Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The U.S.-Korea Alliance and Arms Race By: J.J. Suh | Foreign Policy in Focus

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has increased its defense budget fourfold in less than twenty years, from 6.6 trillion won in 1990 to 26.6 trillion won in 2008. Last year’s spending represents a twofold increase from ten years ago; and now the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) Defense Reform 2020 projects an annual average increase of 7.6 percent to 53.3 trillion won by 2020, another doubling over the next decade. Is Seoul engaged in defense-budget doubling projects every ten years? Why has South Korea’s military spending increased so much in recent years, and especially under the liberal governments of the past ten years? Why does it keep growing? Is there any pattern that we can discern in South Korea’s military spending? More at:
http://www.fpif.org/articles/allied_to_race_the_us-korea_alliance_and_arms_race

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Iran has 30 kg of high level uranium: atomic chief

ran said on Wednesday it has produced around 30 kilogrammes of 20 percent-enriched uranium, in defiance of UN sanctions imposed on Tehran to suspend the contentious nuclear work. "We have produced nearly 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) of 20 percent enriched uranium so far," Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.
World powers led by Washington want Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment activity, which is at the centre of fears that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons.
Enriched uranium can be used as fuel to power nuclear reactors as well as to make the fissile core of an atom bomb.
World powers backed new UN sanctions against Iran on June 9 after they were infuriated by Tehran's decision to enrich uranium to 20 percent, which theoretically brings it closer to the 90 percent purity used to make a nuclear weapon. Iran denies its atomic programme is aimed at making weapons.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered Iran's atomic body in February to start refining uranium to 20 percent after a nuclear fuel swap deal drafted by the UN atomic watchdog and aimed at providing fuel for a Tehran research reactor hit a deadlock.
Iran claims that by September 2011 it will domestically produce the required fuel and the actual fuel plates to power the reactor.
Western powers say that the Islamic republic does not possess the technology to make the plates.
Meanwhile, Iran and the group of six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are to hold talks on Tehran's overall nuclear programme in mid-November.

The Importance of "Economic Order Quantity" for Starting a New Nuclear Construction Industry in the US by Rod Adams

Howard Dean, Ed Gillespie agree: Energy policy needed

KEPCO wins power plant deal from UAE

Korea Electric Power, Sumitomo score $1.5B deal for U.A.E. project
The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority has awarded Korea Electric Power and Sumitomo a $1.5 billion contract for construction and operation of a nuclear plant in the United Arab Emirates. The facility will be capable of producing 1,600 megawatts when it becomes operational in March 2014, KEPCO said. The Korea Herald (Seoul)http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20101018000922

Ahmadinejad endorses new nuclear talks

TEHRAN. With the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ah...

Image via WikipediaIran signals readiness to resume nuclear talks with West
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has indicated that he is ready to resume international negotiations regarding his country's nuclear program. The negotiations stalled in 2009, shortly before Iran was dealt a fourth set of U.N. sanctions for continuing to process uranium. The Washington Times/The Associated Press

Obama backs Venezuela's right to nuclear energy

White House won't oppose Venezuela's nuclear plan
President Barack Obama said he will not oppose Venezuela's plan to generate nuclear power for peaceful purposes. "Our attitude is that Venezuela has rights to peacefully develop nuclear power," Obama said. His statement comes after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed a deal with Russia for the first nuclear plant in the South American country. Google/Agence France-Presse

Next governor will support nuclear power

Next Wis. governor to back lifting of moratorium on new nuclear plants
MilwaukeeNewsBuzz.com

Former EPA chief Whitman wants place for nuclear

Former EPA chief touts nuclear for clean-energy mandate
Nuclear energy should be included in any discussion for a clean-electricity mandate, former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman said. She said she would like to see "green energy" apply to more power sources. A renewable-energy standard would not suffice to meet the nation's energy demands, said Whitman, who co-chairs the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition. The Washington Post/The Associated Press http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/19/AR2010101903686.html

NRC Chairman is bending rules in Yucca Mountain proceeding

Attempts to kill Yucca Mountain have become "downright brazen"
The tactics used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to force a shutdown of the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste-repository project "have gone beyond suspicious to downright brazen," according to The Seattle Times. Chairman Gregory Jaczko's directive to stop a project evaluation contradicts a ruling of the NRC's own licensing board, ignores ongoing litigation in federal court and makes light of the opinion of more than 90 members of Congress, the newspaper adds. The Seattle Times

AFL-CIO head urges Constellation to not force EDF to buy nonnuclear plants

AFL-CIO asks Constellation to move forward on Calvert Cliffs 3
The AFL-CIO asked Constellation Energy Group to reconsider its decision to "walk away from its investment" in the proposed expansion of Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Maryland, said Richard L. Trumka, the labor group's president. In a letter to Constellation Chairman and CEO Mayo Shattuck, Trumka also urged the utility not to exercise a put option to divest its non-nuclear assets to Electricite de France. Implementing the option "will undermine the long-term value of Constellation," he said. The Sun (Baltimore)

US says Chinese firms ignoring Iran sanctions: report

from Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation and Policy Doctrine

Washington (AFP) Oct 17, 2010 - The United States believes some Chinese firms are helping Iran improve its missile technology and develop nuclear weapons and has asked Beijing to prevent such activity, The Washington Post reported late Sunday. Citing an unnamed senior US official, the newspaper said the request was conveyed during a visit to Beijing last month by a US delegation led by Robert Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control.
Einhorn gave his Chinese counterparts a "significant list" of companies and banks that the United States thinks are violating UN sanctions against Iran without authorization from the Chinese government, the report said.
US intelligence believes that several Chinese companies have been providing restricted technology and materials to Iran's military programs while some Chinese banks were backing these deals, the paper noted.
Most of the deals concerned Iran's missile program, according to The Post.
A senior official from a Western intelligence agency said Chinese firms were also discovered selling high-quality carbon fiber to Iran to help it build better centrifuges, which are used in enriching uranium, the paper noted.
In 2008, for example, Iran obtained 108 pressure gauges, which are critical to the functioning of a centrifuge, from one Chinese company, The Post said.
The report said a year earlier, a small company in the Chinese port city of Dalian provided Iran with a range of sensitive materials, including graphite, tungsten copper, tungsten powder, high-strength aluminum alloys and high-strength steel, again for its nuclear program.
That firm allegedly received payment from Iran via US banks, the paper said.
"My government will investigate the issues raised by the US side," The Post quoted Wang Baodong, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, as saying.

Turkey objects to Nato missile shield targeting Iran

Ahmed Davutoglu, left, Turkey's foreign minister, opened 'negotiations' on the targeting of the missiles at a preliminary meeting in Brussels last week Photo: Reuters

Turkey Objects To Nato Missile Shield Targeting Iran -- The Telegraph

Turkey has imposed hurdles to Nato's planned anti-ballistic missile shield in Europe by demanding proof that the system would not exclusively target Iran.
The development raised further concerns that Turkish foreign policy was tilting outside the sphere of the Western alliance towards alignment with its eastern neighbour.

A Turkish official said Ahmed Davutoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, had opened "negotiations" on the targeting of the missiles at a preliminary meeting in Brussels last week.

Read me ....

More News On Turkish Conditions For Missile Defense In Their Country

Turkey says anti-missile should not single out Iran -- Reuters
Turkey Shields Iran from US Missile Defense in Europe -- Novinite
US not pressing Turkey over NATO missile shield: Gates -- AFP
Gates says US not pressuring Turkey to contribute to NATO missile defence system -- Canadian Press
Missile shield puzzles Turkey -- Global Times

US, Israel list Iran's nuclear drive as a top concern

Iran 'ready to discuss fuel swap' in nuclear talksTehran (AFP) Oct 18, 2010 - Iran said Monday it is ready to discuss the issue of exchanging atomic fuel in upcoming talks with world powers about its overall nuclear programme, ISNA news agency reported. "We are ready to hold simultaneous talks with the 5+1 and the Vienna group about the fuel swap," ISNA quoted Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi as saying. Iran and the 5+1 -- the permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany -- are to hold talks on Tehran's overall nuclear programme on November 15-18.

The talks, which have been deadlocked since October 2009, are aimed at addressing Western suspicions Iran is masking a weapons drive under what the Islamic republic says is a purely civilian atomic programme. Iran is engaged in separate negotiations with the Vienna group comprising France, Russia, the United States and the UN atomic watchdog over the issue of procuring nuclear fuel for a Tehran-based research reactor. Those talks have also been blocked since the middle of last October after the two groups failed to reach an agreement over the initial proposal brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The UN watchdog's proposal envisaged Iran sending 1,200 kilogrammes of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for conversion into the fuel rods required for the Tehran reactor. In May, Iran responded by its own counter-proposal brokered by Turkey and Brazil, which was cold-shouldered by the West which later backed new UN sanctions against Iran on June 9. Iran has in the past favoured holding talks over the fuel swap separately and not during negotiations on its overall nuclear programme.

Washington (AFP) Oct 18, 2010 The United States and Israel on Monday listed Iran's nuclear ambitions as a top concern, as they held another round of talks in their twice-yearly strategic dialogue. US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon held the talks in Washington about common strategic concerns, including Iran and the Arab-Israeli peace process.
"While today's strategic dialogue covered many subjects, it is clear that Iran is among the greatest challenges we face today in the Middle East," the two said in a joint statement.
"Iran's continued noncompliance with its international obligations related to its nuclear program, as well as its continued support for terrorist entities, are of grave concern to our two countries and the entire international community," the statement said.
"Continued efforts by the international community to address Iran's actions through both pressure and engagement are critical to changing Iran's strategic calculus and preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability."
The United States spearheaded international efforts to impose a fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions in June, sanctions it says are aimed at bringing Iran back to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program.
Neither Israel nor the United States has ruled out military strikes in a bid to make Iran comply with international demands to halt its uranium enrichment program.

India steps up role in Asian nuclear renaissance from Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

It’s liability law may lock out U.S. firms. Pres. Obama will want a resolution during his November visit.

