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Define ‘Nazi’: Western media muddies history to cover up Canada’s SS scandal

 https://www.rt.com/news/584101-western-media-nazi-canada/ 6 Oct 23 #Ukraine

“Fighting against the USSR didn’t necessarily make you a Nazi,” Politico says. Maybe. But Yaroslav Hunka definitely was one

Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist, and host of independently produced talk-shows in French and English.

Historical revisionists are now trying to argue that actual Nazi soldiers were just anti-Soviet resisters. 

We knew that it was coming. It was only a matter of time. And now attempts to whitewash the actions of actual Nazis from WWII have begun – all because a bunch of ignoramuses in the Canadian parliament cheered one alongside Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, and it all just makes Ukraine and its Western supporters look bad.

It also makes Western lawmakers look like they have no clue when it comes to Nazism in Ukraine – either past or present. So instead of asking questions about their judgment, it’s time to ask whether you’ve just misunderstood Nazis. 

The newly-resigned Canadian House Speaker introduced Ukrainian one-time Waffen-SS soldier Yaroslav Hunka as a Ukrainian (and naturalized Canadian) who fought Russians back in the day, yet apparently no one bothered to do the math. The Soviet Union was allied with the West against Nazi Germany. Nazi Germany was who fought against the Russians. Okay, it wasn’t the only one – there were others, like the Polish Home Army, which fought against both the Soviets and the Germans. So maybe Hunka was part of that? That’s the theoretical explanation the German Foreign Office offered when it emerged that the German ambassador to Canada was also present at the standing ovation in parliament. Yeah, that must have been it. A Ukrainian going to war to protect Ukraine from the Soviet Union by joining the Polish Home Army. Sounds plausible.

Oh, no, wait, he was actually in the Waffen SS, namely the First Galician Division – a unit that mostly consisted of Ukrainians and killed Poles and Jews. He joined it voluntarily and later described his decision in an essay published by an American online magazine. And now Poland wants him extradited for alleged war crimes. 

Leaving aside convoluted historical revisionism, those who don’t acknowledge the nuance in this Nazi’s service are just feeding Russian propaganda, according to some Western commentators. “This history is complicated,” one wrote recently in POLITICO. “Because fighting against the USSR at the time didn’t necessarily make you a Nazi, just someone who had an excruciating choice over which of these two terror regimes to resist.”

It’s pretty safe to say that someone who volunteered for the combat branch of the Nazi Party’s paramilitary Schutzstaffel (SS) organization is an actual Nazi – unlike Canadian Freedom Convoy truckers and their supporters who were treated like Nazis by this same Canadian government, which went as far as to even block some of their bank accounts. Have Hunka and the actual Nazis who were welcomed to Canada in the wake of the war ever had their bank accounts blocked? Or is that just for people who honk too loudly in protest? Who’s more embarrassing to Canada: naturalized Nazis, truckers, or the parliament? 

So apparently, we’re supposed to now believe that Waffen SS soldiers aren’t really Nazis, just anti-Soviet resistors. Are we supposed to also look deep into the heart and intentions of each individual who served voluntarily in the Nazi uniform to determine how they really felt about it? Who knows – perhaps Hunka didn’t really mean it when pledging loyalty to the Führer. Maybe he’s like an employee at Home Depot who can’t be held responsible for store policies – even though, in the case of Nazis, that didn’t fly either, as the Nuremberg Trials proved. 

It takes some Olympic-grade mental gymnastics to suggest that neither Zelensky, who’s Ukrainian himself, nor Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who holds degrees in Russian and Slavic studies from Oxford and Harvard and whose grandfather edited a Ukrainian Nazi newspaper during WWII, couldn’t have known that this guy just might be a Nazi… but they whooped it up for him anyway. But now, their actions are on the verge of being reframed. 

It’s all such a backside-covering move to compensate for a total lack of due diligence – the same kind that was demonstrated when it emerged that Canada had knowingly trained and equipped Azov Battalion neo-Nazis for Ukraine’s current conflict with Russia while seemingly being bothered far more by the notion that the press risked finding out about it than by the idea of training guys with Nazi tattoos. 

