Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Russia and Serbia to cooperate in nuclear power - World Nuclear News

Russia and Serbia to cooperate in nuclear power - World Nuclear News: Russia and Serbia have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy and a joint statement on strategic partnership for the construction of a centre of nuclear science, technology and innovation.

Nuclear Fusion 54 - Researchers At The U.S. Department Of Energy Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Discover New Destabalizing Processes In Tokamaks | Nucleotidings

Nuclear Fusion 54 - Researchers At The U.S. Department Of Energy Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Discover New Destabalizing Processes In Tokamaks | Nucleotidings

Nuclear News Roundup Jan 18, 2019 | Nucleotidings

Nuclear News Roundup Jan 18, 2019 | Nucleotidings

Radioactive Waste 371 - Deep Isolation Tests Drilling Deep Boreholes To Dispose of Spent Nuclear Fuel - Part 1 of 2 Parts | Nucleotidings

Radioactive Waste 371 - Deep Isolation Tests Drilling Deep Boreholes To Dispose of Spent Nuclear Fuel - Part 1 of 2 Parts | Nucleotidings

The next steps for Horizon - World Nuclear News

The next steps for Horizon - World Nuclear News: Horizon Nuclear Power today outlined the procedure it will follow now that its new-build projects have been suspended. The UK subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi said it had made substantial progress with its plans to provide at least 5.4 GWe of new capacity across two sites - Wylfa Newydd and Oldbury-on-Severn.

Brian Wilson: Why ditching nuclear is bad for climate change, good for Putin - The Scotsman

Brian Wilson: Why ditching nuclear is bad for climate change, good for Putin - The Scotsman: If the UK gets rid of nuclear power, it will become more reliant on fossil fuels from Russia, writes Brian Wilson.

U.S. 'Likely to Accept N.Korea as Nuclear Power' - The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - National/Politics > Politics

U.S. 'Likely to Accept N.Korea as Nuclear Power' - The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - National/Politics > Politics: U.S. 'Likely to Accept N.Korea as Nuclear Power'

Israel Began Nuclear Weapons Program Without Telling Gov't, Knesset, Memos Show - The Ghana Guardian News

Israel Began Nuclear Weapons Program Without Telling Gov't, Knesset, Memos Show - The Ghana Guardian News: Israel's longstanding policy has been to neither admit nor deny that the country has nuclear weapons. However, estimates by reputable intelligence companies suggest the country has between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads, making it the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East.Tel Aviv began work on ...

Federal Plan Could Reclassify Hanford Nuclear Waste . News | OPB

Federal Plan Could Reclassify Hanford Nuclear Waste . News | OPB

U.S. nuclear innovation act becomes law » Kallanish Energy News

U.S. nuclear innovation act becomes law » Kallanish Energy News: Bipartisan legislation modernizing U.S. nuclear regulation and supporting the establishment of a licensing framework for next-generation advanced reactors has been signed by President Trump.

Book World: Former NRC chairman's reckoning with his rocky tenure and resignation - Alton Telegraph

Book World: Former NRC chairman's reckoning with his rocky tenure and resignation - Alton Telegraph

NRC Begins Assessment of the Power Reactor Cyber Security Program - Lexology

NRC Begins Assessment of the Power Reactor Cyber Security Program - Lexology: Staff members from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response and Office of Nuclear Reactor…

Nuclear plants — and inspectors — continue to work through shutdown | Energy News Network

Nuclear plants — and inspectors — continue to work through shutdown | Energy News Network: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is fully funded through 2019 and not affected by the partial government shutdown.

Lawmakers oppose NRC's plan to extend Seabrook license by Jan. 30 | Local News | newburyportnews.com

Lawmakers oppose NRC's plan to extend Seabrook license by Jan. 30 | Local News | newburyportnews.com: NEWBURYPORT — The state's two U.S. senators and Congressman Seth Moulton jointly sent a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission opposing its decision to grant the owners of the Seabrook

Living the Nuclear Past–and Future – LobeLog

Living the Nuclear Past–and Future – LobeLog: by Susan Southard Landing at Nagasaki Airport last November, I joined a line of Japanese men, women, and children waiting to disembark from our plane. Most were likely returning home on this holida…

The Attack on Iran that Wasn’t – LobeLog

The Attack on Iran that Wasn’t – LobeLog: by Shemuel Meir The title of Ehud Barak’s recently published autobiography My Country, My Life declares that it is a book not just about Barak’s life, but also a first person account of some the mo…

Apophis asteroid could strike Earth in 2068, warn Russian scientists — RT World News

Apophis asteroid could strike Earth in 2068, warn Russian scientists — RT World News: The ominously-named Apophis asteroid could have hundreds of opportunities to hit the Earth over the course of the next century, Russian scientists have warned.

Trump’s Space Force: Nuclear Lunacy | naked capitalism

Trump’s Space Force: Nuclear Lunacy | naked capitalism: Why Trump's effort to revive Reagan's "Star Wars" vaporware increases the risk of nuclear war.

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection January 19, 2019

Saturday, January 19, 2019
First Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 2:13-17
Friends, today’s Gospel recounts Jesus’ banqueting with Matthew and his friends after he calls him to be a disciple. The very first thing that Jesus does is to invite Matthew into intimacy with him, reclining around a table for a meal with friends.

In this account, the Pharisees see Matthew’s intimacy with Jesus and they comment, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Notice that it never occurs to them that the influence might move from Jesus to the sinners rather than from the sinners to Jesus.

And then Jesus’ wonderful comment: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." He is admitting that Matthew and his fellows are sinners. He is not in the least "soft" on sin. But he has come to bring precisely such people into intimacy with him.

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 310

Reading 1 Heb 4:12-16

The word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit,
joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,   
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Gospel Mk 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus heard this and said to them,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Expecting extravagance | National Catholic Reporter

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Expecting extravagance | National Catholic Reporter: "There's nothing worth doing that isn't worth overdoing." Thus spoke one of my delightfully irreverent college friends. Impudent as that sounds, it echoes one commentary about the first of Jesus' sign...

The shabbiest U.S. president ever is an inexpressibly sad specimen - The Washington Post

The shabbiest U.S. president ever is an inexpressibly sad specimen - The Washington Post: What a misery it must be to be Donald Trump.

