
* G-8 Summit Release on Nonproliferation (PDF)
http://www.g8italia2009.it/static/G8_Alleg...iferation,0.pdf
The Long, Hard Road to Nuclear Safety
The Long, Hard Road to Nuclear Safety
Bryan Bender, The Boston Globe Two stories underground, in a concrete room with a heavy steel door, gloved technicians wearing smocks carefully measure and weigh the charcoal-gray pellets, 182 in all. They are among the most dangerous materials in the world: highly enriched uranium, the main ingredient for a nuclear bomb.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/ar...nuclear_safety/
Bryan Bender, The Boston Globe Two stories underground, in a concrete room with a heavy steel door, gloved technicians wearing smocks carefully measure and weigh the charcoal-gray pellets, 182 in all. They are among the most dangerous materials in the world: highly enriched uranium, the main ingredient for a nuclear bomb.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/ar...nuclear_safety/
Serbia, IAEA Sign Additional Protocol on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Serbia, IAEA Sign Additional Protocol on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Xinhua
Serbia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed here on Friday an additional protocol to the agreement on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/...nt_11649540.htm
Xinhua
Serbia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed here on Friday an additional protocol to the agreement on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/...nt_11649540.htm
U.S. and Russia to Reduce Arsenals Michael A. Fletcher and Philip P. Pan, The Washington Post President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reached a preliminary agreement Monday to cut the American and Russian nuclear arsenals by as much as a third while exploring options for cooperation on missile defense.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070600784.html
* Press Conference by President Obama and President Medvedev of Russia
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Press-Conference-by-President-Obama-and-President-Medvedev-of-Russia/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070600784.html
* Press Conference by President Obama and President Medvedev of Russia
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Press-Conference-by-President-Obama-and-President-Medvedev-of-Russia/
A Response to Jon Kyl and Richard Perle
A Response to Jon Kyl and Richard Perle
James Acton, George Perkovich, and Pierre Goldschmidt, Proliferation Analysis
Nuclear DeterrentPresident Obama's speech on April 5, 2009, in Prague, in which he pledged "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," was the most important statement of nuclear weapons policy in a generation. It is absolutely right to subject this policy to scrutiny. The critique by Senator Jon Kyl and Richard Perle in the Wall Street Journal last week is to be welcomed as a stimulus to analysis and debate. See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623202363966157.html
The Kyl and Perle op-ed is, however, based on a series of invalid premises. It focuses on arguments not actually made by those who advocate the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publicati...p&proj=znpp
James Acton, George Perkovich, and Pierre Goldschmidt, Proliferation Analysis
Nuclear DeterrentPresident Obama's speech on April 5, 2009, in Prague, in which he pledged "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," was the most important statement of nuclear weapons policy in a generation. It is absolutely right to subject this policy to scrutiny. The critique by Senator Jon Kyl and Richard Perle in the Wall Street Journal last week is to be welcomed as a stimulus to analysis and debate. See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623202363966157.html
The Kyl and Perle op-ed is, however, based on a series of invalid premises. It focuses on arguments not actually made by those who advocate the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publicati...p&proj=znpp
Could A North Korean Missile Reach Hawaii?
Could A North Korean Missile Reach Hawaii?
From The Christian Science Monitor:
North Koreans on Thursday tested several short-range missiles, but their track record on longer-range missile technology has been poor.
Washington - Could North Korea hit Hawaii with a missile, if it wanted to?
In theory, yes. Pyongyang has ballistic missile technology that technically, if it worked to perfection, could throw a small payload across the 7,100 kilometers or so that separate the Korean peninsula from Honolulu, according to a US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.
But North Korea has tested its most advanced long-range missiles only a few times, and in each instance, something major has gone wrong. The warhead would be so tiny it would do little damage – if it survived the heat of reentry, which is doubtful. (It wouldn't be nuclear. North Korea remains years from developing that kind of capability.)
Accuracy would be problematic. The missile would be as likely to hit ocean as land.
Bottom line: For the moment, the chance of North Korea endangering Hawaii, or any other US territory, may be quite small.
Read more ....
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0703/p02s01-usgn.html
I personally am very skeptical that they can develop and engineer a missile that can hit targets thousands of kilometers away. Their track record is less than stellar, and the resources that they have to develop such a weapon system is dubious at best.
The only value that such a missile will have is a propaganda one .... and this the North Koreans have been masters at.
What our concern should be focused on is their short range missiles. This is a technology that they have developed, and a strike on our Japanese or South Korean allies will have an impact just as much as a strike against Hawaii or the U.S. mainland.
As for the U.S. scampering to positioning their anti-missile defense systems around Hawaii .... this is Washington political theatrics at its worse.
From The Christian Science Monitor:
North Koreans on Thursday tested several short-range missiles, but their track record on longer-range missile technology has been poor.
Washington - Could North Korea hit Hawaii with a missile, if it wanted to?
In theory, yes. Pyongyang has ballistic missile technology that technically, if it worked to perfection, could throw a small payload across the 7,100 kilometers or so that separate the Korean peninsula from Honolulu, according to a US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.
But North Korea has tested its most advanced long-range missiles only a few times, and in each instance, something major has gone wrong. The warhead would be so tiny it would do little damage – if it survived the heat of reentry, which is doubtful. (It wouldn't be nuclear. North Korea remains years from developing that kind of capability.)
Accuracy would be problematic. The missile would be as likely to hit ocean as land.
Bottom line: For the moment, the chance of North Korea endangering Hawaii, or any other US territory, may be quite small.
Read more ....
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0703/p02s01-usgn.html
I personally am very skeptical that they can develop and engineer a missile that can hit targets thousands of kilometers away. Their track record is less than stellar, and the resources that they have to develop such a weapon system is dubious at best.
