Defiant Ahmadinejad orders higher enrichment of uranium

Defiant Ahmadinejad orders higher enrichment of uranium

Tehran (AFP) Feb 7, 2010
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday ordered Iran's atomic chief to begin higher uranium enrichment, raising the stakes in a dispute with the West days after seeming to accept a UN-drafted nuclear deal.

Ahmadinejad's declaration drew immediate fire from Britain, which said it was "clearly a matter of serious concern," while US Defence Secretary Robert Gates called for mounting "international pressure" on the Islamic republic.

In a speech at an exhibition on laser technology broadcast live on state television, Ahmadinejad blamed world powers for the stalemate over the nuclear fuel deal, but left the door open for possible negotiation over the proposal.

"I had said let us give them (world powers) two to three months and if they don't agree, we would start ourselves," he said.

"Now Dr (Ali Akbar) Salehi, start to make the 20 percent with the centrifuges," the hardliner told Iran's atomic chief, who was in the audience, referring to high-enriched uranium required as fuel to power a Tehran reactor.

Britain said that if Iran ploughed ahead with higher uranium enrichment, it would be in breach of five United Nations Security Council resolutions.

"Reports that Iran is planning to enrich some of their fuel to 20 percent level of enrichment are clearly a matter of serious concern," a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry said in a statement issued in London.

Gates, meanwhile, called on the international community to stand united against Iran.

"The international community has offered the Iranian government multiple opportunities to provide reassurance of its intentions. The results have been very disappointing," Gates said after meeting his Italian counterpart Ignazio La Russa in Rome.

"If the international community will stand together and bring pressure on the Iranian government, I believe there is still time for sanctions and pressure to work. But we must all work together."

Analysts called Ahmadinejad's comments an attempt to pressure Washington and drive a wedge between the six world powers, some of whom are still hesitant to back fresh sanctions against Tehran.

"Ahmadinejad wants to put pressure on the West, especially the US. He was responding to those in the West who do not want Iran to strike a deal," Iranian analyst Mohammad Saleh Sadeghian told AFP.

"I think that Iran prefers a swap deal over the option of producing the fuel" of 20 percent enriched uranium itself, he added.

A Western analyst who asked not to be named said Iranian declarations such as Ahmadinejad's on Sunday were attempts to "delay potential sanctions by dividing the six world powers without backing down on the nuclear programme."

World powers fear that Tehran wants to enrich uranium to very high levels for use in an atomic weapons programme, and hence want to remove its low-enriched uranium (LEU) through the UN-drafted deal.

Iran insists its nuclear enrichment drive is purely peaceful.

Tehran and world powers are locked in a stalemate over the UN-drafted deal, which envisages the Iran's 3.5 percent LEU being sent to Russia and France for enrichment to 20 percent and then returned as fuel for the Tehran reactor.

Ahmadinejad insisted that world powers "unconditionally" accept exchanging Iran's LEU for high purity 20 percent enriched uranium to be used as nuclear fuel for the Tehran reactor, which makes medical isotopes.

His statement comes after he indicated in an interview on state television last Tuesday that Iran was ready to send its LEU abroad for conversion into 20 percent nuclear fuel.

Iranian officials have opposed the UN-brokered proposal, saying they would prefer a simultaneous exchange on Iranian soil, a plan rejected by world powers.

Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that if the world powers "come forward and say 'we will exchange (uranium) unconditionally and cooperate on your reactors and medicine'... fine then we will cooperate" too.

Salehi also emphasised that world powers have little time left on a fuel deal with Iran.

"If they do not enter this fuel exchange we have to be ready for 20 percent enrichment," Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Defiant_Ahmadinejad_orders_higher_enrichment_of_uranium_999.html

US doubts Iran claim nuclear deal 'close'

US doubts Iran claim nuclear deal 'close'
Ankara (AFP) Feb 6, 2010 - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed doubts Saturday that a deal was close on Iran's disputed nuclear programme, as the UN atomic chief said Tehran presented no new proposals at talks in Germany. The comments come amid growing Western impatience with Iran for failing to respond clearly to a proposal for sending some of its uranium abroad for enrichment, amid fears Tehran may be trying ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_doubts_Iran_claim_nuclear_deal_close_999.html

Iran opens two new missile plants

Iran opens two new missile plants

File image courtesy AFP.
by Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Feb 6, 2010
Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi opened two new missile production plants on Saturday, just three days after Iran fired a rocket carrying live animals into space, state television reported.

The plants will produce a ground-to-air missile dubbed the Qaem (Rising) and a surface-to-surface missile dubbed Toofan 5 (Storm), the broadcaster said.

The Qaem is designed to target helicopters at low and medium altitudes, it added.

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_opens_two_new_missile_plants_999.html

Indian govt hails test of nuclear-capable missile

Indian govt hails test of nuclear-capable missile
Bhubhaneswar, India (AFP) Feb 7, 2010 - India successfully tested a nuclear-capable missile on Sunday, a defence ministry spokesman said, days after the government proposed a resumption of talks with arch-rival Pakistan. The surface-to-surface Agni-III missile with a range of more than 3,000 kilometres (2,000 miles) was fired from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa. "It hit the target with pin-point a ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indian_govt_hails_test_of_nuclear-capable_missile_999.html

Obama Budget Seeks 13.4 Percent Increase for National Nuclear Security Administration Walter Pincus, The Washington Post

Obama Budget Seeks 13.4 Percent Increase for National Nuclear Security Administration
Walter Pincus, The Washington Post
President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget blueprint calls for an increase in funding of more than 13 percent for the agency that oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, a greater percentage increase than for any other government agency.
Full Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203884.html


President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget blueprint calls for an increase in funding of more than 13 percent for the agency that oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, a greater percentage increase than for any other government agency.

The request could help reduce opposition to a new strategic arms control treaty with Russia. Republicans have argued that the Obama administration will jeopardize national security if it agrees to cuts in the U.S. nuclear arsenal without modernizing the country's remaining weapons.

The $11.2 billion request for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) represents a 13.4 percent increase for the agency from the previous fiscal year. Most agencies across the rest of the government saw either no increase in the spending plan announced this week or a single-digit percentage increase.

At the NNSA, the Obama administration is seeking a funding increase of 25 percent, to $2 billion, for the continued safety and surety of the nuclear weapons stockpile. That would ensure funds for the agency to reach full production of the refurbished Navy W-76 Trident submarine warhead, to refurbish the B-61 bomb, and to study options for maintaining the W-78, the warhead in the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

In addition, the budget request provides for a 10.4 percent increase, to $1.6 billion, in funds for additional work in science and technology to enhance confidence in the annual certification of the nuclear stockpile. An additional $2 billion would go to the long-term program to upgrade weapons-complex facilities, including a new plutonium facility for the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and a uranium manufacturing plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn.
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Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who has actively followed negotiations over a new nuclear treaty with Russia, said the increase in the budget was "a definite improvement over previous years." But he said he will be meeting with administration officials to make certain that the budget correlates with the upcoming Nuclear Posture Review and the 10-year modernization plan that could help in dealing with any future treaty.

Other observers already see the new budget as a boon for arms-control advocates.

"The budget signals that the price for the START follow-on agreement with Russia and Senate certification of the CTBT [Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty] is additional money for nuclear weapons modernization and production facilities," said Hans M. Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists. He said the additional funds for research will provide continued employment for scientists so that skills remain to build new nuclear weapons if needed.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the proposed budget figures show that the administration is not allowing the nuclear arsenal to be degraded, as some critics have charged. Instead, Kimball said, the budget shows that there is "a major effort to extend the service lives of warheads."

"Even without the additional funding proposed by the administration, confidence in the ability to maintain U.S. warheads in the absence of nuclear test explosions has been increasing," he said.

Other large increases in funding requests at the NNSA pertain to nonproliferation, which President Obama has stressed as part of his arms-control agenda. An estimated $100 million will go to Russia as part of a $400 million commitment to help it dispose of plutonium.

Obama also requested $559 million for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, an increase of 68 percent from the previous year. This is to aid in bringing under control additional nuclear materials from overseas and to convert research reactors fueled with highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium.

US certifies India-IAEA Safeguards Agreement on civil n-facilities

US certifies India-IAEA Safeguards Agreement on civil n-facilities



WASHINGTON: In yet another step towards full implementation of the India-US civil nuclear deal, President Barack Obama has certified that India
has placed its nuclear facilities under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

Obama made the Congressionally-mandated certification Wednesday in a presidential memorandum to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her to have it inserted in the Federal Register that records all government actions.

Obama's confirmation that India has formally agreed to provide the UN nuclear watchdog access to a specified number of nuclear reactors takes the deal yet another step closer to implementation of the landmark deal. Military facilities are excluded from the safeguards agreement.

But a couple of other crucial steps are still pending. India and the US are still negotiating an agreement on reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The two sides are said to be on track to complete the talks by August as provided under the deal.

India also needs to approve liability protection for US companies. The Indian cabinet has approved the necessary legislation, but it has yet to be placed before parliament.

In a presidential memorandum released by the White House, Obama wrote: "I hereby determine and certify that:

1. The agreement between the government of India and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards to civilian nuclear facilities, as approved by the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency on August 1, 2008 (the 'Safeguards Agreement'), has entered into force; and

2. The government of India has filed a declaration of facilities pursuant to paragraph 13 of the Safeguards Agreement that is not materially inconsistent with the facilities and schedule described in paragraph 14 of the Separation Plan present in the national Parliament of India on May 11, 2006, taking into account
the later initiation of safeguards that was anticipated in the Separation Plan."

