Nuclear Proliferation -- What If...? by Immanuel Wallerstein
Suppose that the United States made no further attempt to stop either North Korea or Iran from becoming an established nuclear power and made it clear to other powers that they would not collude in or tolerate military action. What would then happen?
more...
http://www.agenceglobal.com/Article.asp?Id=2099
Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Can Game Theory Predict When Iran Will Get the Bomb?
Can Game Theory Predict When Iran Will Get the Bomb?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16Bruce-t.html?hpw
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16Bruce-t.html?hpw
Poland to build first nuclear power plant by 2020: minister
Poland to build first nuclear power plant by 2020: minister
Warsaw (AFP) Aug 11, 2009 - Poland will build its first nuclear power plant by 2020 to bolster the energy security of the EU member, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak said Tuesday. "We have adopted a four-stage road map ... with construction of the power plant from 2016-2020," Pawlak said after a cabinet meeting in Warsaw. Legislative work to clear the way for the project will be completed by 2010, he said, while ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Poland_to_build_first_nuclear_power_plant_by_2020_minister_999.html
Warsaw (AFP) Aug 11, 2009 - Poland will build its first nuclear power plant by 2020 to bolster the energy security of the EU member, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak said Tuesday. "We have adopted a four-stage road map ... with construction of the power plant from 2016-2020," Pawlak said after a cabinet meeting in Warsaw. Legislative work to clear the way for the project will be completed by 2010, he said, while ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Poland_to_build_first_nuclear_power_plant_by_2020_minister_999.html
Drive for atomic energy adds to nuclear challenge: US
Drive for atomic energy adds to nuclear challenge: US
Geneva (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - A senior US official acknowledged on Wednesday that the growing demand for atomic energy in response to climate change was adding to the challenges of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. "Some people are calling this a nuclear renaissance, it's very much in vogue," said Susan Burk, the US president's special representative for nuclear non-proliferation in what she termed her first publ ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Drive_for_atomic_energy_adds_to_nuclear_challenge_US_999.html
Geneva (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - A senior US official acknowledged on Wednesday that the growing demand for atomic energy in response to climate change was adding to the challenges of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. "Some people are calling this a nuclear renaissance, it's very much in vogue," said Susan Burk, the US president's special representative for nuclear non-proliferation in what she termed her first publ ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Drive_for_atomic_energy_adds_to_nuclear_challenge_US_999.html
Drive for atomic energy adds to nuclear challenge: US
Drive for atomic energy adds to nuclear challenge: US
Geneva (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - A senior US official acknowledged on Wednesday that the growing demand for atomic energy in response to climate change was adding to the challenges of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. "Some people are calling this a nuclear renaissance, it's very much in vogue," said Susan Burk, the US president's special representative for nuclear non-proliferation in what she termed her first publ ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Drive_for_atomic_energy_adds_to_nuclear_challenge_US_999.html
Geneva (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - A senior US official acknowledged on Wednesday that the growing demand for atomic energy in response to climate change was adding to the challenges of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. "Some people are calling this a nuclear renaissance, it's very much in vogue," said Susan Burk, the US president's special representative for nuclear non-proliferation in what she termed her first publ ... more
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Drive_for_atomic_energy_adds_to_nuclear_challenge_US_999.html
Pakistan nuclear thefts foiled
Pakistan nuclear thefts foiled
Arnaud de Borchgrave
Published 04:45 a.m., August 13, 2009
Is Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal theft-proof? Former President Pervez Musharraf and his successor, Asif Ali Zardari, and their army and intelligence chiefs repeatedly have assured both the Bush and Obama administrations that their 80-odd nuclear weapons are as secure as the U.S. arsenal of some 7,000 city busters.
The Pakistanis have separated warheads from delivery systems and stored them in different secret locations throughout the second-largest Muslim country in the world (after Indonesia). The United States has given Pakistan copies of its own blueprint to ensure fool-proof, total safety. Yet Pakistan’s secret nuclear-storage sites are known to Islamist extremists and have been attacked at least three times over the last two years, according to two recent reputable reports.