The only value that such a missile will have is a propaganda one .... and this the North Koreans have been masters at.
What our concern should be focused on is their short range missiles. This is a technology that they have developed, and a strike on our Japanese or South Korean allies will have an impact just as much as a strike against Hawaii or the U.S. mainland.
As for the U.S. scampering to positioning their anti-missile defense systems around Hawaii .... this is Washington political theatrics at its worse.
Time for an Israeli Strike? John R. Bolton, The Washington Post
Time for an Israeli Strike? John R. Bolton, The Washington Post
With Iran's hard-line mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unmistakably back in control, Israel's decision of whether to use military force against Tehran's nuclear weapons program is more urgent than ever.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103020.html
With Iran's hard-line mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unmistakably back in control, Israel's decision of whether to use military force against Tehran's nuclear weapons program is more urgent than ever.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103020.html
in Laden Deputy Warns Pakistan the US Wants to Seize Its Nuclear Arsenal Delcan Walsh, The Guardian
in Laden Deputy Warns Pakistan the US Wants to Seize Its Nuclear Arsenal
Delcan Walsh, The Guardian
Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has attempted to halt al-Qaida's plunging popularity in Pakistan by exploiting widely held fears that the US is plotting to seize the country's nuclear bombs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/1...stan-us-nuclear
Delcan Walsh, The Guardian
Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has attempted to halt al-Qaida's plunging popularity in Pakistan by exploiting widely held fears that the US is plotting to seize the country's nuclear bombs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/1...stan-us-nuclear
GCC N-Power Plant Likely by 2015 Satish Kanady
GCC N-Power Plant Likely by 2015 Satish Kanady, The Peninsula The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) common nuclear power plant is expected to become a reality by 2015. The GCC will announce the name of the host country early next year, said a top official who is actively involved in the coordination of the proposed nuclear power plant.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=July2009&file=Local_News2009071425840.xml
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=July2009&file=Local_News2009071425840.xml
Russia Says No Iran Sanctions for START Deal: Report
Russia Says No Iran Sanctions for START Deal: Report
Reuters
MedvedevRussia will not agree to tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program in exchange for a new nuclear arms cuts deal with Washington, Interfax news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying Tuesday.
Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama's nuclear adviser suggested that progress on a U.S.-Russian nuclear arms pact could help persuade Moscow to be more cooperative on Iran. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E56D1CR20090714
* Medvedev Threatens U.S. over Missile Shield
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E5693VW20090710
Reuters
MedvedevRussia will not agree to tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program in exchange for a new nuclear arms cuts deal with Washington, Interfax news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying Tuesday.
Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama's nuclear adviser suggested that progress on a U.S.-Russian nuclear arms pact could help persuade Moscow to be more cooperative on Iran. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E56D1CR20090714
* Medvedev Threatens U.S. over Missile Shield
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E5693VW20090710
The North Korean nuclear test: The Chinese reaction By Hui Zhang
The North Korean nuclear test: The Chinese reaction
By Hui Zhang | 2 June 2009
Article Highlights
* Like South Korea, Japan, and the United States, China quickly rebuked North Korea for its nuclear test last week.
* However, despite growing frustration with Pyongyang, China will more than likely continue to oppose harsh U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
* China probably will use its leverage on North Korea only when Washington makes Pyongyang a serious offer that includes normalization of relations and robust security guarantees.
http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/fea...hinese-reaction
By Hui Zhang | 2 June 2009
Article Highlights
* Like South Korea, Japan, and the United States, China quickly rebuked North Korea for its nuclear test last week.
* However, despite growing frustration with Pyongyang, China will more than likely continue to oppose harsh U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
* China probably will use its leverage on North Korea only when Washington makes Pyongyang a serious offer that includes normalization of relations and robust security guarantees.
http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/fea...hinese-reaction
The North Korean nuclear test: The Russian reaction BY ANTON KHLOPKOV
The North Korean nuclear test: The Russian reaction BY ANTON KHLOPKOV With Russian national interests impacted by Pyongyang's recent missile launches and nuclear test, Moscow's considerable patience with the North is beginning to wear thin.
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/the-north-korean-nuclear-test-the-russian-reaction
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/the-north-korean-nuclear-test-the-russian-reaction
Backing Obama's vision for a nuclear-weapon-free world
Backing Obama's vision for a nuclear-weapon-free world
BY BULLETIN STAFF
President Barack Obama has outlined an impressive arms control agenda, but he will need informed and active people throughout the world to help him realize it.
http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/2...562924&pi=0
BY BULLETIN STAFF
President Barack Obama has outlined an impressive arms control agenda, but he will need informed and active people throughout the world to help him realize it.
http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/2...562924&pi=0
Is Your City Prepared For A Home-Made Nuke? From New Scientist
Is Your City Prepared For A Home-Made Nuke? (Click Image to Enlarge)
From New Scientist:
AS US president Barack Obama visits Moscow this week to discuss nuclear arms reduction with his Russian opposite number Dmitry Medvedev, a different nuclear threat is preoccupying emergency planners back home. A panel of medical experts has just released its assessment of the technologies and therapies that could be rolled out if a home-made nuclear bomb was ever detonated in the heart of an American city.
A device of this kind - now judged by Obama to pose "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security" - would kill hundreds of thousands of people. But as catastrophic as such an attack would be, it would not level an entire city, and a timely response could save many lives. Recent advances in techniques for mapping the path of radioactive fallout after an attack, combined with novel therapies for treating radiation victims, will improve survival chances, the report says.
Read more ....
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327163.900-is-your-city-prepared-for-a-homemade-nuke.html
My Comment: An article with tons of useful information. A must read.