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Politics/Nation/US-certifies-India-IAEA-Safeguards-Agreement-on-civil-n-facilities-/articleshow/5534227.cms

Iran Urged to Follow Up on Nuclear U-Turn Andrew Gully, Agence France-Presse

Iran Urged to Follow Up on Nuclear U-Turn
Andrew Gully, Agence France-Presse
AhmadinejadThe United States and key allies urged Iran Wednesday to follow up on a surprise U-turn from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by formally committing to a UN-brokered deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

But there was also alarm and the renewed threat of new sanctions as Ahmadinejad's apparent overture to the West on the nuclear issue was quickly followed by a rocket launch into space deemed by the White House "a provocative act."
Full Article

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gmGiZJEAAlvQazyWzxdCrk75rK2g

Pakistan nuclear arsenal safe: Top US spy chief

Pakistan nuclear arsenal safe: Top US spy chief
Washington (AFP) Feb 3, 2010 - Pakistan's military knows there were would "catastrophic consequences, primarily for Pakistan," if any of its nuclear bombs fell into the wrong hands, the top US intelligence official said Wednesday. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair's comments came one day after he told the Senate Intelligence Committee that "vulnerabilities exist" in Pakistan's nuclear safeguards. "The Pak ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pakistan_nuclear_arsenal_safe_Top_US_spy_chief_999.html

# White House plan for Yucca Mountain draws concern from NEI

# White House plan for Yucca Mountain draws concern from NEI
The Nuclear Energy Institute expressed concern about the Obama administration's plan to revoke the license bid for Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste project in a legally binding way that would keep it from being revived. The sector "does not support the termination of this program but believes that, if it is going to happen, it should occur in an orderly manner to permit the licensing process to be restarted if ever warranted," NEI President and CEO Marvin Fertel said. Las Vegas Review-Journal/Stephens Washington News Bureau

http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/-Yuccas-death-spiral-might-hit-NEI-snag-83411407.html

ooperative Threat Reduction Program to Expand Mission

ooperative Threat Reduction Program to Expand Mission
Global Security Newswire
Recent legislation could help the U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction program more easily exploit opportunities to eliminate WMD materials while increasing its work outside the former Soviet Union, U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) announced yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 22, 2009).
Full Article


http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100128_7901.php

The President's Nuclear Vision

The President's Nuclear Vision
Joe Biden, The Wall Street Journal
BidenThe United States faces no greater threat than the spread of nuclear weapons. That is why, last April in Prague, President Obama laid out a comprehensive agenda to reverse their spread, and to pursue the peace and security of a world without them.

He understands that this ultimate goal will not be reached quickly. But by acting on a number of fronts, we can ensure our security, strengthen the global nonproliferation regime, and keep vulnerable nuclear material out of terrorist hands.
Full Article

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704878904575031382215508268.html

Saudi Arabia to take part in U.N. nuclear-safety accord

Saudi Arabia to take part in U.N. nuclear-safety accord
The government of Saudi Arabia declared it is joining the U.N.'s Nuclear Safety Convention. While the country does not have nuclear facilities, it is believed to have an interest in exploring the energy source. Under the convention, parties are required to comply with the standards set to maintain safety at plants. Zawya.com (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)/Agence France-Presse

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidANA20100201T164656ZCMU82/Saudi%20to%20join%20nuclear%20safety%20pact

DOJ seeks $11.4M for defense fund against nuclear-waste litigation

DOJ seeks $11.4M for defense fund against nuclear-waste litigation
President Barack Obama is requesting that Congress provide the Justice Department with an additional $11.4 million to bolster its legal resources against lawsuits filed by utilities over the government's delay in collecting used nuclear fuel. The department said utilities have filed 72 suits representing more than $50 billion in alleged damages. "Defending these cases will involve intensive resources due to their complexity and high financial stakes," the DOJ wrote in its budget summary. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100201-716852.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Obama's energy budget earmarks $36 billion in loan guarantees

Obama's energy budget earmarks $36 billion in loan guarantees
President Barack Obama's budget request for 2011 includes $36 billion to back loans for new nuclear power plants -- twice as much as the current program. Nuclear energy proponents hope the guarantees will spur the construction of at least six nuclear power plants. The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020101794.html?nav=emailpage

The great uranium stampede

The great uranium stampede

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article7009629.ece

The Sunday Times January 31, 2010

The great uranium stampede
Everybody wants supplies as nuclear power comes roaring back


Australia's Olympic Dam deposit is the world's largest

Danny Fortson

It’s an odd place for a group of Frenchmen to pitch a tent city. Bakouma is one of the deepest, darkest corners of African jungle. From Bangui, the capital of the land-locked Central African Republic, it takes days to navigate the 800km of dirt track to this patch of virgin forest in the middle of the continent. Usually they go by light aircraft to a nearby landing strip.

Most of the 160 or so jungle dwellers are scientists but they are not there to count butterflies. They are drawing up plans for a uranium mine. Areva, France’s state-owned nuclear giant, is behind the project. It hopes to begin clearing forest next year after the government approves its plan.

Bakouma is not an isolated case. It’s just one example of a silent landgrab unfolding around the globe. After decades as a forgotten commodity, uranium, the radioactive element used as the primary fuel for nuclear power, is hot property again. Agents for companies, many of them government-controlled, are fanning out across the globe to gain access to the powdery, radioactive ore.

The scramble has been set off by the comeback of nuclear power. In the past couple of years countries that for decades had shunned it as an expensive, pariah technology have embraced it anew. Britain is leading the charge. The government envisages a new generation of reactors to replace the rickety old stations that will be retired in the coming years. The renaissance has taken hold elsewhere, from America to the Middle East and China.

For some, the resulting uranium rush is worrying. Rianne Teule, a nuclear campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “A lot of new countries in Africa are opening up to uranium mining but it is non-African companies that are exploiting the resource — Chinese, Canadian and French firms. It’s a whole new phase of colonialism.”

It’s also a serious business. As with oil, companies and governments are seeking to ensure supplies of a fuel that will play an increasing role as economies move away from traditional fossil-fuelled power.

Last year Kazakhstan leapfrogged Australia and Canada to become the largest supplier of uranium, producing about 14,000 tonnes, a fifth of global consumption.

Niger has also begun drawing the attention, and money, of big multinationals. Areva is investing more than €1 billion (£870m) in a giant new mine in the impoverished desert nation. CNNC, China’s state-owned nuclear firm, bought a stake in a project there last week. And Obtala Resources, a London-listed group run by Frank Scolaro, former chairman of Regal Petroleum, is in the final stages of negotiating licences for two new prospects.

“These are the kinds of projects we like,” said Scolaro. “The world is going nuclear and they will need the fuel.”

Today there are 439 reactors operating in the world. According to Steve Kidd at the World Nuclear Association, another 142 are in the pipeline, and 53 of these are already under construction. Of the latter, 20 are in China. “We forget that in France in the 1970s they were building five new reactors a year,” he said. “The Chinese are just doing what the French did, but on a Chinese scale.”

The mining boom has been boosted by a surge in the uranium price. “For three decades uranium cost $10 a pound because nuclear power wasn’t seen as very desirable. Now that we have all these concerns about the environment and going low-carbon, it’s different. It hit $137 [a pound] two years ago,” said Joe Kelly, head of nuclear fuel markets at Icap Energy. Today the spot price for unenriched uranium is $42 a pound, enough for most projects to go ahead.

The Cigar Lake mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade deposit, jointly owned by Areva and Cameco of Canada, will open next year. It is one of eight that will begin producing in the next 12 months.

A couple of the biggest sources, meanwhile, could soon run out. America and Russia supply up to a fifth of the world’s needs from decommissioned bombs or stockpiles built up during their nuclear arms race. They are gradually releasing these into the market. “There is a worry that when the cold-war stocks run out we won’t be able to meet demand,” said Kelly.

The US Department of Energy has pledged not to flood the market. If it did, the price would crash and bring many new projects to an abrupt halt.

That would be no bad thing, said Greenpeace’s Teule, who argued that many of the new mining areas are virtually unregulated. A recent investigation in Niger uncovered radioactive shovels on sale in the local market in Arlit, a company town next to Areva’s mine there. The country is the world’s sixth-largest producer and has ambitions to move up the rankings. It employs only three nuclear inspectors to keep watch on the industry.

Areva acknowledged the problem but said the company has instituted a plan to stop radioactive “waste rock” and scrap metal from finding its way into the local community.

Teule said: “We are using this as a specific example to other countries about the problems they can get themselves into and to ensure there is proper regulation and reports on the environmental impact.”

Indeed, even as investors flood into Niger, companies are starting new projects in other poor countries such as Namibia and Malawi.

“Getting a mine going in Texas takes two bookshelves full of authorisations,” said one commentator. “In Niger you give a shovel to a guy on
$2 a day and you’re mining uranium.”

IAEA still in 'dialogue' on Iran enrichment deal: Amano

IAEA still in 'dialogue' on Iran enrichment deal: Amano
Davos, Switzerland (AFP) Jan 29, 2010 - UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukio Amano said Friday his agency was still trying to negotiate a uranium enrichment deal amid new Western warnings to the Islamic state over its atomic programme. "Our proposal is on the table. Dialogue is continuing," the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Amano, who took over as hea ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/IAEA_still_in_dialogue_on_Iran_enrichment_deal_Amano_999.html

President Obama to seek $54M for nuclear boost, source says

President Obama to seek $54M for nuclear boost, source says
President Barack Obama is reportedly expected to request that Congress provide $54 million in additional loan guarantees for nuclear energy in his 2011 budget proposal, according to a source in the administration. Obama endorsed nuclear energy in his State of the Union address, partly to win over Republican and moderate Democratic legislators in passing a comprehensive climate-and-energy measure. ABC News/The Associated Press

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9709897

Nuclear must play key role in in U.S. energy mix

Nuclear must play key role in in U.S. energy mix
The U.S. should consider nuclear as one of the energy solutions apart from solar, wind and geothermal power, writes Oregon State University professor emeritus John Ringle in this opinion article. Nuclear has no emissions and supplies power even at times when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine. To keep the country's economy on track, the need for more nuclear facilities must be acknowledged. Statesman-Journal (Salem, Ore.)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100130/OPINION/1300303/1049

Blue-ribbon panel to find "new strategy" on nuclear-waste storage

Blue-ribbon panel to find "new strategy" on nuclear-waste storage
The newly formed Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future will study the "full range of scientific and technical options" available as alternatives to Nevada's Yucca Mountain site for storage and disposal of radioactive waste, according to Energy Department Secretary Steven Chu. "The debate over Yucca Mountain is over, as the president has made clear many times," said White House adviser Carol Browner. "It is time to move forward with a new strategy based on the best science and the advice of a broad range of experts." Las Vegas Review-Journal/Stephens Washington News Bureau

http://www.lvrj.com/news/federal-panel-to-examine-nuclear-waste-storage-83143397.html

Obama eyes significant increase for nuclear loan guarantees

* Sources: Obama eyes significant increase for nuclear loan guarantees
President Barack Obama will reportedly recommend increasing loan guarantees for new nuclear projects to more than $54 billion. The move reflects Obama's call in his State of the Union speech to boost nuclear-energy generation in the country. Industry groups including the Nuclear Energy Institute said the guarantees are vital because many companies lack the available capital to fund such facilities. BusinessWeek/Bloomberg (1/29) Email this Story

* GE exec lauds Obama's endorsement of nuclear power
President Barack Obama's support for nuclear energy may generate jobs and strengthen national security, General Electric Vice Chairman John Krenicki said. The power source "has to be a part of the solution for good energy policy, so we were delighted to hear President Obama endorsing nuclear," Krenicki said during the World Economic Forum. BusinessWeek/Bloomberg (1/28) Email this Story

* GE is still targeting nuclear deals in Middle East, chief says: General Electric said it still seeks to secure nuclear-power deals in the Middle East, even though it lost out on a contract worth $40 billion to construct four nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates, Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said. The company would "love to do a nuclear project" in the region, he added, where more countries are aiming for nuclear as an energy alternative to fossil fuels. ArabianBusiness.com

US Asks Pakistan to Stop Blocking Nuclear Talks

US Asks Pakistan to Stop Blocking Nuclear Talks
Eliane Engeler, Associated Press
Pakistan is delaying international talks on a ban on the production of new nuclear bomb material, insisting that any deal must also require its archrival India to reduce its existing stockpile.
Full Article

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/us-asks-pakistan-to-283912.html

U.S. to Discuss S. Korea's Demand for Nuclear Reprocessing: Campbell

U.S. to Discuss S. Korea's Demand for Nuclear Reprocessing: Campbell
Hwang Doo-hyong, Yonhap News
The United States will discuss next week South Korea's demand for the right to reprocess spent nuclear fuel to help South Korean firms make inroads into the global nuclear energy market, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.
Full Article

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/01/28/69/0301000000AEN20100128001300315F.HTML

U.S. to Outline New Iran Sanctions

U.S. to Outline New Iran Sanctions
Jay Solomon and Joe Lauria, The Wall Street Journal
State of the UnionEditor's Note: With President Barack Obama warning North Korea and Iran of increased isolation in his first State of the Union address, the United States will reportedly present the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, a list of Iranian individuals and firms to target with sanctions, according to the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel signals support for broad-based sanctions as Siemens, Europe's biggest engineering conglomerate, announced an end to business with Iran.
Full Article

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029692904293082.html

Mitsubishi is close to its first European reactor deal, executive says

Mitsubishi is close to its first European reactor deal, executive says
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said there is a "high possibility" it will secure its first nuclear power plant contract in Europe next year. A utility in northern Europe is close to awarding a contract for Mitsubishi's 1,700-megawatt model with advanced fault-detection technology, said Akira Sawa, the head of atomic business at the firm. Bloomberg

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=aqelzhM83i.w

South Korea aims to take part in Dutch research reactor project

South Korea aims to take part in Dutch research reactor project
The Netherlands' decision to stop the contractor-selection process for the building of the PALLAS research reactor presents a new opportunity for South Korean firms to bid for the project, the South Korean government said. If the Dutch government decides to push through with the project, South Korean firms will take measures to get the deal, the government said, citing that although the bidding process has been stopped, the project itself has not been canceled. Yonhap News Agency (Korea)

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2010/01/25/73/0501000000AEN20100125002100320F.HTML

Feds must begin repayment to utilities for nuclear storage

Feds must begin repayment to utilities for nuclear storage

The federal government should begin paying back the billions of dollars owed to utilities nationwide after a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of Nebraska Public Power District over the government's nonpayment of $159 million for nuclear-waste storage. The court rejected the government's excuse of unavoidable delays at the proposed permanent storage facility at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, according to this editorial. Lincoln Journal Star (Neb.)
http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_f9e37f9c-0895-11df-b193-001cc4c03286.html

Kuwait, Emirates sign up for reactors

Kuwait, Emirates sign up for reactors
Kuwait City (UPI) Jan 20, 2009 - Kuwait has signed a 20-year agreement with France to develop the Gulf state's nuclear industry, beefing up the Gulf states' leadership of an Arab drive to develop nuclear power that will reshape the region's energy policy. The United Arab Emirates sealed a $20.4 billion deal in December for the construction of four 1,400-megawatt nuclear power plants with a consortium led by South Korea ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Kuwait_Emirates_sign_up_for_reactors_999.html

South Korea Warns North on a First Nuclear Strike

South Korea Warns North on a First Nuclear Strike
Choe Sang-Hun, The New York Times
South Korea would launch a pre-emptive conventional strike against the North if there were clear indications of an impending nuclear attack, the South Korean defense minister said Wednesday in Seoul, even as both countries were holding talks about improvements at their jointly operated industrial park.
Full Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/world/asia/21korea.html

Gates Wants Nuclear Talks with China

Gates Wants Nuclear Talks with China
Bill Gertz, The Washington Times
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates discussed China's military buildup with Indian leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday and told reporters he wants talks with China on nuclear weapons, something Beijing has resisted.
Full Article

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/21/gates-wants-nuclear-talks-with-china/

Iran Snubs Nuclear Fuel Deal: Diplomats

Iran Snubs Nuclear Fuel Deal: Diplomats
Simon Morgan, Agence France-Presse
Iran has effectively rejected a UN-brokered nuclear fuel supply deal, diplomats here said Wednesday, but the UN's atomic watchdog, the IAEA, insisted the offer was "still on the table."
Full Article

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jE3pxVq3i-X7WBWT5okVqSexEYQg

How to Protect Our Nuclear Deterrent George P. Shultz et al., The Wall Street Journal

How to Protect Our Nuclear Deterrent
George P. Shultz et al., The Wall Street Journal
WSJThe four of us have come together, now joined by many others, to support a global effort to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons, to prevent their spread into potentially dangerous hands, and ultimately to end them as a threat to the world. We do so in recognition of a clear and threatening development.

The accelerating spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear know-how, and nuclear material has brought us to a tipping point. We face a very real possibility that the deadliest weapons ever invented could fall into dangerous hands.
Full Article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704152804574628344282735008.html

Egyptian government requests nuclear training from Korea

Egyptian government requests nuclear training from Korea
The Egyptian government has requested that South Korea conduct a training program for Egyptian nuclear technicians, according to the Korea International Cooperation Agency. The training will reportedly include a three- to four-year study program at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. Chosun Ilbo (South Korea)/Arirang News (South Korea)
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/01/19/2010011900793.html

Going Nuclear for the Election

Going Nuclear for the Election
World Nuclear News
As Ukraine's presidential election approaches, hopeful candidate Yulia Tymoshenko has embarked on a remarkable pro-nuclear campaigning spree.
Full Article
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP_Going_nuclear_for_the_election_1501101.html

South Korea Likely to Win Nuclear Power Plant Bid in Turkey: Report

South Korea Likely to Win Nuclear Power Plant Bid in Turkey: Report
MarketWatch
South Korea is likely to win the bid for building two nuclear power plants in Sinop of Turkey, Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday, citing Turkish media.
Full Article
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/south-korea-likely-to-win-nuclear-power-plant-bid-in-turkey-report-2010-01-16

Germany Warns Iran It Faces New Sanctions

Germany Warns Iran It Faces New Sanctions
Allyn Fisher-Ilan, Reuters
Iran faces further sanctions unless it changes stance in talks over its nuclear program, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, even if there is no United Nations agreement to act against Tehran.
Full Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60H4PG20100118

Review Says Iran Never Halted Nuke Work in '03

Review Says Iran Never Halted Nuke Work in '03
Eli Lake, The Washington Times
U.S. intelligence agencies now suspect that Iran never halted work on its nuclear arms program in 2003, as stated in a national intelligence estimate made public three years ago, U.S. officials said.
Full Article
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/19/review-says-iran-never-halted-nuke-work-in-2003/


* Newsweek: Coming Around on Iran
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/declassified/archive/2010/01/15/coming-around-on-iran.aspx

Pakistan Blocks Agenda at U.N. Disarmament Conference

Pakistan Blocks Agenda at U.N. Disarmament Conference
Jonathan Lynn, Reuters
PakistanArms negotiators failed to start talks on Tuesday on cutting nuclear weapons when Pakistan blocked the adoption of the 2010 agenda for the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament.

The conference, the world's sole multinational negotiating forum for disarmament, spent much of 2009 stuck on procedural wrangles raised by Pakistan after breaking a 12-year deadlock to agree to a programme of work.

The impasse on Tuesday suggested 2010 would be another year of halting progress.
Full Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60I26U20100119

Taiwan firm put on watch list after sales to Iran

Taiwan firm put on watch list after sales to Iran
Taipei (AFP) Jan 6, 2010 - Taiwan has placed a local company on a watch list after the firm sold specialised equipment to Iran, an official said on Wednesday. "The company is on an observation list, which means it must obtain prior export permits, after it imported 108 pressure sensors from Europe and sold them to Iran in March 2008," said an official at the Bureau of Foreign Trade. Pressure sensors can measure al ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Taiwan_firm_put_on_watch_list_after_sales_to_Iran_999.html

Murdered Iran atomic scientist mired in mystery

Murdered Iran atomic scientist mired in mystery
Tehran (AFP) Jan 13, 2010 - "Hezbollahi" or staunch supporter of Iran's regime, active backer of the opposition, even apolitical scientist -- the political affiliation of murdered atomic scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi was unclear on Wednesday. Official media and regime hardliners reacted to Tuesday's deadly bombing by calling the victim "a revolutionary teacher who was martyred," state television reported, while Tehra ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Murdered_Iran_atomic_scientist_mired_in_mystery_999.html

France, Kuwait sign nuclear cooperation deal

France, Kuwait sign nuclear cooperation deal
Kuwait City (AFP) Jan 14, 2010 - Kuwait and France signed on Thursday a cooperation agreement for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, officials said. The oil-rich emirate had announced plans to set up a civilian nuclear project mainly to produce power and also established a national committee for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. "This is the first step of cooperation and to share experience in the nuclear field," the ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/France_Kuwait_sign_nuclear_cooperation_deal_999.html

