Through Google Earth, researcher tracks India’s nuclear program
Researcher Uses Google Earth to Track India’s Nuclear Program, PC World, By John Ribeiro, IDG News Oct 13, 2011 The Institute for Science and International Security in Washington has used imagery from Google Earth to arrive at the conclusion that India may be constructing a gas centrifuge plant for uranium enrichment for military purposes, reinforcing Indian fears that Google Earth can be misused to compromise national security. Continue reading
China’s underground nuclear network
US worries over China’s underground nuclear network, Google News, AFP – 15 Oct 11, WASHINGTON — A leading US lawmaker who fears budget cuts could delay modernizing the US nuclear arsenal voiced concern Friday about an extensive tunnel complex designed to house Chinese nuclear missiles. “This network of tunnels could be in excess of 5,000 kilometers (3,110 miles), and is used to transport nuclear weapons and forces,” said Michael Turner, who chairs a House Armed Services Committee panel focusing on strategic weapons and other security programs.
“As we strive to make our nuclear forces more transparent, China is building this underground tunnel system to make its nuclear forces even more opaque,” he added, citing an unclassified Department of Defense report. Experts also expressed their concern about the network, whose existence was revealed by official Chinese media in late 2009.
The tunnels would allow China to launch a nuclear counter-attack if it was hit by a nuclear strike. “It’s almost mind-boggling,” said Mark Schneider, senior analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy. “It has enormous implications in terms of their view toward nuclear warfare, survivability of their systems and their leadership in the event of war.
“It is virtually impossible to target anything like that, irrespective of how many nuclear weapons you have,” he added.Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center said the tunnel complex could allow the Chinese army to conceal its weapons. “Do we really know how many missiles the Chinese have today?” he asked…. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iHO_kCCLQm86s29jw45FIx6EkdLQ?docId=CNG.19cbae00c31007ab44469985e8a939e2.6a1
Nuclear disarmament is possible, and essential – Mikhail Gorbachev,
A Farewell to Nuclear Arms, by Mikhail Gorbachev, Straits Times, 10 Oct 11, MOSCOW – Twenty-five years ago this month, I sat across from Ronald Reagan in Reykjavik, Iceland to negotiate a deal that would have reduced, and could have ultimately eliminated by 2000, the fearsome arsenals of nuclear weapons held by the United States and the Soviet Union.
For all our differences, Reagan and I shared the strong conviction that civilised countries should not make such barbaric weapons the linchpin of their security. Even though we failed to achieve our highest aspirations in Reykjavik, the summit was nonetheless, in the words of my former counterpart, ‘a major turning point in the quest for a safer and secure world.’
The next few years may well determine if our shared dream of ridding the world of nuclear weapons will ever be realised. Continue reading
Israel’s increasing isolation – danger of Israeli pre-emptive nuclear strike
Fears an excluded Israel may strike Iran’s nuclear sites, SMH, Ruth Pollard.October 6, 2011 JERUSALEM: There are growing fears Israel’s increasing isolation in the region has led it to consider a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, prompting a flurry of diplomatic activity and a public warning against any unilateral action from a former Mossad chief. Continue reading
Israel a nuclear threat to Middle East
Turkey claims Israel nuclear threat, Sky News, October 6, 2011 Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has branded Israel as a ‘threat’ to its region, accusing it of owning nuclear weapons.
‘I right now see Israel as a threat for its region, because it has the atomic bomb,’ Erdogan said in a foreign policy speech during an official visit to South Africa. Israel has never officially admitting to possessing nuclear weapons, but is widely believed to be the only Middle East country to have them….. http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=669810&vId=
UK Govt sacks Nuclear Submarine Medics, While Spending Up Big on Weapons
Submariners sacked at sea despite MoD promise, Swathes of sailors on submarines have been sacked at sea despite Ministry of Defence promises that no servicemen would be made redundant. Daily Telegraph, By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent :04 Oct 2011
Plight of Canada’s veterans with cancer from depleted uranium
All efforts to get adapted care for his condition lead no where since Veterans Affairs do not acknowledge depleted uranium poisoning.
Ex Canadian Forces Soldier To Go On Hunger Strike To Protest Against Depleted Uranium Exposure October 2, 2011, Ottawa Citizen Sylvain Bouchard: On November 5th 2011, Pascal Lacoste, an ex-soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces and a very good friend of mine, will go on a hunger strike in front of Steven Blaney’s office at Lévis-Bellechasse 115, route Kennedy, 101 Lévis (Québec) G6V 6C8 Canada.
After 12 years of fighting with the Canadian government to acknowledge that he and other members of the Canadian Forces have been poisoned with depleted uranium while on duty, he no longer sees any alternative than to go out on his terms, go out fighting. Continue reading
UK cuts back on armed forces, spends up big on nuclear weapons
The huge sum, signed off with little parliamentary scrutiny, has raised questions over the accountability of AWE to the taxpayer and the MoD’s priorities
while all armed forces are suffering cuts, the UK’s nuclear weapons programme is benefiting from significant increases in spending, even before the government makes a decision on replacing Trident, the ballistic nuclear missile system.
Britain’s nuclear spending soars amid defence cuts Secret MoD report reveals £750m bill for enriched uranium plant as Liam Fox announces axing of 1,100 navy personnel. The Guardian, Jamie Doward, 2 October 2011, Government spending on Britain’s nuclear weapons programme is defying the swingeing budget cuts being experienced across Whitehall.