The Baltimore-based Maldon Institute, whose worldwide staff consists mostly of retired intelligence officers, and the Times of India’s Washington-based foreign editor Chidanand Rajghatta both report attempted nuclear thefts that have been tracked by Shaun Gregory, a professor at Bradford University in Britain.
The first such attack against the nuclear-missile-storage facility was on Nov. 1, 2007, at Sargodha; the second, by a suicide bomber, occurred Dec. 10, 2007, against Pakistan’s nuclear air base at Kamra; and the third, Aug. 20, 2008, and most alarming, was launched by several suicide bombers who blew up key entry points to a nuclear-weapons complex at the Wah Cantonment, long believed to be one of Pakistan’s main nuclear-weapons assembly points, where warheads and launchers come together in a national emergency.
Mr. Gregory’s research paper was first published in West Point’s Counter Terrorism Center Sentinel, and elicited no attention or reaction. Renowned terrorist expert Peter Bergen, one of the very few journalists to interview al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden before Sept. 11, 2001, reviewed Mr. Gregory’s paper and was baffled by the lack of reaction from the rest of the media.
More…
http://www.washtimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/pakistan-nuclear-thefts-foiled/print/
Arnaud de Borchgrave
Published 04:45 a.m., August 13, 2009
Is Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal theft-proof? Former President Pervez Musharraf and his successor, Asif Ali Zardari, and their army and intelligence chiefs repeatedly have assured both the Bush and Obama administrations that their 80-odd nuclear weapons are as secure as the U.S. arsenal of some 7,000 city busters.
The Pakistanis have separated warheads from delivery systems and stored them in different secret locations throughout the second-largest Muslim country in the world (after Indonesia). The United States has given Pakistan copies of its own blueprint to ensure fool-proof, total safety. Yet Pakistan’s secret nuclear-storage sites are known to Islamist extremists and have been attacked at least three times over the last two years, according to two recent reputable reports.
The Baltimore-based Maldon Institute, whose worldwide staff consists mostly of retired intelligence officers, and the Times of India’s Washington-based foreign editor Chidanand Rajghatta both report attempted nuclear thefts that have been tracked by Shaun Gregory, a professor at Bradford University in Britain.
The first such attack against the nuclear-missile-storage facility was on Nov. 1, 2007, at Sargodha; the second, by a suicide bomber, occurred Dec. 10, 2007, against Pakistan’s nuclear air base at Kamra; and the third, Aug. 20, 2008, and most alarming, was launched by several suicide bombers who blew up key entry points to a nuclear-weapons complex at the Wah Cantonment, long believed to be one of Pakistan’s main nuclear-weapons assembly points, where warheads and launchers come together in a national emergency.
Mr. Gregory’s research paper was first published in West Point’s Counter Terrorism Center Sentinel, and elicited no attention or reaction. Renowned terrorist expert Peter Bergen, one of the very few journalists to interview al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden before Sept. 11, 2001, reviewed Mr. Gregory’s paper and was baffled by the lack of reaction from the rest of the media.
More…
http://www.washtimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/pakistan-nuclear-thefts-foiled/print/
Pakistan's nukes are safe. Maybe.
Pakistan’s nukes are safe. Maybe.
Thu, 08/13/2009 – 4:57pm
By Vipin Narang
An excellent series of recent articles on the subject by Shaun Gregory, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen (a former director of intelligence at the Department of Energy), and Brig. Gen. Feroz Hassan Khan (Ret.) assess the very grim threat of Pakistan losing control over its 60-warheads-and-growing nuclear weapons arsenal. Given the lack of publicly available data on this critical issue, such articles by extremely knowledgeable scholars and practitioners represent some of the best information we have on realistic threats to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
Gregory’s article has gotten some recent attention for noting that there have worryingly been several attacks at the perimeter of bases that may house nuclear components, though U.S. intelligence officials are quick to point out that there is little reason to believe that nuclear assets were ever at risk. So whatare the primary risks to the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal?
