Pakistani nuclear forces, 2009 BY ROBERT S. NORRIS AND HANS M. KRISTENSEN

Pakistani nuclear forces, 2009
BY ROBERT S. NORRIS AND HANS M. KRISTENSEN
Pakistan is enhancing its nuclear weapon capabilities across the board by developing and deploying new nuclear-capable missiles and expanding its capacity to produce fissile materials for use in weapons.
http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/f828323447768858/?p=acb64a3f200e4a5bb5a76a65804b0802&pi=7

Why South Korea needs pyroprocessing BY SEONG WON PARK

Why South Korea needs pyroprocessing
BY SEONG WON PARK
A lack of space to store South Korea's spent nuclear fuel is becoming a critical limitation to expanding nuclear power there. Enter next-generation pyroprocessing and fast reactors.

http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/why-south-korea-needs-pyroprocessing

Climate change could be the next great military threat by Lee Gunn

Climate change could be the next great military threat
BY LEE GUNN
Climate change is poised to challenge U.S. security at home and abroad by affecting military facilities, strategies, and resources. Adaptation must start now.

http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/climate-change-could-be-the-next-great-military-threat

JOSHUA POLLACK Reducing the role of nuclear weapons

JOSHUA POLLACK
Reducing the role of nuclear weapons
The first step--the United States should declare a no-first-use policy, signaling to the world that its nuclear arsenal is for deterrence and deterrence only.

http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/joshua-pollack/reducing-the-role-of-nuclear-weapons

France questions US nuclear energy deal: report

France questions US nuclear energy deal: report
Paris (AFP) Oct 30, 2009 - The French government is raising doubts about the purchase of half of US nuclear energy company Constellation by state-controlled French operator EDF, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Citing government officials, the newspaper said that the government was keen for EDF to invest more in Europe as regulatory difficulties in the United States delay the 4.5-billion-dollar (3.0-billion-eur ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/France_questions_US_nuclear_energy_deal_report_999.html

US state OKs tie-up of Constellation Energy, France's EDF

US state OKs tie-up of Constellation Energy, France's EDF
Washington (AFP) Oct 30, 2009 - The US state of Maryland on Friday approved a plan for France' EDF Group to take a stake in Constellation Energy Group, clearing the final hurdle for a new nuclear power plant in the state. US regulators earlier this month had green-lighted the joint venture plan for the French state-controlled company to acquire nearly half of Constellation's nuclear assets. The companies say the nuclea ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/US_state_OKs_tie-up_of_Constellation_Energy_Frances_EDF_999.html

Nuclear fuel deal benefits Iran: Russian envoy

Nuclear fuel deal benefits Iran: Russian envoy
Tehran (AFP) Nov 1, 2009 - Russia's envoy to Tehran on Sunday urged Iran to sign on to a UN-drafted nuclear fuel deal in a bid to resolve the controversy over its atomic drive, which he said lacks "complete transparency." Alexander Sadovnikov's comments came a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Tehran that world powers had limited patience as Iran dilly-dallied over offering a categorical response ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Nuclear_fuel_deal_benefits_Iran_Russian_envoy_999.html

Transport a driver for nuclear build

NRG CEO touts nuclear as baseload power for electric cars

A combination of electric vehicles with clean generation and nuclear power for baseload will solve America's climate and energy security problems, according to testimony from a senior utility chief.

David Crane of NRG Energy, which has some 24,000 MWe of generating capacity, spoke in front of the US Senate's Committee on Climate Change Legislation yesterday.

Crane said: "We need to build a zero carbon baseload foundation under our wind farms and solar fields. That foundation is new advanced nuclear power."

NRG is one of the largest US power generators but at present only 5% of its power comes from nuclear - from a 44% stake in two reactors at South Texas Project, although it has a 50% share of a plan to build to more there.


Transport a driver for nuclear build

Uncertainty over the final price of the new reactors at South Texas Project has caused the City of San Antonio - owners of CPS Energy, NRG's partner in the plan - to delay a decision to issue $400 million in bonds.

Approval was expected today, but city mayor Julian Castro announced a delay until January 2010. The originally quoted price of $10 billion has already increased to $13 billion.

South Texas Project 3 and 4 will be Advanced Boiling Waster Reactors that produce 1350 MWe each. They are to be built by Toshiba.
Despite its small contribution to his portfolio, Crane continued to say that nuclear "will provide the juice for a personal transportation system based on a nationwide fleet of electric cars," which he said would dramatically reduce emissions and oil imports.

"We need to focus on a commercial foothold strategy that will quickly capture a significant market share for electric vehicles in key American cities and city clusters," said Crane, adding that "the electrification of our transportation sector will provide the cure to our national addiction to foreign oil."

A release from NRG said that the two new STP reactors would power two million Texas homes - including two million electric cars. Crane lamented that of the 33 reactors currently in various stages of planning and regulatory approval, only a few will actually be built.

"If you assume that all 104 nuclear reactors currently operating in the United States [will be] retired by 2050, that means we need approximately 75 new nuclear units over the next 41 years simply to keep nuclear power's share of electricity production near 20%," explained Crane. "If we want to double the nuclear share of power production to 40% in order to accommodate demand growth and realise a greater carbon benefit, we are going to need to build about 150 new nuclear units. Suffice it to say, there is a big gap between the 3-4 projects moving forward and 150."

To enable a massive wave of nuclear build, Crane called for a price on carbon emissions as well as a range of tools to address worker training, manufacturing capability, more support in the form of loan guarantees that simplify finance and even "making appropriate federal lands available for new plant siting." Lastly, the regulatory regime embodied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must be capable of handling a much larger volume of projects.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Transport_a_driver_for_nuclear_build_2910091.html

* Exelon CEO: Extra $50B in loans enough to trigger nuclear construction

Exelon CEO: Extra $50B in loans enough to trigger nuclear construction
The inclusion of an extra $50 billion in federal loan guarantees for nuclear energy in the climate-change bill would encourage the sector to build plants, Exelon Chairman and CEO John Rowe said. Rowe made the statement after testifying on climate-change legislation at a Senate hearing conducted by the Environment and Public Works Committee. Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN2936751120091029

Iran leader welcomes nuclear plan

Tehran (AFP) Oct 29, 2009 - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday conditions were ripe for nuclear cooperation with the major powers as the atomic watchdog received an Iranian response to a UN-brokered plan. Breaking with his usual hardline rhetoric, Ahmadinejad hailed what he said was a change in Western policy from "confrontation to cooperation" that had made cooperation possible over Iran's nuclear programme. ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_leader_welcomes_nuclear_plan_999.html

Waiting for Answers on Fordo: What IAEA Inspections Will Tell Us

Waiting for Answers on Fordo: What IAEA Inspections Will Tell Us

http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2009/10/waiting-for-answers-on-fordo-what-iaea-inspections-will-tell-us.php

Weapons of Mass Distraction by MARSHA B. COHEN

Weapons of Mass Distraction
by MARSHA B. COHEN
29 Oct 2009
ibcover.jpg The 41st anniversary of the commencement of American-Israeli negotiations over Israel's nuclear program.

If Iranian negotiators haven't read Avner Cohen's book Israel and the Bomb, they should. They'd find out that Oct. 30 is the 41st anniversary of the beginning of the series of negotiations that culminated in American recognition of Israel's "nuclear ambiguity." They might learn some useful lessons.

As the worldwide media weighs and critiques Iran's dilatory response (or lack of satisfactory response) to western pressures over its nuclear program, Israeli diplomats and pundits are reiterating that, no matter what Iran says, it is nonetheless trying to exploit the pretext of a peaceful nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapons program.

After all, Israelis know how the game is played. They wrote the rules.

On Oct. 30, 1968, US Assistant Defense Secretary Paul Warnke began a series of negotiations with then-Israeli Ambassador Yitzchak Rabin, who would become Israel's fifth Prime Minister in 1974. [Awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for shaking hands with Yassir Arafat, Rabin was assassinated by a right wing Jewish fanatic at a Jerusalem peace rally a year later.] Although Warnke had not been provided with the CIA's assessment of Israel's nuclear weapons program, he nevertheless suspected that Israel had the capability of producing a nuclear bomb and quite possibly had already done so. He proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that linked Israel's signature on the NPT not only to the sale of the Phantom jets Israel wanted from the U.S. but to the transformation of the U.S. into Israel's main arms supplier, a role that had, until the 1967 "Six Day" war, been filled by France.

As reconstructed and recounted by Avner Cohen in his 1998 book (pp. 307-318), based on once-classified documents, Warnke met with Rabin on Nov. 12, and attempted to clarify the assertion, "Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the area." Rabin replied that it meant, "We would not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons."

"What do you mean by 'introduce'?" Warnke asked.

"What is your definition of nuclear weapons?" Rabin responded.

Warnke said the question he was asking had two parts: the definition of what was or was not a "nuclear weapon" and the definition of what was or was not "introducing" nuclear weapons. "If there are components available that could be assembled to make a nuclear weapon -- although part A may be in one room and part B may be in another room -- then that is a nuclear weapon," Warnke declared.

General Mordechai Hod, who had accompanied Rabin, asked whether there was any accepted usage of the word "introduction" in international law. Warnke admitted there wasn't. Rabin and Hod then focused on 'testing' as the hallmark of any operational nuclear weapons system. The five nuclear-weapons states had all tested nuclear weapons, and since Israel had not conducted any nuclear tests, it was abiding by its pledge not to have "introduced" nuclear weapons to the region.

