Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Iran offers plan to scrap nuclear weapons worldwide: media

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Iran offers plan to scrap nuclear weapons worldwide: media

Iran offers plan to scrap nuclear weapons worldwide: media

Iran offers plan to scrap nuclear weapons worldwide: media
Washington (AFP) Sept 10, 2009 - Iran is proposing to set up an international system to scrap and prohibit nuclear weapons worldwide, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's senior adviser said in an interview published Thursday. Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi told The Washington Post that the Iranian package of proposals submitted Wednesday to the United States and other powers calls for the elimination of existing weapons and measures ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_offers_plan_to_scrap_nuclear_weapons_worldwide_media_999.html

Westinghouse is in talks to run nuclear-fuel operations site in U.K.

Westinghouse is in talks to run nuclear-fuel operations site in U.K.
Westinghouse Electric, Toshiba's nuclear power division, announced it is in discussions to manage the U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's nuclear-fuel operations at Springfields in England. The agreement includes permanently turning over ownership of Springfields Fuel and signing a long-term lease once the existing site-management deal ends in March. The news comes as Toshiba seeks to concentrate on its international nuclear power business. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-200909...dist_smartbrief

Little progress in Syrian nuclear probe: UN official

Little progress in Syrian nuclear probe: UN official
Vienna, Austria (AFP) Aug 28, 2009 - The UN atomic watchdog has been unable to make much progress in its investigation into alleged illicit nuclear activities in Syria, a senior UN official said Friday. "There's not much progress, if anything," the official said in response to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on its probe into allegations that Damascus had been building a covert nuclear reactor at a remote ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Little_progress_in_Syrian_nuclear_probe_UN_official_999.html

Another Major Setback For A "Nuclear Renaissance"

Another Major Setback For A "Nuclear Renaissance"
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 31, 2009 - The so-called "nuclear renaissance" is finding few friends among state lawmakers in the United States. The nuclear power industry has been shut out across the board in 2009 in its efforts in all six states - ranging across the nation from Kentucky to Minnesota to Hawaii - where it sought to overturn what are either explicit or effectively bans on construction of new reactors, according to the no ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Another_Major_Setback_For_A_Nuclear_Renaissance_999.html

Former nuclear pariah India scours world for uranium

Former nuclear pariah India scours world for uranium
New Delhi (AFP) Sept 7, 2009 - Energy-starved India, armed with permission to buy atomic fuel from around the world after the end of a three-decade ban, is courting new partners alongside old friends in its global hunt for uranium. The strategy, spelt out in a government paper published last week, will see New Delhi reach out to Mongolia, Namibia and Kazakhstan besides traditional allies like Russia in its search for the ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Former_nuclear_pariah_India_scours_world_for_uranium_999.html

Arab states race for nuclear power

Arab states race for nuclear power
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UPI) Sep 9, 2009 - Amid the gathering storm over Iran's controversial nuclear ambitions, the race is on among Arab states to build nuclear power plants of their own, opening up immense trade opportunities for the industrialized world as well as the specter of proliferation. The United States, Britain, France and Russia are competing for contracts in the nuclear energy bonanza that is emerging in the ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Arab_states_race_for_nuclear_power_999.html

U.S. Urges World to Enforce Key North Korea Sanctions

U.S. Urges World to Enforce Key North Korea Sanctions
Mark Heinrich, Reuters
The United States pressed all nations on Tuesday to enforce toughened U.N. sanctions against North Korea, saying this was vital for any chance of getting it back onto the road toward nuclear disarmament.
Full Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5875CS20090908

The Emerging Axis of Iran and Venezuela

The Emerging Axis of Iran and Venezuela
Robert M. Morgenthau, The Wall Street Journal
Editor's Note: Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, who last April indicted a Chinese executive and his company for financing components of Iran's nuclear program, charges in this article that Venezuela has established a financial system to covertly help Iran avoid economic sanctions. He references this Carnegie Proliferation Analysis from December 2008 on Venezuela's pursuit of nuclear power.

The diplomatic ties between Iran and Venezuela go back almost 50 years and until recently amounted to little more than the routine exchange of diplomats. With the election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005, the relationship dramatically changed.
Full Article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203440104574400792835972018.html

Iran 'Closer' to Nuclear Weapon

Iran 'Closer' to Nuclear Weapon
Glenn Kessler and Thomas Erdbrink, The Washington Post
Iran "is now either very near or in possession" of enough low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon, a senior U.S. diplomat said Wednesday, as he offered some of the toughest remarks by an Obama administration official on Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Full Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/09/AR2009090901701.html

Pentagon Checks Arsenal in Race for Nuclear Treaty

Pentagon Checks Arsenal in Race for Nuclear Treaty
Thom Shanker and Mark Landler, The New York Times
With the clock ticking on a year-end deadline, President Obama is pressing ahead with a top-to-bottom review of America’s nuclear weapons to see how much the arsenal can shrink, as his negotiators are racing to wrap up a major new strategic arms control treaty with Russia.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/world/09arms.html?_r=1

Missile Strategy Must Not Be Seen as a Retreat

Missile Strategy Must Not Be Seen as a Retreat
Tomas Valasek, Financial Times
There are mounting indications that Barack Obama will soon abandon plans to put missile defence bases in Poland and the Czech Republic. These have become one of the main bones of contention between Russia and the west. The Pentagon is tight-lipped about what, if anything, will replace the sites: US officials have hinted that new bases, built closer to Iran and – crucially – jointly with Russia, could follow.
Full Article
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d792e9ac-9ca5-11de-ab58-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fd792e9ac-9ca5-11de-ab58-00144feabdc0.html&_i_referer=

Deterring Safeguards Violations James M. Acton, Policy Outlook

Deterring Safeguards Violations
James M. Acton, Policy Outlook
NPTThe international community's inability to respond quickly and effectively to safeguards violations is the principal weakness of the nonproliferation regime today. At the upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May 2010, member states should address this problem by recognizing that safeguards non-compliance constitutes a violation of the NPT, according to a new policy outlook by James Acton.
Full Article
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23800&prog=zgp&proj=znpp


Abolishing Nuclear Weapons: A Debate
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=22748

The Problem with Nuclear Mind Reading
James M. Acton
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=22745

Expert: Countries should consider nuclear to meet emission targets

Expert: Countries should consider nuclear to meet emission targets
Countries that fail to allocate funds for nuclear energy because of finances or politics are likely to fall short of emissions goals and be passed over for investment as firms construct facilities elsewhere, said Hans-Holger Rogner, an expert with the International Atomic Energy Agency. This comes after the agency raised its nuclear power forecasts for 2030, with Asian countries expected to lead that growth. Having other options to curb emissions is necessary while renewable-energy technologies are being improved, Rogner added. Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE58838Q20090909