In answering this question, it is important to differentiate between the various organizations involved with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, and where and when nuclear assets are more or less vulnerable to internal and external threats. The bigger threat is probably not the Army losing control of nuclear assets, but rather insider-outsider collusion or diversion of nuclear material from the civilian nuclear agencies during either the production phase or transfer to Army locations.
The good news is that once the Pakistani Army takes custody of nuclear assets, the threat of terrorists successfully boosting a warhead or fissile cores — either through direct attack or facilitated by insiders — is reassuringly low. The Pakistani Army has every incentive to ensure firm control over the country’s nuclear assets since, should they be lost or stolen, there would literally be hell to pay.
More…
http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/08/13/pakistans_nukes_are_safe_maybe_0
Thu, 08/13/2009 – 4:57pm
By Vipin Narang
An excellent series of recent articles on the subject by Shaun Gregory, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen (a former director of intelligence at the Department of Energy), and Brig. Gen. Feroz Hassan Khan (Ret.) assess the very grim threat of Pakistan losing control over its 60-warheads-and-growing nuclear weapons arsenal. Given the lack of publicly available data on this critical issue, such articles by extremely knowledgeable scholars and practitioners represent some of the best information we have on realistic threats to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
Gregory’s article has gotten some recent attention for noting that there have worryingly been several attacks at the perimeter of bases that may house nuclear components, though U.S. intelligence officials are quick to point out that there is little reason to believe that nuclear assets were ever at risk. So whatare the primary risks to the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal?
In answering this question, it is important to differentiate between the various organizations involved with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, and where and when nuclear assets are more or less vulnerable to internal and external threats. The bigger threat is probably not the Army losing control of nuclear assets, but rather insider-outsider collusion or diversion of nuclear material from the civilian nuclear agencies during either the production phase or transfer to Army locations.
The good news is that once the Pakistani Army takes custody of nuclear assets, the threat of terrorists successfully boosting a warhead or fissile cores — either through direct attack or facilitated by insiders — is reassuringly low. The Pakistani Army has every incentive to ensure firm control over the country’s nuclear assets since, should they be lost or stolen, there would literally be hell to pay.
More…
http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/08/13/pakistans_nukes_are_safe_maybe_0
Much Ado About Something: Terror and Pakistan’s Nuclear Assets
Much Ado About Something: Terror and Pakistan’s Nuclear Assets
— August 12, 2009
There has been a pitched debate in South Asia and in the Western World whether Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructures are secure or not, especially in the face of suicide terror attacks on nuclear weapons facilities in Pakistan.
http://asiasecurity.macfound.org/blog/entry/much_ado_about_something_terror_and_pakistans_nuclear_assets/
— August 12, 2009
There has been a pitched debate in South Asia and in the Western World whether Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructures are secure or not, especially in the face of suicide terror attacks on nuclear weapons facilities in Pakistan.
http://asiasecurity.macfound.org/blog/entry/much_ado_about_something_terror_and_pakistans_nuclear_assets/
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Much Ado About Something: Terror and Pakistan’s Nuclear Assets By Animesh Roul
Much Ado About Something: Terror and Pakistan’s Nuclear Assets
By Animesh Roul
Every Pakistan watchers knew about those events. Bill Roggio has highlighted these events in his reports too (esp. in Long War Journal). But, Shaun Gregory (“The Terrorist Threat to Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons,” CTC Sentinel, Vol. 2 (7), July 2009) has analyzed these events to expose the vulnerability of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, the “pillar of Pakistan’s national security”.
The paper published in the CTC Sentinel (Combating Terrorism Center, West Point) has triggered a pitched debate in the region and in the Western World whether Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructures are secure or not , especially in the face of those (mentioned below) terror attacks that occurred in the last couple of years. Gregory’s article underscores three terror strikes on nuclear weapons facilities in Pakistan, questioning the physical security of the coveted nuclear assets:
“These have included an attack on the nuclear missile storage facility at Sargodha on November 1, 2007, an attack on Pakistan’s nuclear airbase at Kamra by a suicide bomber on December 10, 2007, and perhaps most significantly the August 20, 2008 attack when Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers blew up several entry points to one of the armament complexes at the Wah cantonment, considered one of Pakistan’s main nuclear weapons assembly sites.”