Barack Obama Still Deserves an F on Energy

from The Nuclear Green Revolution by Charles Barton

In March of 2009 I wrote a post in which I argued Barack Obama deserved an F for his energy policy. This continues to be the case with the Obama administration continuing to make poorly thought out energy related decisions. Virtually every Obana administration energy related decision over the last 18 months, has been poorly thought out and has wasted opportunities.

Obama has used the stimulus package to offer further subsidies to the renewable energy industry, even though renewable energy is unreliable and is not cost effective when compared to nuclear energy.

Obama has avoided a heads up comparison of renewables and and nuclear energy by failing to appoint a commission on the national energy future.

The Obama administration has mismanaged nuclear loan guarantees.

The Obama administration probably acted improperly in its decision to shut down the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste project. I am no big fan of Yucca Mountain, but the Yucca shut down decision was political and not a response to the national energy need. Thus while the national energy situation is existential, the Obama administration continues to engage in political games over energy

What should Obama have done?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

US takes up Pakistan military wish-list

Gunmen torch NATO trucks in Pakistan: policeQuetta, Pakistan (AFP) Oct 19, 2010 - Gunmen in Pakistan on Tuesday torched vehicles carrying supplies for NATO troops fighting the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan, in the second such attack in 24 hours, police said. The two tankers were attacked in Baluchistan, the southwestern province that borders Iran and Afghanistan and is suffering a regional insurgency as well as violence by the Taliban. The attacks came a week after Pakistan reopened the main land border crossing used by NATO supply convoys, following an 11-day closure imposed after a cross-border NATO helicopter strike killed two Pakistani soldiers.

Two men riding on a motorbike held up the trucks at gun point, forcing the drivers and their helpers to leave, police official Khuda Bakhsh said. The gunmen doused the trucks in petrol before shooting at them at Dasht Bado town, 175 kilometres (about 110 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta, Bakhsh said. The attackers fled on their motorbike, he said. A senior police officer in Quetta confirmed the attack, which came less than 24 hours after three tankers were attacked in Baluchistan on Monday.

There was no claim of responsibility, but the Taliban mounted a series of similar attacks this month, exploiting the build-up of convoys caused by the border closure and saying they were avenging US drone strikes. The United States considers Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt a headquarters of Al-Qaeda and has expanded a covert campaign of drone missile attacks targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives in the region. Pakistan only reopened the border crossing at Torkham in the northwestern Khyber region after a series of formal US apologies for the cross-border strike that killed the two Pakistani soldiers. A second border crossing at Chaman in southwest Pakistan, however, remained open during this period.

by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) Oct 19, 2010 The United States said Tuesday it was in talks with Pakistan about new military assistance as part of a partnership against Islamic extremism, in a step sure to trigger unease in India. The United States and Pakistan on Wednesday open their latest "strategic dialogue," an initiative by President Barack Obama's administration to show Pakistan's skeptical public it is ready to take up its concerns.
Frank Ruggiero, the US deputy special representative on Pakistan and Afghanistan, said the Pentagon and the Pakistani military have been talking about a framework for security assistance.
"We specifically worked with the Pakistanis over the summer to identify what would be the types of military equipment and so on," Ruggiero told reporters. "That will be a topic of discussion at the strategic dialogue."
The US Congress last year approved a five-year, 7.5 billion-dollar package for Pakistan aimed at building schools, infrastructure and democratic institutions in hopes of denting the appeal of Islamic extremists.
Pakistan's powerful military initially voiced misgivings, saying the aid came with too many conditions. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in March promised to work on a "multi-year security assistance package."

Posted by Michele Kearney at 8:47 PM

Iran doesn't need nuclear weapons: Pakistan

Washington (AFP) Oct 18, 2010 The foreign minister of Pakistan said Monday that Iran had no justification to pursue nuclear weapons and urged the neighboring country to embrace overtures from the United States. In some of Pakistan's strongest statements on Iran's controversial nuclear program, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that he wanted to avoid "another major crisis in the region."
"In my view, I don't think they have a justification to go nuclear," Qureshi said at Harvard University.
"Who's threatening Iran? I don't see any immediate threat to Iran," he said, while adding that Pakistan accepted Iran's "right to civilian use of technology."
Qureshi said he has shared his views with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and told him to seize on US President Barack Obama's stated willingness to engage in dialogue to mend decades of fraught US-Iranian ties.
"This administration has been extending the olive branch -- make use of it. Engage the world," Qureshi said.

Scotland could benefit from new nuclear stations south of the Border

Scottish official criticizes SNP's anti-nuclear policy
The Scottish National Party's policy against the construction of nuclear plants prevents Scotland from generating highly skilled jobs and doesn't take into account climate change, said Lewis Macdonald, Scottish Labor's shadow energy minister. "Even the Scottish Government's own Council of Economic Advisers [has] warned it is wrong to rule out nuclear energy," he said. The Scotsman (Edinburgh)

U.K. Proposes Eight More Sites as Suitable to Build Nuclear-Energy Plants

U.K. recommends 8 sites for new nuclear plants
The U.K. identified eight potential locations for new reactors and wouldn't rule out the possibility of shared financial risks with companies planning to construct the facilities. "There will be no public subsidy for new nuclear power," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne. Bloomberg