From New Scientist:
AS US president Barack Obama visits Moscow this week to discuss nuclear arms reduction with his Russian opposite number Dmitry Medvedev, a different nuclear threat is preoccupying emergency planners back home. A panel of medical experts has just released its assessment of the technologies and therapies that could be rolled out if a home-made nuclear bomb was ever detonated in the heart of an American city.
A device of this kind - now judged by Obama to pose "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security" - would kill hundreds of thousands of people. But as catastrophic as such an attack would be, it would not level an entire city, and a timely response could save many lives. Recent advances in techniques for mapping the path of radioactive fallout after an attack, combined with novel therapies for treating radiation victims, will improve survival chances, the report says.
Read more ....
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327163.900-is-your-city-prepared-for-a-homemade-nuke.html
My Comment: An article with tons of useful information. A must read.
Odds Against Nuclear Disarmament Charles Peña has some news you may not like
Odds Against Nuclear Disarmament
Charles Peña has some news you may not like
http://original.antiwar.com/pena/2009/07/28/nuclear-disarmament/
Charles Peña has some news you may not like
http://original.antiwar.com/pena/2009/07/28/nuclear-disarmament/
McCain to consider support of nuclear test ban Desmond Butler, Associated Press
McCain to consider support of nuclear test ban
Desmond Butler, Associated Press
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who helped vote down U.S. ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty ten years ago, said he would now consider supporting it.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...yUZwRwD99L1TEO1
Desmond Butler, Associated Press
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who helped vote down U.S. ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty ten years ago, said he would now consider supporting it.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...yUZwRwD99L1TEO1
India submarine 'threatens peace'
India submarine 'threatens peace'
BBC India's launch of a nuclear-powered submarine is a threat to regional peace and security, Pakistan has said. "Pakistan will take appropriate steps to safeguard its security without entering an arms race," foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8171715.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8171715.stm
BBC India's launch of a nuclear-powered submarine is a threat to regional peace and security, Pakistan has said. "Pakistan will take appropriate steps to safeguard its security without entering an arms race," foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8171715.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8171715.stm
U.S. nuclear warheads, 1945-2009 BY ROBERT S. NORRIS AND HANS M. KRISTENSEN
U.S. nuclear warheads, 1945-2009 BY ROBERT S. NORRIS AND HANS M. KRISTENSEN
Of 100 types of U.S. warheads developed since 1945, only 15 remain active. New warhead production ceased in 1992, but modified warheads continue to be introduced.
http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/213757w058n98374/?p=2f144bf6812d4757b51a0461916f45d1&pi=7
Of 100 types of U.S. warheads developed since 1945, only 15 remain active. New warhead production ceased in 1992, but modified warheads continue to be introduced.
http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/213757w058n98374/?p=2f144bf6812d4757b51a0461916f45d1&pi=7
Is North Korea's reprocessing facility operating? BY HUI ZHANG
Is North Korea's reprocessing facility operating? BY HUI ZHANG
Just because air samples and satellite imagery haven't detected the telltale signs that Pyongyang is reprocessing its spent nuclear fuel doesn't mean that it's not happening.
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/north-koreas-reprocessing-facility-operating
Just because air samples and satellite imagery haven't detected the telltale signs that Pyongyang is reprocessing its spent nuclear fuel doesn't mean that it's not happening.
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/north-koreas-reprocessing-facility-operating
Rebutting the standard arguments against disarmament BY GEORGE PERKOVICH AND JAMES M. ACTON
Rebutting the standard arguments against disarmament
BY GEORGE PERKOVICH AND JAMES M. ACTON
Opponents of a nuclear-weapon-free world tend to knock down the same old straw men. Here are five arguments nuclear abolitionists aren't making.
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/...nst-disarmament
BY GEORGE PERKOVICH AND JAMES M. ACTON
Opponents of a nuclear-weapon-free world tend to knock down the same old straw men. Here are five arguments nuclear abolitionists aren't making.
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/...nst-disarmament
India Launches Nuclear Powered Submarine for Trials
India Launches Nuclear Powered Submarine for Trials - Anjana Pasricha, Voice of America.
India has launched its first indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles. The submarine, once in service, will give the country the capability to fire nuclear weapons from sea besides land and air. The Indian navy flooded a dry dock in the southern port city of Visakhapatnam to send out the nuclear-powered submarine named Arihant, for extensive sea trials in the Bay of Bengal. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who launched the submarine, called it a "historic milestone in the country's defense preparedness. It has taken India nearly two decades to develop the Arihant, which means "Destroyer of Enemies." It has been built with technical assistance from Russia. Defense officials say Arihant is powered by a nuclear reactor, and will be armed with ballistic missiles. It will carry a crew of about 100 men. New Delhi-based National Maritime Foundation director Uday Bhaskar says the launch is an important technological step putting India in a small group of nations capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines. But he stresses that it could be several years before the submarine is inducted into the Indian navy.
India has launched its first indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles. The submarine, once in service, will give the country the capability to fire nuclear weapons from sea besides land and air. The Indian navy flooded a dry dock in the southern port city of Visakhapatnam to send out the nuclear-powered submarine named Arihant, for extensive sea trials in the Bay of Bengal. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who launched the submarine, called it a "historic milestone in the country's defense preparedness. It has taken India nearly two decades to develop the Arihant, which means "Destroyer of Enemies." It has been built with technical assistance from Russia. Defense officials say Arihant is powered by a nuclear reactor, and will be armed with ballistic missiles. It will carry a crew of about 100 men. New Delhi-based National Maritime Foundation director Uday Bhaskar says the launch is an important technological step putting India in a small group of nations capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines. But he stresses that it could be several years before the submarine is inducted into the Indian navy.