S.Korea signs deal to build nuclear reactor in Jordan

S.Korea signs deal to build nuclear reactor in Jordan
Seoul (AFP) Jan 14, 2010 - South Korea has agreed to build Jordan's first atomic research reactor, just two weeks after winning a landmark 20.4 billion dollar deal in the United Arab Emirates, officials said Thursday. The contract, estimated at 200 billion won (178 million dollars), is to build a five megawatt reactor in Jordan by 2014, the South Korean science ministry said. The consortium that won the deal is le ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/S.Korea_signs_deal_to_build_nuclear_reactor_in_Jordan_999.html

Iran accuses US, Israel of murdering nuclear scientist

Iran accuses US, Israel of murdering nuclear scientist

Tehran (AFP) Jan 12, 2010 - A leading Iranian nuclear scientist was murdered in Tehran on Tuesday in a rare bomb attack that the government quickly blamed on "mercenaries" in the pay of archfoes the United States and Israel. The daylight killing came amid an increasingly bitter standoff between Iran and world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear drive, which the West suspects is masking an atomic weapons programm ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_accuses_US_Israel_of_murdering_nuclear_scientist_999.html

German govt. rows over nuclear revival

German govt. rows over nuclear revival
Berlin (UPI) Jan 12, 2009 - The German government is bickering over how many nuclear power plants it should save from closure. When Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union was re-elected in a team with the pro-business Free Democratic Party in September 2009, it was widely believed that nuclear would get a quick boost. Both parties had campaigned in favor of nuclear power, arguin ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/G...evival_999.html

Ukraine's Nuclear Nostalgia (PDF)

Ukraine's Nuclear Nostalgia (PDF)
Mykola Riabchuk, World Policy Institute
Editor's Note: Ukraine agreed to relinquish nuclear weapons left on its soil after the collapse of the Soviet Union and to forego their acquisition in the future, but some Ukrainians increasingly question whether that decision benefited the nation. In this article, Mykola Riabchuk argues that Ukraine's nuclear nostalgia, stemming from the perceived threat of Russia and the feeling that Ukraine is being ignored by the West, is irrational and distracts society from tackling real political and economic problems. "Ukrainians are not politically mobilized on the issue of acquiring nuclear arms," Riabchuk writes, "yet they occasionally regret that nuclear weapons were surrendered. This is a discrepancy between the rational and emotional, between the reasonable recognition of objective international and domestic constraints and the feelings and displays of insecurity from abroad." Riabchuk's article offers important insights into the politics and psychology of nuclear disarmament and proliferation.
Full Article
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/static/npp/pdf/riabchuk_wpj.pdf

Iran Formally Demands Uranium Proposal Changes, Official Says

Iran Formally Demands Uranium Proposal Changes, Official Says
Global Security Newswire
Iran rejected key terms of an International Atomic Energy Agency proposal for enriching the nation's uranium in its official response to the plan late last month, a U.S. nonproliferation official told Politico yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 8).
Full Article
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20100111_7675.php

Global Implications of the U.S.-India Deal

Global Implications of the U.S.-India Deal
George Perkovich, Daedalus
US-IndiaEditor's Note: The U.S.-India nuclear deal, signed in October 2008, remains in limbo as U.S. and Indian civil nuclear legislation face scrutiny in both countries before the deal can be made operational. In a special issue of Daedalus on the "Global Nuclear Future," George Perkovich explores the implications of the U.S.-India deal and how it transformed into an agreement by the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) exempting India from nonproliferation rules. Although the United States and India undermined the cause of nonproliferation and disarmament, Perkovich argues, all members of the NSG were ultimately complicit in the deal. Now, they should all feel compelled to cooperate in the refurbishment of the nonproliferation regime.
Full Article

http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24674

Iran places trust in 'passive defense'

Iran places trust in 'passive defense'
Contrary to reports claiming Iran wanted to hide the existence of nuclear facilities from the outside world, it actually wanted Western intelligence to conclude that it was putting some of its key nuclear facilities deep underground. Tehran believed it needed to convince United States and Israeli military planners that, in the event of an attack, they wouldn't be able to find and destroy a number of Iran's nuclear sites. - Gareth Porter

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LA13Ak06.html

Iran's Ahmadinejad dismisses nuclear sanctions

Iran's Ahmadinejad dismisses nuclear sanctions
Tehran (AFP) Jan 9, 2010 - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that further UN Security Council sanction will not deter Tehran from pursuing its controversial nuclear programme. The hardliner also vowed that Iran will not back down "one iota" in the face of international pressures over the atomic work, which the West fears may be a cover for weapons development despite Iran's persistent denial. ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Irans_Ahmadinejad_dismisses_nuclear_sanctions_999.html

Iranian Nuclear Plant

Iranian nuclear plant
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 11, 2010 - The Iraqi government on Monday called for "explanations" from the UN nuclear watchdog on a reported plan for Iran to build a nuclear reactor near the border between the two countries. "The Iraqi government has asked for explanations from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) on information concerning the construction of an Iranian nuclear reactor near the border with Iraq," it said. ... more


http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iraq_wants_explanations_on_Iran_border_nuclear_plant_999.html

New EU foreign chief distances herself from anti-nuclear past

New EU foreign chief distances herself from anti-nuclear past

Brussels (AFP) Jan 11, 2010 - The EU's new foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, distanced herself Monday from her anti-nuclear past, as European lawmakers grilled her about her suitability for the post. "The relevance of the 1970s is not the relevance of 2010," she told deputies in Brussels. "I'm not a member of CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) and have not been a member of CND for 28 or 29 years. "I do not ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/New_EU_foreign_chief_distances_herself_from_anti-nuclear_past_999.html

US Biofuels Policies Flawed

US Biofuels Policies Flawed
Houston TX (SPX) Jan 12, 2010 - The United States needs to fundamentally rethink its policy of promoting ethanol to diversify its energy sources and increase energy security, according to a new policy paper by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. The paper, "Fundamentals of a Sustainable U.S. Biofuels Policy," questions the economic, environmental and logistical basis for the billions of dollars in federa ... more

http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/US_Biofuels_Policies_Flawed_999.html

India plans construction of energy parks to raise nuclear generation

India plans construction of energy parks to raise nuclear generation
India seeks to build up to five energy parks by 2032 in an effort to boost its nuclear-power capacity. The country intends to have 35,000 megawatts of installed capacity by 2020 and 60,000 megawatts by 2032, said Srikumar Banerjee, chairman of the nation's Atomic Energy Commission. Press Trust of India

http://www.ptinews.com/news/462704_India-to-have-five-nuclear-energy-parks-by-2032

U.S. to work with industry on nuclear-plant construction

U.S. to work with industry on nuclear-plant construction
The White House intends to assist the nuclear sector with construction of a power plant as part of efforts to combat climate change and diversify energy supplies, climate adviser Carol Browner said. "The president believes that nuclear needs to be a part of our energy future," she added. Officials have been studying ways to increase nuclear energy's role in the Senate's climate bill to gain support from Republicans. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60B04920100112

Yucca Haunts Admin's Lagging Efforts on Nuclear Waste Study Panel

Nuclear-waste panel delays won't affect new projects, NEI says
Delays in the appointment of a commission that would recommend a waste-disposal alternative to Nevada's Yucca Mountain should not hamper the industry's plans for additional facilities, said Derrick Freeman of the Nuclear Energy Institute. But the industry and electricity ratepayers still pay fees on generated power, adding to a waste fund that lacks a goal. "If the administration does defund or eliminate Yucca, we should be able to suspend our fees or put them into an escrow account," he said. The New York Times/Greenwire

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/11/11greenwire-yucca-haunts-admins-lagging-efforts-on-nuclear-24943.html

Libya moves forward with civilian nuclear energy program

Libya moves forward with civilian nuclear energy program
Libya has taken "practical measures" in its bid to utilize nuclear energy for power and desalination purposes, according to the country's Atomic Energy Institute. Committees have been formed to draft a nuclear law and to identify potential sites for nuclear power plants, said Ali Mohamed Gashout, an executive with the institute. World Nuclear News

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Libya_moving_forward_with_nuclear_power_plans-0801107.html

Israeli General, Formerly Head of Nuclear Weapons, Denies Iran as a Nuclear Threat

Israeli General, Formerly Head of Nuclear Weapons, Denies Iran as a Nuclear Threat

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 05:56 PM PST

Needless to say, it isn’t often that a retired, well respected general disputes official policy. But war leader and “pillar of the defence establishment” Brigadier-General Uzi Eilam has gone public with his views that Iran is a very long way from having nuclear weapons capability. Eilam contends that the official view is “hysterical” and attributes it to political objectives on behalf of both the military and government leaders.

From the Times Online (hat tip reader Marshall):

A general who was once in charge of Israel’s nuclear weapons has claimed that Iran is a “very, very, very long way from building a nuclear capability”.

Brigadier-General Uzi Eilam…believes it will probably take Iran seven years to make nuclear weapons…

Israeli forces have been in training to attack Iranian nuclear installations and some analysts believe airstrikes could be launched this year if international sanctions fail to deter Tehran from pursuing its programme.

Eilam, who is thought to be updated by former colleagues on developments in Iran, calls his country’s official view hysterical. “The intelligence community are spreading frightening voices about Iran,” he said.

He suggested that the “defence establishment is sending out false alarms in order to grab a bigger budget” while some politicians have used Iran to divert attention away from problems at home.

“Those who say that Iran will obtain a bomb within a year’s time, on what basis did they say so?” he asked. “Where is the evidence?”…

According to well-placed defence sources, Israel is speeding up preparations for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear sites…

But Eilam argues “such an attack [against Iran] would be counter-productive”.

“One strike is not practical. In order to delay the Iranian programme for three to four years, one needs an armada of aircraft, which only a super-power can provide. Only America can do it.”

Readers may have taken note of the fact that the US is now of the view that Iran’s long-term stability is in doubt and is more actively looking to back the opposition. But as we found with Iraq, reports from the opposition and/or exiles seeking US aid can be less than reliable (remember the claim that US troops would be welcomed with flowers? Since when has a foreign occupier been welcomed by the locals?). Moreover, efforts that are so open that the US newspapers are writing about them are likely to backfire. The opposition then can be portrayed as a tool of the US, and painted as serving the interests of Israel, not the Iranian people.