Warnke still wanted to define "introduction" in terms of physical presence. But Rabin insisted that, since the purpose of nuclear weapons was to deter, their presence would have to be publicly acknowledged in order to make a case that they had been introduced, since an unacknowledged nuclear weapon had no deterrence value. Rabin further argued that both "notoriety and pretesting" were both necessary in order to meet the Israeli definition of "introduction." Warnke asked Rabin, "In your view, an unadvertised, untested nuclear device is not a nuclear weapon? Rabin responded affirmatively.

Israel's nuclear research program, explains Cohen, originated during its War of Independence in 1948. Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, based his survival strategy for the new state on two major components: a formal military alliance with one or more Western powers, and nuclear weapons. Initially, he considered the possibility of a defense pact with the U.S. that would guarantee the 1949 cease-fire borders. By the mid 1950s, he was convinced that Israel's security needs would best be served by nuclear deterrence it provided for itself. Ben Gurion regarded nuclear weapons as "insurance" in an arms race with the Arab states, as a weapon of last resort, and even as a means of persuading Israel's Arab neighbors to reconcile themselves to Israel's existence.

At this point, the US government itself lacked a coherent non-proliferation policy. Promoting atomic assistance to foreign governments in the peaceful use of nuclear energy (including Iran under the Shah's rule) became a significant component of U.S. foreign policy. Israel had no reason to disguise its research and development of civilian nuclear technology.

In 1960, Time magazine reported that Israel was building an atomic bomb in the Israeli desert town of Dimona. Ben Gurion would only admit to building a nuclear power plant there. He feared that a debate among government officials and policymakers, let alone any public input, might endanger his plans for the nuclear deterrent. Funding was secured outside "normal government channels." The project became off-limits for any discussion. In 1962, two Knesset (parliament) members from the Israeli left wing parties Mapam and Maki, proposed a debate on the establishment of a nuclear free zone in the Middle East in order to avoid a "holocaust" resulting from the use of nuclear weapons in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The proposal was scrapped from the Knesset's agenda at Ben Gurion's request.

According to Cohen, Israel had completed the development stage of its first nuclear weapon by 1966-67. CIA reports distributed in early 1967 indicated that Israel had produced all the necessary components to allow it to assemble a nuclear bomb in 6-8 weeks. Nevertheless, Israel refused to admit to having a nuclear weapons program, insisting it was sufficient for it to assert, "it would not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East."

Rabin and Foreign Minister Abba Eban and Ambassador to the U.S. Yitzhak Rabin met with U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk in October 1968. Rusk explained to them that Israel's development of nuclear weapons confront the U.S. with the embarrassing question of whether or not the U.S. was serious about the NPT, "which we are." It would also raise the disconcerting issue, within the larger context of the Cold War, of what the Soviet Union might do to provide Arab countries with access to nuclear weapons if Israel were to have them. Rusk and the State Department attempted to link the sale of U.S. F-4 Phantom jets to an agreement to sign the NPT, while CIA Director Richard Helms privately briefed President Lyndon Johnson that Israel's nuclear capability would preclude its signing as a non-nuclear weapon state.

Israel didn't sign the NPT. It got the Phantoms anyway. To avoid embarrassing the U.S., "ambiguity--Cohen calls it "opacity," i.e. lack of transparency--became the watchword whenever Israel's nuclear weapons program was mentioned.

There were some close calls. Disclosures to British Sunday Times journalist Peter Hounam in October 1986, concerning the activities at Israel's nuclear facility at Dimona by a technician who had been employed there, Mordechai Vanunu, met with a major disinformation campaign by the Israeli government. Vanunu was kidnapped by Israeli intelligence before his story could be verified.

The taboo on nuclear policy within Israel was nearly broken on Feb. 2, 2000. Knesset Member Issam Makhoul of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality Hadash ("New") Front, a small Arab-Jewish political party, challenged Israel's policy on nuclear ambiguity. Makhoul attempted to point out the dangers not only of nuclear spiraling in the Middle East, driven by Israel's existing stockpile of "hundreds of nuclear bombs" and Israel's recent acquisition of the German submarines, but the possibility of nuclear terrorism carried out by Israelis. What defense was there, Makhoul asked, "if a nuclear Baruch Goldstein [a radical settler who burst into the mosque at the Tomb of Patriarchs in Hebron on Feb. 25, 1994, and opened fire on the Muslim worshipers there, killing 29 and wounding 150] should infiltrate the system and, equipped with a religious sanction from some rabbi, launch a nuclear Armageddon?"

Makhoul also called attention to the unsupervised buildup of nuclear waste that had accumulated at Dimona during the past 40 years, as well as Dimona's precarious position on the earthquake-prone Syrian-African rift. He questioned the placement of the nuclear missile site near Kfar Zechariah, the Biological Institute at Nes Tziona, where biological weapons are manufactured, and other facilities producing Israeli weapons of mass destruction in residential districts of the most densely populated areas of Israel, calling it "a crime against the residents of Israel and the neighboring countries."

CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief Walter Rodgers, who was present, reported that several Knesset members walked out during Makhoul's speech. Five Arab members of Israel's Parliament were ejected, and Makhoul was gaveled down by the Knesset speaker. According to Rodgers, the debate had made possible small, though very slow steps by the Israeli government toward a more open nuclear policy. He lamented that "instead of a constructive discussion, the harsh tones of this first debate, with Israeli Arabs on one side and Israeli Jews mostly on the other, may have closed the door on this issue for a while longer" (CNN, 2/2/2000, 6:08 pm ET).

The Makhoul episode was repressed and quickly forgotten. Far more disturbing to Israeli policymakers were Avner Cohen's revelations in Israel and the Bomb. Two years after it was published in the U.S. in English, it was scheduled to appear in Hebrew, in Israel, during the summer of 2000. Cohen had not only provided a comprehensive chronology of Israel's secret nuclear program, he had brought Israel's policy of deliberate ambiguity, which he referred to as "nuclear opacity," to light a mindset, deeply embedded in Israel's national security culture and in the norms, values and attitudes of anyone initiated into Israeli culture:

The culture of opacity is rooted in several convictions: that it is vital to Israel's security to posses nuclear weapons; that the Arabs should not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, thus maintaining an Israeli nuclear monopoly; that Israel cannot openly make a case for nuclear monopoly and thus must keep its nuclear status unacknowledged; that the nuclear issue must be kept out of public discourse; that the issue should be left to anonymous nuclear professionals; and finally, that the policy of opacity has served Israel well and has no alternative. Even in today's Israel, when all other security-related organizations and issues, including the Mossad and the Shin Bet, have become a matter of public debate and criticism, the nuclear complex is conspicuous in its absence from the public agenda (Israel and the Bomb, p.343).

On June 5, 2006, this author (who, though sharing the same last name, is unrelated to Avner Cohen) posed the following question to Cohen, in an online Q&A in Shmuel Rosner's Haaretz blog:
Israel claims that the real danger of Iran acquiring nuclear capability is that it would result in other Middle Eastern states also wanting to acquire nuclear capability, and is not just an Israeli concern about being "removed from the arena of time" (Israeel bayad az sahneye roozegar mahv shavad, usually translated as "Israel must be wiped off the map").

I find it somewhat ironic that in chapter 13 of your book "Israel and the Bomb," this was exactly the concern expressed by the Americans about Israel's nuclear capability in the 1960s, and the reason that the Israeli policy of "opacity" was grudgingly accepted by the U.S. -- i.e. so that the Arab states would not claim the right to nuclear weapons since Israel had them. Could you please comment?

Also, while Iran is being derided for its clandestine nuclear research, if the politics were different, couldn't that secrecy also be considered "ambiguity" or "opacity" from an Iranian point of view (a notion which Israel clearly is unwilling to admit or permit)?

Marsha B. Cohen

Cohen responded at great length and in surprising depth about the historiography of Israel's nuclear program. A short segment of his response--the most directly related to Iran--is reproduced below):


This leads me to your last and probably most intriguing point. You noted that "while Iran is being derided for its clandestine nuclear research, if the politics were different, couldn't that secrecy also be considered "ambiguity" or "opacity" from an Iranian point of view (a notion which Israel clearly is unwilling to admit or permit)?"

Yes, I agree with you that it is a great irony that there is a great deal of resemblance in the mode of opacity -- via secrecy, concealment, ambiguity, double talk and denial -- between the way Iran is pursuing its nuclear program today and the way Israel was pursuing its own program in the 1960s.

In fact, I would not be surprised if some Iranian policy makers and nuclear technocrats have deliberately decided to try to adopt or mimic the Israeli model of nuclear opacity, IF the world would permit them to pursue that mode.

If this line of thinking is correct, it means that Iran's nuclear program would not be aimed at a test of a nuclear device, nor towards declaring Iran as a nuclear-armed state. Instead, while most likely maintaining a secret weaponziation program (but without testing), Iran would continue to insist publicly on its right to enrich uranium.

Over time, while remaining within the NPT, Iran would be seeking to acquire a perception and reputation (by ways of leaks, rumors, double talk, etc) that they have actually built a "secret" nuclear arsenal or at least secretly accumulated a sufficient amount of weapons-grade fissile material.