Arab states race for nuclear power

Middle Eastern countries look to nuclear energy to fuel economies
The U.S., U.K., France and Russia are racing to secure nuclear-construction contracts from Middle Eastern countries that are moving to produce more power to sustain their flourishing economies. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last year signed preliminary deals with the U.S. for nuclear technology. Saudi Arabia announced it is working on proposals to build its first nuclear plant, while the UAE projects its first facility to be operational by 2015. United Press International
http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/09/09/Arab-states-race-for-nuclear-power/UPI-19541252514795/

Iran steps up to the nuclear table

Iran steps up to the nuclear table

Tehran has presented the "Iran Six" nations with new proposals that Iran's foreign minister calls a "new opportunity for dialogue" with the West. Although the contents are still confidential, Iranian officials hint that for the first time security and economic cooperation will be discussed alongside the ongoing nuclear stalemate. Whether Washington takes this as an honorable detente or a delaying tactic will be key to upcoming talks. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Sep 10, '09)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KI11Ak03.html

Gates Urges Arabs to Strengthen Military Ties with Eye to Iran

Gates Urges Arabs to Strengthen Military Ties with Eye to Iran
Agence France-Presse
Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged US allies in the Arab world to strengthen their military capabilities and defense cooperation with Washington as a means of pressuring Iran to back off its nuclear program.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5htTdBzcGSVUp-sbhOQWlEqWPE-uA

* Al Jazeera Interview: Robert Gates
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/09/200995202939732522.html

Nuclear Agency Said to Be in 'Stalemate' with Iran
Robert F. Worth, The New York Times
ElBaradeiThe head of the United Nations nuclear oversight agency said Monday that his organization was in a "stalemate" with Iran over its nuclear program, just after the Iranian president affirmed once again that his country would not stop uranium enrichment or negotiate over its nuclear rights.

Mohamed ElBaradei, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the group's 35-nation board that Iran had not stopped enriching uranium or answered lingering questions about its nuclear program.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/middleeast/08iran.html?hp

* Iranian Invites Six Powers to Tehran
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/07/AR2009090701393.html

* Indian firms may announce foreign partner in nuclear-energy project

Indian firms may announce foreign partner in nuclear-energy project
India's Bharat Heavy Electricals and Nuclear Power are expected to name a foreign partner for their project to construct nuclear plants in the country. The partner will likely be offered about 30% equity, but the terms are under discussion, Bharat Chairman K. Ravi Kumar said. This comes as Bharat agreed last year to strike a deal with the country's sole nuclear-energy producer for engineering, building and procurement services.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=af3xM2sRXcaE

Official: U.S.-China climate discussions could cover nuclear energy

Official: U.S.-China climate discussions could cover nuclear energy
Climate-change discussions between the U.S. and China may include collaboration over nuclear-energy technologies such as reactors, which emit less heat and gas than traditional power plants, said David Sandalow, an official with the U.S. Energy Department. Nuclear is an "important part of the solution to the global warming problem" and could become the focus in future talks with China, Sandalow added. Bloomberg

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...id=ac1Tmwz3cCek

A.Q. KHAN DISCUSSES PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

A.Q. KHAN DISCUSSES PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Pakistan was ready to test a nuclear weapon just six years after it first began to enrich uranium, according to A.Q. Khan, the architect of the Pakistani nuclear program and an infamous proliferator of nuclear weapons designs and technology.

"It was 6 April 1978 when we achieved our first centrifugal enrichment of uranium," Khan recalled in a chatty, wide-ranging interview with Pakistani television (pdf) last week. "We had achieved 90 percent [enrichment] by early 1983."

"I wrote a letter to General Zia on 10 December 1984, telling him that the weapon was ready and that we could detonate it on a notice of one week," Khan said.

In addition to a timeline for the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, the Khan interview http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/pakistan/aqkhan-083109.pdf, discusses the costs and logistics involved, and his successful efforts to evade export controls. "They could not outmaneuver us, as we remained a step ahead always," he said.

The interview also provides "interesting information about Pakistan's supply chains, which he says were the same for Iran and Libya as well," said Ivanka Barzashka, an FAS researcher who is studying the proliferation of centrifuge technology.

The interview with A.Q. Khan, who was recently released from house arrest, was broadcast in Karachi on August 31. It was helpfully translated from the Urdu by the DNI Open Source Center. The translated interview has not been publicly released, but a copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See "Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan Discusses Nuclear Program in TV Talk Show," Aaj News Television, August 31, 2009.

Iran says it has developed stealth missile interceptor system

Iran says it has developed stealth missile interceptor system

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3772910,00.html

IAEA: We've reached stalemate with Iran

IAEA: We've reached stalemate with Iran

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3773167,00.html

North Korea drops a uranium bombshell

North Korea drops a uranium bombshell

Suspicions that North Korea never halted its uranium nuclear weapons program have been at the core of United States diplomacy with Pyongyang for years. The North on Friday officially confirmed these fears, and worse, that enrichment is in its "final phase". Cornered by tough sanctions and a dire economic situation, Pyongyang hopes the revelation will hasten one-on-one dialogue with Washington. - Donald Kirk (Sep 4,

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/KI05Dg01.html

Country Out? Bruno Tertrais, Proliferation Analysis

Country Out?
Bruno Tertrais, Proliferation Analysis
SarkozyAs many observers have noticed in the past eight years, France was fairly comfortable with the Bush administration's stance on nuclear issues in international forums and found itself in agreement with many of the hard-line positions taken by the United States in nonproliferation and disarmament negotiations. However, since the Obama administration overtly and explicitly embraced the goal of a "nuclear-weapon-free world," the picture seems to have changed. With London and Washington leading the way, and Beijing and Moscow not being shy of speaking about nuclear abolition (notwithstanding their policies often to the contrary), is France the odd country out in the debate? Yes and no.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23789

No Signs of Iranian Flexibility on Nuclear Program

No Signs of Iranian Flexibility on Nuclear Program
Council on Foreign Relations Interview, September 2, 2009
George Perkovich, a leading expert on nuclear policy, says despite the world's revulsion at the apparently staged elections in Iran, the United States should be prepared to talk to the Iranian government. "The question isn't our willingness to negotiate or to try to find some resolution with this government in Iran," he says. "The real question is whether this government in Iran is at all willing to make compromises on its current posture."
Full Article
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23787&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

* Iran Would Not Discuss Nuclear Work with Powers: TV
http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSTRE58217720090903

* Ahmadinejad Wins Approval of Key Cabinet Slots
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/world/middleeast/04iran.html?_r=1&hp

China Prepares to Show Off Nuclear Missiles

China Prepares to Show Off Nuclear Missiles
Malcolm Moore, Telegraph
Chinese state media said that nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, conventional cruise missiles, and an array of medium and short range missiles would be put on public display for the first time.
Full Article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6129561/China-prepares-to-show-off-nuclear-missiles.html

