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UN calls on Israel to join the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

flag-UN-largeUN Calls on Israel to Open Nuclear Facilities TIME By Associated Press Dec. 04, 2012 (UNITED NATIONS) — The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Israel to quickly open its nuclear program for inspection and backing
a high-level conference to ban nuclear weapons from the Middle East which was just canceled.

All the Arab nations and Iran had planned to attend the conference in mid-December in Helsinki, Finland, but the United States announced on Nov. 23 that it wouldn’t take place, Continue reading →

December 13, 2012 Posted by | Israel, weapons and war | Leave a comment

United Nations wants Israel to come clean about its nuclear weapons, but USA does not agree

flag-UN-SmUN call on Israel to open its nuclear program is opposed by US flag-IsraelMONDOWEISS, by Annie Robbins   December 10, 2012 Last month, four days after Iran announced that it planned to attend a high-profile meeting on the banning of WMD’s in the Middle East, the
US backed out, saying that the “time is not opportune.”

But along with Russia and the UK, the U.S. was one of the key sponsors of the conference, set to take place in Helsinki, Finland, by the end of 2012. 189 member nations of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty had agreed to attend, but not Israel. Now the meeting has been called off.

That is the backdrop behind the UN General Assembly’s approval of a resolution last week calling on Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and open its nuclear program for
inspection:…. http://mondoweiss.net/2012/12/un-call-on-israel-to-open-its-nuclear-program-is-opposed-by-us.html

December 13, 2012 Posted by | Israel, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Israel meddling with bogus reports on Iran’s nuclear weapons plans?

secret-agent-SmIsrael behind bogus Iran nuclear data leak – reports Rt.com  11 December Israel may be behind a series of leaks implicating Iran in nuclear weapons experiments, Western diplomats say, stressing that in doing so Tel Aviv could have compromised the ongoing UN investigation intoTehran’s nuclear activities and ambitions.
flag-IsraelIn its efforts to raise international pressure on Tehran, Israel supposedly carried out leaks of several documents from an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigation, The Guardian reported on Monday citing Western diplomats. Continue reading →

December 13, 2012 Posted by | Israel, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Saudi Arabia, Qatar to become, well, the Saudi Arabia of solar power

solar-concentratedGulf riches could supercharge concentrated solar, REneweconomy,  By Giles Parkinson   10 December 2012 The concentrated solar power (CSP) sector is expected to finally spring to life – and begin its long-awaited journey down the cost curve – as the oil and gas-rich Gulf nations deploy their massive sovereign wealth in solar technologies.

At the climate change talks in Doha, both Saudi Arabia and the host country Qatar reinforced their intentions to invest tens of billions of dollars into large-scale CSP – which includes solar thermal and concentrated solar PV technologies. The biggest oil and gas exporters in the world want to become, well, the Saudi Arabia and Qatar of the solar industry too. Continue reading →

December 10, 2012 Posted by | MIDDLE EAST, renewable, Saudi Arabia | 1 Comment

USA cancelled Middle East nuclear weapons-free zone conference

The US and Israel should welcome the conference if curbing Iranian nuclear programme is their real concern. Iran had explicitly welcomed the conference and vowed its full participation and cooperation. During his August 2012 visit to Iran UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Ayatollah Khamenei, who reiterated Iran’s stand on a ME nuclear weapons-free zone and that the UN should make serious efforts to allay the concerns regarding nuclear weapons. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s ambassador to the UN IAEA told reporters: “Iran is determined to participate actively in the Helsinki conference … We are of the strong belief that all countries should be mobilizing themselves to make sure that this noble goal of a Middle East free from all the weapons of mass destruction will be realized.” Iran is the present Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and is very active in pushing for nuclear-free zone in the ME. The NAM, the largest international organization after the UN, with 120 members, had dismissed the US allegations for cancelling the conference, and has demanded that Israel join the NPT.

hypocrisyAmerican Nuclear Hypocrisy http://mwcnews.net/focus/editorial/23374-eliasakleh-nuclear-hypocrisy.html, 09 December 2012   By Elias Akleh  Hypocrisy is the most prominent characteristic of the successive American administrations. The observer could easily detect this hypocrisy when it comes to administration’s policies towards the Middle Eastern countries generally and towards the Palestinians specifically.

One of the administration’s latest hypocritical acts was the cancellation of the Middle East nuclear weapons-free zone conference that was scheduled mid this month in Helsinki, Finland. Continue reading →

December 10, 2012 Posted by | Israel, politics international, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran warns on leaving Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, if attacked

Iran may quit anti-nuclear arms pact if attacked: envoy By Fredrik Dahl
VIENNA | Fri Nov 30, 2012   (Reuters) – Any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities may lead to it
withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a pact aimed at
preventing the spread of nuclear arms, a senior Iranian official said on Friday.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic
Energy Agency, also suggested Iran in such a case could kick out IAEA
inspectors and install its uranium enrichment centrifuges in “more secure” places.