Eisenhower’s Nightmare, Nukes-In-Space Edition | The American Conservative

Eisenhower’s Nightmare, Nukes-In-Space Edition | The American Conservative

Could the pope’s call to end the death penalty keep Catholics off juries? - The Washington Post

Could the pope’s call to end the death penalty keep Catholics off juries? - The Washington Post: “Death qualified” juries shield capital punishment from social change

Everyone needs to listen to this song dedicated to Our Lady

Everyone needs to listen to this song dedicated to Our Lady

Exclusive photos: A march unlike any other

Exclusive photos: A march unlike any other

Israeli officials discount U.S. concerns over China: 'The security warnings are a joke' - Business - Haaretz.com

Israeli officials discount U.S. concerns over China: 'The security warnings are a joke' - Business - Haaretz.com

Germany and China pledge to open markets, deepen financial cooperation

Germany and China pledge to open markets, deepen financial cooperation

14 Mind-Blowing Signs at March for Life 2019 | Matthew Schneider

14 Mind-Blowing Signs at March for Life 2019 | Matthew Schneider: On Friday, January 18, thousands in the pro-life movement marched in DC for an end to abortion. I took pictures of some of the best signs. Here you go (titles link to Tweets). 1. This woman is glad she walked out of an abortion clinic 2. The way we respect different forms of life should lead us to respect unborn

One Friday in April, 1968 | A Class Divided | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site

One Friday in April, 1968 | A Class Divided | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site: The story behind Jane Elliot's "brown eyes/blue eyes" experiment.

(33) A Class Divided (full film) | FRONTLINE - YouTube

(33) A Class Divided (full film) | FRONTLINE - YouTube

Friday, January 18, 2019

As reproductive technology outpaces US immigration law, families struggle to stay together.


As reproductive technology outpaces US immigration law, families struggle to stay together. 
https://www.vqronline.org/essays-articles/2018/12/foreign-bodies?src=longreads&utm_source=Longreads+Newsletters&utm_campaign=34776a649a-Longreads_Top_5_January_18_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bd2ad42066-34776a649a-239031537&mc_cid=34776a649a&mc_eid=9528811089

Westinghouse Awarded $93.6M To Support EnCore Fuel Development - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Westinghouse Awarded $93.6M To Support EnCore Fuel Development - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.

Threat to PG&E Renewable PPAs Affects US DOE Loans - Renewable Energy World

Threat to PG&E Renewable PPAs Affects US DOE Loans - Renewable Energy World

Bloomberg Opinion: PG&E Reneging On Renewables PPAs Makes No Sense - Renewable Energy World

Bloomberg Opinion: PG&E Reneging On Renewables PPAs Makes No Sense - Renewable Energy World

Nuclear Power Has Saved 3-4 Million Lives – NextBigFuture.com

Nuclear Power Has Saved 3-4 Million Lives – NextBigFuture.com

Barack Obama's former top regulator Greg Jaczko now says nuclear power is 'hazardous' | Daily Mail Online

Barack Obama's former top regulator Greg Jaczko now says nuclear power is 'hazardous' | Daily Mail Online

New bill, signed by Trump, to streamline nuclear energy regulation | Local News | postregister.com

New bill, signed by Trump, to streamline nuclear energy regulation | Local News | postregister.com: President Donald Trump signed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act into law Monday. The bill, which is meant to streamline regulatory processes for commercial nuclear power plants, received support

Koizumi says Japan must say ‘no’ to nuclear energy:The Asahi Shimbun

Koizumi says Japan must say ‘no’ to nuclear energy:The Asahi Shimbun: When he was prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi championed the use of atomic power to generate electri

To fight climate change, nuclear power is a must - The Washington Post

To fight climate change, nuclear power is a must - The Washington Post

Climate change: Is nuclear power the answer? - BBC News

Climate change: Is nuclear power the answer? - BBC News: How green is nuclear power and what are the other options?

Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act signed into law - JURIST - News - Legal News & Commentary

Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act signed into law - JURIST - News - Legal News & Commentary: US President Donald Trump signed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act into law Monday, intended to encourage innovation in advanced nuclear power plant designs. The act requires several...

Nuclear power and promise | Science

Nuclear power and promise | Science: ![Figure][1]

Less than a year after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, physicist Gregory B. Jaczko tried to break the “first commandment” of nuclear regulation: Thou shalt not deny a license to operate a reactor. As chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), he knew that the tradition was to encourage doomed applications to be withdrawn. But when one company refused, Jaczko dug in his heels and opposed the license. It turned out to be a futile gesture that the other commissioners opposed. But it was one of many examples, he contends, of the weaknesses in the nation's top nuclear regulatory body and an exemplar of its obeisance to the nuclear power industry.

Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator is one part engrossing memoir and another part seething diatribe, depicting a government agency that routinely caves to industry pressure. The book cannot help but also feel like a rationalization of Jaczko's own actions during his conflict-ridden tenure as chairman, a position offered to him in 2009 by President Barack Obama.

Jaczko first came to the commission in 2005, after working for Nevada senator Harry Reid fighting the project to store the nation's hi

What role does nuclear power play in UK and what are alternatives? | Business | The Guardian

What role does nuclear power play in UK and what are alternatives? | Business | The Guardian

Hitachi shelves $20 billion nuclear power plant in UK - CNN

Hitachi shelves $20 billion nuclear power plant in UK - CNN

Hitachi to Cease Work on Nuclear Power Plant in North Wales - The New York Times

Hitachi to Cease Work on Nuclear Power Plant in North Wales - The New York Times

Energy Cybersecurity Bills Get New Life in New Congress – MeriTalk

Energy Cybersecurity Bills Get New Life in New Congress – MeriTalk: Members of the House and Senate are giving the bipartisan Securing Energy Infrastructure Act another go in the current Congress, after passing the bill in the Senate in December 2018 but failing to get the bill through the House before the 115th Congress ended.

Ex-regulatory official says nuclear power industry ‘warps’ views about safety of technology | TheHill

Ex-regulatory official says nuclear power industry ‘warps’ views about safety of technology | TheHill

Trump Signs Another Bipartisan Law to Boost Advanced Nuclear | Greentech Media

Trump Signs Another Bipartisan Law to Boost Advanced Nuclear | Greentech Media: Advanced nuclear companies could introduce smaller, cheaper to install reactors, like NuScale's. But none have made it through licensing yet.

Trump signs bill to provide greater clarity into budgeting for Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Daily Energy Insider

Trump signs bill to provide greater clarity into budgeting for Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Daily Energy Insider: President Donald Trump signed into law Monday a bill designed to provide greater clarity into the process by which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) develops its budget and recovers its costs through fees. The legislation ... Read More »

Reports: San Onofre nuclear site ‘fatally flawed’ – The Coast News Group

Reports: San Onofre nuclear site ‘fatally flawed’ – The Coast News Group

Firm at center of Hunters Point fraud scandal rewarded with more work - Curbed SF

Firm at center of Hunters Point fraud scandal rewarded with more work - Curbed SF: Company also transferred workers from beleaguered SF project to other radioactive cleanups.

