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Disagreements mar the progress of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

The smooth conduct of the meeting masked the disturbing nuclear discord lurking underneath. Remedial action is needed if the NPT is to retain its authority and continue to deliver the security benefits it has for over 40 years.

Undercurrent of discord at nuclear treaty talks. The Star.com, 16 May 12 The problems of the international nuclear order are frequent subjects of our daily news, yet scant attention is given to the central treaty that governs this sphere of global activity. With 189 signatories,   the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) ) is the world’s most widely subscribed to international security agreement and contains the only legally binding commitment by states to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Continue reading →

May 17, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international | Leave a comment

UK’s nuclear programme: election of France’s President Hollande increases uncertainty

Now doubt has been cast over the commitment of a joint EDF Energy/Centrica consortium to fulfil its commitment to build two other nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.

EDF is state-owned and while President Sarkozy had a warm relationship with the nuclear sector, his successor, Francois Hollande does not. During his election campaign, M Hollande pledged to close 24 of France’s 58 reactors and to reduce reliance on atomic power.

French threat to UK energy: François Hollande could close nuclear plants By Oliver Wright, 16 May 2012  http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/french-threat-to-uk-energy-franois-hollande-could-close-nuclear-plants-16159391.html#ixzz1v5yddT1I Belfast Telegraph,   “……Britain’s nascent new nuclear programme is in trouble, due to a combination of the economic crisis, the disaster in Fukushima and changing political winds.

Yesterday, giving evidence to Parliament, the Energy Minister Charles Hendry appeared to be unable to guarantee with certainty that any of the five agreed new nuclear power plants would go ahead…… Continue reading →

May 17, 2012 Posted by | politics international, UK | Leave a comment

Japanese govt’s nuclear push with Kazakhstan, and the global nuclear industry web

A complex web of agreements across national borders links many of the biggest players in the nuclear industry.

 “Japan hasn’t used the Fukushima disaster as an opportunity to push for renewable energy or energy efficiency,”   “Instead, it has used the time since the disaster to push for the restart of nuclear reactors.”

How Long Will Japan’s Nuclear Recess Be? Enter KazakhstanTruth Out , 15 May 2012  By Steve Horn,    “……Japan Announces Big Nuclear Deal with Kazakhstan Unmentioned by all but two news outlets was the fact that a day before the announcement, the Japanese government signed a deal with Kazakhstan’s state-owned nuclear giant, KazAtomProm, to begin supplying Japan with more nuclear fuel starting in 2013. Continue reading →

May 17, 2012 Posted by | Japan, Kazakhstan, politics international | Leave a comment

North Korea’s complicated manouverings on nuclear testing

 it is possible that from before its inception, the HEU program was made to be sold. The North is likely to freeze and even dismantle it, on the condition of a big pay off and if they are allowed to maintain their existing stock piles of weapons-grade plutonium

Uranium or plutonium?   The Korea Times, By Andrei Lankov 7 May 12, It seems likely that the third North Korean nuclear test will take place soon ― perhaps, in a matter of days or weeks. There are signs of preparation at the test site, and it would fit into a well-established pattern: a test of a long-range rocket is usually followed by a nuclear test. …. Continue reading →

May 7, 2012 Posted by | North Korea, politics international | Leave a comment

Iran’s leadership ‘rational’ about nuclear weapons, says Israel’s military chief

Israeli military chief: Iran will not decide to make nuclear weapons Guardian UK   by  25 April 2012 Benny Gantz has told Israeli daily Haaretz that the Iranian leadership is composed of very rational people 

Israel‘s military chief, Benny Gantz, has stated he doesn’t believe Iran will decide to make nuclear weapons and that Iranian key decision makers are rational. Continue reading →

May 7, 2012 Posted by | Iran, Israel, politics international | Leave a comment

Japan wants India to sign the Nuclear non Proliferation Treaty

Sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Japan tells India The Hindu, 30 April 12, SANDEEP DIKSHI  Japan on Monday asked India to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) even as the two sides decided to reopen talks on a bilateral civil nuclear agreement…..
“We have instructed our negotiators on the way forward,” Mr. Krishna said and added the two countries understood the “concerns” of each other which were related to their historic experiences. Officials explained this to mean that while India says its clean non-proliferation record was good enough to restart civil nuclear talks, Japan feels that since India is not a signatory to the NPT, it should demonstrate its commitment to a ban on testing in words…. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3371546.ece