To accept historic reality, instead of trying hard to weasel Justin Trudeau and the Canadian establishment out of this embarrassment, is to let “Russian propaganda” win. Seriously. That’s the argument. “Canada’s enemies have thus latched on to these simple narratives, alongside concerned citizens in Canada itself, with the misstep over Hunka being used by Russia and its backers to attack Ukraine, Canada and each country’s association with the other,” wrote the POLITICO commentator. Know who else has “latched on” to the “I can’t believe they could be that dumb” narrative around this Canadian Nazipalooza? Honest people and patriots who are, in fact, less interested in peddling narratives that serve a handful of establishment elites and more interested in defending historical realities that serve all of humanity rather than reframing or perverting them to suit an ideological cause – anti-Russian or otherwise.

Trudeau said in the same breath as his apology for the Hunka incident that “it’s going to be really important that all of us push back against Russian propaganda, Russian disinformation, and continue our steadfast and unequivocal support for Ukraine.” It seems that some have already jumped on the opportunity to redefine defense of well-established historical record as “Russian propaganda” and to impose the whims of Western leaders as the new dystopian reality.

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Canada, spinbuster | Leave a comment

Military space groups in New Mexico expand recruitment and STEM education for children

STEM Education

AFRL’s STEM Academy provides curriculum and hands-on activities for students in kindergarten through high school including rocket launch competitions and simulated Mars missions.

Space News, Debra Werner, October 3, 2023 #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

“……….. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate along with other military space organizations at Kirtland, including the Space Systems Command Innovation and Prototyping Directorate and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, are funding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, expanding internship programs and bolstering local and long-distance recruitment efforts.  

Since 2019 when Congress established the U.S. Space Force, demand for military, civilian and contractor space professionals across the country has grown. Demand is particularly acute in New Mexico, a state with about 2.1 million employees……………

Internships and Fellowships

AFRL brings high school, college and postgraduate researchers to Kirtland for summer internships. The goal is to “expose people to some of the things we do, because some of the things we do here are pretty cool,” Erwin said. “They can be offsets for things like not being able to pay people as much money” as private industry.

Science and engineering staff members at AFRL publish research topics online. Students can apply to work on specific topics.

“Those topics run all the way from things that are appropriate for a freshman in high school to advanced research, where we’re writing papers for journals and conferences for a PhD candidate,” Erwin said.

STEM Education

AFRL’s STEM Academy provides curriculum and hands-on activities for students in kindergarten through high school including rocket launch competitions and simulated Mars missions.

To meet growing demand, military space organizations seek to attract workers living in New Mexico and encourage other people to move there. 

…….The Space Force, meanwhile, is working with state and local governments and nonprofits like the Space Valley Coalition and NewSpace Nexus on STEM programs that encourage New Mexico students to consider space careers and stay in-state.

The Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta also is strengthening ties with universities.

“We are developing partnerships with universities within New Mexico and regional universities, like the University of Texas, El Paso, to leverage those recruitment pipelines for technical as well as programmatic talent,” Straight said……….  https://spacenews.com/military-space-groups-in-new-mexico-expand-recruitment-and-stem/

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Education, USA | Leave a comment

Star Wars? Learned professor speaks of threat to peace in space

 https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/star-wars-learned-professor-speaks-of-threat-to-peace-in-space/ 6 Oct 23 #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

Space-based weapons and nuclear-powered space vehicles might seem the stuff of Science Fiction but many of the leading militaries in the world now have ‘Space Commands’, an armed service dedicated ‘dominance’ in the world of space. Representatives from the UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities heard today about the threat to peace now being posed by the increasing militarisation of space.

Professor Emeritus Dave Webb was the guest speaker at the October meeting of the NFLA Steering Committee. Dave is the former Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and is now the Convenor of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Established in 1992, the network is an international body of academics and activists opposed to the militarisation and the use of nuclear power in space.

In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared that October 4-10 every year would be designated as ‘World Space Week’ to ‘celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition’; in response the Global Network designates 7-14 October as ‘Keep Space for Peace Week’.

Despite being signatories to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 which prohibits nuclear weapons in space; limits the use of the Moon and all other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes; establishes that space shall be freely explored and used by all nations; and precludes any country from claiming sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body, many of the world’s leading powers have established new military commands to establish a presence in space.

With communications, navigation, command-and-control, surveillance, espionage, and the detection of threats being reliant on signals beamed from space, each of the world’s major powers wants to be able to ensure that its satellites remain safe from electronic interference, sabotage, or destruction, whilst over time being able to develop the capability to destroy those of their adversaries in time of war.