Nuclear Politics
Iran will strike Israel nuclear sites if attacked: Iran has the capability to strik Israel's nuclear sites firmly and will do so if it comes under attack, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards Corps said on Saturday.
http://www.france24.com/en/20090725-iran-will-strike-israel-nuclear-sites-attacked
Clinton mum on Mideast defense umbrella: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Sunday she would not reveal any specifics of a possible defense umbrella to protect Mideast allies against Iran's nuclear program while insisting Washington remained open to dialogue with Tehran.
http://www.newsrunner.com/display-article/?eUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fhosted.ap.org%2Fdynamic%2Fstories%2FU%2FUS_CLINTON%3FSITE%3DCASRP%26SECTION%3DHOME%26TEMPLATE%3DDEFAULT&eSrc=Vernal+Express+-+Vernal+UT&eTitle=Clinton+mum+on+Mideast+defense+umbrella
Clinton's 'defense umbrella' has murky history: – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton set off tremors in the Middle East this week when she said a nuclear Iran could be contained by a U.S. "defense umbrella" — an offhand remark that appears to have emerged from obscure Washington policy debates and her own presidential campaign rhetoric.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090725/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_clinton_iran_nuclear
US Sends Senior Officials to Israel: Iran will top the agenda when American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrives in Israel on Monday. Gates is expected to urge Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, saying the planned U.S. dialogue with the Islamic Republic deserves time to bear fruit.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/07/mil-090725-voa02.htm
Hillary Clinton: Iran's pursuit of nukes 'futile': "What we want to do is to send a message to whoever is making these decisions, that if you're pursuing nuclear weapons for the purpose of intimidating, of projecting your power, we're not going to let that happen," Clinton said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25426.html
In case you missed it: Director of National Intelligence: Iran Has Not "Re-Started" Its Nuclear Weapons Program : Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) asked Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair to address the “confusion” about what the intelligence says about Iran’s weapons capacity. Blair said the intelligence community has assessed that Iran does not possess any highly-enriched uranium
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article23141.htm
http://www.france24.com/en/20090725-iran-will-strike-israel-nuclear-sites-attacked
Clinton mum on Mideast defense umbrella: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Sunday she would not reveal any specifics of a possible defense umbrella to protect Mideast allies against Iran's nuclear program while insisting Washington remained open to dialogue with Tehran.
http://www.newsrunner.com/display-article/?eUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fhosted.ap.org%2Fdynamic%2Fstories%2FU%2FUS_CLINTON%3FSITE%3DCASRP%26SECTION%3DHOME%26TEMPLATE%3DDEFAULT&eSrc=Vernal+Express+-+Vernal+UT&eTitle=Clinton+mum+on+Mideast+defense+umbrella
Clinton's 'defense umbrella' has murky history: – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton set off tremors in the Middle East this week when she said a nuclear Iran could be contained by a U.S. "defense umbrella" — an offhand remark that appears to have emerged from obscure Washington policy debates and her own presidential campaign rhetoric.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090725/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_clinton_iran_nuclear
US Sends Senior Officials to Israel: Iran will top the agenda when American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrives in Israel on Monday. Gates is expected to urge Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, saying the planned U.S. dialogue with the Islamic Republic deserves time to bear fruit.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/07/mil-090725-voa02.htm
Hillary Clinton: Iran's pursuit of nukes 'futile': "What we want to do is to send a message to whoever is making these decisions, that if you're pursuing nuclear weapons for the purpose of intimidating, of projecting your power, we're not going to let that happen," Clinton said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25426.html
In case you missed it: Director of National Intelligence: Iran Has Not "Re-Started" Its Nuclear Weapons Program : Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) asked Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair to address the “confusion” about what the intelligence says about Iran’s weapons capacity. Blair said the intelligence community has assessed that Iran does not possess any highly-enriched uranium
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article23141.htm
Israeli missile-defense test aborted
Israeli missile-defense test aborted
Amy Teibel, Associated Press
Tests of a missile-defense system meant to shield Israel from Iranian attack were aborted over the past week on three occasions because of various malfunctions, Israeli defense officials said Thursday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...ksbwJwD99K4PJO1
Amy Teibel, Associated Press
Tests of a missile-defense system meant to shield Israel from Iranian attack were aborted over the past week on three occasions because of various malfunctions, Israeli defense officials said Thursday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...ksbwJwD99K4PJO1
NRC to press ahead with Yucca review
NRC to press ahead with Yucca review
H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will press ahead with its review of a license for a nuclear waste dump in Nevada, even as the Obama administration has made clear it is abandoning the project, the commission's chairman said Tuesday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...0d2dgQD99J4MMG1
H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will press ahead with its review of a license for a nuclear waste dump in Nevada, even as the Obama administration has made clear it is abandoning the project, the commission's chairman said Tuesday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...0d2dgQD99J4MMG1
Pakistan hits out at 'detrimental' Indian nuclear sub
Pakistan hits out at 'detrimental' Indian nuclear sub
Islamabad (AFP) July 28, 2009 - Pakistan hit out at India on Tuesday, branding its first nuclear-powered submarine "detrimental" to regional peace and vowing to take "appropriate steps" to maintain a "strategic balance". Relations between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan have plummeted since Islamist gunmen killed 166 people in Mumbai last November, attacks that New Delhi blamed on banned Pakistani group ... more
Islamabad (AFP) July 28, 2009 - Pakistan hit out at India on Tuesday, branding its first nuclear-powered submarine "detrimental" to regional peace and vowing to take "appropriate steps" to maintain a "strategic balance". Relations between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan have plummeted since Islamist gunmen killed 166 people in Mumbai last November, attacks that New Delhi blamed on banned Pakistani group ... more
How Iran's Nuclear Power Play Can Change Global Politics Pepe Escobar, Asia Times
How Iran's Nuclear Power Play Can Change Global Politics
Pepe Escobar, Asia Times
World: A nuclear Iran would inevitably turbo-charge a new, emerging multipolar world; one where the U.S. won't be relied on to control Mideast oil.