Pakistan Court Again Puts Curbs on Nuke Scientist

Pakistan Court Again Puts Curbs on Nuke Scientist
Babar Dogar, Associated Press
A Pakistani court on Wednesday suspended an earlier order lifting restrictions on the movement of nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is alleged to have spread nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hF7ZYNqjRJW0jcpPOK3AcQ7NvuVAD9AF3SUO0

Court Nixes Challenge to NY Nuclear Waste Site

Court sides with feds on environmental review for waste site
A federal court in New York ruled that the Energy Department properly assessed the environmental effects of a radioactive-waste facility in the western portion of the state. The Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes and a resident filed a lawsuit claiming that the agency combined plans for short-term waste management and long-term goals for the site's closure instead of studying them separately. The court, however, said both issues could be addressed in the same review. CourthouseNews.com
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/09/02/Court_Nixes_Challenge_to_NY_Nuclear_Waste_Site.htm

PSC hears comment on Constellation nuclear deal Supporters appeared to outnumber opposition over contentious plan

First public hearing is held on proposed Constellation nuclear deal

The Maryland Public Service Commission on Wednesday held the first of three public hearings designed to evaluate Constellation Energy Group's nuclear pact with French firm EDF. Critics of the agreement said that construction costs for a reactor at Calvert Cliffs could exceed $10 billion, and that would drive up utility rates in the state. Trade unions and business groups, however, were among organizations that backed the deal, citing benefits they said the state stands to gain. The Sun (Baltimore)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-constellation0903,0,6104137.story

China Set To Unveil New Missiles: State Media

China Set To Unveil New Missiles: State Media
China is set to stage a huge military parade and pageant in Beijing. Photo AFP

From AFP:

BEIJING — China will unveil a range of previously unknown missiles during its October 1 National Day parade, including intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles, state media said Wednesday.

The new hardware on display also will include conventional cruise missiles and both short- and medium-range missiles, the Global Times newspaper reported, citing an unnamed People's Liberation Army source.

"These missiles are domestically designed and manufactured and have never been officially reported before," the source, who is with the PLA's strategic missile defence unit, was quoted as saying.

Read more ....
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hEdWT-s_9ofUNFT5Cj0YFcag43iA

China keen to revive Iran nuclear talks

China keen to revive Iran nuclear talks

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=105013§ionid=351020104

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu says Beijing is keen to work with other nations to revive talks on Iran's nuclear program.

"We are ready to work with the other parties to promote the early resumption of dialogue and negotiations to seek a comprehensive, enduring, and proper settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue," AFP quoted Jiang as saying on Tuesday."

Pakistan nuclear hero ‘proliferation risk’

Pakistan nuclear hero ‘proliferation risk’

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:54:06 GMT

US State Department warns Pakistan over lifting restrictions on nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, saying he "remains a serious proliferation risk."

"We have made clear to the Pakistani government our concerns about Abdul Qadeer Khan," a State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We believe he remains a serious proliferation risk," the official added.

A Pakistani court declared him a free man in February.

Khan complained to a high court last week, saying his movements were still being restricted.

Justice Ejaz Ahmed, the presiding judge at Lahore High Court, said in his remarks on August that "Dr. Khan can come and go anywhere as he pleases."

The US Embassy in Islamabad has said they were following the developments.

More…
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=105034§ionid=351020401

Sources: Chinese firms to construct nuclear plant in Jiangxi province

Sources: Chinese firms to construct nuclear plant in Jiangxi province
Jiangxi Ganyue Expressway and Jiangxi Ganneng said they have signed a letter of intent with China National Nuclear to construct a nuclear facility in Jiangxi province's Wan'an County. Though share values are not set, CNNC could control a 51% stake in the project with the other firms holding the remaining 49%. China Knowledge/(subscription required)

http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Newswires/News_Detail.aspx?type=1&NewsID=26702

Imported uranium is used to generate power at Indian nuclear plant

Imported uranium is used to generate power at Indian nuclear plant
India's Rajasthan Atomic Power Station has produced energy using uranium imported from France and Russia, marking the first evident results of the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal. The Nuclear Power Corp. of India acquired natural uranium from Russia and France's Areva after getting approval from the Nuclear Suppliers Group last year. The plant follows safeguards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency and can use imported fuel, an official said. The Economic Times (India)/Press Trust of India

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Politics/Nation/Nuke-deals-first-gains-for-India-power-from-imported-uranium/articleshow/4960661.cms

Pakistan in controversy over U.S. missiles

Pakistan in controversy over U.S. missiles
Washington (UPI) Sep 1, 2009 - Pakistan finds itself facing a new controversy over U.S.-provided anti-ship missiles in the midst of confronting innumerable other problems both at home and abroad, including worsening relations with neighbor India over cross-border terrorism. In a weekend report, The New York Times, quoting senior U.S. administration and congressional officials, said Pakistan had illegally modified the ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pakistan_in_controversy_over_US_missiles_999.html

Outgoing IAEA Chief ElBaradei Calls Iranian Threat 'Hyped' By Jerusalem Post Staff

Outgoing IAEA Chief ElBaradei Calls Iranian Threat 'Hyped'

By Jerusalem Post Staff

Mohamed ElBaradei, outgoing chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has called the Iranian threat "hyped," saying there is no proof the Islamic republic will soon have nuclear weapons. Continue

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23405.htm

Pakistani Nuke Scientist Says Restrictions Lifted

Pakistani Nuke Scientist Says Restrictions Lifted
Masroor Gilani, Agence France-Presse
Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has admitted leaking nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya, said Tuesday restrictions on his movements had been lifted.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jj8Dai33DyFfV9wDN6hinBd9pJxA

NSA: India Doesn't Need Another Nuclear Test Siddharth Varadarajan, The Hindu

NSA: India Doesn't Need Another Nuclear Test
Siddharth Varadarajan, The Hindu
Describing India's commitment to its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing as "steadfast," National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan on Saturday came down hard on those making a case for the resumption of testing by claiming the May 1998 thermonuclear device test had been a failure.
Full Article
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/30/stories/2009083059910800.htm

IAEA Extends Probe of Alleged Secret Syria Atom Site

IAEA Extends Probe of Alleged Secret Syria Atom Site
Mark Heinrich, Reuters
U.N. inspectors are analyzing further evidence taken from a nuclear research plant in Syria's capital Damascus where unexplained uranium traces were found, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Friday.
Full Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE57R4P120090828?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

* August 2009 IAEA Safeguards Report on Syria (PDF)
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/static/npp/reports/gov2009-56.pdf

* The IAEA Should Call for a Special Inspection in Syria
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=22791&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

Nuclear Agency Says Iran Has Bolstered Ability to Make Fuel but Slowed Its Output William J. Broad and David E. Sanger, The New York Times