It may well be that some Iranians have come to believe that by mimicking the Israeli model, as much as they could, they would get all the prestige and deterrence effects they need but without leaving the NPT, let alone without testing or declaring such a bomb. Let the question of the Iranian bomb remain opaque, just like Israel. This would mimic the way Shimon Peres for decades used to talk about "deterrence by way of uncertainty." Let the world guess.

In fact, the world is already guessing now where Iran is in its nuclear pursuit. Some say that Iran is as far as five to 10 years away from producing the bomb, while others, including some mavens in Israel, are fearful that if Iran has been closely imitating Israel it may well already have the bomb. What a remarkable irony indeed.

If Iran indeed follows the Israeli model of nuclear opacity, this would put Israel in a great dilemma of its own. Should Israel call the bluff over Iranian opacity, and in doing so expose its own opacity, or should Israel prefer to acquiesce, just as the world had acquiesced over its own two generations ago.

Thank you again Marsha, for allowing me to reflect on history.

Cohen was indeed intrigued by the irony I had suggested and proceeded to further (and publicly) reflect on it. About two months later, he was quoted in a Reuters news dispatch by Bernd Dubussman (Sept. 26, 2006, 11:36 am):

"Whether deliberately or inadvertently, there are elements of resemblance between the way Iran is pursuing its nuclear program today and the way Israel was pursuing its own program in the 1960s," Avner Cohen, author of a landmark study entitled "Israel and the Bomb," in a telephone interview.

"This is a great irony of history but Iranian policymakers and nuclear technocrats may be strategically mimicking the Israeli model," said Cohen, senior research scholar at the University of Maryland's Center for International and Security Studies.

As Cohen sees it, the elements the Israeli and Iranian nuclear programs have in common are secrecy, concealment, ambiguity, double talk and denial.

Iran's probable strategy, he says, is to create the perception of having a secret weapons program, or being close to it, without actually testing a bomb or declaring its possession or impending possession.

That echoes the Israeli program, which began in the late 1950s at the Dimona nuclear complex in the Negev Desert. Since then, Israel has declined to confirm or deny it has nuclear weapons, saying only it would not be the first to "introduce" them into the Middle East.

Over the decades, Israel's attitude has been "let the world guess" or as former Prime Minister Shimon Peres called it, "deterrence by uncertainty."

Writing for Haaretz on Feb. 12, 2007, Cohen elaborated on the political implications of the Israeli-Iranian nuclear analogy:


Iran's choice of nuclear ambiguity will be a political challenge for the international nuclear system, but a far greater challenge to Israel, which granted legitimacy to such ambiguity. There is an important difference between Israel and Iran: Israel's nuclear ambiguity succeeded as an international phenomenon because the world, and particularly the U.S., decided to accept it as a country maintaining such a policy. Israel received a kind of exemption from the international community, which closed its eyes to the nuclear issue for political, legal and even ethical reasons unique to Israel. Israel's ambiguity succeeded because the world preferred it to all the other options.

But that is why the Iranian challenge is so powerful: Is it preferable to remove the mask from Iranian ambiguity and to call it by name, or is a vague Iran preferable to an openly nuclear Iran? At what point in time should we remove the masks and insist on international nuclear transparency? And what will be the future of Israeli ambiguity in such a world? These are all questions that until now have hardly been asked, but they demand a great deal of thinking, both worldwide and in Israel.

In the two years since Cohen wrote this, zero progress has been made in addressing these questions, either in Israel or the "international community."

Forty-one years after the Warnke-Rabin negotiations, Israeli's advanced level of development of nuclear technology, including its production of nuclear weapons, remains "opaque." Apologists insist that, since Israel never signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is not bound by its dictates, while Iran, which signed the Treaty in order to reap the benefits available to non-nuclear weapon states, is accountable to an ever-shifting higher standard.

Israel has been at the forefront of accusations that Iran is in the process of developing nuclear weapons, frequently trumpeting its threat to carry out unilateral military strikes at Iranian nuclear production and research facilities. Military sources in the U.S. and Israel (unnamed, of course) drop hints that Israel is being provided by the U.S. with the bunker-buster weapons, and equipped with the necessary delivery devices to be used against Iran. Yet to this day, the western media carefully qualifies all references to Israel's own possession of nuclear weapons as "alleged" or in other waffling terminology that implies that there exists some question about the extent of Israel's nuclear capability.

If Iran had the luxury of an administration whose electoral legitimacy were less in doubt, or that had done less to deliberately cultivate worldwide opprobrium by its appalling human rights violations, these questions could, should and might possibly have been raised. This is the reason why the Israeli diplomatic corps was mobilized and ready to spring into action to delegitimize the Iranian election results had Mousavi emerged as the victor.

The questions confronting Iran's interlocutors are far larger than the grim shadow of any one man, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The words being spoken in and about the current debate over Iranian nuclear enrichment are a pale and rather pathetic substitute for those that still need to be debated. Until then, the current nuclear campaign against Iran will be limited to largely discussing weapons of mass destruction, while ignoring the danger of the weapons of mass distraction.

Marsha B. Cohen covers Israel for Tehran Bureau.

Copyright © 2009 Tehran Bureau

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/weapons-of-mass-distraction.html

The Future Nuclear Powers You Should Be Worried About By Mordchai Shualy

The Future Nuclear Powers You Should Be Worried About
By Mordchai Shualy

Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs are worrying enough. But a number of other countries are looking to join the nuclear club, with terrifying potential consequences.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/20/the_future_nuclear_powers_you_should_be_worried_about

Israel 'met Iran' at atomic talks

Israel 'met Iran' at atomic talks

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8319949.stm

Think Again: God

Think Again: God

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/19/god_0

South Carolina nuclear industry reportedly responsible for more jobs than BMW

Study: Nuclear industry supplies more jobs to South Carolina than BMW
The nuclear sector has generated more jobs than BMW in South Carolina, bringing in more than 28,000 positions, according to a study from Clemson University. Jobs include employment at the state's four commercial nuclear facilities, including the Energy Department's Savannah River Site and Duke Energy's nuclear plant in Oconee County, the study reported. The Greenville News (S.C.)

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091028/BUSINESS/910280338/1004/NEWS01/South-Carolina-nuclear-industry-reportedly-responsible-for-more-jobs-than-BMW

Accomplishments of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Highlight World-Class Performance

Accomplishments of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Highlight World-Class Performance
A newly established world record run at the Three Mile Island reactor in Pennsylvania is the most recent in a series of achievements that demonstrate the world-class reliability and safety of U.S. nuclear energy facilities.

http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/newsreleases/accomplishments-of-us-nuclear-power-plants-highlight-world-class-performance/

Iraq goes nuclear with plans for new reactor programme

Iraq goes nuclear with plans for new reactor programme

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/27/iraq-nuclear-reactor-programme

Iran wants big changes to nuclear deal with powers

The Dog And Pony Show Continues With Iran's Nuclear Program
from War News Updates by Bookyards
Iran Wants Big Changes To Nuclear Deal With Powers -- Yahoo News/Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran wants major amendments within the framework of a U.N. nuclear fuel deal which it says it broadly accepts, a move that could unravel the plan and expose Tehran to the threat of harsher sanctions.

The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Tuesday there was no need to rework the U.N. draft and he and France's foreign minister suggested Tehran would expose itself to tougher international sanctions if tried to undo the plan.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091027/wl_nm/us_iran_nuclear

US-UAE Nuclear Pact Edges Closer

US-UAE Nuclear Pact Edges Closer
Steven Stanek, The National
The US-UAE nuclear accord moved a step closer to being implemented yesterday as the UAE Cabinet officially approved the deal, just days after a 90-day US congressional review period expired.
Full Article

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091027/NATIONAL/710269824/1010

Germany to U.S.: Take Away Your Nukes!

Germany to U.S.: Take Away Your Nukes!
Peter Gumbel, Time
Germany's new coalition government put the finishing touches to its policy program this weekend, promising moderate tax cuts to help support the economy, a reduction in the length of compulsory military service, and the continued operation of the nation's aging nuclear power plants.
Full Article

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1932103,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

On Nukes, Obama Plans Hands-On Approach

On Nukes, Obama Plans Hands-On Approach
Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic
President Obama plans to take a more active role in preparing America's nuclear weapons strategy, helping to ensure that the final document, due out next year, reflects his priorities, rather than just the institutional views of his government, administration officials said.
Full Article

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/10/on_nukes_obama_plans_hands-on_approach.php#

Iran Officials Appear Split on Nuclear Plan

Iran Officials Appear Split on Nuclear Plan
Thomas Erdbrink, The Washington Post
High-ranking Iranian officials appear divided over a draft proposal with the United States and other countries that would transfer the bulk of the Islamic republic's enriched uranium stockpile out of the country.
Full Article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102602468.html?hpid=topnews

Iran Backs Uranium Plan Outline, But Seeks Changes

Iran Backs Uranium Plan Outline, But Seeks Changes
Nasser Karimi and Brian Murphy, Associated Press
IranIran accepted the general framework of a U.N.-draft nuclear deal Tuesday, but said it would seek "important changes" that could test the willingness of world powers to make concessions in exchange for a pact to rein in Tehran's ability to make atomic warheads.