May 1, 2012 Posted by | India, Japan, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

China opposing North Korea’s nuclear testng

Chinese Official: China Opposes Nuclear Test by N. Korea, Arirang,  29 April 12 Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheng Guoping has said that Beijing opposes a nuclear test by North Korea. Cheng who’s accompanying Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang on an official visit to Russia told reporters Saturday that China and Russia agreed to maintain their previous stance on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Saying that the international community must do something to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Cheng called for an immediate resumption of the stalled six-party talks.
He reiterated that China will continue to work with the two Koreas to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia…. http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=128895&code=Ne8&category=1

April 30, 2012 Posted by | China, North Korea, politics international | Leave a comment

A compromise solution may let Iran partially enrich uranium

US may let Iran partially enrich uranium: report, Business Recorder , 28 APRIL 2012   LOS ANGELES: The United States could let Iran partially enrich uranium in return for strict measures to curb its ability to build a nuclear bomb, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Continue reading →

April 28, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Iran poses no nuclear threat. But what about Kazakhstan?

Uranium Diplomacy:The US Double-Standard in Kazakhstan and Iran, THE REAL NEWS, 18 APRIL 2012  By Allen Ruff and Steve Horn [This is a slightly revised version of  “Uranium Double-Standard: The U.S., Kazakhstan and Iran,” that originally appeared at Nation of Change. It is the second installment of an ongoing series on U.S. involvement in Kazakhstan. The first originally appeared at Truthout and is also available here.]

Iran’s alleged “nuclear threat” has taken center stage among diplomats, military men, and politicians in Washington, Tel Aviv, and the West at-large.
Despite the fact that investigative journalists Seymour Hersh, Gareth Porter and others have meticulously documented the fact that Iran, in fact, poses no nuclear threat at all, the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress have laid down multiple rounds of harsh sanctions as a means to “deter” Iran from reaching its “nuclear capacity.”
The most recent round featured a call to boycott Iran’s oil industry by President Obama.
While rhetorical attention remains focused on Iran’s “threat”, there is an “elephant in the room”: Kazakhstan’s booming uranium mining and expanding nuclear industry —  a massive effort involving U.S. multinational corporations and an authoritarian regime increasingly tied to Washington.
Double standards have long reigned supreme in U.S. foreign policy. Few examples illustrate that better than the contrast between Washington’s stance toward the nuclear ambitions of Iran and Kazakhstan…… Continue reading →

April 19, 2012 Posted by | Kazakhstan, politics international | Leave a comment

India wants to be seen as ‘non proliferation’ state, but won’t sign the Nuclear non Proliferation Treaty

India pitches for membership of global non-proliferation regimes Indrani Bagchi, Times of India | Apr 19, 2012, NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday made the most persuasive case for India’s “full membership” of the global non-proliferation regimes. In a major policy statement, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai told a gathering of nuclear experts that “the logical conclusion of partnership with India is its full
membership of the four multilateral regimes.”..

.. India’s membership is not an easy decision. First, there is an NPT adherence that is seen
as crucial criteria. India has not signed the NPT and is not likely to do so, as a non-nuclear weapons state. So India’s membership into these groups would have to take this refusal into account….

April 19, 2012 Posted by | India, politics international, weapons and war | 1 Comment

Nuclear test moratorium no longer respected by North Korea

North Korea says no longer bound by nuclear test moratorium (Reuters) 17 April 12,  North Korea on Tuesday dismissed a rebuke by the U.N. Security Council of its failed long-range rocket launch and said it was no longer bound by an agreement with the United States for a moratorium on missile and nuclear tests and arms inspection.