Nuclear Agency Says Iran Has Bolstered Ability to Make Fuel but Slowed Its Output
William J. Broad and David E. Sanger, The New York Times
International nuclear inspectors reported on Friday that Iran had significantly increased its ability to produce nuclear fuel over the summer, even while slowing the pace at which it was enriching the uranium that the West fears could one day fuel nuclear weapons.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/world/middleeast/29nuke.html?_r=1

* August 2009 IAEA Safeguards Report on Iran (PDF)
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/static/npp/reports/gov2009-55.pdf

* ISIS Analysis of the August 2009 IAEA Report on Iran (PDF)
http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iran/Analysis_IAEA_Report.pdf

* Increased Safeguards at Natanz: What Does It All Mean?
http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2009/08/increased-safeguards-at-natanz-what-does-it-all-mean.php

Iran 'Has New Nuclear Proposal'

Iran 'Has New Nuclear Proposal'
BBC News
JaliliIran has prepared a new nuclear proposal and is ready to resume talks on its nuclear programme, according to media reports.

The Islamic Republic's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was quoted making the claim on Iranian television.
Full Article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8231763.stm



* Germany, France Reinforce Iran Sanctions Threat
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJYZ6kh-_GT32kAL6T05Xrs8DGdQD9AE1O7G0

"Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations," August 4, 2009.

"Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations," August 4, 2009.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R40154.pdf

Nuclear talks resumption delayed: conference chair

Nuclear talks resumption delayed: conference chair
Geneva (AFP) Aug 31, 2009 - The 65 states in the Conference on Disarmament have failed to agree on how to move ahead with full nuclear arms talks, effectively delaying them until 2010, the conference president said Monday. "Time is running out for this year's session of the CD," said ambassador Christian Strohal, who also represents Austria. "The window of opportunity to achieve a consensual approach.... is closing ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Nuclear_talks_resumption_delayed_conference_chair_999.html

Indian navy chief slams Pakistan missile 'proliferation'

Indian navy chief slams Pakistan missile 'proliferation'
New Delhi (AFP) Aug 31, 2009 - India's navy chief said on Monday that Pakistan's alleged modifications of US-supplied anti-ship missiles to make them capable of striking land targets showed the danger of proliferation. The New York Times reported Saturday that US officials have complained to Pakistan about modifications of the Harpoon missiles that would make them capable of hitting land targets in neighbouring India. ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indian_navy_chief_slams_Pakistan_missile_proliferation_999.html

Turkish nuclear plant eases forward

Turkish nuclear plant eases forward
Eased regulations on cross-border customs checks followed Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Turkey. The implications extend beyond Turkish-Russian trade in textile and agriculture, possibly benefiting progress on Turkey's first nuclear power plant.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/KI01Ag01.html

Iran has slowed uranium output: UN agency

Iran has slowed uranium output: UN agency
Vienna (AFP) Aug 28, 2009 - Iran has slowed production of enriched uranium, which can be used to make a nuclear bomb, and agreed to tighter monitoring of its enrichment plant, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday. Tehran has also granted UN inspectors access to a research reactor long out of bounds, according to a restricted report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_has_slowed_uranium_output_UN_agency_999.html

Little progress in Syrian nuclear probe: UN official

Little progress in Syrian nuclear probe: UN official
Vienna, Austria (AFP) Aug 28, 2009 - The UN atomic watchdog has been unable to make much progress in its investigation into alleged illicit nuclear activities in Syria, a senior UN official said Friday. "There's not much progress, if anything," the official said in response to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on its probe into allegations that Damascus had been building a covert nuclear reactor at a remote ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Little_progress_in_Syrian_nuclear_probe_UN_official_999.html

NKorean arms headed to Iran seized in UAE: diplomat

NKorean arms headed to Iran seized in UAE: diplomat
United Nations (AFP) Aug 28, 2009 - The United Arab Emirates has seized a ship carrying North Korean weapons to Iran, marking the first time a nation has acted on UN sanctions to stop the communist state's proliferation, a diplomat said Friday. The incident emerged despite a recent easing of tensions with the hardline communist nation, which has been seeking a resumption of talks with the United States three months after ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NKorean_arms_headed_to_Iran_seized_in_UAE_diplomat_999.html

Pakistan rejects US accusation on missile modification

Pakistan rejects US accusation on missile modification
Islamabad (AFP) Aug 30, 2009 - Pakistan on Sunday rejected US government claims that it illegally modified American-made missiles and said the accusations were part of a campaign to "malign it and its armed forces". Modifications to anti-ship missiles made them capable of hitting land-based targets and thus threatening India, The New York Times said Saturday. Citing unnamed senior administration and congressional ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pakistan_rejects_US_accusation_on_missile_modification_999.html

US considers alternative to Europe missile sites: report

US considers alternative to Europe missile sites: report
Washington (AFP) Aug 29, 2009 - The US government has developed possible alternative plans for a missile defense shield that could drop proposed missile bases in Poland and the Czech Republic, The New York Times reported Saturday. Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said the change would please Russia and Germany but could sour relations with US allies in Eastern Europe. Barack Obama administration ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_considers_alternative_to_Europe_missile_sites_report_999.html

Pentagon Vetting Could Delay Warhead Modernization Plan

Pentagon Vetting Could Delay Warhead Modernization Plan

Global Security Newswire - August 27

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090827_3782.php

Will the Pentagon Thwart Obama's Dream of Zero?

Will the Pentagon Thwart Obama's Dream of Zero?

Slate - August 21, 2009

http://www.slate.com/id/2225817/

U.S. Nuclear Weapons

U.S. Nuclear Policy

C-Span Video Library - August 26

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=288548-1&clipStart=0&clipStop=5100&showVid=true

Sandia unveils small-reactor project

Sandia unveils small-reactor project
Sandia National Laboratories announced that it has developed a small nuclear reactor and is seeking partners to market it domestically and internationally. The reactor, which could be built in two years, could generate about 100 to 300 megawatts, Sandia said. About 85% of the design is finished, and the cost could fall to $250 million once production begins. Greentech Media

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sandia-joins-race-for-mini-reactors/

Playing With a Full Deck Lessons about nuclear deterrence from the poker table.

Nuclear poker with Kim Jong Il
By James McManus

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/08/13/playing_with_a_full_deck

Global downward trend for nuclear energy to continue, report says

Global downward trend for nuclear energy to continue, report says
The number of nuclear plants worldwide in operation, under construction or in the planning stages is falling, and it remains unclear whether the sector will recover, according to a recent report. The study, commissioned by a German government agency, found that there seems to be a growing gap between realities and trends in the industry and perceptions of a nuclear revival. "With extremely long lead times of 10 years and more, it will be practically impossible to maintain, let alone increase, the number of operating nuclear power plants over the next 20 years," the report added. Nuclear Engineering International

http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=132&storyCode=2053966

"In Re: The Crusader" By Philip Gold

Winslow Wheeler's career as a military reformist author and commentator, along with his thoughts for the future of defense reform, were the subject of Philip Gold's column in Washington Law and Politics.