As militarisation continues, tensions between the powers engaged in this space race will increase and so war will become more likely. This year’s theme for ‘Keep Space for Peace Week’ reflects one such source of tension – the increasingly crowded skies above our Earth.

Professor Webb explains: “This year we are highlighting the danger posed to peace by our crowded Low Earth Orbit.

“In 1985 – 1988, there were about 5,000 – 6,000 objects in orbit, there are now about 27,000 and this figure is increasing rapidly. Elon Musk’s Space X has launched about 12,000 satellites and various other companies are now planning 71,000 more.

“The United States being especially aggressive in working to secure as many of the remaining slots as possible, seeking to freeze out its rivals generating resentment. The Global Network is currently engaged in legal action in the US to pressure the Federal Communications Commission to follow the law and conduct environmental impacts assessments before approving any further launches,

6th October 2023

Star Wars? Learned professor speaks of threat to peace in space

Space-based weapons and nuclear-powered space vehicles might seem the stuff of Science Fiction but many of the leading militaries in the world now have ‘Space Commands’, an armed service dedicated ‘dominance’ in the world of space. Representatives from the UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities heard today about the threat to peace now being posed by the increasing militarisation of space.

Professor Emeritus Dave Webb was the guest speaker at the October meeting of the NFLA Steering Committee. Dave is the former Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and is now the Convenor of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Established in 1992, the network is an international body of academics and activists opposed to the militarisation and the use of nuclear power in space.

In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared that October 4-10 every year would be designated as ‘World Space Week’ to ‘celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition’; in response the Global Network designates 7-14 October as ‘Keep Space for Peace Week’.

Despite being signatories to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 which prohibits nuclear weapons in space; limits the use of the Moon and all other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes; establishes that space shall be freely explored and used by all nations; and precludes any country from claiming sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body, many of the world’s leading powers have established new military commands to establish a presence in space.

With communications, navigation, command-and-control, surveillance, espionage, and the detection of threats being reliant on signals beamed from space, each of the world’s major powers wants to be able to ensure that its satellites remain safe from electronic interference, sabotage, or destruction, whilst over time being able to develop the capability to destroy those of their adversaries in time of war.

As militarisation continues, tensions between the powers engaged in this space race will increase and so war will become more likely. This year’s theme for ‘Keep Space for Peace Week’ reflects one such source of tension – the increasingly crowded skies above our Earth.

Professor Webb explains: “This year we are highlighting the danger posed to peace by our crowded Low Earth Orbit.

“In 1985 – 1988, there were about 5,000 – 6,000 objects in orbit, there are now about 27,000 and this figure is increasing rapidly. Elon Musk’s Space X has launched about 12,000 satellites and various other companies are now planning 71,000 more.

“The United States being especially aggressive in working to secure as many of the remaining slots as possible, seeking to freeze out its rivals generating resentment. The Global Network is currently engaged in legal action in the US to pressure the Federal Communications Commission to follow the law and conduct environmental impacts assessments before approving any further launches,

“NASA scientists have warned that growing space debris could lead to likely-cascading collisions in orbit, however accidental. This ‘Kessler Syndrome’ could lead to military tensions as collisions would often involve space vehicles of competing nations, and retaliation and further escalation might result.”

In readiness for possible future warfighting in space, the UK Government has also established a Space Command as the fourth branch of the armed forces, with a mission to ‘protect and defend UK and allied interests in, from, and to space’.

UK government funding is also backing research at the Universities of Bangor and Southampton to develop nuclear propulsion systems for the next generation of rockets and Rolls Royce has received a grant to develop a nuclear power plant for deployment at a future crewed moon-base. In addition, seven space ports are in development in the UK, five in Scotland, one in Snowdonia, and one at Newquay.

The NFLAs have real worries about the use of the space ports for military purposes and the deployment of nuclear power in space.

NFLA Steering Committee Chair, Councillor Lawrence O’Neill explained: “With new space ports, UK Space Command will be looking to deploy more military spy satellites to further its mission, but over time a new generation of military space vehicles may be developed with the capacity to carry conventional or non-conventional weapons. Although this might seem fanciful, this pattern has been followed with drones.