US nuclear innovation act becomes law - World Nuclear News

US nuclear innovation act becomes law - World Nuclear News: Bipartisan legislation modernising US nuclear regulation and supporting the establishment of a licensing framework for next-generation advanced reactors has been signed by US President Donald Trump. The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernisation Act became law on 14 January.

New NRC Rules Regarding the Medical Use of Byproduct Material Are Now Effective - Lexology

New NRC Rules Regarding the Medical Use of Byproduct Material Are Now Effective - Lexology: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) revised regulations regarding the medical use of byproduct material became effective on January 14…

NuScale inks key Jordan nuclear power plant deal

NuScale inks key Jordan nuclear power plant deal



http://tradearabia.com/news/IND_349864.html

At Age 70, Time to Rethink NATO | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

At Age 70, Time to Rethink NATO | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Nuclear arms treaty faces collapse after failed US-Russia talks

Nuclear arms treaty faces collapse after failed US-Russia talks

Nuclear Power Sparks Different Reactions | RealClearEnergy

Nuclear Power Sparks Different Reactions | RealClearEnergy: Nuclear Power Sparks Different Reactions | RealClearEnergy

Lawmakers Push to Save Nuclear Power | RealClearEnergy

Lawmakers Push to Save Nuclear Power | RealClearEnergy: Lawmakers Push to Save Nuclear Power | RealClearEnergy

Canadian utilities build SMR alliances as developers tackle licensing | Nuclear Energy Insider

Canadian utilities build SMR alliances as developers tackle licensing | Nuclear Energy Insider: In November, Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) signed development agreements with U.S. SMR developer NuScale to support the deployment of its IPWR design in Canada. Bruce Power is Canada's largest private nuclear power generator, operating eight Candu reactors for a total capacity of 6.4 GW. Ontario government-owned OPG operates ten Candu reactors, representing 6.6 GW.

Fukushima Residents Return Despite Radiation - Scientific American

Fukushima Residents Return Despite Radiation - Scientific American: Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.

Can The U.S. Keep Its Nuclear Industry Afloat? | OilPrice.com

Can The U.S. Keep Its Nuclear Industry Afloat? | OilPrice.com

US Coal Retirements in 2018 Could be 15.4 Gigawatts | RealClearEnergy

US Coal Retirements in 2018 Could be 15.4 Gigawatts | RealClearEnergy: US Coal Retirements in 2018 Could be 15.4 Gigawatts | RealClearEnergy

The IAEA and Climate Change: Adaptation, Monitoring and Mitigation

The IAEA and Climate Change: Adaptation, Monitoring and Mitigation

From the IAEA Bulletin
,
The IAEA has assisted Sudan in using nuclear technologies to combat the effects of climate change. (Photo: N. Jawerth/IAEA)
Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges affecting humanity today, causing a dangerous rise in sea levels and disturbances to the water cycle and leading to more frequent extreme weather events. The IAEA helps Member States combat climate change on a variety of fronts: mitigating the production and release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and monitoring and adapting to their negative effects.
Atmospheric levels of GHGs have fluctuated for billions of years, primarily due to natural orbital, solar and volcanic activities. Since the middle of the eighteenth century, anthropogenic factors have steadily increased the concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, from approximately 278 parts per million to over 400 parts per million as of 2016, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is in addition to substantial increases in the concentration of other potent GHGs, including methane and nitrous oxide.
Dealing with the effects of climate change is not just one country’s problem — it’s the problem of the entire planet. That is why the IAEA supports its Member States in enhancing understanding of how nuclear science and technology can offset some of the consequences of climate change.
Martin Krause, Director, Department of Technical Cooperation, IAEA
“Dealing with the effects of climate change is not just one country’s problem — it’s the problem of the entire planet,” said Martin Krause, Director at the IAEA’s Department of Technical Cooperation. “That is why the IAEA supports its Member States in enhancing understanding of how nuclear science and technology can offset some of the consequences of climate change.”

Adaptation

Some of the most acute effects of climatic changes are global increases in water scarcity and food shortages, the loss of biodiversity and more frequent climate-induced natural disasters. Unseasonably high temperatures in winter and spring, unpredictable weather and very short rainy seasons contribute to water scarcity in many regions. This, in turn, greatly affects agricultural systems, global food chains and, in particular, small-scale farmers and herders.
To help communities and countries adapt, the IAEA supports activities in plant breeding, soil and crop management, livestock production and insect pest control. For example, Sudan is using nuclear science and IAEA assistance to help more than 35 million people cope with climate change. Activities include breeding new plant varieties that are drought and heat tolerant; setting up and optimizing irrigation systems that save water and fertilizer as well as improving crop yields; and combating disease-carrying insects with a nuclear-based insect pest control method called the sterile insect technique (SIT).

Monitoring

As the international community works towards long term solutions to the consequences of climate change, reliable data on how GHGs cause the changes occurring on land, in the oceans and throughout the atmosphere are critical. The IAEA uses a variety of nuclear techniques, primarily isotopic, to identify and monitor the risks and threats associated with GHG emissions, and then shares that data with Member States to help further research and the formulation of sustainable climate policies. Costa Rica, for example, has worked with the IAEA to quantify carbon capture and monitor GHG emissions from the dairy and agricultural sectors. Data that Costa Rican scientists gain from stable isotope analysers, which help quantify carbon emissions, facilitate efforts to move farming towards carbon neutrality.

Mitigation

Mitigating climate change is the long term goal, which requires approaches and technology that will reduce GHG emissions. The IAEA provides support to Member States to assess the development of their energy systems and helps them study how nuclear energy could play a role in energy generation. A well-informed and knowledgeable group of professionals is essential to develop and maintain sustainable national energy policies.
The IAEA is conducting a coordinated research project with Member States on how domestic energy policies can contribute towards countries’ obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Through adaptation to and monitoring of the adverse consequences of climate change and the mitigation of GHG emissions, the IAEA works with its Member States to preserve and restore the environment and protect energy systems from climate-related weather events and disasters.
The IAEA helps countries use nuclear science and technology to combat climate change. (Infographic: R. Kenn/IAEA)
The role the IAEA plays in simultaneously mitigating the production and release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and monitoring and adapting to their negative effects is a topic experts discussed during the IAEA's 2018 Scientific Forum. See more information about the Forum, titled Nuclear Technology for Climate: Mitigation, Monitoring and Adaptation, here.