His comments may strengthen concerns among many Western nuclear
experts that military action against Iran aimed at preventing it from
developing nuclear weapons may backfire and only drive its entire
nuclear program underground.
Iran may quit anti-nuclear arms pact if attacked: envoy By Fredrik Dahl
VIENNA | Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:31am EST
(Reuters) – Any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities may lead to it
withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a pact aimed at
preventing the spread of nuclear arms, a senior Iranian official said on Friday.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic
Energy Agency, also suggested Iran in such a case could kick out IAEA
inspectors and install its uranium enrichment centrifuges in “more secure” places.

His comments may strengthen concerns among many Western nuclear
experts that military action against Iran aimed at preventing it from
developing nuclear weapons may backfire and only drive its entire nuclear program underground.

Continue reading →

December 1, 2012 Posted by | Iran | Leave a comment

The Arafat investigation, and how polonium poisoning works

If investigators find elevated levels of polonium-210 similar to those found on Arafat’s clothes, it would point to poisoning as a likely cause of death

Tirawi did not specify when results would be announced, but he says it could take months.

Arafat’s bones could reveal polonium poisoning, November 2012 by Jacob Aron  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22536-arafats-bones-could-reveal-polonium-poisoning.html   The body of Yasser Arafat is set to be exhumed tomorrow in an effort to determine whether his death in 2004 was caused by polonium-210 poisoning. Tests earlier this year found unusually high levels of the radioactive materialon the former Palestinian leader’s clothes and toothbrush, but it’s still unclear whether Arafat was murdered. Could tests on his bones eight years after his death finally solve the mystery?

Why is Arafat’s death such a puzzle?
When Arafat died at a French military hospital, his doctors could not establish a cause of death. Medical records obtained by The New York Times in 2005 suggest he died from a stroke resulting from a bleeding disorder caused by an unknown infection. But Swiss scientists working with the Al Jazeera news organisation tested a urine stain on Arafat’s underwear for radioactive polonium-210 and found that it measured 180 millibecquerels (mBq). They also found 54 mBq on his toothbrush. A control garment belonging to Arafat measured just 6.7 mBq.

Those results were deemed inconclusive, as Arafat’s possessions could have been contaminated after his death. However, after hearing a deposition from Arafat’s widow, Suha, French prosecutors decided to open a murder inquiry in August that is still ongoing.

What is polonium-210, and what can it do to the body? Continue reading →

November 28, 2012 Posted by | health, MIDDLE EAST, Reference | Leave a comment

Warning on danger of Middle East war

Russian expert warns of possibility of large-scale war in Middle East Voice of Russia, 26 Nov 12 Turkey has asked NATO to deploy “Patriot” missiles on the Turkish side near the Turkish-Syrian border.
In an interview with the Voice of Russia, Russian analyst Konstantin Sivkov said: “Deploying these missiles in Turkey will be dangerous for Syrian military planes – this is obvious. A lesser obvious thing is that Turkey is getting ready for a war against Syria. If an attack on Syria from the territory of Turkey does take place, this will most likely be an attack not of the Turkish army, but of NATO’s forces.”

“The Middle East is getting ready for a large-sale battle which will very likely affect the Russian part of the Caucasus, and this, in its turn, will be reflected on the entire Russia,” Mr. Sivkov added…… http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_24/Russian-expert-warns-of-possibility-of-large-scale-war-in-Middle-East/

November 27, 2012 Posted by | MIDDLE EAST, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Still time for a diplomacy solution to nuclear power problem in Ira

Window for nuclear diplomacy on Iran is now open but not for long, guardian UK Julian Borger, 23 Nov 12 IAEA inspectors say Iran may soon speed up its uranium enrichment, making the search for a deal even more urgent Having delivered its latest quarterly report on Iran’s nuclear programme to its board, the nuclear safeguards department of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave a technical briefing on Wednesday to an audience of ambassadors in Vienna about the same material but with some pictures to make the whole thing clearer. At such briefings, ambassadors can also ask questions to sound out the head of safeguards, Herman Nackaerts, on his impressions.

On this occasion, the main message western ambassadors came away with was that Iran appears to be just days away from starting feeding uranium hexafluoride gas into four new cascades of centrifuges at its underground enrichment site at Fordow. Continue reading →

November 25, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Palestine getting bombed by Israel

“It is very hard to think about Israel calling what it is doing defending itself when it is occupying Palestinian territory. It’s collective punishment.

The answer is simple, and increases the chances of security on all sides: End the occupation.