(Correction: The twin attack at the Wah Cantonment actually took place on August 21, Thursday, 2008, not on August 20 as chronicled in the paper).
Let’s revisit those terror events, all perpetrated by Taliban and Al Qaeda elements.
* November 1, 2007: Motorbike borne suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bus, killing seven PAF officers and three civilians on the Faisalabad Road in Sargodha (Punjab province). The bus was carrying PAF staff from the Mushaf Mir Airbase to Kirana Ammunition Depot. This Suicide attack was targeted at the air force officials and civilians, no intention to harm or steal nuclear material, or create a radiological emergency.
* December 10, 2007: At least five schoolchildren and three others were injured when a Car borne suicide bomber exploded his vehicle targeting a Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) bus carrying air force employees’ children at Kamra air base. The blast took place on the outskirts of the PAC factories on the Qutba-Attock Road and bus was going to the Attock city.
* August 21, 2008: This was the most severe suicide attack ever carried out against military establishments. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up near the gates of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories located in the military cantonment at Wah (Attock district), killing at least 70 persons. The POF at Wah is a cluster of industrial units producing variety of arms and ammunitions for the armed forces. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar claimed responsibility of the suicide attacks saying that they had been carried out in retaliation for military operations in Bajaur and Swat.
These terrorist acts mentioned by Gregory, were actually targeted at the security forces or civilians at the highly fortified military bases and not necessarily targeted with the aim of stealing nuclear material or creating nuclear disaster. But he has very rightly pointed out that these attacks highlighted the vulnerability of military/nuclear infrastructures in Pakistan and the myth of safety and security standard. What Gregory has missed here is that previous similar but ‘direct’ attacks on nuclear establishments by Baloch militants, e.g. mortar attack on the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) controlled establishment on the Dera Ghazi Khan-Quetta highway in May 2006. However, this event received scant media attention and subsequent cover up by Pakistan.
In all three attacks, which were very symbolic depicting‘Taliban-Military feud’ in Pakistan, these terrorists never showed the intention to create a nuclear disaster instead they claim responsibility of the mayhems and threaten for more such type of attacks against the military/police in future to avenge anti-terror operations. Of course their Al Qaeda friends have their goals intact for acquiring nuclear weapons or materials.
The point of debate: More than these three events which caught the attention of media, though lately (the paper published online on July 21, 2009) and triggered debates now especially in India, Pakistan and USA (Read News Links below) , the crux of the paper, I believe, somehow ignored or overlooked. The media picked up these terror events to highlight the vulnerability of Pakistan’s nuclear assets (lack of adequate physical security) which might fall in the hand of terrorists or extremists, but missed out the important point of Gregory’ article. The existential threat emanating from Pakistan, the nuclear power with abysmal proliferation track records, lies somewhere else. Gregory points out that Pakistan Army could decide to transfer nuclear weapons to a terrorist group. He mentioned in his paper (citing Philip Bobbitt’s ‘Terror and Consent', and reminding us about Mirza Aslam Beg’s case of passing nuclear weapons technology to Iran in the past) that "states can become pressurized or incentivized to transfer nuclear weapons to terrorist groups because they are responding to threats from an external power but fear the consequences of being identified as the origin of a nuclear strike.” This insinuation should be the point of debate which questions the nexus between the army and its proxy warriors.
Read More »
Media Reports on the Issue:
"Western, neighboring country media propelling vicious propaganda blitz against Pakistan nuclear assets: F.O", Online - International News Network, August 11, 2009.
"Pakistan Military Denies Nuclear Security Report" , VOA News, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan denies al-Qaida targeting nuclear facilities," The Guardian, August 12, 2009.
Pak goes ballistic about report on nuclear complex attacks, Times of India, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan nuke sites secure, says Pentagon," The News, August 12, 2009.
August 12, 2009 06:14 PM Link
Media Reports on the Issue:
"Western, neighboring country media propelling vicious propaganda blitz against Pakistan nuclear assets: F.O", Online - International News Network, August 11, 2009.