Pepe Escobar, Asia Times
World: A nuclear Iran would inevitably turbo-charge a new, emerging multipolar world; one where the U.S. won't be relied on to control Mideast oil.
Yep, Waste Dump Still on Track for Deep-Sixing Lisa Mascaro, Las Vegas Sun
Yep, Waste Dump Still on Track for Deep-Sixing
Lisa Mascaro, Las Vegas Sun
MinutemanAnother sign of the possible demise of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository could be seen Wednesday on the floor of the Senate as the chamber worked its way through the annual energy spending bill for 2010.
The bill, which passed late in the day, reduces funding to develop the radioactive waste dump 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas as part of the Obama administration’s vow to terminate the project.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/3...ck-deep-sixing/
Lisa Mascaro, Las Vegas Sun
MinutemanAnother sign of the possible demise of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository could be seen Wednesday on the floor of the Senate as the chamber worked its way through the annual energy spending bill for 2010.
The bill, which passed late in the day, reduces funding to develop the radioactive waste dump 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas as part of the Obama administration’s vow to terminate the project.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/3...ck-deep-sixing/
Jordan Seeks to Join Nuclear Energy Club
Jordan Seeks to Join Nuclear Energy Club
Randa Habib, Middle East Online
Jordan is forging ahead with a peaceful nuclear programme that would turn the energy-poor kingdom into an exporter of electricity, nuclear chief Khaled Tukan said.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=33400
Randa Habib, Middle East Online
Jordan is forging ahead with a peaceful nuclear programme that would turn the energy-poor kingdom into an exporter of electricity, nuclear chief Khaled Tukan said.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=33400
China Seizes Smuggled Metal Bound for North Korea Reuters
China Seizes Smuggled Metal Bound for North Korea
Reuters
Chinese border police have seized 70 kg (154 lb) of the strategic metal vanadium bound for North Korea, a local newspaper said on Tuesday, foiling an attempt to smuggle a material used to make missile parts.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E56R1QP20090728
Reuters
Chinese border police have seized 70 kg (154 lb) of the strategic metal vanadium bound for North Korea, a local newspaper said on Tuesday, foiling an attempt to smuggle a material used to make missile parts.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...E56R1QP20090728
China, U.S. Press North Korea to Rejoin Disarmament Talks Global Security Newswire
China, U.S. Press North Korea to Rejoin Disarmament Talks
Global Security Newswire
The United States yesterday indicated that China, North Korea's most powerful ally, agreed with U.S. officials that Pyongyang should return to six-party denuclearization talks, the Yonhap News Agency reported (see GSN, July 28).
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090729_9143.php
Global Security Newswire
The United States yesterday indicated that China, North Korea's most powerful ally, agreed with U.S. officials that Pyongyang should return to six-party denuclearization talks, the Yonhap News Agency reported (see GSN, July 28).
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090729_9143.php
Myanmar Activities Fuel NKorea Nuclear Suspicions: Expert Agence France-Presse
Myanmar Activities Fuel NKorea Nuclear Suspicions: Expert
Agence France-Presse
There is no hard evidence that two of the world's pariah states are sharing nuclear technology, but one US expert says some of Myanmar's activities raise suspicions of such links with North Korea.
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/27502
Agence France-Presse
There is no hard evidence that two of the world's pariah states are sharing nuclear technology, but one US expert says some of Myanmar's activities raise suspicions of such links with North Korea.
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/27502
* Russia and the United States The Henry L. Stimson Center, July 2009
LINKS OF INTEREST
* Russia and the United States
The Henry L. Stimson Center, July 2009
http://www.stimson.org/nuke/pdf/Russia_US_Format_FINAL.pdf
* Russia and the United States
The Henry L. Stimson Center, July 2009
http://www.stimson.org/nuke/pdf/Russia_US_Format_FINAL.pdf
Iran's Nuclear Lessons from Pakistan By Simon Henderson
Iran's Nuclear Lessons from Pakistan
By Simon Henderson
http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/200...stan_97011.html
By Simon Henderson
http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/200...stan_97011.html
Myanmar defectors tell Australians of nuclear plans: report
Myanmar defectors tell Australians of nuclear plans: report
Sydney (AFP) Aug 1, 2009 - North Korea is helping Myanmar build a secret nuclear reactor and plutonium extraction plant to build an atomic bomb within five years, a report said Saturday, citing the evidence of defectors. The nuclear complex is hidden inside a mountain at Naung Laing, in Myanmar's north, and runs parallel to a civil reactor being built at another site by Russia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Myanmar_de...report_999.html
Sydney (AFP) Aug 1, 2009 - North Korea is helping Myanmar build a secret nuclear reactor and plutonium extraction plant to build an atomic bomb within five years, a report said Saturday, citing the evidence of defectors. The nuclear complex is hidden inside a mountain at Naung Laing, in Myanmar's north, and runs parallel to a civil reactor being built at another site by Russia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Myanmar_de...report_999.html
India's aircraft carrier deal questioned
India's aircraft carrier deal questioned
New Delhi (UPI) Jul 31, 2009 - The euphoria over the launch of the first domestically built nuclear-powered submarine by India's navy has barely abated, but already that is getting clouded by the controversy over the navy's deal to acquire the Russian-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. What is causing headache to the Congress Party-led coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the recent release ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indias_air...tioned_999.html
New Delhi (UPI) Jul 31, 2009 - The euphoria over the launch of the first domestically built nuclear-powered submarine by India's navy has barely abated, but already that is getting clouded by the controversy over the navy's deal to acquire the Russian-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. What is causing headache to the Congress Party-led coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the recent release ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indias_air...tioned_999.html
U.S. arms exports down by $1 billion
U.S. arms exports down by $1 billion
Washington (UPI) Jul 31, 2009 - U.S. arms exports dropped by about $1 billion during fiscal year 2008, the Annual Military Assistance Report showed. Key sections of the report, compiled by the Defense and State departments, were obtained by the Federation of American Scientists under the Freedom of Information Act, FAS said. The report showed that arms deliveries through the Defense Department's Foreign Militar ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_arms_ex...illion_999.html
Washington (UPI) Jul 31, 2009 - U.S. arms exports dropped by about $1 billion during fiscal year 2008, the Annual Military Assistance Report showed. Key sections of the report, compiled by the Defense and State departments, were obtained by the Federation of American Scientists under the Freedom of Information Act, FAS said. The report showed that arms deliveries through the Defense Department's Foreign Militar ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_arms_ex...illion_999.html
Pentagon, Eyeing Iran, Wants to Rush 30,000-Pound Bomb Program By Tony Capaccio
Pentagon, Eyeing Iran, Wants to Rush 30,000-Pound Bomb Program
By Tony Capaccio
July 31 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Defense Department wants to accelerate by three years the deployment of a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb, a request that reflects growing unease over nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.