"In Re: The Crusader" was first published by Washington Law & Politics and is reproduced below.

"In Re: The Crusader"
By Philip Gold

Were Washington, D.C., a walled city (which in many ways it is), there would be a sign above the gate warning newcomers: “YOU WILL RUN OUT OF PEARLS LONG BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF SWINE.”

And perhaps nowhere are the swine more swinish than in the military-industrial-Congressional empire, or MICE. Still, this column is not about swinish mice or mousy swine, numerous though they be. It’s about a man who, since 1971, has been tossing pearls.

And who remains optimistic.

Winslow Wheeler arrived on Capitol Hill in 1971. He left in 2002 after splitting three decades between the Government Accountability Office (formerly General Accounting Office) and the Senate: defense analyst at the GAO; in the Senate, legislative assistant to four senators, Republican and Democrat, and a final stint as a Republican staffer on the Senate Budget Committee. In the 1980s, he became active in the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Military Reform Caucus; arguably, he knows as much about the defense budget as anyone who has worked in the field and kept his or her sanity. He has also been, for many years, a public crusader against pork-and against those who pose as guardians of the trough but in reality abide by that old Congressional maxim “To get along, go along.”

In the late 1990s, Wheeler began writing under the not-very-secure pseudonym “Spartacus.” His work circulated privately and on the Internet. Spartacus gained influence and, inevitably, made enemies. In 2002, he wrote “Mr. Smith Is Dead: No One Stands in the Way as Congress Lards Post-September 11 Defense Bills with Pork.” The piece named names and got into specifics. Self-styled “pork buster” John McCain decided to get Wheeler fired. Wheeler resigned and went to work at the Center for Defense Information, a left-of-center D.C. think tank founded by a repentant admiral that ever since has played host to disgruntled retired senior officers and some of the better analysts around. In 2004, Wheeler reprised “Mr. Smith” with a devastating Washington Post commentary, “Don’t Mind If I Do,” that re-skewered McCain. The article was still kicking around during the 2008 campaign.

Wheeler subsequently wrote two books, The Wastrels of Defense: How Congress Sabotages U.S. Security and Military Reform: A Reference Handbook, and edited a 2008 anthology, America’s Defense Meltdown: Petagon Reform for President Obama and the New Congress. Of late, he and fellow defense reformer Pierre Sprey have been taking on the F-35 Lightning II fighter, just one of many horrifically over-budget, endlessly behind-schedule and militarily questionable items in the Pentagon’s current inventory of maybe-someday and never-enough.

I recently had occasion to review Wheeler’s work for my next book, Closing Ranks: The Citizen’s Guide to a New Defense (Praeger, December 2009) and decided to chat him up. I expected an embittered man, as many of the 1970s and ’80s old defense reformers now are, some ostentatiously so. I found instead a citizen not averse to speaking in clear English but also surprisingly upbeat.

On interview day (May 12), Wheeler offered an unexceptional analysis of President Obama’s defense stance: “He’s very concerned [that] he presents a posture as a moderate and [does] not get savaged by the Republicans as an anti-defense Democrat.” He can neither take on the MICE full-frontally nor fold two dismal wars.

Wheeler’s assessment of Defense Secretary Robert Gates is more complex: “He’s a mixed bag. He has done nothing to change the nature of the Pentagon beast but has brought some discipline to OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense]. He’s clearly in charge.” As proof, he cites Gates’ embargo on the FY 2010 defense budget until it was officially released and his refusal to let the services send their “wish lists” (items not in the budget request) to Congress without prior approval. Gates’ enforcement technique: Cross me and get fired.

But it’s a long legislative season, and, as the poet once wrote, “There’s many a slip ’twixt the zipper and the zip.” Wheeler does not discount the possibility that Congress will once again lard up the Pentagon’s allowance, but suggests that, if it gets out of hand, Gates could recommend a presidential veto. “Gates and Obama,” he concludes, “could shape their own battlefield if they have the guts to do it.”
Yet, unlike many defense analysts (myself included), Wheeler does not see much need for fundamental legislative change. Should we revisit the National Security Act of 1947 and its multitudinous amendments? “No,” he answers. “The people who would do it are buffoons.” He prefers three major changes within the present system:

• Bring down total defense spending to reflect real-world considerations, not the standard troika of plentiful pork, preposterous perils and purposeful procrastination.
• Use the pressure of less money to force the system to start making lots of previously avoidable hard choices.
• Provide an honest analytic and financial-management system that generates valid information, not the self-serving fantasies now used in the Department of Defense and Congress.

All this, he concludes, depends on having enough people with sufficient intelligence and integrity. He says, “Today’s Pentagon people are hopeless. We have to focus on human behavior, not cosmetic changes. Nothing in current law, regulation or structure requires people to make crooked or stupid decisions.”

True. But where are all these good people to be found? And how do you get the American people to take enough of an interest to force their legislators to get serious? There is virtually no organized constituency for defense reform outside certain policy and media circles; citizen hissy-fitting doth not a movement make. Those opposed to change are well organized, well funded and very, very intense. And the next election-there’s always a next election-is coming up.

Wheeler disagrees, and remains hopeful. “This is a new historical moment,” he says. “The experience of the 1980s shows that there is a huge mass constituency for reform, and when the politicians and the Pentagon feel the pressure, they’ll press for better angels. We will know that time is upon us when we see people leveraging decisions with information, not political dogma.”

Perhaps. From the vantage point of 2009, however, it is difficult to see the 1980s as enjoying any mass movement, as opposed to lots of muckraking publicity (not all of it accurate) and elite interest, or what fundamental and enduring changes that decade produced. Still, as the lottery people love to remind us, you can’t win if you don’t play. Citizens who wish to understand defense issues-and there is no defense issue whose contours the American people cannot understand-would do well to pay heed to what Winslow Wheeler and those like him are trying to tell us.