“At first these unmanned aerial vehicles were used for surveillance, but they have since been developed into formidable weapons platforms bristling with missiles, with strikes guided by anonymous remote operators located thousands of miles from the battlefield; coupled with AI, they would be more formidable still as a robot never tires nor has second thoughts. Who is to say that space vehicles will not be developed in a same pattern, if left unchecked?”

The NFLAs are also concerned that a British manned moon base might be usurped for military, rather than altruistic scientific, purposes, and that any use of nuclear power there will lead to the contamination of space and the lunar surface, and pose a real of radioactive contamination if an explosion took place on Earth.

Cllr O’Neill concluded: “Any failed launch or re-entry of a nuclear-powered space vehicle could, if an explosion occurred, lead to the dispersal of radioactive contamination into our atmosphere. This fear was one of the reasons cited by the advisory body CORWM, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, for not recommending to government any plan to blast radioactive waste into space.

“These are the many reasons why it is so important that we Keep Space for Peace.”

October 7, 2023 Posted by | space travel, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Lincolnshire: a green and nuclear promised land

buried in the small print in the accompanying Job Description are the words ‘the post is fully funded by Nuclear Waste Services’ and the post is described as ‘Permanent’.

 https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/lincolnshire-a-green-and-nuclear-promised-land/ 6 Oct 23 #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

Lincolnshire County Council intends to ‘pursue nuclear schemes which respond to the growth of the sector’ by creating a specialist officer role to advise it, and Nuclear Waste Services seem keen to back it because they are paying their salary.

The authority has just placed an advertisement for a Policy and Engagement Officer who will ‘build our understanding of the sector, [to] prepare information about the growth of the sector, and [to] pursue schemes which respond to the growth of the sector’.

To the UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities it is clear their understanding of the harsh realities faced by the sector is lacking as they reference the ‘proposed Geological Disposal Facility’, ‘the introduction of a fusion reactor’ and the ‘production of small modular reactors’ as though all are imminent.

If the motivation behind the appointment is primarily economic, then Lincolnshire County Council is labouring under a delusion, for pursuance of any of these propositions would be long-term and very uncertain.

The Theddlethorpe site is one of three that are known to be under active consideration by Nuclear Waste Services for the GDF; however, there is significant opposition from the local community and elected members, any siting will be subject to a promised ‘Test of Public Support’ in 2027, and even if taken forward it will be decades before it is built.

The earliest likely date that any practical fusion reactor, assuming that one can be made to work and is commercially viable, would be sometime in the 2050s. Despite the hype, every fusion experiment so far has required the expenditure of far more energy to start and sustain it than the amount of energy released at the end of it, and all these experiments have been of incredibly short duration.

And with reference to small modular reactors, it was only yesterday that Great British Nuclear recommended a set of designs to take forward. Now, in this nuclear version of a reality TV show, the contestants will face a three-year rigorous assessment by the Office of Nuclear Regulation, and those who survive will have to build a working prototype, build a factory to manufacture the parts, find a site or sites they deem suitable, secure site-specific permissions from regulators, planners, and government, avoid legal challenges from the local community, build the damned thing, and get it working. Sorry LCC – it’s going to be 2030’s at the earliest.

But if any motivation behind the appointment is the Council’s belief that nuclear is somehow the means to create ‘carbon free’ electricity to arrest climate change, their delusion is stronger still. For with over a decade at least to run before any possible earliest deployment of a working reactor in the county, the authority is clearly stepping away from its responsibility to do what it can now to mitigate its effects and for the people of Coningsby in Lincolnshire, who in July 2022, laboured under a temperature of 40.3 degrees centigrade, the hottest recorded in the UK, the wait will be especially bitter.

The NFLAs, wishing to be helpful, offer Lincolnshire County Council some alternate suggestions for duties for the appointed officer.
Councillor David Blackburn, Chair of the NFLA’s English Forum, explains:

“We would love to see the appointee help lower energy bills for the households of Lincolnshire, lower energy consumption, generate truly green, sustainable energy, and create jobs for the county, but new nuclear, which takes forever, costs a fortune, contaminates its surroundings, and leaves a deadly legacy of toxic nuclear waste, need not feature.

“Why? Because this officer should instead be seeking grants to install energy saving devices and insulation in the county’s most energy inefficient homes, many of which will be occupied by households in the greatest financial hardship, and, by working in partnership with communities, district and local councils, educational and medical establishments, social landlords and businesses, help install renewable energy technologies, such as a programme of roof top solar schemes, across the county.