The Security Council on Monday condemned the North for Friday’s rocket launch and warned of further action if Pyongyang carried out a nuclear test, reflecting concern that it may follow a pattern it set in 2009 with its second nuclear test…… The fate of a planned visit by international inspectors to the North’s nuclear site under the February agreement is also in doubt since Pyongyang raised tensions by going ahead with the rocket launch against international warning…… http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/17/us-korea-north-us-idUSBRE83G12H20120417

April 18, 2012 Posted by | North Korea, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran’s plea for trust in nuclear talks

In the upcoming talks, we hope that all sides will return to the negotiating table as equals with mutual respect; that all sides will be committed to comprehensive, long-term dialogue aimed at resolving all parties’ outstanding concerns; and, most important, that all sides make genuine efforts to reestablish confidence and trust.

Iran: We do not want nuclear weapons Washington Post, By Ali Akbar Salehi,  April 12 Ali Akbar Salehi is foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Forty-five years ago, the United States sold my country a research reactor as well as weapons-grade uranium as its fuel. Not long afterward, America agreed to help Iran set up the full nuclear fuel cycle along with atomic power plants. The U.S. argument was that nuclear power would provide for the growing needs of our economy and free our remaining oil reserves for export or conversion to petrochemicals.

That rationale has not changed. Still, after the Islamic Revolution in our country in 1979, all
understandings with the United States in the nuclear field unraveled. Continue reading →

April 13, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

USA military bases in Australia – making Australia a nuclear target?

If too closely aligned with the US, Australia will be associated with any mistakes. US actions, mounted from Australia, will implicate Australia. In the Cold War US joint intelligence facilities were a target for Soviet nuclear weapons……

Australia needs to be careful that it does not make inevitable the future that it should fear the most. Current decisions are being made without public debate or discussion. Once made they will be difficult to reverse.

We must not get too close to the US, BY: PETER LEAHY  The Australian April 12, 2012 “……. there can be too much of a good thing, especially if it involves putting unnecessary pressure on China. By substantially increasing its
close relationship with the US, Australia may unduly complicate its relationship with China. Care needs to be taken to ensure that Australia is not caught between the US, as security guarantor, and China as economic underwriter.

As a sovereign nation Australia should maintain the ability to say no to the US and separate itself from its actions. This will require careful thought and deft diplomacy……By agreeing to the US Marine Corps and potentially more extensive air and naval access requests, Australia has confirmed that it is firmly in the US security camp……. Continue reading →

April 12, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, politics international, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Compromise offer by Iran on uranium enrichment

Iran’s nuclear chief floats compromise on enrichment issue ahead of talks with world powers, Washington Post, By Associated Press,  April 8, TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s nuclear chief signaled Tehran’s envoys may bring a compromise offer to the talks this week with world powers: Promising to eventually stop producing its most highly enriched uranium, while not totally abandoning its ability to make nuclear fuel.

The proposal outlined late Sunday seeks to directly address one of the potential main issues in the talks scheduled to begin Friday between Iran and the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany…… http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/irans-nuclear-chief-floats-compromise-on-enrichment-issue-ahead-of-talks-with-world-powers/2012/04/09/gIQAcyJP5S_story.html

April 11, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Sri Lanka will raise safety objections to India’s Koodankulam and other nuclear reactors

Sri Lanka concerned over radiation from India’s nuclear plants, Economic Times,  9 APR, 2012,   COLOMBO: Sri Lanka today expressed concern over possible impact of radiation from India’s nuclear power plants located in the southern region, as it prepares to raise the issue with global atomic watchdog IAEA.

The official raising of concern with the International Atomic Energy is to be made in September, the power and energy minister Champika Ranawaka said. “We respect the right of India to have nuclear power stations. But our concerns are on the possible radiation affects they could have on Sri Lanka. We have already written a letter”, Ranawaka said…… Sri Lankan energy officials say at least three nuclear plants are located on the southern coast of Tamil Nadu which is separated from the island by a narrow strip of sea…… Koodankulam nuclear plant in India’s Southern coast is just 250 km from Sri Lanka’s northwest coastal town of Mannar.

Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Authority does not possess adequate facilities to face a threat of nuclear accident. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/sri-lanka-concerned-over-radiation-from-indias-nuclear-plants/articleshow/12594324.cms

April 11, 2012 Posted by | ASIA, India, politics international, safety | Leave a comment

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