It was unclear how far Iran would push for those changes. Already, Iran has raised a potential roadblock: It wants a step-by-step approach to send low-enriched uranium stockpile out of the country rather than the big single shipment called for under U.N. provisions.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG7bnyWWJfgaYD-JwcqmImlpRujwD9BJKIJ00

Cabinet ratifies key US nuclear deal

* UAE approves nuclear-cooperation agreement with U.S.
The United Arab Emirates Cabinet has cleared the nuclear-cooperation deal that the country recently struck with the U.S. The two countries have agreed to collaborate in developing a civilian nuclear program in the UAE. Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)/Emirates News Agency (10/27)
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/cabinet-ratifies-key-us-nuclear-deal-1.519617

EPA projects construction of 180 nuclear plants by 2050

EPA projects construction of 180 nuclear plants by 2050
About 180 nuclear power reactors will be built by 2050 -- far more than the existing 104 plants in 31 states, according to the Environmental Protection Agency based on a study of the proposed climate-change bill. With an estimated price tag of $10 billion for each reactor, the expected construction corresponds to a cost of close to $2 trillion. The Examiner/Chicago (10/26)

http://www.examiner.com/x-19285-Chicago-Economic-Policy-Examiner~y2009m10d26-EPA-sees-180-new-nuclear-power-plants-over-the-horizon

* Md. governor to clear Constellation-EDF deal with certain conditions

* Md. governor to clear Constellation-EDF deal with certain conditions
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is prepared to approve the agreement between Constellation Energy Group and Electricite de France if certain conditions are met, including a one-time 10% credit for Baltimore Gas & Electric customers. The governor wants to make sure safeguards are in place despite assurances from Constellation officials that the deal will save ratepayers' money and produce millions of tax dollars. WBAL-TV (Baltimore) (10/26)
http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/21430390/detail.html

* Constellation reacts to conditions on nuclear deal with EDF: Constellation said its planned $4.5 billion deal with Electricite de France could break down if Maryland regulators insist on imposing costly conditions, such as the one-time credits proposed by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. "This transaction will not be closed at all costs or under any conditions," Constellation lawyers contended in a final brief submitted to the state Public Service Commission. The Sun (Baltimore) (10/27) http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-md.constellation27oct27,0,6120432.story

NEI identifies key nuclear energy incentives for U.S. climate bill

NEI identifies key nuclear energy incentives for U.S. climate bill
The Nuclear Energy Institute is urging Congress to include a robust package of tax incentives and loan guarantees for nuclear-power facilities in the climate-change bill. "Financing is the single-largest challenge we face in trying to build new nuclear-power facilities," said Alex Flint, NEI's senior vice president for governmental affairs. The group also is seeking more incentives for addressing nuclear waste and additional funding for nuclear research and development. Reuters

http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINN2619790020091026

India's nuclear drive sparks safety fears

India's nuclear drive sparks safety fears
Since the civilian nuclear deal last year with the United States ended India's decades of isolation from the international atomic market, New Delhi has begun a vast drive to significantly increase its use of nuclear energy. The promise of clean and affordable power has strong government backing, but fears remain over the nation's patchy nuclear safety record. - Siddharth Srivastava

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KJ27Df02.html

US threats prompted Iran nuclear facility

US threats prompted Iran nuclear facility
The United States has accused Iran of duplicity over the construction of a second uranium enrichment facility at Qom, and says Tehran only revealed its existence once the Iranians realized that Washington knew about it. Yet US intelligence estimates tell a very different story, one in which Iran carefully reacted to what appeared to be an imminent US strike against it. - Gareth Porter (Oct 26, '09)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KJ27Ak01.html

Toshiba, others developing small nuclear reactors: report

Report: Toshiba, other companies aim to develop small nuclear reactors
Banking on a possible shift to nuclear energy as the world tries to cut down its carbon emissions, Toshiba, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reportedly are working on small, less expensive nuclear reactors that can be used by developing countries. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE59N0CN20091024

EU-South Korean deal to benefit nuclear power sector

EU-South Korean deal to benefit nuclear power sector

The European Commission has unveiled details of how a new trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union will benefit the nuclear energy sector. The deal should boost trade in equipment and fuel inputs in both Europe and South Korea.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-EU_South_Korean_deal_to_benefit_nuclear_power_sector-2210095.html

Survey: U.S. public strongly supports nuclear energy

Survey: U.S. public strongly supports nuclear energy
A survey of 1,000 Americans found that 75% agreed with expanding the use of nuclear energy as a means to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The survey, commissioned by the Nuclear Energy Institute, also found that 61% of those polled supported the use of nuclear energy in the country, marking the ninth straight year that favorability levels exceeded 60% in surveys. World Nuclear News

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-US_public_support_for_nuclear_remains_high-2310096.html

Support for reprocessing and action on waste
26 March 2009
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A clear majority of US citizens would support recycling and reprocessing of used nuclear fuel, according to a new opinion poll which also found good all-round support for nuclear.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Support_for_reprocessing_and_action_on_waste_2603094.html

Group agrees on creation of international market for nuclear fuel

Group agrees on creation of international market for nuclear fuel
The world's largest nuclear-power users have agreed to find ways to curb nuclear weapons proliferation by establishing "cradle-to-grave fuel services," a global market to supply and dispose of nuclear fuel for civilian use, a U.S. official said after a meeting of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. The proposal calls for large fuel suppliers to work with smaller countries interested in building nuclear power plants without spending too much on uranium processing, disposal and the fuel's safe use. The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125639181336205887.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

* Nuclear energy plays important role as Senate tackles climate bill

* Nuclear energy plays important role as Senate tackles climate bill
Nuclear energy has become a key bargaining chip for Democratic senators seeking Republican support for the climate-change bill. While nuclear energy still faces challenges, particularly on the issue of reactor waste, the energy source supplies one-fifth of the country's electricity as well as generates 70% of carbon-free power. "If you want to address climate change and produce electricity, nuclear has got to be a significant part of the equation," said Nuclear Energy Institute President and CEO Marvin Fertel. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (10/25)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/25/AR2009102500536.html?sub=AR

Enrichment at heart of Iran nuclear programme

Enrichment at heart of Iran nuclear programme
Paris (AFP) Sept 25, 2009 - Enriching uranium for nuclear power -- or building a weapon of mass destruction -- lies at the heart of the controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. The point of enrichment -- which is to be discussed again at talks between Iran and the western powers in Vienna on Wednesday -- is to boost the ratio in uranium of the uranium-235 isotope, which splits in a chain reaction and releases ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Enrichment_at_heart_of_Iran_nuclear_programme_999.html

Senior Iran MP says 'better' to buy nuclear fuel

Senior Iran MP says 'better' to buy nuclear fuel
Tehran (AFP) Oct 24, 2009 - Iran would be better off buying nuclear fuel directly than entering into a UN-brokered deal for a third party to enrich its uranium, a senior lawmaker said on Saturday. Alaeddin Borujerdi, head of parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, also said Iran's low-enriched uranium (LEU) should be retained and used in power plants. "It is better to buy 20 percent enriched ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Senior_Iran_MP_says_better_to_buy_nuclear_fuel_999.html

Japanese firms to develop small nuclear reactors: report

Japanese firms to develop small nuclear reactors: report
Tokyo (AFP) Oct 24, 2009 - Japan's major nuclear reactor manufacturers have begun developing small nuclear power systems for both developed and emerging countries, a report said on Saturday. Toshiba Corp. is developing an ultra-compact reactor with an output of about 10,000 kilowatts and has started procedures for approval in the United States, the Nikkei business daily said. The new reactor, the Toshiba 4S, is ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Japanese_firms_to_develop_small_nuclear_reactors_report_999.html

Will U.S. Tactical Nuclear Weapons Be Positioned In South Korea?

Will U.S. Tactical Nuclear Weapons Be Positioned In South Korea?
from War News Updates by Bookyards
U.S. soldiers take part in a joint military drill with South Korean soldiers north of Seoul in early June. KIM JIN-TAE / AFP / Getty

Calls For Nuclear Weapons In South Korea -- UPI

SEOUL, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- With the U.S. defense chief in Seoul for security talks, a group of scholars and retired military officials have called for a redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea to counter North Korea's nuclear drive.

They also urged the United States to delay the planned transfer of wartime control of South Korean troops to Seoul beyond 2012, citing lingering threats from the North.

Read more ....http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2009/10/21/Calls-for-nuclear-weapons-in-South-Korea/UPI-51191256130461/

How Big Is North Korea's Nuclear Program

How Big Is North Korea's Nuclear Program
from War News Updates by Bookyards


North Korean Nuclear Arms Program Has 20 Sites, 3,000 Workers, South Says -- Global Security Newswire

South Korea said yesterday that North Korea's nuclear-weapon operations involve 20 facilities employing 3,000 personnel, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 22).

Lawmaker Lee Mi-kyung, reading from a South Korean Unification Ministry report, said that there are roughly 200 scientists and researchers among the North's nuclear work force. The Yongbyon nuclear complex contains 11 of the nuclear-related sites, while nine uranium mines and related facilities are found at two other locations.

The Unification Ministry did not dispute the data.

Read more ....


http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20091023_6221.php

Major Nuclear Agreement Reached In The Middle East .... But No One Is Reporting It from War News Updates by Bookyards

Major Nuclear Agreement Reached In The Middle East .... But No One Is Reporting It
from War News Updates by Bookyards
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) shakes hands with United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two countries are now completing an unprecedented cooperation deal for nuclear power in the Middle East. Jonathan Ernst / Reuters-Landov

Yes, Virginia, There is a Mideast Nuke Deal -- Newsweek

While negotiations with Iran are hitting snags at every turn, the U.S. has quietly inked a massive nuclear deal with Iran's neighbor, the United Arab Emirates.