"Pakistan Military Denies Nuclear Security Report" , VOA News, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan denies al-Qaida targeting nuclear facilities," The Guardian, August 12, 2009.
Pak goes ballistic about report on nuclear complex attacks, Times of India, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan nuke sites secure, says Pentagon," The News, August 12, 2009.
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2009/08/much_ado_about_something_terro.php
By Animesh Roul
Every Pakistan watchers knew about those events. Bill Roggio has highlighted these events in his reports too (esp. in Long War Journal). But, Shaun Gregory (“The Terrorist Threat to Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons,” CTC Sentinel, Vol. 2 (7), July 2009) has analyzed these events to expose the vulnerability of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, the “pillar of Pakistan’s national security”.
The paper published in the CTC Sentinel (Combating Terrorism Center, West Point) has triggered a pitched debate in the region and in the Western World whether Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructures are secure or not , especially in the face of those (mentioned below) terror attacks that occurred in the last couple of years. Gregory’s article underscores three terror strikes on nuclear weapons facilities in Pakistan, questioning the physical security of the coveted nuclear assets:
“These have included an attack on the nuclear missile storage facility at Sargodha on November 1, 2007, an attack on Pakistan’s nuclear airbase at Kamra by a suicide bomber on December 10, 2007, and perhaps most significantly the August 20, 2008 attack when Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers blew up several entry points to one of the armament complexes at the Wah cantonment, considered one of Pakistan’s main nuclear weapons assembly sites.”
(Correction: The twin attack at the Wah Cantonment actually took place on August 21, Thursday, 2008, not on August 20 as chronicled in the paper).
Let’s revisit those terror events, all perpetrated by Taliban and Al Qaeda elements.
* November 1, 2007: Motorbike borne suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bus, killing seven PAF officers and three civilians on the Faisalabad Road in Sargodha (Punjab province). The bus was carrying PAF staff from the Mushaf Mir Airbase to Kirana Ammunition Depot. This Suicide attack was targeted at the air force officials and civilians, no intention to harm or steal nuclear material, or create a radiological emergency.
* December 10, 2007: At least five schoolchildren and three others were injured when a Car borne suicide bomber exploded his vehicle targeting a Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) bus carrying air force employees’ children at Kamra air base. The blast took place on the outskirts of the PAC factories on the Qutba-Attock Road and bus was going to the Attock city.
* August 21, 2008: This was the most severe suicide attack ever carried out against military establishments. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up near the gates of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories located in the military cantonment at Wah (Attock district), killing at least 70 persons. The POF at Wah is a cluster of industrial units producing variety of arms and ammunitions for the armed forces. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar claimed responsibility of the suicide attacks saying that they had been carried out in retaliation for military operations in Bajaur and Swat.
These terrorist acts mentioned by Gregory, were actually targeted at the security forces or civilians at the highly fortified military bases and not necessarily targeted with the aim of stealing nuclear material or creating nuclear disaster. But he has very rightly pointed out that these attacks highlighted the vulnerability of military/nuclear infrastructures in Pakistan and the myth of safety and security standard. What Gregory has missed here is that previous similar but ‘direct’ attacks on nuclear establishments by Baloch militants, e.g. mortar attack on the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) controlled establishment on the Dera Ghazi Khan-Quetta highway in May 2006. However, this event received scant media attention and subsequent cover up by Pakistan.
In all three attacks, which were very symbolic depicting‘Taliban-Military feud’ in Pakistan, these terrorists never showed the intention to create a nuclear disaster instead they claim responsibility of the mayhems and threaten for more such type of attacks against the military/police in future to avenge anti-terror operations. Of course their Al Qaeda friends have their goals intact for acquiring nuclear weapons or materials.