Pakistan Taliban threaten to avenge leader's death

Pakistan Taliban threaten to avenge leader's death
Peshawar, Pakistan (AFP) Aug 26, 2009 - Pakistan's Taliban have threatened to avenge the death of their leader in a US missile strike, as experts warned Wednesday of possible attacks by a new leadership keen to prove its strength. Hakimullah Mehsud late Tuesday declared himself new chief of the feared Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militia, confirming for the first time that Baitullah Mehsud -- insurgent leader since 2007 ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pakistan_Taliban_threaten_to_avenge_leaders_death_999.html

+ Outside View: Merits of a nuclear alliance

+ Outside View: Merits of a nuclear alliance
Tokyo (UPI) Aug 27, 2009 - From early summer of 1945, Japan's defeat in the war against the allied nations led by the United States was a sure thing; it was only a matter of "when." Having experienced the Tokyo Air Raid in March -- in which U.S. bombs killed about 120,000 people, most of them civilians -- and the Battle of Okinawa in April, May and June -- in which 220,000 Okinawa people and military personnel ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Outside_View_Merits_of_a_nuclear_alliance_999.html

U.S. to relocate missile defense system

U.S. to relocate missile defense system
Warsaw, Poland (UPI) Aug 27, 2009 - Washington may relocate the controversial missile defense system planned for Eastern Europe to the Balkans, Turkey or Israel, a Polish newspaper reports. The U.S. plan included 10 long-range interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic. That plan will almost certainly be scrapped, Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza reports. Washington is now looking for alternative ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_to_relocate_missile_defense_system_999.html

Russian Power Company to Mine Uranium in Mongolia Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times

Russian Power Company to Mine Uranium in Mongolia
Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times
Russia's state-owned nuclear power company, whose expansion on the international market in recent years has outstripped the country's capacity to supply uranium fuel to the new power plants, won a large concession on Tuesday to mine uranium in Mongolia.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/business/energy-environment/26ruble.html?_r=1

No CTBT, India Needs More Nuclear Tests: Pokhran II Coordinator The Times of India

No CTBT, India Needs More Nuclear Tests: Pokhran II Coordinator
The Times of India
Editor's Note: Senior scientist K Santhanam, who was director of test site preparations for the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests, conceded in this interview with The Times of India that India's 1998 test of a thermonuclear device was unsuccessful. This assertion has set off a controversial debate within India's defense and scientific communities. While the seismic data most likely agrees with Santhanam's conclusion, he is using the fact to argue that India needs to resume nuclear testing, rather than signing the CTBT.

A former top official who coordinated India's nuclear weapons programme has cautioned that India should not be "railroaded" into signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) as the 1998 Pokhran tests were not sufficient from the security point of view.
Full Article
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/No-CTBT-India-needs-more-nuclear-tests-Pokhran-II-coordinator-/articleshow/4940502.cms

The ElBaradei Legacy

The ElBaradei Legacy (PDF)
Mark Hibbs and Andreas Persbo, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
As the International Atomic Energy Agency's director-general, Mohamed ElBaradei stood up to the United States, prevented a widening Middle East conflict, and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet as he prepares to leave, the future of the agency is in doubt.
Full Article
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/static/npp/pdf/elbaradei-legacy.pdf

Nuclear Zero: Key Issues to be Addressed George Perkovich, Security Index Journal

Nuclear Zero: Key Issues to be Addressed
George Perkovich, Security Index Journal
MissileIn the West today, and perhaps in Russia, leading circles believe that nuclear deterrence is what prevented the U.S. and the Soviet Union from fighting directly during the Cold War. Many assume that these weapons will continue to deter without fail. Both ideas deserve to be questioned.

Is it really true that Soviet leaders were determined to go to war with the United States but were deterred by the existence of nuclear weapons? At what time and place were Soviet leaders willing to go to war against NATO states but chose not to do so because of nuclear counter threats? What specific evidence shows this?
Full Article
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23719&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

India will look at forming nuclear-fuel recycling council

India will look at forming nuclear-fuel recycling council
India's Union Cabinet is scheduled to discuss a plan to establish a Nuclear Fuel Recycle Board, which would be tasked to manage large-scale production of plutonium. The move comes after India became eligible to take part in nuclear trading with countries that have fuel and technology. The Times of India/Transnational News

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Cabinet-to-consider-setting-up-Nuclear-Fuel-Recycle-Board/articleshow/4938019.cms

Udall, McCain have right idea on nuclear revival

Udall, McCain have right idea on nuclear revival
U.S. Sens. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and John McCain, R-Ariz., this week were advocating for the increased development of nuclear energy to combat climate change -- a move lauded by The Denver Post editorial board. "Such reactors would power grids over our cities for decades, running the coming fleets of electric cars, mass transit, and all our many electric gadgets without producing the CO2 that concerns climate-change activists," this editorial contends. The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_13201918

Nuclear power plays key role in South Carolina's energy mix

Nuclear power plays key role in South Carolina's energy mix
With seven reactors, South Carolina is the biggest user of nuclear power in the Southeast, and such facilities supply 52% of the state's electricity, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. South Carolina Electric & Gas plans to build two reactors in the state within a decade, and Duke Energy is also considering one. The Edison Electric Institute estimates that the demand for electricity will climb by at least 30% by 2030. WCIV-TV (Charleston, S.C.)

http://cfc.wciv.com/affinity/affarticle.cfm?id=332

UN Nuclear Agency Prepares to Release Iran Report

UN Nuclear Agency Prepares to Release Iran Report
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General-Director Mohamed ElBaradei.
Photo AFP

From Voice of America:

United Nations nuclear inspectors are to release their latest report on Iran's nuclear program this week, as Western diplomats build a case for stronger sanctions against Tehran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to publish its report on Thursday or Friday.

Diplomatic sources in Vienna say Western countries are pushing the IAEA to release even more intelligence reports that they believe will show Iran's intention to build a nuclear weapon.

Read more ....
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-26-voa32.cfm

More News On Iran's Nuclear Program

Policy On Tehran Faces New Test -- Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125125082291659209.html

Atomic Agency Is Pressed on Iran Records -- New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/world/middleeast/26iran.html?ref=world

Western Nations Push IAEA to Disclose Iran Records -- Global Security Newswire
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090826_7483.php

IAEA to report Iran atom slowdown ahead of talks -- Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57P1O520090826

UAE ready to sign up to safety conventions

UAE ready to sign up to safety conventions
04 August 2009

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signalled that it is ready to sign up to a number of international nuclear safety conventions, another step on its way to setting up its own nuclear power program.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-UAE_ready_to_sign_up_to_safety_conventions-0408098.html

Experts Mull Potential Middle East Nuclear Umbrella

Experts Mull Potential Middle East Nuclear Umbrella

http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090826_5956.php

U.S., Russia Unlikely to Cooperate on Missile Defense, Experts Say

WASHINGTON -- A number of political and security concerns make cooperation between the United States and Russia on missile defense unlikely, experts said this week (see GSN, Aug. 21).

"Politically it's going to be very, very difficult" due to distrust by Russian military leaders of their U.S. counterparts and other "bad atmospherics," Mikhail Tsypkin, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, said Tuesday during a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute.

The Bush administration plan to permanently install 10 ground-based interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic has become a major point of contention between Washington and Moscow. The plan -- which U.S. officials argue is intended to defeat Iran's burgeoning long-range missile capabilities -- is under review. However, the Kremlin has argued that the system would pose a threat to its strategic security.