“These activities would generate cleaner, cheaper electricity and create jobs in the short-term, not in the never ever”.

Will the job be repurposed to make this happen? The NFLAs think not as buried in the small print in the accompanying Job Description are the words ‘the post is fully funded by Nuclear Waste Services’ and the post is described as ‘Permanent’.

Councillor Blackburn concluded: “Whilst this may mean job security for the successful candidate, it must represent insecurity for the residents of Theddlethorpe, Mablethorpe, and Sutton.

“For the first duty listed for the postholder will be to act as ‘the main point of contact between the council and the geological disposal facility which is proposed by Nuclear Waste Services for Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire’.

“If NWS is indeed providing ‘permanent’ funding then it must remain of the view that, despite the clear local opposition to the proposal, a GDF might be go forward for Theddlethorpe in the future. Otherwise, why would they invest?

“I pity the people of Lincolnshire whose County Council appears to want to redesignate the county as a green, but nuclear promised, land.”

October 7, 2023 Posted by | spinbuster, UK | Leave a comment

Trump blabbed nuclear sub secrets to Australian billionaire member of Mar-a-Lago club, report claims

Andrew Feinberg, Fri, October 6, 2023 https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-blabbed-nuclear-sub-secrets-211203147.html?guccounter=1

Former president Donald Trump allegedly revealed highly classified information about American nuclear-powered submarines to a wealthy Australian who regularly paid large sums to one of his companies, according to a report from ABC News.

Mr Trump reportedly disclosed the extremely sensitive information to a billionaire member of his Mar-a-Lago social club, which is housed at the location where he allegedly hoarded hundreds of classified documents for more than a year after his term as president — and his authorisation to possess such documents — had come to an end.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, ABC reported that the Aussie high-roller in question allegedly shared the information about US nuclear-powered submarines with “scores” of other people not authorised to have it, including “more than a dozen foreign officials” and journalists of unknown nationality.

Department of Justice investigators working under the supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith learned of the potential breach as they were investigating Mr Trump’s alleged unlawful retention of national defence information.

Both prosecutors and special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation have reportedly spoken to the Mar-a-Lago member, packaging magnate Anthony Pratt, on at least two occasions this year.

Mr Pratt reportedly told investigators that the ex-president told him two pieces of information about the submarines: How many nuclear warheads are carried by American Ohio class ballistic missile submarines, and how close to such vessels a Russian submarine must get to detect them.

Both of those figures are among the US Navy’s most closely guarded secrets. But sources reportedly told ABC that Mr Pratt described what Mr Trump had said to at least 45 other people, including 10 Australian officials and a trio of former prime ministers.

October 7, 2023 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Who Is Anthony Pratt, the Australian Billionaire Trump Allegedly Shared Nuclear Secrets With?

Bloomberg, By Andrew Heathcote, October 6, 2023 #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt has been hurled into the spotlight after US press reports alleged that former President Donald Trump spilled secrets about US nuclear subs to the businessman.

ABC News first reported that Trump discussed the potentially sensitive information with Pratt — who’s a member of his Mar-a-Lago Club — shortly after leaving office. The report alleges that the businessman then went on to share that information with several others, following the revelations at Trump’s private club.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about Australia’s ‘cardboard king’…………………………………………..

He’s worth $9.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That makes him the world’s 213th richest person, the data show……………………………

Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison joined Trump and Pratt on their paper plant tour in 2020. Pratt also has a relationship with President Joe Biden having invited the then vice president to dinner during his Australian visit in 2016. Back in 2013, during the Obama administration he appointed a former US ambassador to his advisory board…………………..

What did Pratt do after Trump’s alleged revelations?

After Trump allegedly shared details on the submarines — reported to be the number of nuclear warheads they carry and how close they can get to Russian subs — Pratt went on to disclose the potentially-sensitive information to “scores of others,” including foreign officials, journalists and employees, according to ABC. He has since been interviewed by US law enforcement agencies, the network reported…………… more https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-06/who-is-anthony-pratt-the-billionaire-trump-is-accused-of-revealing-secrets-to?leadSource=uverify%20wall

October 7, 2023 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Russia not looking for ‘more territory’ – Putin

“We were not the ones who organized a bloody coup in Kiev; it wasn’t us who intimidated the Crimeans and Sevastopol residents with Nazi-style ethnic purges. We weren’t the ones who tried to force the Donbass to obey using shellings and bombings. We were not the ones who threatened violence against those who wanted to speak their native language,”

Rt.com 6 Oct 23

The president stressed that the Ukraine conflict is not about expansion

The conflict with Ukraine is not driven by territorial ambitions, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted in a speech at the Valdai International Discussion Club on Thursday.