The point of debate: More than these three events which caught the attention of media, though lately (the paper published online on July 21, 2009) and triggered debates now especially in India, Pakistan and USA (Read News Links below) , the crux of the paper, I believe, somehow ignored or overlooked. The media picked up these terror events to highlight the vulnerability of Pakistan’s nuclear assets (lack of adequate physical security) which might fall in the hand of terrorists or extremists, but missed out the important point of Gregory’ article. The existential threat emanating from Pakistan, the nuclear power with abysmal proliferation track records, lies somewhere else. Gregory points out that Pakistan Army could decide to transfer nuclear weapons to a terrorist group. He mentioned in his paper (citing Philip Bobbitt’s ‘Terror and Consent', and reminding us about Mirza Aslam Beg’s case of passing nuclear weapons technology to Iran in the past) that "states can become pressurized or incentivized to transfer nuclear weapons to terrorist groups because they are responding to threats from an external power but fear the consequences of being identified as the origin of a nuclear strike.” This insinuation should be the point of debate which questions the nexus between the army and its proxy warriors.
Read More »
Media Reports on the Issue:
"Western, neighboring country media propelling vicious propaganda blitz against Pakistan nuclear assets: F.O", Online - International News Network, August 11, 2009.
"Pakistan Military Denies Nuclear Security Report" , VOA News, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan denies al-Qaida targeting nuclear facilities," The Guardian, August 12, 2009.
Pak goes ballistic about report on nuclear complex attacks, Times of India, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan nuke sites secure, says Pentagon," The News, August 12, 2009.
August 12, 2009 06:14 PM Link
Media Reports on the Issue:
"Western, neighboring country media propelling vicious propaganda blitz against Pakistan nuclear assets: F.O", Online - International News Network, August 11, 2009.
"Pakistan Military Denies Nuclear Security Report" , VOA News, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan denies al-Qaida targeting nuclear facilities," The Guardian, August 12, 2009.
Pak goes ballistic about report on nuclear complex attacks, Times of India, August 12, 2009.
"Pakistan nuke sites secure, says Pentagon," The News, August 12, 2009.
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2009/08/much_ado_about_something_terro.php
Iran calls for ban on striking nuke facilities George Jahn, Associated Press
Iran calls for ban on striking nuke facilities
George Jahn, Associated Press
Iran, whose nuclear facilities are under threat of possible Israeli military strikes, proposed Wednesday that a 150-nation conference convening in the fall ban such attacks.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iijfYgMUu7W_-ZKg8BjH5QNTww5QD9A1IQUO1
George Jahn, Associated Press
Iran, whose nuclear facilities are under threat of possible Israeli military strikes, proposed Wednesday that a 150-nation conference convening in the fall ban such attacks.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iijfYgMUu7W_-ZKg8BjH5QNTww5QD9A1IQUO1
No shift in U.S. policy on North Korea: Gregg Kim Ji-hyun, The Korea Herald
No shift in U.S. policy on North Korea: Gregg
Kim Ji-hyun, The Korea Herald
The Barack Obama administration is far from switching to a containment policy as Washington is still intent on achieving complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea, according to a former U.S. national security aide.
Full Article
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/08/13/200908130019.asp
Kim Ji-hyun, The Korea Herald
The Barack Obama administration is far from switching to a containment policy as Washington is still intent on achieving complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea, according to a former U.S. national security aide.
Full Article
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/08/13/200908130019.asp
Make Breaking, Leaving Nuke Treaty Harder: U.S. Jonathan Lynn, Reuters
Make Breaking, Leaving Nuke Treaty Harder: U.S.
Jonathan Lynn, Reuters
States that break or leave the treaty preventing the spread of nuclear weapons should face tougher sanctions than at present, the top U.S. nonproliferation official said on Wednesday.
Full Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLC122632
Jonathan Lynn, Reuters
States that break or leave the treaty preventing the spread of nuclear weapons should face tougher sanctions than at present, the top U.S. nonproliferation official said on Wednesday.
Full Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLC122632
Why U.S. Diplomacy Will Fail With Iran Edward N. Luttwak, The Wall Street Journal
Why U.S. Diplomacy Will Fail With Iran
Edward N. Luttwak, The Wall Street Journal
Long before his inauguration, Barack Obama lucidly explained how he would deal with Iran. During the campaign he said he would “engage” its leaders by offering talks without preconditions—without even asking them to stop chanting “death to America” when concluding their speeches.