See Full Article...
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090826_1930.php

Western Nations Push IAEA to Disclose Iran Records

The United States and other Western powers are urging the International Atomic Energy Agency to fully disclose information that could shed light on Iran's alleged nuclear-weapon ambitions, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Aug. 25).

The information includes computer files and other records purported to document nuclear-weapon research undertaken by the Middle Eastern state, including high-explosives experiments relevant to nuclear-weapon detonation as well as an effort to modify an Iranian Shahab missile to accommodate a nuclear warhead. At a closed-door meeting in February 2008 in which the agency shared some of the documents with its governing board, IAEA safeguards chief Olli Heinonen said the information was "not consistent with any application other than the development of a nuclear weapon" (see GSN, Feb. 28, 2008).

Iran, which insists its nuclear ambitions are strictly peaceful, has claimed the documents were falsified.

See Full Article...
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090826_7483.php

Planted News Stories Show New Bid by West to Say Iran Seeks Nuclear Weapons The Leaking Game By GARETH PORTER

August 26, 2009
Planted News Stories Show New Bid by West to Say Iran Seeks Nuclear Weapons
The Leaking Game

By GARETH PORTER

http://www.counterpunch.org/porter08262009.html

Middle East arms buys top $100 billion

Middle East arms buys top $100 billion
Beirut, Lebanon (UPI) Aug 25, 2009 - Middle Eastern countries are expected to spend more than $100 billion over the next five years, largely because of growing fears about Iran's nuclear program and its perceived ambition to undermine Sunni-led Arab regimes, according to an assessment by a U.S.-based consultancy. Most of the procurement will be carried out by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Israel, the New ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Middle_East_arms_buys_top_100_billion_999.html

Iran's Sejil missile 'threatens Europe'

Iran's Sejil missile 'threatens Europe'
Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Aug 25, 2009 - Uzi Rubin, former head of Israel's ballistic missile defense program, says Iran has made a "technological and strategic breakthrough" with its Sejil-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which will be able to hit a swathe of European states in three to four years. That assertion, initially made to Jane's Defense Weekly and reiterated at a U.S. Army-sponsored missile defense conference ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Irans_Sejil_missile_threatens_Europe_999.html

Has Iran's Nuclear Program Stalled?

Has Iran's Nuclear Program Stalled?
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits the Natanz uranium-enrichment facilities, about 200 miles south of Tehran, in April 2008. Ahmadinejad announced on Iranian state television during the visit that Iran has begun the installation of some 6,000 new centrifuges, adding to the 3,000 centrifuges already at the facility. The Office of the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran via Getty Images

Iran Nuclear Expansion 'Stalled' -- BBC

Iran has not expanded the number of centrifuges enriching uranium at its nuclear facilities since the end of May, diplomats have told the BBC.

But they said there had been an increase in the number of centrifuges installed and that they could be brought online within weeks.

It is not clear whether the slowdown is due to technical or political reasons.

Read more ....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8220940.stm

More News On Iran's Nuclear Program

Diplomats: Iran's enrichment program stagnates -- AP
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iRqjZV1Meppj40hTs8IBOv4DdsQwD9A9T8600

Report: Iran has not expanded uranium enrichment since May -- Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110007.html

Iran says cooperating with IAEA, West skeptical -- Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLK11768820090824

Uncertainty Surrounds Iran's Nuclear Capability -- NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112109445

Timeline: The U.S., Iran And The Nuclear Question -- NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112187088

TIMELINE: Iran's nuclear program -- Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSTRE57O2GQ20090825

In Focus: Nuclear Security in Pakistan - all NTI resources related to Pakistan's nuclear security, including issue briefs, country profiles, tutorial

In Focus: Nuclear Security in Pakistan - all NTI resources related to Pakistan's nuclear security, including issue briefs, country profiles, tutorials and maps

http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_special_pakistannuclearsecurity.html

Nuclear Power in the USA

Nuclear Power in the USA

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.html


US Nuclear Power Policy

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41_US_nuclear_power_policy.html


US Nuclear Fuel Cycle

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41_US_nuclear_fuel_cycle.html

Europe Could Face Iranian Missiles in 3-4 Years, Former Israeli Official Warns

Europe Could Face Iranian Missiles in 3-4 Years, Former Israeli Official Warns

http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090821_9557.php

Egypt Rules Out Joining U.S. Nuclear Umbrella

Egypt Rules Out Joining U.S. Nuclear Umbrella
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his top advisers last week ruled out the possibility of accepting a nuclear protection guarantee from the United States, the Inter-Press Service reported (see GSN, July 22).

See Full Article...

http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090825_4682.php

U.S. Diplomats Invited for Nuclear Talks in North Korea

U.S. Diplomats Invited for Nuclear Talks in North Korea
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009

Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy to North Korea, shown in June. Bosworth has reportedly been invited to lead a delegation that would participate in bilateral nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang (Andy Wong/Getty Images).

Senior diplomats from the United States have been invited to North Korea for talks on the Asian nation's nuclear program, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Aug. 24).

The Obama administration has not yet conducted nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang. It has stated that any bilateral diplomacy would occur only alongside resumed six-party talks, which stalled in 2008 and appeared to have crumbled completely amid the North's nuclear and missile testing in recent months.

However, the regime lately has shown signs of a willingness to re-engage with Washington. It offered to host talks with Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special envoy to North Korea, and Sung Kim, the administration's top envoy on the nuclear issue, the JoonAng Ilbo newspaper reported. It said the offer was receiving serious consideration in Washington.

See Full Article...

http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090825_3506.php

Transform U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy Daryl Kimball, Defense News

Transform U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
Daryl Kimball, Defense News
The U.S.-Soviet standoff that gave rise to tens of thousands of nuclear weapons is over, but the policies developed to justify their possession and potential use remain largely the same. As the administration of President Barack Obama works to complete the congressionally mandated Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) by year's end, it is clear to most that yesterday's nuclear doctrines are no longer appropriate for today's realities.
Full Article
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4246875&c=FEA&s=COM

Pakistan's Nuclear Chronology

Pakistan's Nuclear Chronology
Allison Smith, The Stimson Center

http://www.stimson.org/southasia/?SN=SA200908182294

Putting the cost of going green in context

Putting the cost of going green in context

Plans to retool the country's energy infrastructure, from Al Gore to Google, are better understood when compared with the nation's past efforts to win World War II and build the Interstate Highway System.

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/kurt-zenz-house/putting-the-cost-of-going-green-context

Kurt Zenz House

House studies and develops methods for large-scale capture and storage of human-made carbon dioxide. He is currently a fellow at MIT, where his work is partially supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. In addition, he is the cofounder, president, and chief scientist of a venture-capital-backed alternative-energy company. He recently patented electrochemical weathering, a novel process that expedites the ocean’s natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide and can be used to produce carbon negative commodities--such as hydrogen, chlorine, and cement. In 2007, Esquire featured him among its "Best and Brightest." He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the Claremont Colleges and a PhD in geoscience from Harvard University.