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/01/isreali-general-formerly-head-of-nuclear-weapons-denies-iran-as-a-nuclear-threat.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

A new approach for Obama on Iran, not new deadlines Tony Karon

A new approach for Obama on Iran, not new deadlines
Tony Karon
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100110/OPINION/701099962/1080

The US president Barack Obama, when confronted with tough choices, tends to split the difference. Those instincts have been shown over the past year as he first allowed himself to be painted into a corner by setting a January 1 deadline for Iran to accept western demands on its nuclear programme and then manoeuvred adroitly out of that same corner as the New Year dawned.

The Obama administration had threatened “crippling sanctions” should the Iranians fail to comply – and the US House of Representatives has already passed legislation aimed at cutting off Iran’s gasoline imports by punishing its third-country suppliers — but last week, Team Obama abruptly changed its tune.

“We want to keep the door to dialogue open,” said the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, adding that “although the United States has avoided using the term deadline, it cannot wait indefinitely to hear from Iran.” That took the wind out of the sails of hawks proclaiming that Tehran had squandered its final chance, and would now face a sharp escalation of economic pressure. Instead, Clinton said, the administration would focus its sanctions efforts on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the key player in the current crackdown on opposition protesters, “without contributing to the suffering of ordinary [Iranians], who deserve better than they are currently receiving”. In other words, don’t expect to see Mr Obama try and apply gasoline sanctions.

The pretext for this shift was the resurgence of street protests in Iran during the Shiite commemoration Ashura. With the opposition proving its resilience, the administration could argue that adopting sanctions such as the gasoline embargo that would hurt ordinary Iranians was unconscionable, and would strengthen the hand of those in power. But the deeper reason for the shift was simply that shutting off engagement and ratcheting up economic pressure was clearly not going to change Tehran’s position on its nuclear programme.

Iran’s domestic political turmoil has limited its ability to engage with the West; even the opposition flatly rejected the terms being demanded by the US and its allies; and China and Russia – and a host of neighbouring countries – oppose a significant increase in sanctions. The sticks-and-ultimatums track required by his deadline would have left Mr Obama, a year from now, being pressed by Israel and its hawkish allies in Washington to recognise the failure of sanctions and order the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, setting off a potentially disastrous war.

The US will still press for sanctions in the weeks ahead, but it knows support will be limited. China’s ambassador to the UN made clear last week that Beijing believes there is no need for new sanctions at this point. While western officials complain that this position is simply a product of China’s trade interests in Iran, Beijing simply does not share Washington’s view of the situation. American journalists visiting China recently report that most of that country’s foreign policy advisers don’t believe Iran has a military nuclear programme. They argue that engagement should be given years to integrate it into the international mainstream.

The Chinese may have a point. Despite the continuous stream of innuendo and hype in western media outlets, there is no credible evidence that Iran is currently at work building nuclear weapons. What is reliably known is that Iran is assembling, under the rubric of a civilian nuclear programme, the “breakout” capacity to build a weapon. Its lack of transparency has raised questions over its ultimate intentions. The rest is hypothesis, and it’s worth noting that those who are most shrill in proclaiming that Iran is one to three years away from building a nuclear weapon have been saying the same thing since 1992.

Sure, Iran has sufficient low-enriched uranium that if it were reprocessed into highly enriched uranium it would be enough for a simple nuclear bomb. But that’s a very big if. To do so, Iran would have to kick out inspectors, unambiguously declaring its intentions, and then still have a year or two to go before being able to create and deploy a weapon. The Obama administration has lately begun acknowledging that Iran is only currently using about half of its centrifuge enrichment capability.

In short, there’s no imminent danger of Iran building nuclear weapons, and the fact that the West approached the recent nuclear-fuel negotiations on the basis that separating Iran from its uranium stockpile by the end of this year was somehow a pressing matter of international security may have contributed to their failure.

The fact that Mr Obama has walked back from his dysfunctional deadline is to be welcomed. But it’s worth remembering why he had adopted it in the first place. He came into office having promised to seek engagement with Iran in order to break the nuclear stalemate, but immediately faced a barrage of scepticism from hawkish interests in Washington. It was in dealing with the impatient Israelis that Mr Obama first came out with the idea that he’d give engagement until the end of 2009 to show results. And to further placate the hawks, he warned that tough sanctions would follow if Iran was not forthcoming. Perhaps with an eye over his right shoulder, he also refrained from adjusting the demands western powers were making of Iran, despite Tehran having made clear that it had no intention of relinquishing the right to enrich uranium for energy purposes no matter who was asking.

Mr Obama, in other words, had arrived at his Iran policy by splitting the difference with the hawks, pursuing engagement, but in pursuit of the same demands as his predecessor, on a limited deadline that effectively created ultimatums backed by threats. Rather than rushing to impose new sanctions, the Obama administration would be better served by thoroughly reviewing its Iran policy, basing it on a realistic appraisal of any “threat” from Iran, analysing the failures of the past and realistic goals, and developing an approach whose goal is to integrate the Islamic Republic into a set of security arrangements aimed at promoting regional stability.

Arab Nation May be Going Nuclear

Arab Nation May be Going Nuclear
January 09, 2010
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan

http://www.military.com/news/article/arab-nation-may-be-going-nuclear.html

Shaw sees potential in nuclear-reactor uprate market

Shaw sees potential in nuclear-reactor uprate market
More U.S. companies are electing to uprate their nuclear reactors, creating a market worth $25 billion, the Shaw Group said. Thirty-seven of the country's 104 reactors have finished or are in the process of raising their generating capacities, with the engineering company taking part in more than half of them, Shaw Chairman Jim Bernhard said. World Nuclear News

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Shaw_eyes_US_reactor_uprate_market-0701104.html

Shaw's chairman Jim Bernhard said that 37 reactors out of the USA's total of 104 had already completed or were in the process of implementing power uprates. He added that Shaw had participated in over half of these uprates, helping to add over 3000 MWe to the grid - roughly the equivalent of three new reactors.

This, Bernhard said, leaves a further 67 American reactors that could potentially be uprated. With the average cost of uprating a unit at $250-500 million, he put the value of this potential market at around $25 billion. Shaw noted that both Exelon and Entergy have announced plans to uprate some of their reactors, to which Shaw already provides fleet-wide maintenance services.


Uprate options

The NRC recognises three categories of power uprates:

'Measurement uncertainty recapture' power uprates, which involve implementing enhanced techniques for calculating reactor power and can typically increase reactor capacity by up to 2%;

'Stretch' power uprates, which usually involve changes to instrumentation settings but are within the design capacity of the plant and can typically add up to about 7% capacity; and

'Extended' power uprates, which involve significant modifications to major plant equipment and can result in up to 20% capacity increases.


Since 1977, the NRC has approved some 124 nuclear power plant uprates, representing about 5640 MWe of added capacity.


Exelon operates the largest nuclear fleet in the USA and the third largest fleet in the world. The company's ten plants - comprising 17 reactors - currently represent some 20% of the US nuclear industry's power capacity. In June 2009, Exelon launched a series of power uprates at its reactors, which in total will add between 1300 and 1500 MWe of additional generating capacity by 2017. According to Shaw, the total cost of these uprates will be in the region of $3.5 billion, making them more economic and far less risky than a new nuclear build project of the same capacity.

Uprates are underway at Exelon's Quad Cities, Dresden and LaSalle plants in Illinois, as well as the Limerick and Peach Bottom plans in Pennsylvania. These are expected to account for almost one-quarter of the new generating capacity. Additional uprate projects at nine other Exelon reactors, beginning this year, will add the remainder of the new capacity by 2017.

A False Nuclear Alarm Joseph Cirincione, Foreign Policy

A False Nuclear Alarm
Joseph Cirincione, Foreign Policy
With its latest editorial calling for more nuclear weapons and more weapons spending, the Wall Street Journal has gone over a journalistic cliff. The serious factual errors in its Jan. 5 screed, "A False Nuclear Start," raise serious questions about the newspaper's credibility and integrity.
Full Article

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/01/06/a_false_nuclear_alarm

Iran Shielding Its Nuclear Efforts in Maze of Tunnels William J. Broad, The New York Times

Iran Shielding Its Nuclear Efforts in Maze of Tunnels
William J. Broad, The New York Times
Last September, when Iran's uranium enrichment plant buried inside a mountain near the holy city of Qum was revealed, the episode cast light on a wider pattern: Over the past decade, Iran has quietly hidden an increasingly large part of its atomic complex in networks of tunnels and bunkers across the country.
Full Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/middleeast/06sanctions.html

Think Again: Nuclear Weapons John Mueller, Foreign Policy

Think Again: Nuclear Weapons
John Mueller, Foreign Policy
President Obama's pledge to rid the world of atomic bombs is a waste of breath. But not for the reasons you might imagine.
Full Article

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/01/04/think_again_nuclear_weapons

Nuclear Threat Demands a Sustained U.S. Effort

Nuclear Threat Demands a Sustained U.S. Effort
Howard James Hubbard and Leon Lederman, Atlanta Journal Constitution
The end of the Cold War changed the world, and 9/11 changed it again. But despite new threats to our security, we continue to rely on outdated thinking when it comes to nuclear weapons.
Full Article

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/nuclear-threat-demands-a-268753.html

U.S. Nuclear Posture Review Delayed Until March

U.S. Nuclear Posture Review Delayed Until March
Elaine M. Grossman, Global Security Newswire
ObamaThe Obama administration will not unveil the results of a major review of U.S. nuclear weapons strategy until March 1, a senior Defense Department official told Congress late last month (see GSN, Jan. 4).