Comptroller Robert Hale, in a formal request to the four congressional defense committees earlier this month, asked permission to shift about $68 million in the Pentagon’s budget to this program to ensure the first four bombs could be mounted on stealthy B-2 bombers by July 2010.
Hale, in his July 8 request, said there was “an urgent operational need for the capability to strike hard and deeply buried targets in high-threat environments,” and top commanders of U.S. forces in Asia and the Middle East “recently identified the need to expedite” the bomb program.
The bomb would be the U.S. military’s largest and six times bigger than the 5,000-pound bunker buster that the Air Force now uses to attack deeply buried nuclear, biological or chemical sites.
Accelerating the program “is intended to, at the very least, give the president the option of conducting a strike to knock out Iran’s main uranium enrichment capabilities,” said Ken Katzman, Middle East military expert for the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.
Iran Given Deadline
President Barack Obama said Iran must respond by late September to an invitation for unconditional talks with the West on ending what’s believed to be a nuclear weapons program. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said this week in Israel that the offer is not open-ended, and his counterpart, Ehud Barak, warned that Israel is considering all measures if diplomatic efforts fail.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. is developing the bomb which was successfully demonstrated in March 2007.
The B-2, developed by Los Angeles, California-based Northrop Grumman Corp., has a skin capable of evading radar and is the only U.S. bomber capable of penetrating air defenses such as those believed in use by North Korea and Iran. The B-2 bombed targets in the early days of NATO’s Kosovo air campaign and in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Little authoritative information has been published about the capability of the so-called “Massive Ordnance Penetrator.” A December 2007 story by the Air Force News Service said it has a hardened-steel casing that is designed to reach targets up to 200 feet underground before exploding.
Essential Weapon
Anthony Cordesman, a senior military analyst at the Center For Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the U.S. “must have a non-nuclear capability to kill such targets if the U.S. is to have a convincing military option against Iran’s proliferation and hardened or underground facilities in other potentially hostile states.”
Still, even though the U.S. wants “this capability, especially for weapons of mass destruction targets, as soon as possible, that doesn’t mean we’ll use them -- but the planners are supposed to create capability and also send messages to potential adversaries,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a national defense analyst with the nonpartisan Brookings Institution.
Iran has at least two suspected subterranean nuclear facilities and other command-and-control sites not connected to the nuclear program, said Cordesman.
The new 20.5-foot-long bomb carries more than 5,300 pounds of explosives and is guided by Global Positioning Satellites, according to a description on the Web site of the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
Air Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Karen Platt said Boeing could be put on contract within 72 hours to build the first bombs if Congress approves the shift of funds by mid- August.
Under the accelerated program, the B-2 “would be capable of carrying the bomb by July 2010,” she said in an e-mail.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio at acapaccio@bloomberg.net.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...id=aMiQmByND.2A
By Tony Capaccio
July 31 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Defense Department wants to accelerate by three years the deployment of a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb, a request that reflects growing unease over nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.
Comptroller Robert Hale, in a formal request to the four congressional defense committees earlier this month, asked permission to shift about $68 million in the Pentagon’s budget to this program to ensure the first four bombs could be mounted on stealthy B-2 bombers by July 2010.
Hale, in his July 8 request, said there was “an urgent operational need for the capability to strike hard and deeply buried targets in high-threat environments,” and top commanders of U.S. forces in Asia and the Middle East “recently identified the need to expedite” the bomb program.
The bomb would be the U.S. military’s largest and six times bigger than the 5,000-pound bunker buster that the Air Force now uses to attack deeply buried nuclear, biological or chemical sites.
Accelerating the program “is intended to, at the very least, give the president the option of conducting a strike to knock out Iran’s main uranium enrichment capabilities,” said Ken Katzman, Middle East military expert for the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.
Iran Given Deadline
President Barack Obama said Iran must respond by late September to an invitation for unconditional talks with the West on ending what’s believed to be a nuclear weapons program. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said this week in Israel that the offer is not open-ended, and his counterpart, Ehud Barak, warned that Israel is considering all measures if diplomatic efforts fail.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. is developing the bomb which was successfully demonstrated in March 2007.