On Friday, the world awaited Iran's decision on a proposal by Western powers that the country outsource its uranium enrichment. Enriching uranium is the key step to making a bomb, so, the thinking went, if Iran is indeed sincere about wanting a peaceful nuclear-power program, a perfect fix would be to unload the supersensitive process to one of the big nuclear states, such as Russia. Iran would build its own power plants, and everyone would be happy. No such agreement was reached, however. Iran's counteroffer remains private, but what's known is that Iran offered to buy fuel abroad but made no commitment to halt enrichment.

Read more .... http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/10/major-nuclear-agreement-reached-in.html

I find it amazing that on such an important issue, there is no discussion or debate in Congress, the media, or among those in the Middle East who are concerned about nuclear issues. Even those who are concerned about nuclear proliferation issues are quiet ....

Kudos to Newsweek for covering this story .... a story that (probably) everyone will forget about tomorrow.
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/10/major-nuclear-agreement-reached-in.html

Suicide bomber strikes suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan

Suicide bomber strikes suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan
By Saeed Shah | McClatchy Newspapers

ISLAMABAD — A suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan was hit by a suicide bomb attack, raising fears about the security of the nuclear arsenal, while two other terrorist blasts made it another bloody day in the country’s struggle against extremism.

Increasingly daring and sophisticated attacks by terrorists allied to al Qaida on some of Pakistan’s most sensitive and best protected installations have led to warnings that extremists could damage a nuclear facility or seize some nuclear material. The country’s nuclear sites are located mostly in the northwest of the country, close to the capital Islamabad, to keep them away from the border with arch-enemy India. However, that places them close to Pakistani Taliban extremists, who are massed in the northwest. Al Qaida has made clear its ambitions to get hold of a nuclear bomb or knowledge of nuclear technology. Several other sites associated with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons have previously been hit.

Pakistan is reeling from a wave of terrorist violence that’s coincided with the launch of a U.S.-backed ground operation by the military against the country’s al Qaida and Taliban heartland of South Waziristan, on the Afghan border.

Friday morning a suicide attacker struck a check post on the boundary of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, an Air Force base at Kamra, about 40 miles outside Islamabad, killing eight people, including two security personnel, and wounding a further 15.

"There were strict security arrangements, so he [the bomber] was intercepted at the first check post," local police chief Fakhar Sultan told reporters.

More…
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/77650.html

From Secrecy News: NOZETTE AND NUCLEAR ROCKETRY

NOZETTE AND NUCLEAR ROCKETRY

Stewart D. Nozette, who was arrested and charged this week under the Espionage Act, is an unusually gifted and accomplished technologist. The allegation that he provided classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer in exchange for cash is distressing on several levels. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/the-scientist-who-mistook-himself-for-a-spy/

Among other things, Nozette had exceptionally broad access to a range of classified programs in defense, space and nuclear technology. According to an FBI affidavit
http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/ci/nozette-complaint.pdf, (pdf), Nozette stated that he "held a DOE Q clearance from 1990-2000, which involved insight into all aspects of nuclear weapons programs. Held TS/SI/TK/B/G clearance 1998-2006,... Held at least 20+ SAP [special access program clearances]... from 1998-2004."

In fact, however, Nozette's participation in Department of Defense special access programs dates back even earlier, to 1990 or so. At that time he was read into an unacknowledged special access program called Timber Wind (pdf), which was an effort by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization to develop a rocket engine powered by a nuclear reactor. Dr. Nozette's name appears on a Timber Wind master access list we obtained which identified the several hundred persons who were authorized to be briefed on that nuclear rocket program.

The discovery of the hyper-classified Timber Wind program http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/dod/tw.pdf, was an inspiration for the FAS Project on Government Secrecy, since we considered it a compelling instance of classification abuse. On a number of occasions I asked Dr. Nozette about the program, but he was always quite scrupulous about rebuffing my inquiries.

Timber Wind was canceled shortly after it became public, and other nuclear rocket initiatives likewise faded away in the 1990s, as the effort to develop nuclear rocketry for military or civilian applications surged and then collapsed, leaving behind only a bunch of good stories.

An idiosyncratic new memoir by Tony Zuppero, one of the would-be nuclear rocketeers, tells those stories as he recalls them, with sometimes alarming candor, humor, and disappointment. Dr. Zuppero had his own concept of a nuclear rocket that would open a path for human expansion into the solar system. But, he laments, "after all the effort, all the visions, I got old instead of making it happen."

Dr. Nozette, myself and the Federation of American Scientists make a few cameo appearances in Dr. Zuppero's new memoir, entitled "To Inhabit the Solar System" (pdf).http://www.neofuel.com/inhabit/inhabit.pdf

U.S. Pressures Japan on Military Package John Pomfret and Blaine Harden, The Washington Post

U.S. Pressures Japan on Military Package
John Pomfret and Blaine Harden, The Washington Post
Worried about a new direction in Japan's foreign policy, the Obama administration warned the Tokyo government Wednesday of serious consequences if it reneges on a military realignment plan formulated to deal with a rising China.
Full Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102100746.html

* Japan-U.S. Missile Defense Faces Budget Limits
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE59K1G220091021

Poland to Accept U.S. Offer on Shield Judy Dempsey, The New York Times

Poland to Accept U.S. Offer on Shield
Judy Dempsey, The New York Times
Poland, smarting after President Obama announced last month that he would scrap Bush-era plans to deploy an antiballistic missile system in Eastern Europe, will accept an offer to host parts of a new, more mobile, missile defense system, Polish officials said Tuesday.
Full Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/world/europe/21biden.html?_r=1

Iran, 3 Powers Have Till Friday to OK Nuclear Deal Mark Heinrich and Sylvia Westall, Reuters

Iran, 3 Powers Have Till Friday to OK Nuclear Deal
Mark Heinrich and Sylvia Westall, Reuters
The U.N. nuclear watchdog presented on Wednesday a draft deal to Iran and three world powers for approval within two days to reduce Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium, seen by the West as a nuclear weapons risk.
Full Article

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-43326520091022?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Iran Brings Urgency to U.S.'s Need to Ratify Nuclear-Test Treaty

Iran Brings Urgency to U.S.'s Need to Ratify Nuclear-Test Treaty

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24023#

This Time, Ban the Test Jessica Tuchman Mathews, International Herald Tribune

This Time, Ban the Test
Jessica Tuchman Mathews, International Herald Tribune
Nuclear TestTen years ago, the Senate rejected a treaty to ban nuclear testing.

To many, this was shocking. After more than 1,000 tests there was nothing of military value left for the United States to learn unless it wanted new warheads. The Cold War had been over for a decade and the U.S. arsenal already had more warheads than imaginable targets. American conventional superiority was enormous and growing. Full Article
http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24021

Nuclear Weapons In The News

Nuclear Weapons In The News

Clinton Says Atomic Agency Need Broader Authority to Find Nuclear Storage Sites
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=art3luRBJP8s

Terror threat to Pakistan increasing but nukes safe for now: Clinton
http://blog.taragana.com/n/terror-threat-to-pak-increasing-but-nukes-safe-for-now-clinton-203026/

Sec. Clinton: Sanctions On A Nuclear North Korea Will Not Be Relaxed
http://talkradionews.com/2009/10/clinton-sanctions-on-a-nuclear-north-korea-will-not-be-relaxed/

Sec Clinton: You Can Have Too Many Nuclear Weapons
http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2009/10/sec-clinton-you-can-have-too-many-nuclear-weapons.html

Iran OKs Draft of Deal on Exporting Nuclear Fuel

Iran OKs Draft of Deal on Exporting Nuclear Fuel
http://news.antiwar.com/2009/10/21/iran-agrees-on-uranium-enrichment-deal/

Iran 'Has Not Paid Russia' in 'Frozen' Missile Deal
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091021/wl_mideast_afp/russiairanmilitarydefence

Clinton Calls for Strengthened IAEA Powers
http://original.antiwar.com/lobe/2009/10/21/clinton-calls-for-strengthened-iaea-powers/

U.S. climate bill needs more nuclear energy incentives, Chu says

U.S. climate bill needs more nuclear energy incentives, Chu says
The U.S. must lead in the advancement of clean-energy technologies, a move that would help spur economic growth, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. He also urged inclusion of more nuclear-power incentives in proposed climate legislation, which would help the country generate more carbon-free power and could win the support of Republican senators. Reuters (10/20)

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE59J4PT20091020

U.S. Seeks to Keep Watching Russia's Weapons

U.S. Seeks to Keep Watching Russia's Weapons
Thom Shanker and Peter Baker, The New York Times
With a key arms control treaty set to expire soon, the Obama administration is searching for ways to keep inspectors in Russia or else it risks losing American eyes on the world’s second most formidable nuclear weapons arsenal for the first time in decades.
Full Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/world/europe/20arms.html

International Commission Weighs No-First Use of Nukes

International Commission Weighs No-First Use of Nukes
Atsuko Tannai and Hiroyuki Maegawa, The Asahi Shimbun
Discussions by an international commission that started Sunday are expected to focus on the need to call on nations to pledge not to use nuclear weapons except in retaliation against a nuclear attack.
Full Article
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200910190053.html

Nuclear Talks Delayed as Iran Objects to France

Nuclear Talks Delayed as Iran Objects to France
Simon Morgan, Agence France-Presse
Nuclear talks between Iran and world powers were held up Tuesday after Iran said it did not want France to be part of any deal on uranium enrichment.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWloScbNGHhrQtQcZcIAKasg-xjA