Full Article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204908604574336690663256038.html
Edward N. Luttwak, The Wall Street Journal
Long before his inauguration, Barack Obama lucidly explained how he would deal with Iran. During the campaign he said he would “engage” its leaders by offering talks without preconditions—without even asking them to stop chanting “death to America” when concluding their speeches.
Full Article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204908604574336690663256038.html
Pakistan nuclear thefts foiled Arnaud de Borchgrave, The Washington Times
Pakistan nuclear thefts foiled
Arnaud de Borchgrave, The Washington Times
Is Pakistan's nuclear arsenal theft-proof? Former President Pervez Musharraf and his successor, Asif Ali Zardari, and their army and intelligence chiefs repeatedly have assured both the Bush and Obama administrations that their 80-odd nuclear weapons are as secure as the U.S. arsenal of some 7,000 city busters.
Full Article
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/pakistan-nuclear-thefts-foiled/?feat=home_commentary
* Pakistan denies al-Qaida targeting nuclear facilities
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/12/pakistan-nuclear-al-qaida
Arnaud de Borchgrave, The Washington Times
Is Pakistan's nuclear arsenal theft-proof? Former President Pervez Musharraf and his successor, Asif Ali Zardari, and their army and intelligence chiefs repeatedly have assured both the Bush and Obama administrations that their 80-odd nuclear weapons are as secure as the U.S. arsenal of some 7,000 city busters.
Full Article
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/pakistan-nuclear-thefts-foiled/?feat=home_commentary
* Pakistan denies al-Qaida targeting nuclear facilities
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/12/pakistan-nuclear-al-qaida
NKorea official, in rare interview, defends nuclear weapons
NKorea official, in rare interview, defends nuclear weapons
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - A North Korean official Wednesday insisted that his country's communist regime needed to develop nuclear weapons to defend itself against a US nuclear threat, Japan's Kyodo News reported. Ro Jong Su, a director-level researcher at the North Korean foreign ministry, gave a rare interview in Pyongyang to the Japanese news agency in which he reiterated the Stalinist nation's policies. "Nobo ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NKorea_official_in_rare_interview_defends_nuclear_weapons_999.html
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - A North Korean official Wednesday insisted that his country's communist regime needed to develop nuclear weapons to defend itself against a US nuclear threat, Japan's Kyodo News reported. Ro Jong Su, a director-level researcher at the North Korean foreign ministry, gave a rare interview in Pyongyang to the Japanese news agency in which he reiterated the Stalinist nation's policies. "Nobo ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NKorea_official_in_rare_interview_defends_nuclear_weapons_999.html
China warns against missile defence systems
China warns against missile defence systems
Geneva (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - China's foreign minister warned on Wednesday that there was a "looming danger" of an arms race in outer space, as he urged countries not to deploy missile defence systems that could undermine global security. "The practice of seeking absolute strategic advantage should be abandoned," Yang Jiechi told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. "Countries should neither develop missile defen ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_warns_against_missile_defence_systems_999.html
Geneva (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 - China's foreign minister warned on Wednesday that there was a "looming danger" of an arms race in outer space, as he urged countries not to deploy missile defence systems that could undermine global security. "The practice of seeking absolute strategic advantage should be abandoned," Yang Jiechi told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. "Countries should neither develop missile defen ... more
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_warns_against_missile_defence_systems_999.html
White House adviser calls for nonproliferation watch
White House adviser calls for nonproliferation watch
An administration official on Wednesday said the increased demand for nuclear energy to reduce the effect that emissions have on the climate is making it more difficult to prevent weapons proliferation. Susan Burk gave her first public talk this week as a White House nonproliferation policy expert, calling for adherence to global agreements so countries are not "creating proliferation when we turn the lights on."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gJnMzqv43bWc-0NlDmMtzwxImjJg
An administration official on Wednesday said the increased demand for nuclear energy to reduce the effect that emissions have on the climate is making it more difficult to prevent weapons proliferation. Susan Burk gave her first public talk this week as a White House nonproliferation policy expert, calling for adherence to global agreements so countries are not "creating proliferation when we turn the lights on."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gJnMzqv43bWc-0NlDmMtzwxImjJg
NRC safety report clears Indian Point for 20 more years
NRC safety report clears Indian Point for 20 more years
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's final safety statement on Indian Point finds no reason to stop the New York nuclear plant from operating for another 20 years. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo asked that the license renewal request be rejected, but the NRC said in a statement that Entergy "has identified actions that have been or will be taken to manage the effects of aging in the appropriate systems, structures and components of the plant." Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=ahHTRciXSDCY
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's final safety statement on Indian Point finds no reason to stop the New York nuclear plant from operating for another 20 years. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo asked that the license renewal request be rejected, but the NRC said in a statement that Entergy "has identified actions that have been or will be taken to manage the effects of aging in the appropriate systems, structures and components of the plant." Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=ahHTRciXSDCY
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Israeli Paper Says Strike On Iran Could Delay Bomb
Israeli Paper Says Strike On Iran Could Delay Bomb
from War News Updates by Bookyards
From Reuters:
JERUSALEM, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A major Israeli newspaper ran a front-page story on Wednesday quoting an unidentified "senior defence official" as saying Israel believed a military strike could disrupt what it says is an Iranian nuclear arms programme.