The B-2, developed by Los Angeles, California-based Northrop Grumman Corp., has a skin capable of evading radar and is the only U.S. bomber capable of penetrating air defenses such as those believed in use by North Korea and Iran. The B-2 bombed targets in the early days of NATO’s Kosovo air campaign and in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Little authoritative information has been published about the capability of the so-called “Massive Ordnance Penetrator.” A December 2007 story by the Air Force News Service said it has a hardened-steel casing that is designed to reach targets up to 200 feet underground before exploding.
Essential Weapon
Anthony Cordesman, a senior military analyst at the Center For Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the U.S. “must have a non-nuclear capability to kill such targets if the U.S. is to have a convincing military option against Iran’s proliferation and hardened or underground facilities in other potentially hostile states.”
Still, even though the U.S. wants “this capability, especially for weapons of mass destruction targets, as soon as possible, that doesn’t mean we’ll use them -- but the planners are supposed to create capability and also send messages to potential adversaries,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a national defense analyst with the nonpartisan Brookings Institution.
Iran has at least two suspected subterranean nuclear facilities and other command-and-control sites not connected to the nuclear program, said Cordesman.
The new 20.5-foot-long bomb carries more than 5,300 pounds of explosives and is guided by Global Positioning Satellites, according to a description on the Web site of the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
Air Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Karen Platt said Boeing could be put on contract within 72 hours to build the first bombs if Congress approves the shift of funds by mid- August.
Under the accelerated program, the B-2 “would be capable of carrying the bomb by July 2010,” she said in an e-mail.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio at acapaccio@bloomberg.net.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...id=aMiQmByND.2A
U.S. Weighs Iran Sanctions if Talks Are Rejected David E. Sanger, The New York Times
U.S. Weighs Iran Sanctions if Talks Are Rejected
David E. Sanger, The New York Times
Khamenei The Obama administration is talking with allies and Congress about the possibility of imposing an extreme economic sanction against Iran if it fails to respond to President Obama’s offer to negotiate on its nuclear program: cutting off the country’s imports of gasoline and other refined oil products.
The option of acting against companies around the world that supply Iran with 40 percent of its gasoline has been broached with European allies and Israel, officials from those countries said. Legislation that would give Mr. Obama that authority already has 71 sponsors in the Senate and similar legislation is expected to sail through the House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/world/mi.../03nuke.html?hp
David E. Sanger, The New York Times
Khamenei The Obama administration is talking with allies and Congress about the possibility of imposing an extreme economic sanction against Iran if it fails to respond to President Obama’s offer to negotiate on its nuclear program: cutting off the country’s imports of gasoline and other refined oil products.
The option of acting against companies around the world that supply Iran with 40 percent of its gasoline has been broached with European allies and Israel, officials from those countries said. Legislation that would give Mr. Obama that authority already has 71 sponsors in the Senate and similar legislation is expected to sail through the House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/world/mi.../03nuke.html?hp
US Senate Urges Review of NKorea Terrorism Blacklist Status Agence France-Presse
US Senate Urges Review of NKorea Terrorism Blacklist Status
Agence France-Presse
The US Senate on Wednesday called North Korea a "threat" to its neighbors and pushed for a formal review to see whether Washington should return the secretive regime to a US terrorism blacklist.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...g7NCbz-fVv0oxSQ
Agence France-Presse
The US Senate on Wednesday called North Korea a "threat" to its neighbors and pushed for a formal review to see whether Washington should return the secretive regime to a US terrorism blacklist.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...g7NCbz-fVv0oxSQ
Nuclear Power Comes Closer as Emirates Accept Key Protocols Chris Stanton, The National
Nuclear Power Comes Closer as Emirates Accept Key Protocols
Chris Stanton, The National
The federal Government has agreed to three international conventions on nuclear safety in preparation for a formal launch of the country’s nuclear power programme, expected within the month.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../708029822/1010
Chris Stanton, The National
The federal Government has agreed to three international conventions on nuclear safety in preparation for a formal launch of the country’s nuclear power programme, expected within the month.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../708029822/1010
Struggling UN Atom Watchdog Gets Rare Budget Boost Mark Heinrich, Reuters
Struggling UN Atom Watchdog Gets Rare Budget Boost
Mark Heinrich, Reuters
Member nations approved the first budget rise above inflation for the U.N. atomic watchdog in six years on Monday after heavy U.S. lobbying for more resources to shore up the fight against stealthy nuclear proliferation.
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINL385520090803
Mark Heinrich, Reuters
Member nations approved the first budget rise above inflation for the U.N. atomic watchdog in six years on Monday after heavy U.S. lobbying for more resources to shore up the fight against stealthy nuclear proliferation.
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINL385520090803
If Nuclear Power Has a More Promising Future ... Seth Grae Wants to Be the One Leading the Charge
If Nuclear Power Has a More Promising Future ... Seth Grae Wants to Be the One Leading the Charge
The president of Northern Virginia-based Thorium Power Ltd. says he has a way to make nuclear energy safer, less expensive and more effective. So why isn't he getting more reaction?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9072401847.html
The president of Northern Virginia-based Thorium Power Ltd. says he has a way to make nuclear energy safer, less expensive and more effective. So why isn't he getting more reaction?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9072401847.html
Rethinking North Korea, With Sticks Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times
Rethinking North Korea, With Sticks
Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times
Now that President Bill Clinton has extricated Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea, the hard work begins.
There are new indications that North Korea may be transferring nuclear weapons technology to Myanmar, the dictatorship also known as Burma, and that it earlier supplied a reactor to Syria. For many years, based on five visits to North Korea and its border areas, I've argued for an ''engagement'' approach toward Pyongyang, but now I've reluctantly concluded that we need more sticks.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/opinion/...istof.html?_r=1
Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times
Now that President Bill Clinton has extricated Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea, the hard work begins.