Why a Month Matters

Why a Month Matters
Nima Gerami and James M. Acton, Foreign Policy
AhmadinejadSince the Oct. 1 meeting between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany), the fuel-supply agreement for the Tehran research reactor has dominated expert discussion about Iran's nuclear program. This focus has obscured another potentially important but less positive development -- Iran's delay in permitting inspectors to visit its previously undeclared enrichment facility near Qom. Iran, as required by its safeguards obligations, has promised to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to the Qom facility. Although this is certainly welcome, access to the site will not be granted until Oct. 25, more than a month after Iran first acknowledged the facility's existence in a Sept. 21 letter to the IAEA.
Full Article
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24009

* Dealing with Iran: The Power of Legitimacy
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23971&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

Saudi-Iranian hostility hits boiling point

Saudi-Iranian hostility hits boiling point

Escalating tensions between Riyadh and Tehran may have played a role in Sunday's suicide strike that killed seven senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as well as 42 other people in Iran's southeast. Riyadh is concerned that Iran's growing power will erode Saudi pre-eminence in the region, and the Saudis might have a vested interest in disrupting the United States-Iran nuclear talks. - M K Bhadrakumar (Oct 20, '09)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KJ21Ak03.html

Government aid may quicken pace of nuclear revival

Government aid may quicken pace of nuclear revival
The success of the nuclear renaissance hinges on three aspects -- the cost of new reactors, future competition from renewable sources and future fossil fuel prices, according to this opinion article. The U.S. nuclear industry touts unprecedented safety and efficiency records and stands ready to expand in the near future. MIT Technology Review

http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=23709&c

Special Report - Energy - The Dilemma of Aging Nuclear Plants ...

Special Report - Energy - The Dilemma of Aging Nuclear Plants ...
The 40-year life span was a design specification, said Guillaume Wack, director for nuclear plants at the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, or A.S.N., ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/business/global/20renuke.html?scp=1&sq=Guillaume%20Wack&st=cse

Considering an Alternative Fuel for Nuclear Energy

Considering an Alternative Fuel for Nuclear Energy

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/business/global/20renthorium.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%20Rajendran%20Raja&st=cse

Pakistani nuclear forces, 2009 BY ROBERT S. NORRIS AND HANS M. KRISTENSEN

Pakistani nuclear forces, 2009
BY ROBERT S. NORRIS AND HANS M. KRISTENSEN
Pakistan is enhancing its nuclear weapon capabilities across the board by developing and deploying new nuclear-capable missiles and expanding its capacity to produce fissile materials for use in weapons.

http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/f828323447768858/?p=acb64a3f200e4a5bb5a76a65804b0802&pi=7

India's quest for dual-use technology Premium BY MATTHEW HOEY

India's quest for dual-use technology Premium
BY MATTHEW HOEY
Over the last 10 years, India has taken on a significant challenge: become a great power in space-, missile-, and nanotechnology, and do it with the help of a new friend--the United States. But is U.S.-Indian technology-sharing still seen as harmless international engagement?

http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/f7u36363444757v8/?p=5b7aa5de8cef466fa33441a027d51e5c&pi=4

Manipulating Public Perceptions Game Plan: If Israel Strikes Iran First By Dan Raviv

Manipulating Public Perceptions
Game Plan: If Israel Strikes Iran First

By Dan Raviv

Retired General Says Israeli Attack to Take Out Iran's Nuclear Facilities Not Only Possible, the U.S. Should Join In. Continue

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23750.htm

Iranian Nuclear Threat Hyped: ElBaradei:

Iranian Nuclear Threat Hyped: ElBaradei:

By Jerusalem Post Staff

The greatest danger in the region, according to ElBaradei, comes from the possibility of an Israeli air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Continue

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23751.htm

Iran warns the West ahead of new nuclear talks

Iran warns the West ahead of new nuclear talks
Vienna (AFP) Oct 19, 2009 - Iran headed into new talks with world powers on its nuclear programme on Monday vowing to step up it uranium enrichment if it does not get what it wants from the negotiations. Iran is to hold talks at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on a proposal for Russia and France to enrich fuel for a research reactor. This would require Iran to hand over the uranium which many western ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_warns_the_West_ahead_of_new_nuclear_talks_999.html

China pointing about 1,500 missiles at Taiwan: Taipei official

China pointing about 1,500 missiles at Taiwan: Taipei official
Taipei (AFP) Oct 19, 2009 - China now has about 1,500 missiles pointed at Taiwan, with no signs that the build-up is about to stop anytime soon, a spokesman for the island's government said Monday. The figure includes short-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, the defence ministry spokesman told AFP on condition of anonymity. "The number of missiles has been rising. We don't know when it will stop ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_pointing_about_1500_missiles_at_Taiwan_Taipei_official_999.html

IAEA Discussing Uranium-Enrichment Plan with Iran

IAEA Discussing Uranium-Enrichment Plan with Iran
from VOA News: Top Stories

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-19-voa23.cfm?rss=topstories

Companies set sights on UAE nuclear project worth $41B

* Companies set sights on UAE nuclear project worth $41B
Local and international companies reportedly are setting up offices in Abu Dhabi to be part of a civilian nuclear-power project in the United Arab Emirates that could generate about $41 billion over the next decade. A U.S. commercial nuclear energy mission, which would be coordinated by the Nuclear Energy Institute and the U.S.-UAE Business Council, is scheduled to visit the UAE in December. The visit aims to build and expand relationships with UAE civilian suppliers, contractors and potential partners. Emirates Business 24/7 (United Arab Emirates) (10/18)

http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/10/Pages/17102009/10182009_4a730c461230417abe1e634a5f9d623b.aspx

India allocates nuclear sites to U.S.-led consortia

* India allocates nuclear sites to U.S.-led consortia
India has agreed to allocate sites in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh for the construction of nuclear facilities by U.S.-led groups as part of an expanded cooperation agreement between the two countries to promote peaceful uses of nuclear power. "This development not only promises to deliver greater access to clean and affordable energy and electricity for all Indians, it will also produce jobs and economic opportunities for the people of both India and the U.S.," said U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer. The Hindu (India) (10/19)
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/19/stories/2009101957560100.htm

Iran to seek guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel at Vienna

Iran to seek guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel at Vienna
Tehran (AFP) Oct 18, 2009 - Iran will enter Vienna talks with the major powers on Monday seeking a guaranteed supply of 20 percent enriched uranium and insisting it will make up any shortfall by domestic production, officials say. Iranian analysts say Tehran will also attempt to allay concerns over its nuclear programme, which Western governments suspect is cover for a drive for a bomb, something the Islamic republic ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Iran_to_seek_guaranteed_supply_of_nuclear_fuel_at_Vienna_999.html

The Arms Build-Up In India Is Now Getting Attention from War News Updates by Bookyards

The Arms Build-Up In India Is Now Getting Attention
from War News Updates by Bookyards
The medium range, surface-to-surface Prithvi-2 missiles being test fired from mobile launchers at the Integrated Test Range, Balasore off the Orissa coast. Hindu Business

India’s Border Build-Up -- War Is Boring

China’s hostile attitude towards India and its continuing supply of advanced weaponry to Pakistan — most recently the Z9EC anti-submarine helicopter — is driving India into a weapons-acquisition and -modernization spree. Just in the last few weeks, Indian media reported that China has been issuing loose-sheet visas to Indian citizens from the state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), in effect saying for the first time that China does not recognize J&K as Indian territory. Further, the impressive display of Chinese military power at its National Day parade on October 1 has not gone unnoticed in India.

Read more ....
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/10/arms-build-up-in-india-is-now-getting.html

More News On India's Military Build-Up
And It's Relations With China

India, Russia agree arms pact likely worth $5 bln -- Reuters
http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-43190720091015

India, Russia to launch fifth generation fighter jets -- Economic Times of India
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/India-Russia-to-launch-fifth-generation-fighter-jets/articleshow/5127502.cms

India, Russia agree to extend military cooperation for 10 years -- Trak.in
http://trak.in/news/india-russia-agree-to-extend-military-cooperation-for-10-years/14488/

India tests nuclear-capable missiles -- Times of The Internet
http://www.timesoftheinternet.com/118348.html

India tests nuclear-capable missiles -- UPI
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2009/10/13/India-tests-nuclear-capable-missiles/UPI-27661255473720/

India Tests Nuke-Capable Missile Twice -- Defense News
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4321067&c=AIR&s=TOP

India, China will continue talks to resolve differences -- The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/17/stories/2009101758060100.htm

India and China in a tit-for-tat spat -- L.A. Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-india-china-tiff15-2009oct15,0,6951444.story

China worried over US-India military cooperation -- Rediff
http://news.rediff.com/column/2009/sep/24/china-worried-over-us-india-military-cooperation.htm

India and China: On A Collission Course? -- Reality Zone
http://realityzone-realityzone.blogspot.com/2009/10/india-and-china-on-collission-course.html

Geo-Strategic Chessboard: War Between India and China? -- Global Research
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7453

Chinese Threat on Border and India’s Defence Preparedness -- Mainstream
http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article1691.html

Dangerous Crossroads: U.S. Expands Asian NATO Against China, Russia -- Global Research
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=15719

Bordering on Danger: A Sino-Indian boundary dispute risks flaring up -- Wall Street Journal opinion
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204574474433189540954.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Is Kazakhstan Providing Nuclear Tech And Materials To Iran?