Initially anticipated for release last month, the Defense Department-led Nuclear Posture Review is a major assessment of nuclear forces, strategy and readiness, sometimes dubbed the "NPR." A congressional deadline for submitting the report was subsequently set for the end of January, just prior to the due date for the fiscal 2011 budget request.
Full Article

http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20100106_9016.php

Time not right for new Iran sanctions: Chinese envoy

Time not right for new Iran sanctions: Chinese envoy
United Nations (AFP) Jan 5, 2010 - China's UN ambassador Zhang Yesui said Tuesday it is too early to contemplate new sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear fuel work, and called for more diplomacy. His comments came after the United States on Monday said "the door is still open" for Iran to meet world demands on its nuclear aims, but warned it was discussing with its allies the "next steps," which c ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Time_not_right_for_new_Iran_sanctions_Chinese_envoy_999.html

South Korean opposition leader seeks revisions to U.S. nuclear pact

South Korean opposition leader seeks revisions to U.S. nuclear pact

South Korea must renegotiate its 1974 nuclear treaty with the U.S. so it can expand its commercial nuclear program, said Lee Hoi-chang, leader of the conservative Liberty Forward Party. South Korea is prohibited from reprocessing spent fuel under the agreement, which will expire in 2014. Some experts, however, think the U.S. may not be amenable to such a move because it could complicate international efforts to scale back North Korea's nuclear program. The Korea Herald (Seoul)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/01/06/201001060112.asp

The Nuclear Posture Review, now and later By Joshua Pollack

The Nuclear Posture Review, now and later
By Joshua Pollack | 6 January 2010

The long-awaited report of the third Nuclear Posture Review is now scheduled for delivery to Congress on March 1. According to a recent New York Times article, the posture review will consider the prevention of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism to be equally as important as the nuclear deterrence mission. It remains to be seen how this mission will be accomplished, but these choices will form the substance of what could be a refreshing departure from tradition.

There is nothing new about any of the three ideas, taken separately. Deterrence is the core mission of strategic nuclear forces. The prevention of nuclear proliferation is enshrined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And preventing terrorism with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons has been a sustained concern of the U.S. government since at least the mid-1990s. Since 2004, when the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1540, keeping WMD out of the hands of "non-state actors" has been, in principle, a global priority.

If the overwhelmingly powerful U.S. nuclear arsenal sufficed to check the spread of nuclear weapons and the potential for nuclear terrorism, then our concerns about these problems wouldn't be growing today."

Connecting nonproliferation to deterrence isn't entirely new, either. A 2009 Strategic Posture Commission report stated that extended deterrence, in the form of guarantees to the allies of the United States and the Soviet Union, "strongly inhibited" nuclear proliferation during the Cold War. The same report also tied counterterrorism to nonproliferation, anticipating "the imminent danger of nuclear terrorism if we pass a tipping point in nuclear proliferation."

Indeed, one way to link deterrence, nonproliferation, and counterterrorism would be to assert, without much further elaboration, that each mission supports the next, in the order above. But this reasoning makes for cold comfort. If the overwhelmingly powerful U.S. nuclear arsenal sufficed to check the spread of nuclear weapons and the potential for nuclear terrorism, then our concerns about these problems wouldn't be growing today.

Fresh thinking is needed.

The Times reports that the posture review will call for added support for collecting intelligence on would-be nuclear smugglers or terrorists and for advancing the science of nuclear forensics. While the timing of the review means that it cannot affect these programs in the fiscal year 2010 budget, it could have an influence in future years.

Still, there are at least two ways that the posture review might quickly and usefully address the threats of nuclear proliferation or terrorism. Neither requires any special technology or innovation. Both are simple, straightforward ideas involving traditional aspects of nuclear posture--nothing too exotic or complex.

The first proposal concerns declaratory policy, an issue I discussed in my October column. According to a Los Angeles Times article, an internal debate is raging over whether to recommend making a statement that the U.S. nuclear arsenal exists solely to deter attack against the United States and its allies. Making this type of announcement comes at little, if any, price and would strengthen Washington's hand in its efforts to reinforce the nuclear nonproliferation regime. It would underscore that U.S. nuclear weapons do not play any coercive role that could be seen as legitimizing proliferation.

The second proposal concerns the security of U.S. nuclear weapons. A 2008 Air Force blue-ribbon review PDF observed that security at the NATO air bases designated capable of hosting tactical nuclear weapons "varies from country to country in terms of personnel, facilities, and equipment," and in most places was well short of Defense Department standards. It recommended the consideration of "consolidation of resources," implying a withdrawal of bombs from less secure facilities. Carrying out a consolidation could help to keep U.S. nuclear weapons away from criminals or terrorists.

There are undoubtedly other ways of trying to address proliferation and terrorism, but some of them should be avoided. One particularly counterproductive idea would be to return to a proposal featured in the 2001 nuclear posture review: to acquire and deploy conventionally armed "strategic strike systems," either in the form of intercontinental ballistic missiles or submarine-launched ballistic missiles. This idea has found little favor in Congress. Regardless, a 2008 report of a panel of National Research Council called for a conventional modification of the submarine-launched Trident missile deemed capable of delivering strikes anywhere in the world against "fleeting targets" such as WMD smugglers or terrorists, even in as little as an hour's time.

With counterterrorism and counterproliferation as features of the posture review, this idea may seem attractive at first glance. But for reasons I examined in detail in a Bulletin article last year, the conventional Trident concept would be, at best, beside the point. Experience with pursuing "high-value targets" has shown that the most persistent difficulties do not involve range, speed, accuracy, lethality, or any other weapons-system characteristic. The main challenge is correctly identifying the target. This point isn't lost on anyone associated with the USS Vincennes-Iran Air 655 disaster of 1988 or the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999. Nor must it be explained to the commanders in Afghanistan who have imposed restrictive rules of engagement on the use of air power after multiple incidents involving civilian casualties.

The development of reliable intelligence on a fleeting target is a painstaking, time-consuming process that requires assets in theater. A prime example is the successful pursuit of the Jordanian terrorist Abdu Musab Al Zarqawi in Iraq. When this sort of high-quality intelligence cannot be had, as in the pursuit of Pakistani Taliban commander Beitullah Mehsud, it is possible to end up shooting at the wrong target, even repeatedly. If anything, relying on long-range strikes would compound the difficulty of correctly identifying targets, since it allows no possibility of pre-attack visual confirmation. Using ballistic missiles also would magnify the consequences of error.

As unorthodox as it may be to incorporate nonproliferation and counterterrorism into a nuclear posture review, the idea could be a net gain for national security. If the drafters make the right choices in deciding how to pursue it, the posture review might have a lasting and constructive legacy.
http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/joshua-pollack/the-nuclear-posture-review-now-and-later

More doubts over Iran's 'nuclear trigger'

More doubts over Iran's 'nuclear trigger'
A major British newspaper published leaked documents purporting to be compelling evidence of an Iranian nuclear-weapons program, but problems in the translation - and belated acknowledgements in the newspaper itself - have damaged the credibility of this "evidence". - Gareth Porter (Jan 6, '10)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LA07Ak04.html

South Korea Consortium Gets $20.4B UAE Nuclear Contract

South Korea Consortium Gets $20.4B UAE Nuclear Contract
Margaret Coker, The Wall Street Journal
A South Korean-led consortium won on Sunday a landmark contract, valued at around $20.4 billion, to build four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates, in what officials in this Persian Gulf country have said is the region's largest-ever energy deal.
Full Article

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091227-702726.html

Intel Report: Iran Seeking to Smuggle Raw Uranium

Intel Report: Iran Seeking to Smuggle Raw Uranium
George Jahn, Associated Press
Iran is close to clinching a deal to clandestinely import 1,350 tons of purified uranium ore from Kazakhstan, according to an intelligence report obtained by The Associated Press. The assessment is heightening international concern about Tehran's nuclear activities, diplomats said.
Full Article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/30/AR2009123000210.html

France Rejects Iran's Nuclear Counter-Proposal

France Rejects Iran's Nuclear Counter-Proposal
Agence France-Presse
France rejects Iran's latest move to set a new deadline to end the standoff over its contested nuclear programme, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday.
Full Article

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPn8cninMh0Wlab01yoBhYJ_5bOg

Obama's Nuclear-Free Vision Mired in Debate

Obama's Nuclear-Free Vision Mired in Debate
Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times
President Obama's ambitious plan to begin phasing out nuclear weapons has run up against powerful resistance from officials in the Pentagon and other U.S. agencies, posing a threat to one of his most important foreign policy initiatives.
Full Article

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-obama-nuclear4-2010jan04,0,2198537,full.story

A Radioactive Situation

A Radioactive Situation
Mark Hibbs, Foreign Policy
Strategists in the United States and Iran are now wrestling with a question central to their high-stakes game of nuclear chicken: Who is Yukiya Amano?
Full Article

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/12/22/a_radioactive_situation

Uncovering Syria's Covert Reactor

Uncovering Syria's Covert Reactor
Gregory L. Schulte, Policy Outlook
Assad"Essentially, no progress..." Thus stated bluntly the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its November 2009 report on the agency’s investigation of undeclared nuclear activities in Syria.

The absence of progress is no fault of the IAEA’s professional cadre of inspectors. Indeed, the IAEA Department of Safeguards has uncovered more than the Syrian government ever wanted to be known about the reactor destroyed by an Israeli air strike in September 2007.
Full Article

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24651

Study: Demand for nuclear energy is expected to grow

Study: Demand for nuclear energy is expected to grow
Nuclear power will gain importance amid rising demand for a stable energy supply and concerns about climate change, according to a report from South Korea-based POSCO Research Institute. Emissions-reduction technologies, efforts against resource depletion and environment-friendly vehicles are other promising industries, the report added. The Korea Times
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/01/123_58348.html

Report touts nuclear as a safe alternative power source

Report touts nuclear as a safe alternative power source
Lawmakers should permit the expanded use of nuclear energy now that many states require a portion of their electricity to be generated from renewable sources, a National Center for Policy Analysis report concluded. Nuclear is "one of the safest and most reliable forms of energy available, and it emits no greenhouse gases," said H. Sterling Burnett, a co-author of the study. Recycling used fuel could also ease the country's nuclear-waste disposal issues, the report added. Environmental Protection

http://eponline.com/articles/2010/01/04/ncpa-report-nuclear-power-is-safe-could-answer-energy-mandates.aspx

SKorean-led group wins 20.4-billion-dollar UAE nuclear deal

SKorean-led group wins 20.4-billion-dollar UAE nuclear deal
Abu Dhabi (AFP) Dec 27, 2009 - The United Arab Emirates has awarded a 20.4-billion-dollar contract to build four nuclear power plants to a South Korean-led consortium, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said Sunday. The UAE "has determined that the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) team is best equipped to fulfill the government's partnership requirements in this ambitious programme," ENEC chairman Khaldoon al ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/SKorean-led_group_wins_20.4-billion-dollar_UAE_nuclear_deal_999.html