In Gaza, It’s the Occupation, Stupid,http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/in_gaza_its_the_occupationg_stupid_20121121/?  Nov 21, 2012 By Amy Goodman “The Palestinian people want to be free of the occupation,” award-winning Israeli journalist Gideon Levy summed up this week. It is that simple. This latest Israeli military assault on the people of Gaza is not an isolated event, but part of a 45-year occupation of the sliver of land wedged between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea, where 1.6 million people live under a brutal Israeli blockade that denies them most of the basic necessities of life.

Without the unwavering bipartisan support of the United States for the Israeli military, the occupation of Palestine could not exist. Continue reading →

November 22, 2012 Posted by | Israel, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran continuing with uranium enrichment program

Iran nuclear work at constant pace despite sanctions -IAEA
* Iran stockpiling enriched uranium despite economic isolation

* U.N. nuclear chief sees “quite constant” enrichment pace

* Six world powers to discuss strategy towards Iran in Brussels

* New meeting may take place before end-year – Western official

By Alexandria Sage and Fredrik Dahl

PARIS/VIENNA, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Iran is enriching uranium at a
constant pace and international sanctions aimed at making Tehran
suspend the activity are having no visible impact, the U.N. nuclear
watchdog chief said in unusually blunt remarks on Tuesday.

The point made by Yukiya Amano, director-general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, reinforced the view of many analysts that
increased Western economic pressure on Iran has failed to make it
change its nuclear course.
He spoke a day before senior officials from six world powers were to
meet in Brussels to weigh strategy towards Iran amid signs of a
renewed push to resolve the dispute diplomatically after U.S.
President Barack Obama’s re-election.

World powers, which first ushered in U.N. sanctions on Iran back in
2006, are concerned Israel may try to bomb Iranian nuclear sites
without a peaceful resolution to the row soon…..
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/20/nuclear-iran-idUSL5E8MKA6720121120

November 21, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

United Arab Emirates raising loans for $30 billion nuclear power plant program

UAE Nuclear Power Corp. to raise $2 bln in loans http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Middle-East/2012/Nov-20/195569-uae-nuclear-power-corp-to-raise-$2-bln-in-loans.ashx#axzz2CsdUajHi November 20, 2012 Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp., which is building the Gulf Arab region’s first nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, is raising $2 billion from bank loans to finance construction, according to two bankers familiar with the plan.

The 20-year facility being raised by the government-owned company pays interest of 175 basis points, or 1.75 percentage points, above the London interbank offered rate, according to the bankers, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The interest rate will rise over the loan’s life to 260 basis points above the benchmark, the bankers said. Continue reading →

November 21, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, United Arab Emirates | Leave a comment

The Palestine – Israel struggle

When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they have to defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense that any military occupier has to defend itself against the population they are crushing… You can’t defend yourself when you’re militarily occupying someone else’s land. That’s not defense. Call it what you like, it’s not defense.” ~ Noam Chomsky — with Paula Johnson Francesshelli.

November 19, 2012 Posted by | Israel, politics international | Leave a comment

Qatar moving ahead on renewable energy

Qatar puts focus on renewable energy initiatives, AMEinfo.com Qatar: November 14 – 2012“………as part of its commitment to reducing carbon emissions and increasing sustainable energy production, Qatar has overseen a range of internal initiatives
as part of its Vision 2030.

In this, Qatar is one of the region’s leading proponents of energy diversification. The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook report shows that this is in line with a
global shift in attitudes towards energy generation and consumption. Continue reading →

November 16, 2012 Posted by | MIDDLE EAST, renewable | Leave a comment

Oman: doubts that nuclear power is safe for Middle East

‘Nuclear power for peaceful purposes — Is it safe? Oman Daily Observer,  13 November 2012 Mohammed Al Rahbi-  “…… If the talk about the peaceful nuclear energy is progressing on the path of safety, securing this power is also seen with fear. Several disasters in the world are attributed to the use of this power and some European countries are now reconsidering their view on the nuclear plants. The disaster in Japan’s Fukushima was not the first and it won’t be the last……

will the peaceful nuclear energy programme be really safe in these countries of the region? Or will it become a pressure point again in the hands of the West?…

The consumer desire seems to be the reason behind the region’s ambition, and it is without focusing on the difficult and complex process of production. Peaceful nuclear energy may be an important and necessary power, but it needs more than signing import agreements to
enable it to move towards an integrated system.

Facing risk is more important than having access to energy. In Japan (the country that is highly developed in the region), the disaster crossed geographical boundaries despite accurate planning and intensive preparations. Where are we?
http://main.omanobserver.om/node/127535

November 15, 2012 Posted by | MIDDLE EAST, safety | Leave a comment

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