Climate Forecast: World Is "Sleepwalking into Catastrophe" - Scientific American

Climate Forecast: World Is "Sleepwalking into Catastrophe" - Scientific American: Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.

US nuclear innovation act becomes law - World Nuclear News

US nuclear innovation act becomes law - World Nuclear News: Bipartisan legislation modernising US nuclear regulation and supporting the establishment of a licensing framework for next-generation advanced reactors has been signed by US President Donald Trump. The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernisation Act became law on 14 January.

Mixed Messages On Trump’s Missile Defense Review – Federation Of American Scientists

Mixed Messages On Trump’s Missile Defense Review – Federation Of American Scientists: President Trump personally released the long-overdue Missile Defense Review (MDR) today, and despite the MDR’s assertion that “Missile Defenses are Stabilizing,” the document promotes a posture that is anything but.

Micro-reactors As Cheap As Natural Gas Without Air Pollution

Micro-reactors As Cheap As Natural Gas Without Air Pollution



https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/01/micro-reactors-as-cheap-as-natural-gas-without-air-pollution.html

If Progressive Democrats Care So Much About The Climate, Why Are They Trying to Kill Nuclear Power?

If Progressive Democrats Care So Much About The Climate, Why Are They Trying to Kill Nuclear Power?: In the 1950s, progressive Democrats were pro-nuclear. What went wrong?

Trump’s Re-Election Chances May Be Better Than You Think – American Greatness

Trump’s Re-Election Chances May Be Better Than You Think – American Greatness: What are Donald Trump's chances for re-election in 2020?

If history is any guide, pretty good.

In early 1994, Bill Clinton's approval rating after two years in office hovered around a dismal 40 percent. The first midterm elections of the Clinton presidency were an utter disaster.

A new generation

Breaking Faith with America's Coast Guard — By Admiral Paul Zukunft, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) | U.S. Naval Institute

Breaking Faith with America's Coast Guard — By Admiral Paul Zukunft, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) | U.S. Naval Institute

If Walls Don’t Work, Why Did Castles Have Them? - PaulCraigRoberts.org

If Walls Don’t Work, Why Did Castles Have Them? - PaulCraigRoberts.org: If Walls Don’t Work, Why Did Castles Have Them? Paul Craig Roberts Indeed, why the Great Wall of China, why Hadrian’s Wall, why the Constantinople wall,

There's More to Russia than Meets the Eye

There's More to Russia than Meets the Eye: We would all benefit from not trusting out of hand what the MSM tells us about the Russian bear.

State Secrets and the National-Security State - The Future of Freedom Foundation

State Secrets and the National-Security State - The Future of Freedom Foundation: Inadvertently released federal documents reveal that U.S. officials have apparently secured a secret indictment against Julian Assange, the head of WikiLeaks who released secret information about the internal workings of the U.S. national-security establishment. In any nation whose government is founded on the concept of a national-security state, that is a cardinal sin, one akin to treason and meriting severe punishment. Mind you, Assange isn’t being charged with lying or releasing false or fraudulent information about the U.S. national-security state. Continue Reading

Idaho National Laboratory to benefit from nuclear innovation legislation signed into law by president | Local | idahostatejournal.com

Idaho National Laboratory to benefit from nuclear innovation legislation signed into law by president | Local | idahostatejournal.com

Underway On Nuclear Power: A Retrospective | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Underway On Nuclear Power: A Retrospective | ANS Nuclear Cafe

PODCAST: Nuclear Could Shape the Future of Space Exploration | ANS Nuclear Cafe

PODCAST: Nuclear Could Shape the Future of Space Exploration | ANS Nuclear Cafe

2019 – A Wish List in Nuclear Energy | ANS Nuclear Cafe

2019 – A Wish List in Nuclear Energy | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Nuclear Plant Construction Delay and Cost 5 | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Nuclear Plant Construction Delay and Cost 5 | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Nuclear power plants running safely after East Coast quake


Nuclear power plants running safely after East Coast quake
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/nuclear-power-plants-running-safely-after-east-coast-quake

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Statement by the President

Statement by the President

Issued on:



Today, I have signed into law S. 512, the “Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act” (the “Act”).  Several provisions of the Act, including sections 102(a)(1) and (3), 103(b)(3), (c)(3), (d)(3), (e)(3), purport to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to submit budget requests to the Congress to implement certain programs or to limit the amount it may request for those programs.  Other provisions of the Act, sections 103(e)(4)(B) and (D), purport to require the Commission to evaluate whether additional legislative  authority or appropriations are needed to implement a certain program envisioned by the Congress.  My Administration will treat these provisions in a manner consistent with Article II, section 3 of the Constitution, which provides the President with the discretion to recommend to the Congress only “such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

blogs.sciencemag.org/books/2019/01/15/confessions-of-a-rogue-nuclear-regulator/

blogs.sciencemag.org/books/2019/01/15/confessions-of-a-rogue-nuclear-regulator/

Former NRC chair: Nuclear power is a "failed technology" | Nevada Current

Former NRC chair: Nuclear power is a "failed technology" | Nevada Current: “Nevada is not anti-nuclear and does not oppose nuclear power,” wrote Gov. Kenny Guinn in a 2002 letter disapproving Yucca Mountain’s designation as a nuclear waste dump. It has always seemed a bit perplexing that throughout Nevada’s long, long fight against the dump, state politicians and officials have shied away from confronting the source of… Continue Reading Former NRC chair: Nuclear power is a “failed technology”

Forum speakers urge elected leaders, residents to join fight to save Perry Nuclear Power Plant | Lake County | news-herald.com

Forum speakers urge elected leaders, residents to join fight to save Perry Nuclear Power Plant | Lake County | news-herald.com

Davis-Besse nuclear reactor close to full power | Toledo Blade

Davis-Besse nuclear reactor close to full power | Toledo Blade

Nuclear power can prevent climate change - scientists - micetimes.asia

Nuclear power can prevent climate change - scientists - micetimes.asia: Why renewable energy will not solve global problems with the climate. In order to avoid serious climate change, advanced countries in the world are switching to renewable energy sources. But some experts believe that this trick will not work, because mankind is still in need of cheap and mass electricity. Today various governments to quotas, …

These Experts Think There's Only One Type of Energy That Can Truly Save Our Planet

These Experts Think There's Only One Type of Energy That Can Truly Save Our Planet: The world needs to rethink its plan for addressing climate change.

WHITE HOUSE: Trump's nuclear revival? It's a 'black box' -- Tuesday, January 15, 2019 -- www.eenews.net

WHITE HOUSE: Trump's nuclear revival? It's a 'black box' -- Tuesday, January 15, 2019 -- www.eenews.net: More than a year after President Trump promised a "complete review" to revive the country's domestic nuclear energy sector, the effort remains shrouded in mystery.