Putin stressed that Russia is already the largest country in the world and therefore is not motivated by seeking new lands. 

He noted that Russia still has a lot of work to do in developing the remote Siberian and the Far Eastern regions…….

The Russian leader insisted that a lasting peace can only be established when “everyone feels safe and knows that their opinion is respected.”

Elsewhere in his speech, Putin said that Russia was not the one that initiated the conflict in Ukraine, but is instead trying to put an end to it. 

“We were not the ones who organized a bloody coup in Kiev; it wasn’t us who intimidated the Crimeans and Sevastopol residents with Nazi-style ethnic purges. We weren’t the ones who tried to force the Donbass to obey using shellings and bombings. We were not the ones who threatened violence against those who wanted to speak their native language,” Putin said, stressing that it was Kiev that used tanks and artillery to wage war against the Donbass.

Despite civilians and children being killed in Donbass long before Russia launched its military operation last year, no other countries, especially in the West, paid any attention to this or shed any tears for them, the president said.

“The war started by the Kiev regime with the active, direct support of the West is now in its tenth year,” Putin noted. “The special military operation is aimed at stopping it.”

The four-day 20th anniversary meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club has been taking place in Sochi since October 2. The end of the forum is marked by a plenary session. Its participants include politicians, scientists, and social activists, including foreign guests.  https://www.rt.com/russia/584093-no-new-lands-russia/

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Russia, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Saudi nukes: A desire for energy, weapons, or just leverage?

Riyadh’s pursuit of civilian nuclear energy is fast becoming regarded as a geopolitical strategy to influence the US, exert leverage over Iran and Israel, and explore potential partnerships with Russia and China.


Stasa Salacanin, OCT 3, 2023, The Cradle, #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of a civilian nuclear energy program has recently taken a controversial turn, fueled by alternative offers from Russia and China to develop the Persian Gulf state’s nuclear facilities. 

Earlier this year, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman drew global attention to his country’s nuclear intentions by announcing that Riyadh intends to enrich domestically sourced uranium to bolster its renewable energy industry. 

While this may appear to be a purely energy-focused endeavor on the surface, it is increasingly being viewed as a geopolitical maneuver by the kingdom to extract a defense security pact from Washington in return for the normalization of Saudi relations with Israel.

Aware of its increased leverage gained from improved ties with the Russians and Chinese, Riyadh is using the momentum to extract as many benefits as possible, reportedly seeking access to the most advanced US military technology, including a military alliance with Washington and US approval for the enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes. 

However, the Americans have been adamant about imposing restrictions on the kingdom’s uranium enrichment activities, in great part due to deep Israeli reservations about Riyadh’s nuclear aspirations.

Nuclear ambitions, geopolitical concerns 

So far, Saudi Arabia has favored nuclear cooperation with the US over bids from other countries – this, despite stricter US conditions and a myriad disagreements with the Biden administration…………………………………

According to Dr. Paul Dorfman, Chair at Nuclear Consulting Group and Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex’s Science Policy Research Unit, nuclear energy is an even more controversial issue in West Asia than anywhere else because Persian Gulf states are concerned that neighbors might use their civilian nuclear programs for military ends. He tells The Cradle:

“And they have a point. Unless uranium enrichment and reprocessing technologies are tightly regulated against diversion of civil materials for military purposes, the fact is that new nuclear power plants provide the cover to develop and make nuclear weapons.” 

Dr. Dorfman further adds:

“Saudi officials have made it clear on more than one occasion that there is another reason for their interest in nuclear energy technology which was not captured by the royal decree on the Saudi nuclear program – the relationship of the civil program to nuclear weapon production.“

…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Riyadh has options. If the US and Saudi Arabia fail to reach a consensus, the latter could turn to other potential partners such as China and Russia, whose influence in the kingdom has spiked in the past year………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

West Asian nuclear arms race 

The implications of Riyadh’s nuclear program – particularly its intent to enrich uranium – extend to its neighbors, most notably to rogue regional nuclear state Israel, and has the potential to jeopardize Tel Aviv’s relentless normalization efforts with Saudi Arabia. 

