U.S govt’s nuclear spending contradicts its disarmament rhetoric
the 2011 federal budget for nuclear weapons research and development is likely to be more than $7 billion. If the Obama administration has its way, it could reach $8 billion per year by the end of this decade. This steady and growing investment contradicts the White House’s promising rhetoric of disarmament.
The New Anti-Nuclear Movement, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Frida Berrigan:, 16 April 2010, “………the upcoming Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference will take place at the United Nations next month…..According to a Pew Research survey last fall, a little more than a half of the American public believes that “an attack on the United States with a nuclear, biological or chemical weapon is a greater danger now than it was 10 years ago.” Continue reading
Pakistan keen to sell nuclear technology to other countries
Pakistan Offers Global Nuclear Fuel Services Again, Planet Ark: 15-Apr-10 Louis Charbonneau Pakistan, the country of the disgraced nuclear scientist who provided Iran, Libya and North Korea with uranium enrichment technology, is once again offering its atomic fuel services to the world. Continue reading
Closure of Russia’s last plutonium nuclear reactor
Russia shuts down last plutonium reactor ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 16 April 2010, Russia has shut down its last weapons-grade plutonium reactor, in line with a pledge made at a nuclear security summit in Washington this week, officials said. Continue reading
India’s anger at Pakistan’s production of nuclear technology
India to fight Pak agenda at disarmament conference, The Times of India, Sachin Parashar, TNN, Apr 16, 2010, NEW DELHI: With the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon desperately seeking to revive the Conference on Disarmament (CD) by calling for a meet on fissile material cut-off in September, India is preparing for a showdown with Pakistan which has singlehandedly managed to block any forward movement in CD citing its security concerns vis-a-vis India. Continue reading
Concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear security now ‘quashed’?
Pak’s participation in nuclear security summit legitimises its nuke programme – Gilani, Oneindia News , Washington, Apr.15 (ANI): Describing his Washington visit as ‘successful’, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that Islamabad’s participation in the just concluded two-day nuclear security summit has ‘boosted the legitimacy of the country’s nuclear programme.’
Interacting with media persons after the concluding session of the important summit, Gilani said the international community’s concerns over the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear establishments were ‘effectively quashed’ during the conference, which was attended by leaders of 47 countries.
Kerry assured Gilani of the US congressional leadership’s support in providing Pakistan greater access to American markets, and meeting its defence requirements. Pak’s participation in nuclear security summit legitimises its nuke programme:Gilani – Oneindia News
Talks on N. Korea’s nuclear disarmament risked since ship sank
S. Korean ship sinking may affect 6-way talks revival: State Dept. By HwangDoo-hyong WASHINGTON, April 15 (Yonhap) — The sinking of a South Korean naval ship in waters near the disputed sea border with the North may undermine international efforts to revive the six-party talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear dismantlement, the State Department said Thursday.YONHAP NEWS
Nuclear Security Summit, a start, but limited
What the summit did not address in any detail was the likelier and more easily achievable possibility that a terrorist organisation might obtain highly radioactive material and attach it to a conventional, crudely made dirty bomb that could still spread lethal material over a wide area.
World takes aim at nukes , THE AUSTRALIAN, Brad Norington, April 16, 2010 Obama’s plan, endorsed at the summit by all attending countries including Australia, is to conduct an enormous accounting exercise with the objective of securing all nuclear materials across the world during the next four years.A 12-point communique not only affirmed the responsibility of countries to maintain security of nuclear materials under their control. It also agreed to the goal of stopping “non-state actors” from obtaining the information or technology required to use nuclear materials for malicious purposes……
A further nuclear security summit has been scheduled for Seoul in 2012 to check progress.
If Obama succeeds in prompting a large-scale lockdown of nuclear materials, this week’s summit could turn out to be significant moment in redefining the global order and combating the scourge of terrorism in the modern age……
There are weaknesses, however, in the commitments given by nations this week.
Chief among them, apart from the ambitious four-year timeframe, is the lack of anything legally binding or a regime of enforcement.
Obama acknowledged at a media conference at the summit’s end that the agreement was voluntary and its success would depend on goodwill…..
As evidence of likely success, he singled out Ukraine, Chile and Mexico for their willingness to give up their entire stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, and Canada for giving up a significant portion.
Other nations, such as Pakistan and Argentina, agreed to measures to prevent nuclear smuggling and strengthen port security.
Russia used the occasion to announce it would close its last weapons-grade plutonium production reactor.
The US and Russia signed an agreement for each to eliminate about 70 tonnes of plutonium or enough for 17,000 nuclear weapons…..
Obama focused the attention of countries on securing materials that could be used by al-Qa’ida to construct a nuclear weapon.
What the summit did not address in any detail was the likelier and more easily achievable possibility that a terrorist organisation might obtain highly radioactive material and attach it to a conventional, crudely made dirty bomb that could still spread lethal material over a wide area.
In hindsight, events manipulated by the Obama White House in the lead-up to the summit look very much timed to encourage other nations to think seriously about their contributions to making the world a safer place. That was as far as it went. World takes aim at nukes | The Australian
Recycling nuclear fuel, dangerous and dirty
Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs
by Christina Macpherson 15 April 2010, It all sounded so good – removing stockpiles of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) and plutonium from international sites, and using them to provide fuel for nuclear reactors in USA and Russia.