There are new indications that North Korea may be transferring nuclear weapons technology to Myanmar, the dictatorship also known as Burma, and that it earlier supplied a reactor to Syria. For many years, based on five visits to North Korea and its border areas, I've argued for an ''engagement'' approach toward Pyongyang, but now I've reluctantly concluded that we need more sticks.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/opinion/...istof.html?_r=1
Iran's nuclear aspirations threaten the world Dore Gold, Los Angeles Times
Iran's nuclear aspirations threaten the world
Dore Gold, Los Angeles Times
Defying both history and logic, the idea that the West should diplomatically engage with Tehran still commands an important following.
Full Article
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-...0,3778030.story
Dore Gold, Los Angeles Times
Defying both history and logic, the idea that the West should diplomatically engage with Tehran still commands an important following.
Full Article
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-...0,3778030.story
First North Korea. Now Iran? Anne Penketh, The Independent
First North Korea. Now Iran?
Anne Penketh, The Independent
Bill Clinton's successful mission to North Korea presents a "win-win" situation for President Obama. Never mind the nay-sayers, such as the neo-conservative former ambassador John Bolton, who has accused the administration of practically consorting with terrorists by engaging with the unpredictable Kim Jong-il. Contrary to Mr Bolton, who forgot in his previous incarnations working for George Bush that actions have consequences, President Obama has demonstrated that he is a serious strategic thinker, and by dispatching the former president to Pyongyang he has his eye on the long term.
Full Article
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/comme...an-1767741.html
Anne Penketh, The Independent
Bill Clinton's successful mission to North Korea presents a "win-win" situation for President Obama. Never mind the nay-sayers, such as the neo-conservative former ambassador John Bolton, who has accused the administration of practically consorting with terrorists by engaging with the unpredictable Kim Jong-il. Contrary to Mr Bolton, who forgot in his previous incarnations working for George Bush that actions have consequences, President Obama has demonstrated that he is a serious strategic thinker, and by dispatching the former president to Pyongyang he has his eye on the long term.
Full Article
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/comme...an-1767741.html
Japan opposition backs Obama's nuclear-free plan Issei Kato, Reuters
Japan opposition backs Obama's nuclear-free plan
Issei Kato, Reuters
Japan's main opposition Democratic Party, which has a good shot at winning power in a general election this month, said on Thursday it backed U.S. President Barack Obama's call to rid the world of nuclear arms.
Full Article
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE5750LU20090806
Issei Kato, Reuters
Japan's main opposition Democratic Party, which has a good shot at winning power in a general election this month, said on Thursday it backed U.S. President Barack Obama's call to rid the world of nuclear arms.
Full Article
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE5750LU20090806
N-clouds over a US umbrella Michael Richardson, The Canberra Times
N-clouds over a US umbrella
Michael Richardson, The Canberra Times
In the Cold War, the United States protected its allies from possible attack by a nuclear- armed Soviet Union by threatening a devastating nuclear response. This policy became the foundation for extended deterrence.
Full Article
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opini...la/1587059.aspx
Michael Richardson, The Canberra Times
In the Cold War, the United States protected its allies from possible attack by a nuclear- armed Soviet Union by threatening a devastating nuclear response. This policy became the foundation for extended deterrence.
Full Article
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opini...la/1587059.aspx
Obama's nonnuclear goal worthy but difficult Yomiuri Shimbun
Obama's nonnuclear goal worthy but difficult
Yomiuri Shimbun
It has been 64 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and this year a ray of light appeared to illuminate the profound desire of those who experienced the terrible devastation of the atomic bombings to see a world free of nuclear weapons.
Full Article
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20090806TDY04305.htm
Yomiuri Shimbun
It has been 64 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and this year a ray of light appeared to illuminate the profound desire of those who experienced the terrible devastation of the atomic bombings to see a world free of nuclear weapons.
Full Article
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20090806TDY04305.htm
The Obama-Kennedy Nuclear Policy Ted Sorensen
The Obama-Kennedy Nuclear Policy
Ted Sorensen, 08.06.2009
Former Special Counsel and Advisor to President John F. Kennedy
There are a number of steps facing Obama to reach the Kennedy dream of a nuclear-free world. It is not only a diplomatic, political or military issue. It is indeed, a moral imperative.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ted-sorensen...r_b_250349.html
Ted Sorensen, 08.06.2009
Former Special Counsel and Advisor to President John F. Kennedy
There are a number of steps facing Obama to reach the Kennedy dream of a nuclear-free world. It is not only a diplomatic, political or military issue. It is indeed, a moral imperative.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ted-sorensen...r_b_250349.html
The Return of the Bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Just the beginning …?
The Return of the Bomb
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Just the beginning …?
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2009/08...rn-of-the-bomb/
There is a real possibility that nuclear weapons will be used in future wars, and if they are a great deal of the responsibility will fall on the administration of George W. Bush, which systematically dismantled arms agreements hammered out between the US and the former Soviet regime and laid the foundations for a new arms race, one that is proceeding today at a rapid pace. President Obama, far from undoing this great evil, has refused to back down from his predecessor’s nuclear provocations, and is just as insistent as Bush was that the US will deploy destabilizing "anti-missile" shields in Poland and the Czech Republic, thus causing the Russians to respond in kind.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Just the beginning …?
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2009/08...rn-of-the-bomb/
There is a real possibility that nuclear weapons will be used in future wars, and if they are a great deal of the responsibility will fall on the administration of George W. Bush, which systematically dismantled arms agreements hammered out between the US and the former Soviet regime and laid the foundations for a new arms race, one that is proceeding today at a rapid pace. President Obama, far from undoing this great evil, has refused to back down from his predecessor’s nuclear provocations, and is just as insistent as Bush was that the US will deploy destabilizing "anti-missile" shields in Poland and the Czech Republic, thus causing the Russians to respond in kind.
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