As the Ministry of Defence cuts frontline positions in the military, a previously confidential report reveals that the taxpayer is committed to paying almost £750m for the construction of a new enriched-uranium facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire.The 32-page MoD report, Defence Equipment & Support … UK Enriched Uranium (EU) Capability Investment Appraisal, spells out the taxpayer’s commitment to funding Project Pegasus, which will replace the enriched-uranium facility built at the site in the 1950s. Continue reading
India evacuates over 2,000 to test its nuclear capable missile
India tests nuclear-capable missile, Dawn.com 26 Sept 11, BHUBANESHWAR: India tested a medium-range nuclear-capable missile along its eastern coast on Saturday, an official said, as part of the nation’s efforts to build up its atomic deterrent…..
With a striking range of 434 miles, the missile uses solid propellant and is capable of carrying a 1,000 kilogram warhead. Due to security concerns, authorities evacuated over 2,000 people, including women and children living close to the testing range, and shifted them to temporary shelters.. http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/25/india-tests-nuclear-capable-missile-3.html
UN chief urges ratification of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
ratification is required from the so-called Annex 2 States. Of these Pakistan, India, Israel, China, North Korea, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, and the United States have yet to ratify it…..
Ban urges states to ratify treaty banning N-tests, The Nation September 25, 2011 UNITED NATIONS – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all remaining states to seize the moment and sign and ratify the global treaty banning nuclear tests, with the aim of bringing it into force by 2012. Continue reading
Qatar urges international action on Nuclear Non Proliferation
this aim remains elusive in light of Israel’s continued building of nuclear weapons and construction of other reactors and the pursuit of other countries in the region to have nuclear energy, our main concern is the need for the international community to think of a formula to avert environmental disaster, as the one that occurred in Japan or in Chernobyl,” al-Sada said.
Qatar stresses nuclear free Middle East, Gulf Times, 26 Sept, QNA /New York, Qatar has reiterated the importance of activating and implementing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and turn the Middle East into a nuclear weapons-free zone. Continue reading
Israel should come clean about its nuclear weapons
Muslim nations demand Israel open its nuke program to IAEA viewing, Washington Post, 23 Sept 11, VIENNA — Muslim countries at a 151-nation conference demanded Friday that Israel open its nuclear program to international purview, asserting that its undeclared arsenal is a threat to Mideast peace.
Unlike in recent years, however, Arab states did not push for a resolution directly targeting Israel by name after such an attempt was narrowly voted down at last year’s International Atomic Energy Agency general conference.
And with few exceptions, the tone of the verbal attacks on the Jewish state appeared less confrontational. A planned IAEA meeting in November would bring Arab nations and Israel to the table to explore what can be learned from other regions that have set up zones free of weapons of mass destruction.
As in past years, the conference did pass a resolution calling on all Middle East states to adopt the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in an indirect demand on Israel, the only country in the region not bound by the treaty.
But even Israel did not oppose that document, abstaining instead of voting against it after failing to have a specific paragraph that effectively singled out the Jewish state without naming it struck from the document…… http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/islamic-nations-demand-israel-open-its-nuke-program-to-iaea-viewing/2011/09/23/gIQAl0N8pK_story.html
IAEA: Atomic energy states stymie progress towards nuclear disarmament
UN nuclear body ends annual meeting in disunity, by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Tim Pearce VIENNA, Sept 23 (Reuters) – The United Nations atomic agency ended its annual member state meeting in disunity late on Friday, with member states unable to adopt a resolution on a policy area central to its work in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons….. Continue reading
100 countries want USA and others to ratify Nuclear Test Nab Treaty
Officials from dozens of countries convene at UN to press for nuclear test ban, Washington Post, By Associated Press, September 23 UNITED NATIONS — With momentum toward international adoption of a nuclear test ban treaty stalled, representatives of more than 100 countries urged holdouts to ratify the document Friday.
Leaders convened at the United Nations General Assembly to mark fifteen years since the treaty was negotiated and to press remaining countries to bring it into force.
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has been signed by 182 countries and ratified by 155 of them. But it needs to be ratified by all 44 states identified as nuclear technology holders to enter into force.Nine have not yet done so — China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon told the delegates the ban was “an indispensable stepping stone to a nuclear-weapon-free world.” He joked that he was uniquely qualified to make the case.
“My name is spelled Ban,” he said. “Therefore my name has a very clear, firm determination – nuclear test ban. I will ban this nuclear test.” Ban and other officials urged holdouts to ratify quickly.
Proponents of the treaty hoped that U.S. ratification would pressure the remaining holdouts. But despite support from U.S. President Barack Obama, the treaty has run into strong opposition from Republicans in the U.S. Senate and is unlikely to be considered before elections in 2012. Swedish Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who co-chaired Friday’s conference, said he hoped that other countries would move without the United States…..http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/officials-from-dozens-of-countries-convene-at-un-to-press-for-nuclear-test-ban/2011/09/23/gIQA1asnqK_story.html
USA nuclear weapons spending contrasts with budget realities
Nuclear Plan Conflicts with New Budget Realities 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul: Achieving Sustainable Nuclear Security Culture Federation of American Scientists (FAS) By Nickolas Roth, Hans M. Kristensen and Stephen Young
Note: This is the first of four posts analyzing the FY 2012 Stockpile Stewardship Management Plan, each jointly produced by the Federation of American Scientists and Union of Concerned Scientists.
A new nuclear weapons plan from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which seeks further increases in spending over the next decade for nuclear weapons and for weapons production and simulation facilities, will face real challenges in the new budget environment. Continue reading
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Say No to NASA’s Reckless Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
Say No to NASA’s Reckless Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
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