nuclear-news

“Peaceful” ? New uranium mine for Australia

Uranium mine linked to US arms dealer

The Age Ben Cubby

July 16, 2009

THE new uranium mine approved by Environment Minister Peter Garrett will be owned by a subsidiary of one of the world’s biggest arms dealers.

A colourful but reclusive billionaire named James Neal Blue, who helped devise the Predator unmanned aircraft being used in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a director of Quasar Resources, the company that will control the Four Mile mine.

Quasar Resources is an affiliate of General Atomics, a US weapons and nuclear energy corporation that is chaired by Mr Blue, and reportedly holds $US700 million ($A877 million) in Pentagon contracts. Mr Blue first came to prominence during the 1980s as a self-described “enthusiastic supporter” of US involvement in a covert war against the left-wing government in Nicaragua.

Next to the new Four Mile mine is the Beverley uranium mine, which is owned by Heathgate Resources, also affiliated to Mr Blue’s General Atomics.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/uranium-mine-linked-to-us-arms-dealer-20090715-dli7.html

July 16, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized