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Misguided and unjust murders of Iran’s nuclear scientists

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After World War 2, Simon Weisenthal and other Jewish and non-Jewish Nazi hunters went to enormous trouble not only to track down Nazi criminals, but also to ensure that they had a fair trial.  Those Nazis who were executed first had a proper judicial process, with evidence, witnesses and defense counsel.

How justice is now failing! Are we expected to believe that it is OK for the Israeli government to assassinate Iranian civilians, for Israel’s political reasons. How the “Jewish State” has abandoned true Jewish principles!

Over recent times, the world has seen the killing of Osama Bin Laden, and the very horrible killing of Gaddafi.  Not a public complaint about the lack of fair process, the lack of evidence even, in the bin Laden killing.   I’m not saying that these were good people.

But where is justice, in these arbitrary murders?    And what is the purpose of murdering Iranian scientists?  Is it inflame the Muslim world with hatred for the West, and so bring about nuclear war?

January 12, 2012 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Three noteworthy developments in nuclear news

NUCLEAR WEAPONS, Killed in Iran: Part of a Nuclear Trifecta , TIME, By MARK THOMPSON, January 11, 2012 It has been a busy day or so on the nuclear front:

– An Iran nuclear scientist was assassinated Wednesday morning in Tehran.

– The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock warning of nuclear war to 11:56 p.m. – one minute closer to the midnight when it believes nuclear war could break out.

– And the Nuclear Threat Initiative released its Nuclear Materials Security Index, a database charting publicly for the first time 32 nations that possess the fissile guts of nuclear weapons – and how secure they are.

The trio consists of three discrete elements, but – like a radioactive Venn diagram – they overlap in disconcerting ways…..
nuclear weapons remain the crack cocaine of world leaders, crazy or not, who want the security they seem to offer. And those who fear such weapons falling into what they deem to be the wrong hands are just as determined to see they don’t get them.

That certitude is apparently behind the killing of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a 32-year old Iranian chemist. He died after an unknown killer, riding a motorbike, affixed a bomb to his gray Peugeot 405 in northern Tehran that exploded moments later. “The bomb was a magnetic bomb and is the same as those previously used to assassinate scientists,” Tehran Deputy Governor Safar Ali Baratlo said, “and is the work of the Zionists.” Both Israel and the U.S. have denied involvement in such attacks………  : http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2012/01/11/killed-in-iran-part-of-a-nuclear-trifecta/#ixzz1jIEDcSrA

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Fifth assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist

Iranian nuclear chemist killed by motorbike assassins,  and ,  guardian.co.uk,   11 January 2012  Tensions escalate with US and Israel as Tehran accuses the Mossad in fifth murder of scientists

A chemist working at Iran‘s main uranium enrichment plant was killed on Wednesday when attackers on a motorbike stuck a magnetic bomb to his car. The assassination – the fifth against Iranian nuclear scientists in the past two years – is likely to further escalate tensions between Iran and the west.

It took place at 8.30am, at the height of rush-hour in Tehran, according to witnesses quoted in the Iranian media. A motorcycle pulled up alongside a silver Peugeot 405 carrying the deputy director of the Natanz enrichment plant, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, 32.

The pillion passenger stuck a charge to the door next to the chemist, which detonated as the motorcyclist drove off. The car’s driver was also killed and a pedestrian was wounded, but the charge used appeared to have a sophisticated shape that focused the blast into the car. While the door ended up in nearby trees, much of the car remained intact.

Ahmadi-Roshan was the fifth nuclear scientist to be attacked in Tehran in 24 months. Only one target has survived the daytime attacks, apparently carried out by a well-trained hit team. Iran has said the US and Israel are behind the assassinations, and blamed the Mossad for Wednesday’s killings….. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/11/iran-nuclear-chemist-killed?newsfeed=true

January 12, 2012 Posted by | civil liberties, Iran, safety | Leave a comment

Ahmadinejad points out that Iran has done nothing wrong

Ahmadinejad says Iran has done nothing wrong By Jeff Franks, HAVANA | Wed Jan 11, 2012  (Reuters) – Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flashed the victory sign and said Iran had done nothing to warrant enmity from its enemies after he arrived in Cuba on Wednesday amid heightened international tensions.

He said nothing about the bomb attack that killed an Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran earlier in the day, which his government blamed on Israel and the United States, the leaders of international opposition to Iran’s nuclear program.

Ahmadinejad was to meet with President Raul Castro later, but shortly after arrival in the Cuban capital he told students in veiled remarks at the University of Havana that Iran was being “punished” for no good reason.

“Have we assaulted someone? Have we wanted more than we should have? Never, never. We have only asked to speak about and establish justice,” Ahmadinejad said……

January 12, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Nuclear security recommendations from The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index Global Priorities for Security Needed All Governments Can Do More WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ “…….Recommendations
NTI recommends actions for the global community to take, in parallel with steps to improve state stewardship.

Build the Foundation for a Global Nuclear Materials Security System

  • Establish an international dialogue on priorities for materials security through the Nuclear Security Summit or a subsequent process
  • Benchmark progress and hold states accountable for security
  • Build appropriate transparency to increase international confidence by:
    • Publishing and providing access to nuclear materials security regulations
    • Declaring nuclear materials inventories
    • Inviting regular peer reviews
  • Stop increasing stocks of weapons-usable materials

Improve State Stewardship of Nuclear Materials

  • Eliminate weapons-usable nuclear materials completely in as many states as possible
  • Strengthen security and control measures, including physical protection, control and accounting, and personnel measures at facilities and during transport of nuclear materials
  • Bring all civil uranium enrichment and reprocessing facilities under IAEA safeguards
  • Better target assistance to states with urgent needs
  • Ratify and implement existing materials security-related treaties. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) assesses nuclear security in 176 countries

Full rankings are available  on the website, www.ntiindex.org.  

NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index Global Priorities for Security Needed All Governments Can Do More WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) today released a first-of-its-kind, public baseline assessment of the status of nuclear materials security conditions in 176 countries. The NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index underscores that there is no global consensus about what steps matter most to secure some of the world’s most dangerous materials against theft and recommends actions to hold countries accountable, increase transparency and benchmark progress. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear security worst in N Korea, Pakistan, Iran, India, China and Israel

 The project ranks the 32 states which possess more than a kilogram of highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium, according to some weighed criteria: how much stuff they have and in how many places; the security and control measures in place; to what extent they stick to global norms and agreements on nuclear security; the domestic political will and capacity to enforce those norms, and the fragility of their societies including the level of corruption.

India, China and Israel ranked among the world’s worst for nuclear security
The Guardian, Julian Borger, 11 Jan 12, A new index assessing the vulnerability of the world’s stocks of weapons-grade nuclear material produces some surprising results. The Nuclear Threat Initiative, a respected non-proliferation think tank, and the Economic Intelligence Unit have produced a new ranking systemto assess the security of the world’s scattered stocks of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Solar energy for e-books, iPad, iPhone, other mobile phones and USB devices

Solar Panel Cover For The Kindle E-reader, by Energy Matters, 9 Jan 12 Using solar energy to provide power for hand-held devices has huge potential and while solar panels embedded in mobile phones mightn’t be much chop (yet) in terms of performance; it seems a new solar cover for the Kindle e-reader delivers.

The SolarKindle, weighing just 215 grams, incorporates a flexible, lightweight triple junction amorphous solar panel and is able to provide some level of charging even in the shade.  A one hour charge in direct sunlight can provide almost three days worth of reading time according to the company that created the device, SolarFocus Technology.

After fully charging the Kindle, the solar panel automatically switches to charge the SolarKindle’s 1500mA reserve battery. A fully charged reserve battery requires around eight hours of direct sunlight and provides up to 80% of backup power to the Kindle.

……. sticking your SolarKindle enshrouded e-reader out in the sun on a 40 degree day for extended periods may be unwise.

The SolarKindle also incorporates an 800 lux LED reading lamp. If the reserve battery is used for lighting alone, it can power the light for up to 50 hours. An LED indicator incorporated in the SolarKindle shows battery power level and status of charging and discharging.

The SolarKindle can be purchased online for around AUD $80, plus delivery.
SolarFocus was named an International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for its SolarKindle Lighted Cover. The company says it holds several solar technology patents with their products used in extreme environments such as the Himalayas and the North Pole.

SolarFocus also manufactures a folding solar charger for the iPad, iPhone, other mobile phones and USB devices called the SolarMio Pro. While certainly not as compact as the embedded solar panel Nokia recently trialed, the 5 watt SolarMio Pro watt system can provide 6 hours of talk time on the iPhone 3Gs with just an hour of solar charging..   http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=1972

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, decentralised | Leave a comment

Higher incidence of child leukaemia near nuclear plants

French nuclear plants double child leukemia – study  TVNZ January 12, 2012 Source: Reuters  The incidence of leukaemia is twice as high in children living close to French nuclear power plants as in those living elsewhere in the country, a study by French health and nuclear safety experts has found.

But the study, to be published soon in the International Journal of Cancer, fell short of establishing a causal link between the higher incidence of leukaemia, a type of blood cancer, and living near nuclear power plants.. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | France, health | Leave a comment

USA election 2012 – vote for green jobs

In previous blogs and our free online book, we point out the alternative reality that other nations, and even some US states, are already prospering from: green jobs for a green economy.

The latest news out of Massachussetts, for example, is that cap and trade of greenhouse gases is creating more jobs and saving energy — primarily because the state is investing the revenues into improving energy efficiency.

Addressing Climate Change: Vote for Green, Not Junk Jobs, Huffington Post, Mary Ellen Harte and John Harte, 12 Jan 12, “…… in 2012  warm, sunny winter weather — an insidious, sinful delight of climate change. Perhaps that is why the Republican slate of presidential wannabes ignores the issue entirely, focusing instead on lack of jobs, despite President Obama’s attempts to create green ones.