Hitachi 'more likely to put Wylfa Newydd on hold' - BBC News

Hitachi 'more likely to put Wylfa Newydd on hold' - BBC News

Uzbekistan turns to nuclear energy to power economy | Vestnik Kavkaza

Uzbekistan turns to nuclear energy to power economy | Vestnik Kavkaza

Uzbekistan plans to build first commercial nuclear reactor

Uzbekistan plans to build first commercial nuclear reactor: The Uzbekistan Government is reportedly planning to build the country’s first commercial nuclear reactor.

Regulators To Allow Seabrook Nuclear Plant To Run Through 2050 | New Hampshire Public Radio

Regulators To Allow Seabrook Nuclear Plant To Run Through 2050 | New Hampshire Public Radio

Britain’s nuclear energy future in jeopardy | The Week UK

Britain’s nuclear energy future in jeopardy | The Week UK: Hitachi set to suspend work on £16bn reactor, leaving Hinkley Point as the only new UK plant still being built

Russellville’s nuclear power plant has gotten safety upgrades

Russellville’s nuclear power plant has gotten safety upgrades: An Entergy spokesperson told 40/29 News there have been cybersecurity upgrades made at the plant to protect it from outside threats.

U.S. CO2 Emissions Rise As Nuclear Power Plants Close

U.S. CO2 Emissions Rise As Nuclear Power Plants Close: Closing nuclear power plants ahead of schedule is a bad idea if you care about the environment, if you care about carbon emissions. That’s because nuclear is the best source of low-C energy and actually produces most of our low-C electricity, over 800 billion kWhs – twice as much as all renewables.

NuScale and JAEC Agree to Explore SMR Deployment in Jordan - MarketWatch

NuScale and JAEC Agree to Explore SMR Deployment in Jordan - MarketWatch

Further US grant for Framatome EATFdevelopment - World Nuclear News

Further US grant for Framatome EATFdevelopment - World Nuclear News: Framatome has received a USD49 million, 28-month grant from the US Department of Energy to accelerate the development and commercialisation of enhanced accident tolerant fuel.

Russia starts installing MBIR control assembly - World Nuclear News

Russia starts installing MBIR control assembly - World Nuclear News: The Volgodonsk branch of AEM Technology has completed the first stage of installation of the control assembly of the MBIR multipurpose sodium-cooled fast neutron research reactor.

ANS Nuclear Policy Wire January 16, 2019

ANS Nuclear Policy Wire
January 16, 2019

Senate Subcomittee on Energy & Water Development Hearing Today: Future of Nuclear Energy / Advanced Reactors

Today at 2:30 pm EST the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development will hold a hearing to review the future of nuclear energy and the role of advanced reactors.
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) will be presiding over the hearing and the witnesses are as follows:
 
Mr. Edward McGinnis
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
U.S. Department of Energy
 
Dr. Thomas Zacharia
Director
Oak Ridge National Labratory
 
Dr. Christina Back
Vice President
Nuclear Technologies and Materials, Energy Group
General Atomics
 
Watch the live hearing here.

Jordan participating in NuScale reactor research - KIFI

Jordan participating in NuScale reactor research - KIFI

Iran could enrich uranium to 20 percent within four days: atomic chief | Reuters

Iran could enrich uranium to 20 percent within four days: atomic chief | Reuters: Iran can enrich uranium up to 20 percent within four days, its atomic energy chief said on Tuesday, a comment apparently aimed at showing Tehran could quickly expand its enrichment program if its nuclear deal with world powers collapses.

Letters: With climate challenges looming, this is no time to do away with nuclear energy - The Boston Globe

Letters: With climate challenges looming, this is no time to do away with nuclear energy - The Boston Globe

Seabrook nuclear plant set to receive 20-year extension - News - seacoastonline.com - Portsmouth, NH

Seabrook nuclear plant set to receive 20-year extension - News - seacoastonline.com - Portsmouth, NH

SRNS tasked with initial work for 'Savannah River Pit Production Plant,' official says | News | aikenstandard.com

SRNS tasked with initial work for 'Savannah River Pit Production Plant,' official says | News | aikenstandard.com

Further study of Vermont Yankee fuel casks proposed | The Brattleboro Reformer | Brattleboro Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic

Further study of Vermont Yankee fuel casks proposed | The Brattleboro Reformer | Brattleboro Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic

Pilgrim Nuclear Plant's Decommissioning Plans Presented to the Public - CapeCod.com

Pilgrim Nuclear Plant's Decommissioning Plans Presented to the Public - CapeCod.com: PLYMOUTH – A decommissioning roadmap for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station was presented to the public Tuesday night in Plymouth during a Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting. Entergy and Ho…

PG&E says bankruptcy will not impact Diablo, jobs, service

 

PG&E says bankruptcy will not impact Diablo, jobs, service


https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/pg-e-says-bankruptcy-will-not-impact-diablo-jobs-service/article_f877a6e1-b37a-5b68-9d6d-25d713fbde63.html

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Will PG&E bankruptcy stop Diablo Canyon decommissioning? | The Tribune

Will PG&E bankruptcy stop Diablo Canyon decommissioning? | The Tribune: Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant’s decommission is uncertain now that PG&E has told employees the utility company plans to file for bankruptcy as it faces billions in liabilities for California wildfires.

Experts: The Only Way to Save the Planet Is Nuclear Energy

Experts: The Only Way to Save the Planet Is Nuclear Energy: We simply can't decrease fossil fuel usage quickly enough to avoid climate catastrophe without leaning heavily on nuclear energy, according to two experts.

Nuclear’s Bleak Odds in a Green New Deal

Nuclear’s Bleak Odds in a Green New Deal: Lawmakers embracing a transition to 100 percent renewable energy under a Green New Deal have largely left out mention of whether nuclear energy should be included in such a policy package.

Letters: With climate challenges looming, this is no time to do away with nuclear energy - The Boston Globe

Letters: With climate challenges looming, this is no time to do away with nuclear energy - The Boston Globe: “It is important to recognize that the future versions of nuclear energy technologies can be greatly improved over those that we have today.”

Only Nuclear Energy Can Save the Planet - WSJ

Only Nuclear Energy Can Save the Planet - WSJ: Do the math on replacing fossil fuels: To move fast enough, the world needs to build lots of reactors

The Shale Oil Revolution Actually Reflects A Nation In Decline | Zero Hedge

The Shale Oil Revolution Actually Reflects A Nation In Decline | Zero Hedge: America's energy policy blunders are nowhere more obvious than in the shale oil space, where it's finally dawning on folks that these wells are going to produce a lot less than advertised...

Energy Leaders Need To Pay More Attention To Fusion In 2019

Energy Leaders Need To Pay More Attention To Fusion In 2019: Fusion power remains a big risk for both governments and private sector companies. Nevertheless, its long-term potential continues to make it worth the short-term cost. As research breakthroughs start to push fusion back into the public eye, we should expect to hear more debate about fusion in 2019.

Is Fusion Power Within Our Grasp?

Is Fusion Power Within Our Grasp?: The tech race to achieve fusion power is heating up -- with some players promising commercial viability before 2030. But don't hold your breath.

Nuclear Reactors 649 - The Troubled Story of the European Power Reactor | Nucleotidings

Nuclear Reactors 649 - The Troubled Story of the European Power Reactor | Nucleotidings

Will North Korea Dismantle Nuclear Weapons Production and Stabilize with South Korea? – NextBigFuture.com

Will North Korea Dismantle Nuclear Weapons Production and Stabilize with South Korea? – NextBigFuture.com

Iran says US hit by 'hysteria' since dropping nuclear deal

Iran says US hit by 'hysteria' since dropping nuclear deal

Advanced Nuclear Fuel Projects Set the Stage for New Reactors | Neutron Bytes

Advanced Nuclear Fuel Projects Set the Stage for New Reactors | Neutron Bytes: TVEL to supply fuel for China’s fast-neutron reactor Centrus selected for HALEU enrichment project ORNL Automates Key Process in Production of PU-238 for RTGs Y-12’s uranium core tested…

Japan’s Nuclear Export Struggles Narrow the Field of Suppliers | RealClearEnergy

Japan’s Nuclear Export Struggles Narrow the Field of Suppliers | RealClearEnergy

UK Ready To Introduce RAB Financing If Wylfa Project Fails, Says Report

UK Ready To Introduce RAB Financing If Wylfa Project Fails, Says Report

UK Ready To Introduce RAB Financing If Wylfa Project Fails, Says Report

UK Ready To Introduce RAB Financing If Wylfa Project Fails, Says Report

PG&E CEO Resigns Amidst Potential Bankruptcy Filing - Power Engineering

PG&E CEO Resigns Amidst Potential Bankruptcy Filing - Power Engineering: PG&E General Counsel John Simon was named as interim CEO, while the board begins the search for a permanent replacement to Williams.

US Must Keep Building Nuclear Plants To Stave off Competition From ‘Gung-Ho’ China And Russia

US Must Keep Building Nuclear Plants To Stave off Competition From ‘Gung-Ho’ China And Russia

IAEA holds knowledge management course in Latin America - World Nuclear News

IAEA holds knowledge management course in Latin America - World Nuclear News: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently held its School of Nuclear Knowledge Management course in the Central American and Caribbean region for the first time. The event was held in Costa Rica on 3-7 December.

Saudis Rush To Meet Japan’s Oil Needs | OilPrice.com

Saudis Rush To Meet Japan’s Oil Needs | OilPrice.com: Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih discussed on Monday how Saudi Arabia could meet Japan’s petroleum requirements in a meeting with the Japanese minister for economy and trade.

Billionaire Wish List Includes U.S. Nuclear Renaissance - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Billionaire Wish List Includes U.S. Nuclear Renaissance - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.

Nuclear News Roundup Jan 13, 2019 | Nucleotidings

Nuclear News Roundup Jan 13, 2019 | Nucleotidings

Nuclear News Roundup Jan 14, 2019 | Nucleotidings

Nuclear News Roundup Jan 14, 2019 | Nucleotidings

Nuclear Weapons 370 - China Constructs Underground Steel Great Wall To Protect Retaliatory Capability | Nucleotidings

Nuclear Weapons 370 - China Constructs Underground Steel Great Wall To Protect Retaliatory Capability | Nucleotidings

Vermont Yankee sale completed - World Nuclear News

Vermont Yankee sale completed - World Nuclear News: Entergy Corporation has completed the sale of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to subsidiaries of NorthStar Group Services, which will decommission the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station site.

Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 11 January 2019

Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 11 January 2019

On 11 January 2019, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during December, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international Missions in Japan.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of December. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.

Department Of Energy Announces $88 Million For Oil And Natural Gas Recovery Research


Department Of Energy Announces $88 Million For Oil And Natural Gas Recovery Research

https://breakingenergy.com/2019/01/14/department-of-energy-announces-88-million-for-oil-and-natural-gas-recovery-research/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy+Newsletters+Master+List&utm_campaign=72ffb9630c-MAILCHIMP_BD_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_88392479a3-72ffb9630c-411632309

Rosatom tech roadmap briefing for advanced reactors



Dan Yurman (@djysrv) tweeted at 7:08 AM on Tue, Jan 15, 2019:

Rosatom source document in English has details of its advanced nuclear reactor strategy and technology development roadmap. Also, reveals competing R&D paradigms within the combine. https://t.co/6MvQGjGWnn
(https://twitter.com/djysrv/status/1085146654964101120?s=03)

PG&E Likely Seeking Bankruptcy by Jan. 29

PG&E Likely Seeking Bankruptcy by Jan. 29


https://www.power-eng.com/articles/2019/01/pg-e-likely-seeking-bankruptcy-by-jan-29.html?cmpid=enl_pe_power_engineering_e-newsletter_2019-01-15&pwhid=1e90004a8e081f3272fb5f8e0e9a20316c85258cc50faf993491663afd10a38f41b62c13180d825ec81f1c72848099c33ec83965e1b8e8ff4a01aa5c32296aec&eid=288118515&bid=2345067

U.S. proposes to allow drone operation at night, over people

U.S. proposes to allow drone operation at night, over people



https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drones/u-s-proposes-to-allow-drone-operation-at-night-over-people-idUSKCN1P828W?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=69000037&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8fyXiWjHoVRSKIC0exJoVJRT2QfUdCY9zrnTlVJPk8J6w5CmzK-ZUbUahsY0hVj_Fe9_OXPDk0Z0vnlNQUt5Dm_0t0LeR8JBRD91Gi9oEenn6ju4I&_hsmi=69000037

Giant leaf for mankind? China germinates first seed on moon


Giant leaf for mankind? China germinates first seed on moon


https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/15/china-germinates-first-seed-on-moon-cotton-shoot-change-4?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=69000037&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8fyXiWjHoVRSKIC0exJoVJRT2QfUdCY9zrnTlVJPk8J6w5CmzK-ZUbUahsY0hVj_Fe9_OXPDk0Z0vnlNQUt5Dm_0t0LeR8JBRD91Gi9oEenn6ju4I&_hsmi=69000037