Limited options: Deterring North Korea and Iran BY LOWELL H. SCHWARTZ

Limited options: Deterring North Korea and Iran
BY LOWELL H. SCHWARTZ
Washington needs to realize that tried-and-true, off-the-shelf security strategies won't help solve today's most pressing threats--e.g., Pyongyang's nuclear program.

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/limited-options-deterring-north-korea-and-iran

The real cost of new U.S. nuclear reactors BY RYAN ALEXANDER

The real cost of new U.S. nuclear reactors
BY RYAN ALEXANDER
Loan guarantees for nuclear reactor construction are a poor deal for taxpayers, who will be left with huge liabilities if projects fail or companies default on their loans.

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/the-real-cost-of-new-us-nuclear-reactors

HUGH GUSTERSON Thinking creatively about the North Korean stalemate

HUGH GUSTERSON
Thinking creatively about the North Korean stalemate
Forget stringent designations. To solve the long impasse with Pyongyang, its nuclear weapon status needn't be perfectly clear.

http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/hugh-gusterson/thinking-creatively-about-the-north-korean-stalemate

WIRE: IRAN HAS NOT EXPANDED NUMBER OF CENTRIFUGES ENRICHING URANIUM...

WIRE: IRAN HAS NOT EXPANDED NUMBER OF CENTRIFUGES ENRICHING URANIUM...

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-41961620090825

Pakistan seeks US, China aid on energy

Pakistan seeks US, China aid on energy
Pakistan, its cities suffering power cuts on a daily basis as it struggles through its biggest energy crisis, is turning to both the United States and China for help in building a more viable energy platform for its industrial sector. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider (Aug 24, '09)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KH25Df01.html

Iran softens its nuclear stance - for now

Iran softens its nuclear stance - for now
Ahead of a report on Iran's nuclear program and a United States deadline on sanctions, Tehran will allow inspectors into two important facilities, even though the mood in Iran's parliament is not in favor of compromise. The International Atomic Energy Agency has its work cut out keeping Iran on a conciliatory track. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 25, '09)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KH26Ak03.html

Asian oil exports threaten U.S. refineries

Asian oil exports threaten U.S. refineries
Kolkata, India (UPI) Aug 24, 2009 - Asia has been importing refined oil products like gasoline and diesel from the West for decades to keep the wheels of its economies rolling. But the tables may be turning as the region's two largest economies, India and China, aggressively pursue capabilities to refine imported crude on their own, not only for local use but also for export. Some small European refineries have already ... more
http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Asian_oil_exports_threaten_US_refineries_999.html

Israel Calls Foul As Iran Tells World To Stop Countering Nuke Drive

Israel Calls Foul As Iran Tells World To Stop Countering Nuke Drive
Tehran (AFP) Aug 24, 2009 - Iran told world powers on Monday they must stop working against its atomic drive and instead adopt a policy of interaction with the Islamic republic to resolve the nuclear crisis. "It is the right time for the other parties to review their policy. Rather than countering Iran, they should interact with Iran," foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told reporters. World powers and ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israel_Calls_Foul_As_Iran_Tells_World_To_Stop_Countering_Nuke_Drive_999.html

China Racing Ahead of America in the Drive to Go Solar (New York Times)

China Racing Ahead of America in the Drive to Go Solar (New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/business/energy-environment/25solar.html?_r=1&ref=business

Toward Limitless Energy

Toward Limitless Energy
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 24, 2009 - Chemists are preparing to play an important but often unheralded role in determining the success of one of the largest and most important scientific experiments in history - next year's initial attempts at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to produce the world's first controlled nuclear fusion reaction. If successful in taming the energy source of the sun, stars, and of the hydrogen ... more

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Toward_Limitless_Energy_999.html

Despite thaw, tough road ahead on NKorea: experts

Despite thaw, tough road ahead on NKorea: experts
Washington (AFP) Aug 20, 2009 - North Korea has been easing sky-high tensions over its nuclear program, but experts warn it will be a tough road ahead before there is any diplomatic breakthrough with the United States. With leader Kim Jong-Il in uncertain health, many analysts believe his ultimate goal is winning US recognition of impoverished Pyongyang as a nuclear power -- an idea adamantly rejected by US policymakers ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Despite_thaw_tough_road_ahead_on_NKorea_experts_999.html

Airborne anti-missile laser clears test

Airborne anti-missile laser clears test
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (UPI) Aug 21, 2009 - Boeing and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency have moved closer to developing an airborne high-energy laser weapon that will shoot down an upcoming offensive missile. The Boeing Co. said the successful first test involved firing the high-energy laser from a modified 747-400F into a calorimeter, also on board, to measure the power of the beam. The test took the aircraft from Edwards ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Airborne_anti-missile_laser_clears_test_999.html

Entergy revives option to construct reactor in Louisiana

Entergy revives option to construct reactor in Louisiana
Entergy's division in Louisiana is keeping its option to build a new nuclear plant in the state. A regulatory filing was made to comply with a 2007 state Public Service Commission rule allowing incentives for the recovery of building expenses for reactors, company spokesman Philip Allison said. The firm is also exploring options to build a new reactor at its Grand Gulf facility in Mississippi. Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN216467520090821

Yucca Mountain funding nears its demise

Lawmakers move to end Yucca Mountain proposal
Lawmakers in the House and Senate are moving to halt the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste facility in Nevada. Both chambers have passed fiscal 2010 bills that match the Obama administration's $197 million appeal to allow the Energy Department to officially keep the project alive while allocating funds for Energy Secretary Steven Chu's plan to establish an alternative plan for the storage and management of nuclear waste.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0809/082109cdpm3.htm

Inside Obama Administration, a Tug of War Over Nuclear Warheads

Inside Obama Administration, a Tug of War Over Nuclear Warheads

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090818_1478.php

Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised the idea of reinstating the controversial Reliable Replacement Warhead effort during a secret "Principals' Committee" meeting convened by the National Security Council, Global Security Newswire has learned.

In pursuing the initiative, Gates appears to have won the backing of some pivotal Cabinet secretaries, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. One administration-watcher -- a critic of the replacement-warhead idea -- alleges that several key appointees at the Defense and State departments are now "scheming and maneuvering" to bring the program back to life.

However, Biden has strongly opposed the move, based on the view that pursuing a new U.S. warhead program could undermine Washington's efforts to discourage nuclear weapons proliferation around the globe.

The issue remains unresolved, according to a wide array of policy officials and experts.

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http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090818_1478.php