Feds near announcement of loan guarantees for U.S. nuclear sector

Feds near announcement of loan guarantees for U.S. nuclear sector
The Department of Energy is set to announce the first recipients of loan guarantees for the country's nuclear energy sector. "When DOE issues their first loan guarantee, that's going to send an important signal to private-sector financing, and Wall Street in particular," said Nuclear Energy Institute spokesman John Keeley. Southern, which seeks to construct two reactors in Georgia, is seen as a front-runner for a loan guarantee. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BR39H20091228

South Korea eyes nuclear deal with Turkey

South Korea eyes nuclear deal with Turkey
Korea Electric Power is in discussions with Turkey for the construction of as many as four nuclear reactors, an official said. This comes after the country forged a nuclear export deal worth $40 billion with the United Arab Emirates. The Turkish government would start the bidding for the $20 billion venture next year, the official added. The Korea Times
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/12/116_58057.html

Arab Dictatorships Take 4 of Top 5 Spots in Purchase of US Weapons and Services

Arab Dictatorships Take 4 of Top 5 Spots in Purchase of US Weapons and Services

http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/Arab_Dictatorships_Take_4_of_Top_5_Spots_in_Purchase_of_US_Weapons_and_Services_91228

US Intel: Iran Nuke Document Was Forged Gareth Porter gets the scoop from Philip Giraldi

US Intel: Iran Nuke Document Was Forged

Gareth Porter gets the scoop from Philip Giraldi

http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2009/12/28/us-intelligence-found-iran-nuke/

# Iran to unveil new home-built satellite: report

Iran to unveil new home-built satellite: report

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Iran_to_unveil_new_home-built_satellite_report_999.html

NKorea built plant to make gas for uranium enrichment: report

NKorea built plant to make gas for uranium enrichment: report

Washington (AFP) Dec 27, 2009 - North Korea may have constructed a plant to manufacture a gas needed for uranium enrichment in a development that would indicate that Pyongyang had opened a second way to build nuclear weapons as early as the 1990s, The Washington Post reported late Sunday. Citing a previously unpublicized account by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb program, the newspaper said North K ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NKorea_built_plant_to_make_gas_for_uranium_enrichment_report_999.html

Israel says Iran nuclear plant immune to conventional strike

Israel says Iran nuclear plant immune to conventional strike

Jerusalem (AFP) Dec 28, 2009 - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday that Iran's recently diclosed second uranium enrichment plant is "immune" to conventional bombing. "The new site near Qom is meant for enrichment. What was revealed by the Iranians had been built over years and is located in bunkers that cannot be destroyed through a conventional attack," Barak told parliament's foreign affairs and committee. Iran notified the UN nuclear watchdog in September that it was building a second enrichment plant near the central shrine city of Qom, after Washington accused it of covertly evading its notification responsibilities under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israel_says_Iran_nuclear_plant_immune_to_conventional_strike_999.html

Russia to keep developing nuclear missiles: Medvedev

Russia to keep developing nuclear missiles: Medvedev
Moscow (AFP) Dec 24, 2009 - President Dmitry Medvedev voiced hope Thursday that Moscow and Washington would reach an agreement on a new nuclear treaty but said Russia would continue developing nuclear missiles to defend itself. Russia and the United States have missed a series of deadlines to agree a new text setting out major cuts in their nuclear arsenals, after a previous agrement expired on December 5. Asked about the delays in a live year-end televised interview, Medvedev admitted the negotiations were "difficult" but insisted: "We need to create a quality document. I am sure that we will create it." ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_to_keep_developing_nuclear_missiles_Medvedev_999.html

South Korea group lands $40B nuclear deal with UAE

South Korea group lands $40B nuclear deal with UAE
A consortium of South Korean companies secured a deal worth $40 billion to construct and run four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates, outclassing rival bidders from the U.S. and France. The first plant is slated for a 2017 startup, and the group seeks to finish the 1,400-megawatt reactors by 2020. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE5BQ05O20091227?type=marketsNews

Energy Dept. official sees potential in small nuclear rectors

Energy Dept. official sees potential in small nuclear rectors
As the Energy Department nears the designation of a blue-ribbon commission that will look into new policies for handling used nuclear fuel, it still has a way to go in finalizing loan guarantees for new reactors, Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman said. Poneman also is interested in the development of small modular reactors, calling them a carbon-policy option with potential in the U.S. and internationally. "I certainly agree with the premise that small, modular reactors are a very interesting path to explore," Poneman said. The New York Times/ClimateWire (12/24

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/12/24/24climatewire-doe-to-study-storage-options-for-spent-nucle-97694.html

UAE Awards $20 Billion Nuclear Contract to Korea

UAE Awards $20 Billion Nuclear Contract to Korea

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2009-12-27/u-a-e-awards-20-billion-nuclear-contract-to-korea-update3-.html

A South Korean group led by Korea Power Electric Corp. won a $20 billion contract to build four nuclear plants in the United Arab Emirates, the second-biggest Arab economy.

Korea Power, a state-run utility that supplies almost all the power in South Korea also known as KEPCO, won the U.A.E.’s first nuclear power plant order together with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Samsung C&T Corp. and Westinghouse Electric Co., it said in a statement today.

“The KEPCO team is best equipped to fulfill the government’s partnership requirements in this ambitious program,” Khaldoon Khalifa al-Mubarak, chairman of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp., or ENEC, said in a separate statement. “The nature of this project will require a partnership that endures for nearly 100 years.”

The U.A.E., the fourth-biggest producer among the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is turning to nuclear power to meet growing electricity demand as the country’s infrastructure investments use up domestic natural-gas supplies. Power demand in the nation will double to 40,000 megawatts by 2020, Anwar Gargash, the minister of state for foreign affairs, said Nov. 16.

Nuclear Disorder: Surveying Atomic Threats

Nuclear Disorder: Surveying Atomic Threats
By Graham Allison

In a new Foreign Affairs article, Graham Allison questions whether the current global nuclear order could be as fragile today as the financial order was two years ago when conventional wisdom declared it sound, stable, and resilient. Analyzing the facts on the ground in Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea, Allison writes that it is clear that trendlines are propelling us powerfully towards what former Secretaries of Defense Perry and Schlesinger's 2009 Commission Report calls a "tipping point" for proliferation and nuclear terrorism. In President Obama's words, "The next twelve months could be pivotal in determining whether the nonproliferation regime will be strengthened or will slowly dissolve."

read more
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/19819/nuclear_disorder.html

From the Project on Managing the Atom Enabling a Nuclear Revival -- and Managing Its Risks By Matthew Bunn and Martin Malin

From the Project on Managing the Atom
Enabling a Nuclear Revival -- and Managing Its Risks
By Matthew Bunn and Martin Malin

Matthew Bunn and Martin B. Malin examine the conditions needed for nuclear energy to grow on a scale large enough for it to be a significant part of the world's response to climate change. They consider the safety, security, nonproliferation, and waste management risks associated with such growth and recommend approaches to managing these risks. Bunn and Malin argue that although technological solutions may contribute to nuclear expansion in the coming decades, in the near term, creating the conditions for large-scale nuclear energy growth will require major international institutional innovation.

read more

http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/19682/enabling_a_nuclear_revivaland_managing_its_risks.html




From the Project on Managing the Atom

oSources: India, Britain will sign civil nuclear agreement

Sources: India, Britain will sign civil nuclear agreement
India and Britain are expected to sign a joint declaration of intent on civil nuclear energy when British Business Minister Peter Mandelson visits India this week, sources said. If the deal pushes through, it will be India's seventh civil nuclear agreement since its first deal with the U.S. in October 2008. The Economic Times (India)/Indo-Asian News Service

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/India-Britain-likely-to-sign-civil-nuclear-deal/articleshow/5351386.cms

China will adopt Westinghouse technology for nuclear project

China will adopt Westinghouse technology for nuclear project
Two of China's major energy suppliers said they plan to construct a nuclear-power demonstration venture using the technology of Westinghouse Electric. The project would allow China to progress in its efforts to build a 1.4 gigawatt power plant, which will expand on Westinghouse's AP1000 design. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_658523.html

NIAC Memo: Anatomy of a Nuclear Breakthrough Gone Backwards

Issue 74

www.niacouncil.org

Dec 21, 2009

NIAC Memo: Anatomy of a Nuclear Breakthrough Gone Backwards

Less than three months after rising expectations on the possibility of a breakthrough in the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, hopes of sealing a deal that would transfer the bulk of Iran’s low-enriched uranium abroad have dissipated.

Yet another attempt to engender trust between the US and Iran has instead led to more distrust and Obama’s mantra about “talking to Iran” looks more and more like the Bush administration’s policy: all sticks and no carrots.

The hoped-for transfer of Iran’s LEU abroad is on the verge of becoming a precondition for further substantive talks, placing the Obama administration where the Bush administration was for years, insisting on the suspension of all enrichment-related activities before negotiations could begin.

The present impasse cannot last, and a risky confrontation could easily ensue. Cooler heads, of course, could prevail, leading both sides to set aside the rancor surrounding the deal and return to the negotiating table. If talks do resume, both sides should study their missteps closely.

Miscalculation in Tehran

Neither the general agreement in Geneva nor the later technical agreement in Vienna could have come about without the explicit consent of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On September 29, right before the Geneva meeting, Khamenei’s most visible lieutenant, Ahmadinejad, said publicly, “We have offered to whoever is prepared that we will buy the material from them. Of course, we are prepared to hand over 3.5 percent material, have them enrich it up to 19.75 or 20 percent and deliver it back to us.”

As such, Iran’s interlocutors simply seized upon an opportunity offered by Tehran. But the reversal was also Tehran’s and the question is why.

The most credible explanation for the reversal is that Khamenei and Ahmadinejad underestimated the volatility of Iranian domestic politics pursuant to the fraudulent June 12 presidential election. Just as they dismissed the popular anger at the fraud itself, assuming the furor would pass at the protesters’ first sight of blood, so they miscalculated the intensity of elite reaction to the idea of transferring Iran’s LEU.