The government shutdown has severely weakened cybersecurity in the US


The government shutdown has severely weakened cybersecurity in the US


https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/612729/the-government-shutdown-has-severely-weakened-cybersecurity-in-the-us/?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=69000037&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8fyXiWjHoVRSKIC0exJoVJRT2QfUdCY9zrnTlVJPk8J6w5CmzK-ZUbUahsY0hVj_Fe9_OXPDk0Z0vnlNQUt5Dm_0t0LeR8JBRD91Gi9oEenn6ju4I&_hsmi=69000037

Is Bolton Steering Trump into War with Iran? | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Is Bolton Steering Trump into War with Iran? | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Monday, January 14, 2019

Viganò begs McCarrick to repent as abuse verdict nears | America Magazine

Viganò begs McCarrick to repent as abuse verdict nears | America Magazine: Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano wrote a letter to McCarrick that was published Monday on an Italian blog, Vigano's way of communicating after he went into hiding following his bombshell accusations against the pope in August.

Abby Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood. Now she is a leader of the pro-life movement.


Abby Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood. Now she is a leader of the pro-life movement.


https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2019/01/14/abby-johnson-worked-planned-parenthood-now-she-leader-pro-life-movement?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_campaign=3bc6010b04-DAILY_CAMPAIGN_2019_1_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0fe8ed70be-3bc6010b04-58861785

Tomgram: Greg Grandin, Bricks in the Wall | TomDispatch

Tomgram: Greg Grandin, Bricks in the Wall | TomDispatch: null

Predict 2019? Whom are we kidding? - The National Herald

Predict 2019? Whom are we kidding? - The National Herald

The Syrian War Is Over – It Never Should Have Started - Antiwar.com Original

The Syrian War Is Over – It Never Should Have Started - Antiwar.com Original: At the close of 2018, President Donald Trump announced that American troops were being withdrawn from Syria. By the open of 2019, National Security - Ted Snider for Antiwar.com Original

Don’t Rule Out the Possibility of War with Iran – LobeLog

Don’t Rule Out the Possibility of War with Iran – LobeLog: by Shireen T. Hunter      According to press reports, Iran has all but despaired of the European Union’s ability—or, perhaps more accurately, willingness—to work out a system of financial transacti…

Placing the USA on a collapse continuum with Dmitry Orlov, by The Saker - The Unz Review

Placing the USA on a collapse continuum with Dmitry Orlov, by The Saker - The Unz Review: The West is rotting! Yes, maybe, but what a nice smell… Old Soviet joke The word ‘catastrophe‘ has several meanings, but in its original meaning in Greek the word means a “sudden downturn” (in Greek katastrophÄ“ ‘overturning, sudden turn,’ from kata- ‘down’ + strophÄ“ ‘turning’). As for the word “superpower” it also has several possible […]

Continued American Occupation of the Middle East Does Not Suppress Terrorism, It Causes It - Craig Murray

Continued American Occupation of the Middle East Does Not Suppress Terrorism, It Causes It - Craig Murray: Even the neo-con warmongers’ house journal The Guardian, furious at Trump’s attempts to pull US troops out of Syria, in producing a map to illustrate its point, could only produce one single, uncertain, very short pen stroke to describe the minute strip of territory it claims ISIS still control on the Iraqi border. Of course, …

New Poll: US Military Occupations Supported By Far More Democrats Than Republicans – Caitlin Johnstone

New Poll: US Military Occupations Supported By Far More Democrats Than Republicans – Caitlin Johnstone: A new Politico/Morning Consult poll has found that there is much more support for ongoing military occupations among Democrats surveyed than Republicans. To the question “As you may know, Pre…

Afghanistan. Here we are. What do we do now?

Gentlemen and Ladies, a bit of musing.  Not new, perhaps, but it cannot, I think, be repeated often enough.  Pass it out if you think worthwhile. Bill



Ok. But here we are; so what do we do now?