Under a photograph of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting the previous day in the cockpit of an F-15I long-range fighter-bomber, mass-selling Maariv quoted the official as saying Israel could carry out such a strike without U.S. approval but time was running out for it to be effective.
Read more ....
Update: US intel chief says no Iran nukes possible before 2013 -- Christian Science Monitor
My Comment: A bombing attack may delay Iran's nuclear project .... but I suspect that such a delay will not be as long as the Israelis may hope it would be.
If they want to make an impact, they will need to conduct a comprehensive and extensive bombing campaign .... but realistically .... they do not have the resources to do it.
And even if they are permitted by their Arab neighbors to have an unrestricted air corridor to bomb Iran, the anger and rage that will then occur in Iran will take decades to calm down and will have consequences that I doubt most countries .... Israel included .... have calculated.
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINLC60776820090812
from War News Updates by Bookyards
From Reuters:
JERUSALEM, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A major Israeli newspaper ran a front-page story on Wednesday quoting an unidentified "senior defence official" as saying Israel believed a military strike could disrupt what it says is an Iranian nuclear arms programme.
Under a photograph of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting the previous day in the cockpit of an F-15I long-range fighter-bomber, mass-selling Maariv quoted the official as saying Israel could carry out such a strike without U.S. approval but time was running out for it to be effective.
Read more ....
Update: US intel chief says no Iran nukes possible before 2013 -- Christian Science Monitor
My Comment: A bombing attack may delay Iran's nuclear project .... but I suspect that such a delay will not be as long as the Israelis may hope it would be.
If they want to make an impact, they will need to conduct a comprehensive and extensive bombing campaign .... but realistically .... they do not have the resources to do it.
And even if they are permitted by their Arab neighbors to have an unrestricted air corridor to bomb Iran, the anger and rage that will then occur in Iran will take decades to calm down and will have consequences that I doubt most countries .... Israel included .... have calculated.
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINLC60776820090812
Duke Energy and China team on clean energy
Duke Energy and China team on clean energy
Beijing (UPI) Aug 11, 2009 - Duke Energy, America's third-largest electric utility, and China Huaneng Group, China's largest electricity producer, will explore renewable and other clean-energy technologies as part of a memorandum of understanding signed Monday in Beijing. Under the agreement, the two companies will exchange information and explore potential long-term cooperative initiatives to reduce coal plant ... more
http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Duke_Energy_and_China_team_on_clean_energy_999.html
Beijing (UPI) Aug 11, 2009 - Duke Energy, America's third-largest electric utility, and China Huaneng Group, China's largest electricity producer, will explore renewable and other clean-energy technologies as part of a memorandum of understanding signed Monday in Beijing. Under the agreement, the two companies will exchange information and explore potential long-term cooperative initiatives to reduce coal plant ... more
http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Duke_Energy_and_China_team_on_clean_energy_999.html
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