But are the jobs that Republican candidates propose really going to solve our nation’s biggest problems? As the overwhelming majority of reputable scientists agree, burning fossil fuels produces air pollution that harms the health of Americans, and heats our global fluids enough to change climate worldwide. In 2011, enhanced droughts, hurricanes, heat and floods wiped out people, crops and infrastructure throughout the US, creating record costly damage. Now, consider: for the first time ever, fossil fuels, in the form of gas and refined oil, were the prime export of the US in 2011. Yes, the stuff behind huge health costs and harmful climate change is what the US now exports the most. And the Republicans want us to produce more of these fuels. Their twisted utopia includes jobs to import more dirty Canadian oil, frack for more dirty gas, and burn more dirty coal.

These are junk jobs, as disastrous as junk bonds and mortgage loans, and under Republican pressure the US continues to misguidedly subsidize the industries that create them. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nicaragua’s President urges Israel to foster peace, destroy nuclear weapons

Nicaragua’s Ortega urges Israel to destroy nuclear arms By Dave Graham, MANAGUA | Wed Jan 11, 2012  (Reuters) – Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega on Tuesday urged Israel to destroy its nuclear weapons to foster peace in the Middle East as he hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is touring Latin America. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | SOUTH AMERICA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Ionising radiation a valuable medical tool, but only when really warranted

 “Ionized radiation is the most studied carcinogen in the world.”

the problem is that sometimes the devices are used when they are not necessary, a situation peculiar to the American medical system. In the United Kingdom and Europe the devices are not used unless the need is warranted by the patient’s medical condition.

On that, everyone seems to agree.

Medical Physicists Say Fear of Diagnostic Radiation Is Overblown Patients should not decline X-ray imaging for medically advised procedures, group says. Jan 11, 2012 Inside Science, By Joel N. Shurkin, ISNS  — An association of physicists in the medical field has warned patients not to decline diagnostic radiation procedures because of perceptions that the tests may be
harmful. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | health, USA | Leave a comment

USA-North Korea – food in exchange for nuclear shutdown?

North Korea says US offered food for nuclear shutdown, Business Recorder, JANUARY 12, 2012    North Korea said Wednesday that the United States had offered food aid and a suspension of sanctions if it halted its uranium enrichment programme.

The comments by a foreign ministry spokesman to Pyongyang’s official news agency were the first by the North on the issue.

Before the sudden death of the North’s leader Kim Jong-Il on December 17, there were several media reports that such an agreement was imminent.

At talks in July last year, Washington “proposed to take confidence-building steps such as suspension of sanctions, as well as food aid” in return for a “temporary suspension” of uranium enrichment, the North’s spokesman said.

Experts say the uranium programme disclosed in November 2010 could give the communist state a second way to make nuclear weapons. The disclosure spurred efforts to revive stalled six-party nuclear disarmament negotiations. http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/single/599/172/1141775/

January 12, 2012 Posted by | politics international | Leave a comment

USA hypocrisy in nuclear sales to Middle East – arms race risk?

Nuclear trade agreements allow for U.S. companies to build reactors overseas or provide sensitive technologies, nuclear materials or know-how to recipient nations.

“I think the administration will pay lip service to the idea of [a nuclear trade partner] forgoing enrichment and reprocessing, but I would be very surprised if they made renunciation a hard condition of any agreement,” said nuclear expert Jeffrey Lewis.

serious concerns about the possibility that the entire region could be on the verge of a race to develop nuclear weapons.

Obama Team Reveals Nuclear Trade, Nonproliferation Decision on Capitol Hill, National Journal,  By Elaine M. Grossman January 11, 2012  The Obama administration told key lawmakers by letter on Tuesday how it intends to pursue upcoming nuclear trade agreements with one or more partner states, and the decision was believed to shed light on whether such pacts would contain specific conditions aimed at discouraging the spread of nuclear weapons, Global Security Newswire has learned (see GSN, July 28, 2011).

 Two senior Obama administration officials wanted to brief key lawmakers in person or by phone this week, but logistics proved impossible and a written notification was sent instead, according to sources.

Details were shrouded in secrecy even after the letters were sent to the chairs and ranking members of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees, but the outlines of a policy determination appeared to be emerging, sources and experts said.  Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | politics, secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Blended nuclear waste allowed in Utah

Audio State Regulators Stand By Decision to Allow Blended Nuclear Waste 01.10.2012 by Jessica Gail (KCPW News) The battle over nuclear waste in Utah raged on Tuesday as anti-nuclear activists along with representatives of EnergySolutions met before the Utah Radiation Control Board. State regulators have come under scrutiny over a recent decision to allow blended radioactive waste to be buried in Utah. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on the state’s reasoning and what environmental activists have to say about it.  http://kcpw.org/blog/local-news/2012-01-10/state-regulators-stand-by-decision-to-allow-blended-nuclear-waste/

January 12, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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