For this reason, while some Israeli circles express strong disagreement and concerns about Saudi nuclear ambitions, the Israeli political establishment itself has remained relatively muted on the subject. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………. Between managing its traditional alliance with the US, its pivot towards Eurasian powers Russia and China, efforts to foster regional stability with Iran, and the highly sensitive issue of normalization with Israel, Saudi Arabia’s ever-nuclear move will be the subject of international scrutiny and censure.  https://new.thecradle.co/articles/saudi-nukes-a-desire-for-energy-weapons-or-just-leverage

October 7, 2023 Posted by | politics international, Saudi Arabia | Leave a comment

Slovenian nuclear plant shut due to leak in containment building

SARAJEVO, Oct 6 (Reuters) #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes – Slovenia’s only nuclear power plant Krsko (NEK), jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia, was shut down early on Friday due to a leak in its containment building, the company said on its website.

“The nuclear power plant Krsko was shut down today, at 05:30 (0330 GMT), and has been placed under safe state of so-called hot-standby,” the company said.

Expert teams have begun work to locate the site of the leak, the company said, adding it would be able to estimate the time for repairs and a restart of the plant after the source of the leak had been found…………………. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovenian-nuclear-plant-shut-due-leak-containment-building-2023-10-06/

October 7, 2023 Posted by | EUROPE, safety | 1 Comment

US is pushing Russia ‘toward using’ nuclear weapons by arming Ukraine, Belarus leader says

CNN, By Mariya Knight, October 6, 2023 #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday that by arming Ukraine, the United States is pushing Russia toward using nuclear weapons.

“I am getting the impression – I say again that it is my opinion – that Americans are pushing Russians toward using the most terrifying weapon. They arm Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky and his army and provide long-range missiles. Even missiles able to fly for 300 km (186 miles),” Lukashenko said during his visit to a military facility in the Brest region.

Lukashenko added that if such a missile struck Russian territory, Moscow would have to respond.

“One such attack deep into the Russian territory and the response will be colossal. Otherwise, why do we need these (nuclear) weapons for?,” Lukashenko said.

According to him, the fanning of tensions between the countries could lead to a situation when Russia “will take out the red button and put it on the table.”

He added that Americans didn’t fear for their safety “because they are across the ocean.”

Lukashenko’s comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday it was possible to revoke the ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests.

The day after Putin’s comments, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the State Duma Council “will definitely discuss the issue of revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty” at their next meeting.

Lukashenko also commented on the uncertain fate of US Congress aid for Ukraine, calling it a signal for Ukraine “to hurry up, expand the scope of the counteroffensive and throw more young men there.”

“It is everywhere in the media now. They blame Zelensky for a slow pace in the counteroffensive. The counteroffensive was unsuccessful,” Lukashenko said, claiming that “only old men are taking part in the combat.”………………….. more https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/06/europe/belarus-us-pushing-russia-to-nukes-intl-hnk/index.html

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Belarus, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Georgia Power will pay $413 million to settle lawsuit over nuclear reactor cost overruns

GPB, October 6, 2023 Associated Press #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

Georgia Power Co. will pay $413 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the utility of reneging on financial promises to one of its nuclear reactor partners.

The payments to Oglethorpe Power Corp., announced Friday, could hold down future bills for millions of electric cooperative customers in Georgia.

Oglethorpe sued Georgia Power in June 2022 in a contract dispute over who should pay for cost overruns for a third and fourth reactor at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta.

Atlanta-based Southern Co., which owns Georgia Power, said it would write off a $152 million loss on the settlement.

Georgia Power also announced Friday that it must replace one of the four massive pumps that cools the Unit 4 reactor after operators found a problem with the pump’s motor during testing. Georgia Power said it believes the problem is an “isolated event” and has a spare pump on site, but said the replacement ends the company’s hope of placing Unit 4 in commercial operation this year. The utility said the reactor is still on schedule to begin operating by March.

That was already the company’s fallback date……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Currently, all the owners are projected to pay more than $31 billion in capital and financing costs, Associated Press calculations show. Add in $3.7 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to the Vogtle owners to quit building the reactors, and the total nears $35 billion.