That reaction came from all corners, and it was ferocious. Perhaps the ferocity is explained in part by the determination of rival factions that Ahmadinejad not don the mantle of peacemaker with the US after all he and his supporters have done to sabotage previous attempts to improve relations. But after four years of bluster averring Iran’s absolute rejection of any compromise on the issue of enrichment, the elite was naturally skeptical that a single quick meeting should bring about such a rapprochement.

There is evidence that the negotiators themselves were aware, at least partly, of how strong the objections might be. But they chose to deflect them with mendacity. In the initial news coverage of Geneva, the pretense was that at Geneva Iran’s interlocutors “were solely informed of Iran’s decision to participate in the October 18 meeting with the IAEA.”

But these attempts at misinformation backfired and fueled suspicion that additional details of the agreement remained hidden. Questions abounded: Why were the public and the parliament being kept in the dark? Why could not there be a simultaneous exchange? What guarantees were there that Iran would indeed be given the 20 percent enriched uranium after it let go of its “strategic asset”? How could the Russians be trusted after the numerous delays in the start of the Bushehr reactor? Was the transfer the first step toward the voiding of the UN Security Council resolutions demanding suspension of enrichment-related activities? And what if Iran’s interlocutors persisted in asking for suspension after the transfer?

Ahmadinejad did push back against the criticism. He mocked his detractors for saying that he, of all people, would put Iran’s interests in jeopardy. He pointed out again that no previous nuclear negotiator had been able to induce the West to implicitly acknowledge Iran’s right to enrichment.

But for the remainder of the Islamic Republic’s elite the agreement simply happened too fast, the details were murky and Ahmadinejad’s spin ran up against the reality that nothing in the agreement guaranteed the West would ever accept enrichment on Iranian territory.

Foremost in many Iranian minds, moreover, was apprehension that Ahmadinejad, and maybe Khamenei as well, were “giving in” to the West in order to curry favor with the international community and proceed with their repression of the post-election dissent.

There is also evidence that the hardliners were rattled by the agreements’ reception in the international press presenting the transfer as a means to control Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Ahmadinejad acknowledged the confluence of foreign and domestic pressures: “Unfortunately some people fell for the line that the agreement is a conspiracy and a deception…. These are the same people who were asking us to back down at the height of the nuclear pressures on us. Now they have become super-revolutionaries.”

Endgame?

Khamenei and Ahmadinejad are, of course, the most to blame for Tehran’s reversal. They failed to gauge Iran’s post-election climate accurately. They must also be considered naïve for thinking that the Obama Administration would not portray the transfer of LEU as a viable means of checking Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

But neither is the Obama administration fault-free, if the US intent at Geneva was to strike a bargain limiting Iran’s enrichment program and instituting a robust inspection regime. When the agreements encountered opposition, the US could have counseled forbearance and continued negotiations.

Instead, impatient with Iran’s messy domestic dynamics, the US chose a more familiar path: announcements of deadlines, patronizing speeches and ominous reminders that the clock was ticking. In effect, Washington’s insistence that the Geneva and Vienna drafts were the only offer on the table turned the tentative agreement into an ultimatum.

Already under fire for caving into Western pressure their political opponents likely imagined, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad could hardly bow to pressure that was real.

In the end, Tehran also responded with characteristic bombast, bragging about ten new enrichment facilities. In reality, in striking such an outlandish pose, reeking of bluff, Tehran had the more mundane intent of reminding Obama of the cost of no agreement.

It understands that the Obama administration continues to be faced with a familiar choice.

It can declare diplomacy dead after only one meeting and begin the arduous process of putting together a coalition behind sanctions that will actually bite as the Bush administration did for many years unsuccessfully.

Or it can try genuine bargaining based on two key lessons learned in the course of the misadventures of the fall of 2009: First, to neglect Iran’s domestic arena is to strangle agreements in their infancy; and second, even the most intransigent arch-conservatives in Tehran are willing to entertain a compromise over Iran’s nuclear program.

Download PDF version:Image

Farideh Farhi is an Independent Scholar and Affiliate Graduate Faculty at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. The longer and more detailed version of this article can be found at http://www.merip.org/mero/mero120809.html

IAEA Applying a Nuclear Double-Standard

IAEA Applying a Nuclear Double-Standard
by Gareth Porter, December 20, 2009

In 2004, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that a member state had violated its Safeguards Agreement by carrying out covert uranium conversion and enrichment activities and plutonium experiments for more than two decades. The nature of certain of those enrichment activities, moreover, raised legitimate suspicions of interest in a nuclear weapons program.

The state was found to have lied to the IAEA even when it began investigating these suspicious activities, claiming that its laser enrichment research did not involve any use of nuclear material.

If that sounds like a description of Iran’s troubled relationship with the IAEA up to 2004, that’s because it bears striking resemblance to it. In fact, however, it is a description of the deception of the IAEA by the government of South Korea.

There was just one major difference between the South Korean and Iranian cases: Iran never enriched uranium at a level that could only represent an interest in nuclear weapons, but South Korea did.

Yet the IAEA treated Iran as a state to be investigated indefinitely, after failing to give South Korea even a slap on the wrist.

Even more remarkable is the fact that the two cases were the subject of IAEA reports issued within the same week in November 2004.

Three months before the report on its nuclear activities was published, South Korea admitted doing everything in violation of its Safeguards Agreement that Iran was found to have done up to 2003.

In the early 1980s, South Korea had carried out uranium conversion in a facility that was kept secret from the IAEA. It had also secretly extracted plutonium from a hot cell, and had carried out at least 10 covert uranium enrichment experiments from 1993 through 2000 using undeclared natural uranium metal.

South Korea had used 3.5 kg of natural uranium metal for its unreported enrichment experiments; Iran had used 8.0 kg of natural uranium for the same kind of experiments.

But by far, the most important finding by the IAEA was that, during a series of covert experiments in uranium enrichment using atomic vapor laser isolate separation (AVLIS) in 2000, Korean scientists enriched the uranium to 77 percent. South Korea finally admitted that experiment in its August 2004 declaration to the IAEA.

"Not only did they have an undeclared uranium-enrichment program, but they were actually making something close to bomb-grade, so you have to conclude someone wanted to develop a capability to make nuclear weapons," said David Albright of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security after the Korean violations were revealed.

Despite covert activities that could only be reasonably interpreted as evidence of an intention to develop nuclear weapons, however, Seoul was given what amounted to a free pass.

After its August 2004 confidential admission to its covert activities, South Korea mounted an aggressive diplomatic offensive, aimed at avoiding any legal consequences.

First, South Korean officials put pressure on IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei not even to disclose the enrichment in his report to the Governing Board. The South Koreans threatened to undermine ElBaradei’s reelection bid, according to a Nov. 25, 2004 Washington Post story.

ElBaradei was well aware that South Korea’s ally, the George W. Bush administration, was seeking to oust ElBaradei, because of his refusal to conform to U.S. policies toward Iraq and Iran.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration had made no secret of the fact it wanted the IAEA Board of Governors to call for Iran to be reported to the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. officials understood that the South Korean covert enrichment and other violations were, if anything, worse than those of Iran. At least some officials were prepared to support a resolution in the IAEA Governing Board to send Korea’s case to the Security Council in order to establish a precedent that could then be applied to Iran, according to the Post story.

But the British, French and Germans were negotiating with Iran on an agreement under which Tehran would maintain its suspension of uranium enrichment, and they were threatening to send the Iranian file to the Security Council if Iran did not agree.

Given those negotiations, ElBaradei felt no need to write a report that would be the basis of a resolution from the IAEA Board of Governors in late November 2004 to refer the South Korean case to the UN Security Council.

ElBaradei’s Nov. 11, 2004 report on South Korea confirmed that enrichment had gone as high as 77 percent but did not raise the obvious question of whether its covert nuclear activities had been military-related.

It recounted without comment the South Korean authorities’ explanation that both the plutonium and uranium enrichment experiments had been "performed without the knowledge or authorization of the Government."

Given the fact that South Korea had admitted that the covert uranium enrichment had been carried out by no less than 14 government scientists, an IAEA investigation was obviously in order. But the report gave no hint that there was any need to find out who had authorized it and why.

In effect, ElBaradei’s report on South Korea effectively eliminated the issue from the agency’s agenda.

Three days after the report, Iran reached agreement with the Europeans on a voluntary suspension of enrichment and more negotiations. Since there was no chance of getting the Iranian case referred to the UN Security Council, Secretary of State Colin Powell told the South Koreans at a meeting in Chile that the United States was now prepared to "accept Seoul’s explanation" for its covert enrichment to bomb-grade levels.

That clearly signaled that the United States had decided against a resolution to send the South Korean case to the Security Council after the European agreement with Iran.

The subject of South Korea’s violations of its Safeguards Agreement was never raised again at an IAEA meeting. In 2007, an IAEA Safeguards report said the agency was "able to clarify all issues relating to past undeclared activities."

It offered no explanation for the enrichment to bomb-grade levels and the obvious official falsehoods surrounding the activities, or for its own acquiescence in it.

In contrast to ElBaradei’s lack of curiosity about the obviously suspect official South Korean explanations for its bomb-grade enrichment, his report on Iran, issued four days later, concluded that it would "take longer than in normal circumstances" to "conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran."

The report suggested the IAEA would continue to pursue what it called "open source reports relating to dual use equipment and materials" in Iran. That meant that any technology, not matter how innocent, would now be treated as evidence of an Iranian covert nuclear weapons program.

The double standard of treatment of the South Korean and Iranian cases implied that the United States had hard intelligence that Iran had exhibited an interest in nuclear weapons, whereas South Korea had not.

However, the closest thing to such evidence in U.S. possession was a set of documents of uncertain provenance and authenticity.

On the other hand, nuclear physicists working in the Korean nuclear program, who had been recruited by the CIA, had reported in the mid-1970s that South Korea was carrying out a clandestine nuclear weapons program.

The stark contrast between the treatment of the Iranian and South Korean cases by the IAEA Secretariat and its Board of Governors is the most dramatic evidence of a politically motivated nuclear double standard practiced by the agency and its Governing Board, dominated by the United States.

http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2009/12/19/iaea-applying-a-nuclear-double-standard/