Is Kazakhstan Providing Nuclear Tech And Materials To Iran?
from War News Updates by Bookyards
Photo: Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev (left) and Iranian President Ahmadinejad in Kazakhstan

Next Nuclear Worry For US: Kazakhstan? -- Christian Science Monitor

So far, the former Soviet state has cooperated with the US on nuclear issues. But a new report suggests that Kazakhstan might be looking to do business with other, less responsible regimes, too.

Washington - Does Kazakhstan want to increase its nuclear commerce – doing deals with other nations that have mixed records when it comes to weapons proliferation? That is a sensitive issue which US intelligence appears to be following closely.

Since it gained independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has cooperated with the US on key denuclearization activities. Nuclear weapons stationed on Kazakh territory were returned to Russia and their delivery systems destroyed.

Read more ....
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-kazakhstan-providing-nuclear-tech.html

Update: Kazakh Nuclear Intentions Questioned in U.S. -- Global Security Newswire
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20091016_1476.php
Another worry for the Obama administration. So much for international sanctions against Iran.

Dangerous Crossroads: U.S. Expands Asian NATO Against China, Russia

Dangerous Crossroads: U.S. Expands Asian NATO Against China, Russia
- by Rick Rozoff - 2009-10-17

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=15719

How Can We Tell If A Country Is Making Nuclear Power Or Nuclear Weapons?

How Can We Tell If A Country Is Making Nuclear Power Or Nuclear Weapons?
Bombs or Power?: Centrifuges are usually arranged in a triangular cascade; the layout tips inspectors to its purpose. Weapons require heavily enriched uranium, so the triangle is long and narrow; power takes more fuel, so the cascade is short and fat. McKibillo

From Popular Science:

It's all about enrichment.

Just about everyone insists that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at building weapons. Iran claims it only wants nuclear power. So how do weapons inspectors get at the truth? They study the country’s supply and treatment of uranium, one of the most abundant nuclear materials on the planet.

Read more ....
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-can-we-tell-if-country-is-making.html
Comment: Kudos to Popular Science for writing a post that is easy for the layman to understand.

The Language Of Limbo

The Language Of Limbo
From Threats Watch:

Language Indicates US Ceding Leadership And Principle To Russia On Iran.

Are we winning the diplomatic battle with Iran? Are we, for that matter, winning the diplomatic battle with Russia, which, with China, serves as Iran's principal protectorate? To put it necessarily bluntly, there is no indication that we are and every indication that we are indeed losing. Not simply losing, but ceding. A brief but careful examination of language reveals the unfortunate and frustrating truth.

Read more ....

My Comment: The short answer is no .... we are not winning the diplomatic battle with Iran, and what is worse is that Iran knows this.
Posted by Bookyards at 4:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: iran nuclear crisis

http://threatswatch.org/commentary/2009/10/the-language-of-limbo/

Areva plans nuclear fuel facility in Japan

Areva plans nuclear fuel facility in Japan
France's Areva announced it intends to construct a nuclear fuel-processing plant in Japan, more than doubling the nation's nuclear capacity in the face of rising demand. The facility, a joint project with Mitsubishi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, will be used to turn enriched uranium into uranium oxide, according to Areva executive Remy Autebert. Japan will add 12 reactors over the next 10 years, with its nuclear dependency expected to reach 40% by 2030. Bloomberg

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=aphLWO01YX6M

Report: India forges civilian nuclear deal with Argentina

Report: India forges civilian nuclear deal with Argentina
India has signed a civilian nuclear agreement with Argentina. The nations' nuclear experts will join forces to "encourage and support scientific technical and commercial co-operation for mutual benefit in this field," according to a joint statement. Argentina became the seventh country to strike such a deal since the Nuclear Suppliers Group lifted its decades-long moratorium on nuclear commerce with India. The Hindu Business Line (India)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/10/15/stories/2009101551491500.htm

Obama emphasizes need for nuclear energy to cut carbon emissions

Obama emphasizes need for nuclear energy to cut carbon emissions
President Barack Obama voiced support for the use of nuclear energy as the country looks for ways to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. "There's no reason why technologically we can't employ nuclear energy in a safe and effective way," Obama said during a conference in New Orleans. Reuters
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINN1531614920091015

Israel will ensure 'survival' against Iran threat: minister

Israel will ensure 'survival' against Iran threat: minister
Brussels (AFP) Oct 15, 2009 - Israel reserves the right to take whatever action is needed to survive in the face of Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Jewish state's far-right infrastructure minister, Uzi Landau, said. "We'll take the actions that are necessary for our survival, we'll do whatever is necessary at that time," he told AFP late Wednesday, expressing regret that EU nations did not see the Islamic republic as a maj ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israel_will_ensure_survival_against_Iran_threat_minister_999.html

NKorea sees peace pact with US as key to nuclear disarmament

NKorea sees peace pact with US as key to nuclear disarmament
Seoul (AFP) Oct 14, 2009 - North Korea called Wednesday for a peace pact with the United States, saying this was a "most reasonable and practical" way to end the long standoff over its nuclear weapons programme. "A peace accord should be concluded between (North Korea) and the US if the nuclear issue on the peninsula is to be settled," the ruling communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary. Such ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NKorea_sees_peace_pact_with_US_as_key_to_nuclear_disarmament_999.html

Obama's new missile defense plan

Obama's new missile defense plan
Warsaw, Poland (UPI) Oct 15, 2009 - Experts are optimistic that U.S. President Barack Obama's new missile defense plan for Eastern Europe is better than the old one. Obama's new plan, the so-called "phased, adaptive approach" for a European missile defense system features a combination of fixed (ground-based) and relocatable (on U.S. warships) Standard Missile 3 interceptors and radars that focuses mainly on the threat fr ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Obamas_new_missile_defense_plan_999.html

Too early' to focus on Iran sanctions: Russia's Putin

Too early' to focus on Iran sanctions: Russia's Putin
Beijing (AFP) Oct 14, 2009 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that it was "too early" to discuss new sanctions against Iran, as world powers try to defuse the standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. Putin's comments, which came during a visit to Beijing, were his first since the revelation late last month that Iran is building a new uranium enrichment plant near its holy city of Qom, reviv ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Too_early_to_focus_on_Iran_sanctions_Russias_Putin_999.html

US documents point to secret Japan nuclear pact

US documents point to secret Japan nuclear pact
Washington (AFP) Oct 13, 2009 - Despite decades of denials by Washington and Tokyo, US officials believe they enjoyed a secret pact to transport nuclear weapons through Japan, newly declassified documents showed. The disclosure came after Japan's left-leaning government ended more than half a century of conservative rule and launched a probe into thousands of files to settle longstanding suspicions of a hush-hush pact. ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_documents_point_to_secret_Japan_nuclear_pact_999.html

OSC VIEWS NUCLEAR COMMERCE IN KAZAKHSTAN

OSC VIEWS NUCLEAR COMMERCE IN KAZAKHSTAN

"Kazakhstan, which is second only to Australia in uranium reserves and exceptionally appealing to nuclear nations that require uranium, has entered into agreements or joint ventures with many countries and corporations," a new analysis (pdf) from the DNI Open Source Center observes. http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/kazakhstan/osc100609.pdf

Kazakhstan has embarked on cooperative civilian nuclear projects with countries including the U.S., Russia, China, Brazil, Canada, France, India, and others, possibly including Iran.

"Some serious issues lurk behind the veneer of the government's political and commercial success," the OSC analysis says. These include "an unclear line of power succession,... which could facilitate nuclear deals with international partners with mixed proliferation records."

"The country is corrupt and has corrupt practices," the OSC declares. "Kazakhstan's mineral riches have supplied many a thief with wealth." See "Kazakhstan -- Opening Up for Nuclear Collaboration," Open Source Center, October 6, 2009.

Kazakhstan relinquished the nuclear weapons that it inherited from the former Soviet Union in 1995. It has also accepted IAEA safeguards and the Additional Protocol.

The Cato Institute invites you to a Book Forum Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al Qaeda (Oxford University Press, 2009)

Cato Institute

The Cato Institute invites you to a Book Forum
Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism
from Hiroshima to Al Qaeda
(Oxford University Press, 2009)

featuring the author
John Mueller
Woody Hayes Chair of National Security Studies, Ohio State University

with comments by
Michael Krepon
Co-Founder, Henry L. Stimson Center

and
Jeffrey G. Lewis
Director, Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative,
New America Foundation

moderated by
Justin Logan
Associate Director of Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute

Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al Qaeda
Purchase at AmazonHaving informed readers in previous books that their fears of war and terrorism are overblown, iconoclastic political scientist John Mueller has set his sights on nuclear weapons. For Mueller, nuclear weapons have never represented much of a threat given states' fundamental unwillingness to use them. Moreover, our current worries about terrorists obtaining such weapons are essentially baseless. As Mueller points out, there is a multitude of reasons why terrorists will not be able to obtain nuclear weapons, much less build them themselves and successfully transport them to targets. Atomic Obsession concludes with a judgment that our efforts to prevent the spread of WMDs have produced much more suffering and violence than would have been the case if we took a more realistic view of such weapons.

Please join us for a discussion of this provocative new book.