Besides Oglethorpe and Georgia Power, Vogtle’s owners include the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton. MEAG and Dalton also sued. Georgia Power agreed last year to pay up to $76 million to settle the lawsuit by MEAG, which provides power to 49 municipal utilities. The Dalton lawsuit is still pending, and Georgia Power said Friday that it could owe the city up to $17 million…………………………………………………………………………………………………. https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/10/06/georgia-power-will-pay-413-million-settle-lawsuit-over-nuclear-reactor-cost

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Legal, USA | Leave a comment

The Pope speaks out against climate deniers

The Pope has warned the world is “collapsing” in a stark new document
about the perils of climate change in which he takes aim at deniers and
backs “radicalised” environmental protesters.

 Times 4th Oct 2023

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pope-francis-synod-2023-environment-nature-28p9swmmk

October 7, 2023 Posted by | climate change, Religion and ethics | Leave a comment

Mexican president criticizes US aid to #Ukraine and sanctions on Latin American nations in high-level meeting

López Obrador called for US program aimed at removing blockades, ceasing harassment of independent and sovereign nations

Fox News, September 29, 2023

Mexico’s president on Friday slammed U.S. aid for Ukraine and economic sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba and other nations as the first of two high-level U.S.-Mexico meetings got underway in Washington.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a broad criticism of U.S. foreign policy, saying U.S. economic sanctions were forcing people to emigrate from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

The harsh comments came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina and Trade Representative Katherine Tai were meeting their Mexican counterparts at the State Department……………………… more https://www.foxnews.com/world/mexican-president-criticizes-us-aid-ukraine-sanctions-latin-american-nations-high-level-meeting

October 7, 2023 Posted by | politics international, SOUTH AMERICA | Leave a comment

Ukrainians who helped elderly neighbours in Russian occupation are being convicted of collaboration.

In Occupation, They Cared for the Vulnerable. Now They’re in Jail for It

Ukrainians who ensured elderly neighbours survived when Russia took their town are being convicted of collaboration.

SCHEERPOST, By Oleksiy Arunyan / openDemocracy October 6, 2023 #Ukraine

When the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman was occupied for five months last year, Valentyna Tkach and Tetiana Potapenko stayed behind. They volunteered to help their vulnerable neighbours. They cared for elderly residents, contacted the Russian occupation administration to ask for food and coal for them, and even buried dead bodies.

Now, both women are in detention, having been accused by Ukraine’s Secret Service of collaboration with Russia – a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Tkach and Potapenko were volunteers long before the occupation. Since Soviet times, Lyman’s population has self-organised to better coordinate with local authorities. Residents of each of the city’s ‘microdistricts’ nominate individuals, who are usually women and are known as street attendants (vulychni), to maintain order and liaise with the mayor’s office on their behalf.

This work is coordinated by a head of the neighbourhood, who is elected by residents. When Russia captured Lyman, the local leaders in Tkach and Potapenko’s microdistricts fled, and the women stepped up to take on their roles.

Today, they believe they are being punished for helping others. As part of a series of stories on collaboration trials in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian news outlet Graty met both women in April, while they were in pre-trial detention. Below, [on original] openDemocracy publishes an abridged translation of Graty’s feature…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. more https://scheerpost.com/2023/10/06/in-occupation-they-cared-for-the-vulnerable-now-theyre-in-jail-for-it/

October 7, 2023 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, Ukraine | Leave a comment

UK’s Nuclear Waste Service has said that a willing community could trump unsuitable geology.

 NWS is on record as saying that a willing community could trump unsuitable
geology. Nuclear Waste Services have taken this decision to withdraw
Allerdale without carrying out seismic blasting in the Solway area to
‘investigate the geology.’

We believe that this is because of the
vigorous campaign we have led against the invasive and damaging seismic
testing by Nuclear Waste Services and the bad publicity this has generated
for the nuclear dump plans.

For more analysis and opportunities to resist
the ongoing nightmare of a massive, deep and very hot nuclear dump (or more
than one what with all the even hotter new nuclear waste this government is
planning) please visit our new campaign site Lakes Against Nuclear Dump

 Radiation Free Lakeland 4th Oct 2023

From Our Friends in Lincolnshire Who Are Also Fighting the Nuclear Dump Plans

October 7, 2023 Posted by | UK, wastes | Leave a comment