That is the most dangerous question asked in discussions of public policy.
I say that because in most cases, by that time, the answer is, “unfortunately, there is no good answer.”
That reply stifles any other answer.  But of course, the timing is wrong.  The answer should have been preceded by such questions as,
            “what do we know about the people involved?
            “what were we really trying to do to them?
            “how would those affected by our actions view them?
            “was what we were doing appropriate?
            “how did our actions fit into the world we thought we were trying to build?
            “what were the costs in life, property and civil institutions?
            “how important was the issue or country to us and in what terms?
            “what could have been the alternatives?
            “would the policy they entailed work?”
Like so much of what we face today, leaping before looking avoids the truly important question: “Why did we not think about consequences before we acted?”
The answer to that question is, partially, ignorance.  But this is only a partial answer.  And clinging to it does not, apparently, get us very far.  So, at the risk of duplicating what I have written in the past and what others have written and are writing today, let me pose some of the questions that should have been asked.  I will do so on the issue of Afghanistan. They could, of course, be applied much more widely, indeed on any issue of public policy.  Others, I am sure, will think of better ones.  I start with these:
            “what do we know about the people involved?” At least up to about the end of the twentieth century, Americans as a whole and officials as a group knew little about Afghanistan.  Information was available, but it was little accessed and even less disseminated.  The number of State Department and CIA officers, who should have been the most enlightened group, who could read any of the Afghan languages probably did not exceed a dozen or so.  And those with an intimate or professional knowledge of Afghan society, politics, economic affairs and culture almost certainly was not more numerous.  Good works on Afghan history were available in Russian, French and English, but those of real quality were rare.  When I set out in 1962 to write an analysis of Afghanistan for the Secretary of State, I found few useful accounts.  In general terms, however, most students of world affairs knew that Britain had tried three times to conquer Afghanistan and Russia had tried, but much more intensively, once.  Available knowledge is now more available and there are more people who are trained to read it.  Intervention has had at least this benefit.  We have now hundreds of Americans who, weighed in the scale I saw in 1962, can be regarded as “experts,”  although one must question their empathy for the people.
            “what were we really trying to do to the Afghans?  In my inquiry in 1962, I found that none of the key officials in the American aid program, the embassy and the intelligence “station” could articulate an intelligible policy objective.  Moreover, their activities, while severally fairly large-scale and sometimes individually beneficial, had been undertaken piecemeal and did not add up to a coherent policy.  The three main activities, the Helmand Valley project, the construction of the Qandahar airport and the building of the Kabul-Qandahar expressway either made no impact or very little on either the Afghan economy or society.  In my projected strategy paper, I argued that America had minimal national interest in Afghanistan and that what we should aim to accomplish was to keep Afghan society and civic structure healthy and independent.  Such a policy was supplemental rather than intrusive, prudent rather than lavish and, above all, not provocative of the Soviet Union.  That remained, in large part, our policy until the Soviet intervention in 1979 and was completely overturned by American invasion of 2001. The Russians first and then we tried to remake the society in our image.  The Russians fought for ten years and we have been fighting for seventeen years to destroy a religious-led tribal system. Both of us failed.
“how would those affected by our actions view them?  We can go back at least to the first British invasion to see the Afghan devotion to the simple idea of being left alone.  When the British invaded the country in 1838, they entered a wasp’s nest.  The Afghans wiped out a whole Anglo-Indian army, giving the British their greatest defeat of the nineteenth century.  The British fought two more major engagements and spent decades fighting guerrilla/tribal forces on the southeastern (what the British called the North West) frontier.  The Afghans never gave up and never changed their attitude.  But, when India became independent and we and the Russians left the Afghans alone, travelling around the country was a delight.  And safe.  Everywhere I went in a 2,000 mile trek in 1962 I was treated as an honored guest.  Then the Russians invaded in 1979 and created two disasters:  they destroyed much of the country and killed huge numbers of Afghans; in doing so they bankrupted the Soviet Union and virtually destroyed its army.  We followed them and created a similar disaster.   Moral: the Afghans don’t want any foreign interference and are willing to fight and die to preserve their independence.  They are willing to take our money but they won’t accept our control.
“was what we were doing appropriate?  That question must be refined:  appropriate to whom and by what standard.  Invading another country was defined by the Nuremberg Tribunal as a war crime.  It became operational under United States law, as specified by the Constitution, by being anchored in a treaty under which the United States joined the United Nations.  At the demand of the major powers, the definition of “aggression” has always been legally ill-defined; in political terms it has depended on the acquiescence of the strong; but in the political terms of the victims and in moral terms, it is self evident.  In the view of the Afghans the British, Soviet and U.S. invasions were crimes of aggression.  The United States justification for occupying Afghanistan at the request of the Afghan government will not survive as it did not in Vietnam longer than the artificial governments survive.  I When the current regime is overthrown, the incoming new government, just as in Vietnam, will repudiate its acts.
“how did our actions fit into the world we thought we were trying to build? Realistically, the answer to this question is “time dependent.”  What one generation accepts, its successor may disavow.  The notion of quest for a better world dominating policy gave way twice in the last century – once in 1919 and once just at the end of the Second World War.  In the first instance it was replaced by the quest for wealth behind the moat of the Atlantic Ocean and from roughly 1947 by the belief that we could assure security by an aggressive foreign policy.  The latter trend continues.  It has landed us in war after war with no end in sight. Yet, we continue to believe that what we are trying to do works and even that it is building a better world.
“what were the costs?”  Cost is the ultimate four-letter word.  It covers a variety of acts and usually makes us think  only in financial terms, and thinking in that way tends to focus our attention on the cost to us.  But if we evaluate costs in broader terms --  in life, property and civil institutions – we get a truer picture.  In Afghanistan, that picture is ugly.  No one really knows how many people have been turned into refugees, been incapacitated, been “dwarfed,” died or been killed.  Scattered over those categories is virtually the entire population.  Physical destruction has been large-scale but somewhat less than the tragic costs in Iraq and Syria because Afghanistan had less to lose.   The same might be said of civic institutions.  Afghanistan was evolving from a primitive but coherent society into a true nation-state.   Repeated and long lasting wars – a decade of Soviet dismemberment, twelve years of the warlord-ridden strife and going-on twenty years of American counterinsurgency – have brought out the worst of the past and mingled it with contemporary tyranny.  So, as fragile native institutions are destroyed or collapse, they are replaced either by completely foreign structures or by thinly disguised puppets.  In everything from getting fresh water to buying a house, the law is set by a mafia.  And the mafia is itself fragile so it acts like a pump to suck out of the society its capacity to survive.  Much of the cost is hidden, but in sum we can say that it amounts to a generation of Afghans.  And, of course, the contagion spreads not only to neighboring societies but also to us and our institutions, concepts of law  and civil liberties.
            “how important was the issue or country to us and in what terms?  One of the several ironies of Afghanistan is that America had almost no national interests in it.  The British had. They wanted to protect the crown jewel of their empire, India.  The Soviet Union had  more intangible ideological interests but even the Politburo could not add them up as a convincing case for involvement.  I doubt that anyone in Mr. Bush’s camp could have made a better case.  If we had a serious interest, it was that everyone leave the Afghans to run their own affairs.
            “what could have been the alternatives?  In so far as there was a reason for our attack, it was not strategic; rather it was political and domestic.  The Afghan government would not release to us the man we blamed for the 9/11 attack, Usama bin Ladin.    That gave the Bushes a cause.  Particularly George Jr.  saw it as an opening on the world stage.  So, when the Afghans indicated a face-saving way around the issue of Bin Ladin’s guilt, we could not accept it.  If we had been willing to negotiate, we could have accomplished what we said was our requirement without invasion.  But, for domestic political reasons, in Afghanistan as in Iraq, we opted for war.
            “would the policy diplomacy entailed have worked?”  Of course, we cannot be sure since we refused to try in Afghanistan.  But, the downside of diplomacy not working was of trivial cost while the cost of mounting an invasion and multi-year occupation of the country has been monumental.  In Iraq, the costs on both sides of this divide were even more pronounced. And, I believe, incurring them was unnecessary. I personally met with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz on the eve of our invasion and found his government ready to meet almost any demand.  But, as he told me, his government thought an attempt to keep the peace would be in vain because the US government was determined on war. When I returned from Baghdad and met with senior officials of our government, I found that Tariq Aziz had judged us aright.  We, or at least President Bush, were on the move.
            So, back to my main point: until we ask the right questions in advance, the answers we could consider after events take place will evince little room for intelligent, effective and economical policy.   And, in that frame of mind, we will take Step One.  That is whatever seems required by our own interests.  Having taken that step, we narrow the range of our options and find that it is logical to take as its offshoot, Step Two.  Then, Step Three is likely to seem the only feasible next move.  So, in the process we become not the masters of our fate but the captive of events that possibly never needed to have been begun and are likely to lead us in a direction opposite to our interests.
            Only half in jest, I suggest that every would-be statesman be required to follow the latest fad among the young:  he should submit to being  tattooed – perhaps on his forehead -- with the phrase LOOK BEFORE LEAPING. 
                                                                                                  William R. Polk                                                                                                                          January 14, 2019