Thursday, October 29, 2009
11:00 a.m.
(Luncheon to follow)

Cato Book Forums and luncheons are free of charge.
To register, visit www.cato.org, fax (202) 371-0841,
or call (202) 789-5229 by 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 28.
News media inquiries only (no registrations), please call (202) 789-5200.
If you can't make it to the Cato Institute, watch this Forum live online at www.cato.org.

The Lost Prestige of Nuclear Physics

The Lost Prestige of Nuclear Physics

Nuclear physics was once considered the pinnacle of man’s effort to know reality; its image was tarnished by association with the bomb’s destructive violence. In EPPC's journal The New Atlantis, N. J. Slabbert traces the drop in public esteem and argues that a return to nuclear science and technology is crucial to American vitality.

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-lost-prestige-of-nuclear-physics

India tests nuclear-capable missiles

India tests nuclear-capable missiles
New Delhi (UPI) Oct 13, 2009 - In quick succession, India test-fired short-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The two advanced versions of the Prithvi-II surface-to-surface ballistic missiles have a range of up to 217 miles. They were launched from Chandur in the east state of Orissa into the Bay of Negal. "The two P-II missiles, which can carry 500kg warheads were successfully ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/India_tests_nuclear-capable_missiles_999.html

ASEAN Response to Nuclear Risks Mark Fitzpatrick, The Japan Times

ASEAN Response to Nuclear Risks
Mark Fitzpatrick, The Japan Times
As the nuclear renaissance comes to Southeast Asia, the countries of the region face an important turning point. Decisions taken today will help determine whether nuclear energy will play a positive role in their economic development, or whether a shadow of nuclear danger will accompany the benefits of this energy source.
Full Article
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20091011a1.html

North Korea Fires 5 Missiles

North Korea Fires 5 Missiles
Blaine Harden, The Washington Post
North Korea fired five short-range missiles into the sea Monday and declared a navigation ban in waters off its eastern and western coasts, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
Full Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/12/AR2009101200650.html

How to Manage a Nuclear Iran

How to Manage a Nuclear Iran
Gregory L. Schulte, Foreign Policy
On Sept. 25, flanked by his French and British counterparts, Barack Obama announced that Iran was building a second underground facility for uranium enrichment. The U.S. president warned that Iran's decision to build yet another nuclear facility without notifying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) represented a direct challenge to the nonproliferation regime.
Full Article
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/08/how_to_manage_a_nuclear_iran

* Dealing with Iran: The Power of Legitimacy
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23971&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

Russia Moves on Iran Sanctions

Russia Moves on Iran Sanctions
Charles Clover and James Blitz, Financial Times
Russian president Dmitry Medevdev told Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, that sanctions should be imposed on Iran if it does not implement promises to the international community on its nuclear programme, a US official told reporters last night.
Full Article
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ed6c641e-b7f9-11de-8ca9-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fed6c641e-b7f9-11de-8ca9-00144feab49a.html&_i_referer=

S., Russia Must Lead on Arms Control

S., Russia Must Lead on Arms Control
Brent Scowcroft, Joseph Nye, Nicholas Burns and Strobe Talbott, Politico
G-20The United States faces the urgent challenge of using the year ahead to limit the risks of nuclear proliferation and to lower the level of nuclear weapons in the world. Achieving these goals is crucial to a peaceful century. President Barack Obama has undertaken a variety of initiatives to reduce American and Russian nuclear arsenals, dissuade states that have forgone nuclear weapons from acquiring them, stop the production of fissile material for military purposes, tighten measures to keep nuclear weapons from ever being used, prevent dangerous technology from falling into the hands of terrorists and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Full Article
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28201.html

Russia Reserves Preemptive Nuke Right

Russia Reserves Preemptive Nuke Right

Kremlin announces non-specific revisions to doctrine

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/10/13/russia-retains-option-of-pre-emptive-nuclear-strike/

Obama's Nuclear Agenda -- Joseph Nye, RealClearWorld

Obama's Nuclear Agenda -- Joseph Nye, RealClearWorld

http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2009/10/13/obamas_nuclear_agenda_97256.html

Moscow’s “No” Paints Obama And Clinton Into A Corner On Iran -- Jonathan Tobin, Commentary Magazine

Moscow’s “No” Paints Obama And Clinton Into A Corner On Iran -- Jonathan Tobin, Commentary Magazine

What was the bottom line of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov? America’s punting on a request for sanctions on Iran, as the Washington Post reported (and Jennifer discussed)? Or was it instead a case of “Russia Resists U.S. on Iran Sanctions,” as the Associated Press reported? Of course, both amount to the same thing. Clinton’s statement that it wasn’t yet time for sanctions on Iran to pressure it to stop its nuclear program is merely an admission that the administration’s plan to gain international support for restraining Iran is dead in the water.

Read more ....
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/tobin/125732

# Gore needs to back nuclear power, newspaper says

# Gore needs to back nuclear power, newspaper says
Former Vice President Al Gore has avoided the nuclear issue, but coming out in support of nuclear-generated electricity will do more to promote his climate-change goals than anything else he could do, writes the editorial board of the Wisconsin State Journal. "Nuclear technology needs to be a big part of the solution," argues this editorial. "Gore should stress his support for more nuclear power today." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/editorial/article_1334da66-b4e7-11de-947a-001cc4c03286.html

Expert touts nuclear in curbing greenhouse-gas emissions

Expert touts nuclear in curbing greenhouse-gas emissions
Lawmakers who believe that technology for capturing and storing carbon can aid in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from coal power facilities are "being unrealistic," writes Carolyn Heising in this opinion article. Such technology is extremely expensive, basically untested and energy intensive, adds Heising, who is a nuclear engineering professor at Iowa State University. A significant boost in nuclear energy and improvements in energy efficiency could help achieve the country's energy needs and simultaneously lower carbon emissions to acceptable levels, she writes. The Des Moines Register (Iowa)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091013/OPINION01/910130340/1036/Opinion

Iran agrees to ship enriched uranium to Russia: official

Iran agrees to ship enriched uranium to Russia: official

Washington (AFP) Oct 1, 2009 - Iran agreed in principle Thursday to ship most of its declared enriched uranium stockpile to Russia, where it would be refined as fuel for a small reactor producing medical isotopes, a US official said. The agreement came after seven and a half hours of talks between Iran and world powers just outside Geneva, where Tehran also agreed to grant the United Nations access to a newly-revealed cov ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Iran_agrees_to_ship_enriched_uranium_to_Russia_official_999.html

Westinghouse Backs US Nuclear Energy Agreement With Italy

Westinghouse Backs US Nuclear Energy Agreement With Italy

Pittsburgh PA (SPX) Oct 13, 2009 - An agreement signed earlier yesterday between the United States and Italy drew strong support from Westinghouse Electric Company as the two countries took a major step closer to opening the Italian market to U.S. nuclear technology. Claudio Scajola, Italy's minister for economic development, Dr. Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Dennis F. Hightower met ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Westinghouse_Backs_US_Nuclear_Energy_Agreement_With_Italy_999.html

NRC approves Constellation-EDF nuclear deal

NRC approves Constellation-EDF nuclear deal
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved Electricite de France's bid to acquire almost 50% of Constellation Energy's nuclear assets, a deal reportedly worth $4.5 billion. The regulatory approval removes an obstacle to the proposed construction of a new nuclear plant in Maryland. EDF has "all necessary approvals at the federal level and clearance from the New York Public Service Commission," the companies said in a statement. Google/Agence France-
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i3uNHFIpvGh2GsiVFGmyeTaqDRnQ

Wars, Political Battles Complicate Obama Effort to Prevent Spread of Nuclear Weapons

Wars, Political Battles Complicate Obama Effort to Prevent Spread of Nuclear Weapons
President Obama's decision to order a nuclear review comes as he takes the rare step of chairing a watershed session of the UN security council.


From Global Security:

WASHINGTON -- Well before the 2008 election, foreign-policy hands predicted that the next commander in chief would confront an incendiary in-box without precedent in the modern American presidency. Recently, Barack Obama has begun to grasp what they meant (see GSN, Sept. 23).

After spending his honeymoon wrestling with the Great Recession and health care, and with cap-and-trade and climate change on deck, Obama will soon enter a stretch of his young presidency that includes deciding how to end an unpopular war in Iraq, salvage a failing war in Afghanistan, and avoid a potential war with Iran. All are likely to affect his signature initiative to check what many experts see as the greatest long-term threat to U.S. national security -- the spread of doomsday weapons.

Read more .... http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/10/wars-political-battles-complicate-obama.html

My Comment: An interesting analysis on what appears to be the priorities for President Obama and his agenda. While I do not have any disagreement with its view on what President Obama wants .... the article does not properly focus on the component that will greatly influence and impact both his domestic and foreign agenda.

That component is the economy and the Federal Government's trillion dollar deficits.

This is the 800 lb gorilla and 2 ton elephant in the room. If President Obama cannot reverse the deterioration of the economy .... both his domestic and foreign agenda will be crippled, and the Democrats will be paying a heavy political price in the 2010 and Presidential elections in 2012.

Nuclear proliferation is important .... but in today's world no one is listening to the U.S. and President Obama. Our economic and financial strength was always adequate to sway countries to our side .... but that is rapidly becoming an option that we are not able to fulfill. The genie is out of the bottle and we are now living in an environment where numerous countries are now positioning themselves to acquire nuclear weaponry .... and there is nothing that we can do to change this.
Posted by Bookyards

War News Updates: Wars, Political Battles Complicate Obama Effort to Prevent Spread of Nuclear Weapons