And one part is good. This program would end the dirty, dangerous, uranium mining industry.
However, nobody’s talked about :
1. the dangers of transporting this stuff, – risk of accident, as in the movement of HEU from Chile, theft, terrorist attack
2. what to do with the final resulting highly radioactive waste from this process of recycling . It all still ends up with even more toxic, dangerous nuclear wastes. Still a risk of theft. still a target for terrorists, still extremely long-lasting wastes, and no-one has found a way to safely dispose of nuclear wastes.
Nuclear Summit kept quiet about dangers of recycling nuclear fuel
Recycling fuel should end: Evans, Sydney Morning Herald, April 15, 2010, WASHINGTON: A former Australian foreign minister, Gareth Evans, was at the centre of a dispute over reactor suppliers recycling nuclear fuel even as US officials sought to skirt the issue during a summit in Washington organised by the President, Barack Obama.
Mr Evans is co-chairman of the Australian government’s international non-proliferation and disarmament commission. On Monday, at a conference of experts which is being held in parallel with Mr Obama’s nuclear security summit, he called for an end to fuel recycling.Mr Evans and a former US ambassador-at-large, Robert Gallucci, said recycling created stockpiles of dangerous materials ripe for theft………
The issue was not among those central to the Obama summit. Administration officials said last week they had deliberately avoided some of the more contentious issues that would not have won support from all participants. Gareth Evans
Obama wants Israel to sign Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Obama: Israel should sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty – Haaretz – Israel News, By Natasha Mozgovaya and Agencies 14 April 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged all countries, including Israel, to sign the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT.
“Whether we’re talking about Israel or any other country, we think that becoming part of the NPT is important,” Obama said. Continue reading
UK to upgrade expensive Trident nuclear weapons
The world unites against nuclear danger: so why is Gordon Brown upgrading Trident? Telegraph UK By Mary Riddell World April 14th, 2010 “…….While Mr Netanyahu is a prime obstacle to global security, Britain cannot claim nearly as much credit as it would like. Gordon Brown, who is pledged, like Obama, to creating a nuclear free world, is going an odd way about it. Labour’s manifesto, like the Tories’, commits to maintaining our nuclear weapons. The planned replacement of Trident, which may cost £76 billion, is not even to be included in the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review. Continue reading
Burma trying to buy nuclear weapons technology from North Korea
The Next Nuclear Nightmare – The Daily Beast, by Philip Shenon, 15 April 2010, As Obama calls for reduced nukes, a surprising new rogue state looms. Philip Shenon reports U.S. spy agencies fear Burma is trying to buy nuclear weapons technology from North Korea.Even as President Obama won agreement from world leaders this week to block the spread of nuclear weapons, the United States is facing a new—and unexpected—nuclear foe: Burma.
National-security officials tell The Daily Beast that U.S. spy agencies and their Asian counterparts have stepped up surveillance of potential nuclear sites in Burma in recent weeks in light of evidence that suggests the country’s brutal junta is trying to buy nuclear-weapons technology from North Korea. The Next Nuclear Nightmare – Page 1 – The Daily Beast
New Zealand makes a practical contribution to nuclear security
Call in while Down Under, Obama told | Stuff.co.nz NZ contributes to anti-nuclear fund By TRACY WATKINS in Ottawa 15 April 2010, ANTI-NUCLEAR PROJECT FUNDING New Zealand will contribute $685,000 to a Canadian-led project which aims to help prevent the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radiological materials.The money will fund radiation detection equipment for a major Russian nuclear facility.The project was part of the G8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The funding was announced during a trip to Canada by Prime Minister John Key on his way home from President Obama’s two-day nuclear security summit.In a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mr Key said the project was a practical way for New Zealand to reduce the risk of nuclear materials ending up in the wrong hands.New Zealand has committed almost $6 million to G8 Global Partnership projects since 2004. Call in while Down Under, Obama told | Stuff.co.nz
Local authorities would be left to deal with catastrophic nuclear blast
VIDEO Nuclear blast victims would have to wait – USATODAY.com
Nuclear blast victims would have to wait , By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY 14 April 2010. The White House has warned state and local governments not to expect a “significant federal response” at the scene of a terrorist nuclear attack for 24 to 72 hours after the blast, according to a planning guide. Continue reading Nuclear Security Summit failed to tackle nuclear disarmament
Obama’s Nuclear Summit: The Big Truth That’s Missing | Mother Jones, David Corn, 13 April 2010, “………there is an important connection the president neglected to mention. Nuclear security is not the path to nuclear disarmament. Nuclear disarmament is the path to nuclear security. The nuclear weapons complex depends on highly-enriched uranium. As long as there are nuclear weapons, there will be HEU. As long as there is HEU, there will be the possibility of HEU theft and smuggling. Continue reading
1 This Month
Petition to revoke the licensing of the Near Surface Nuclear Disposal Facility (NSDF) at Chalk River. https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7247
of the week – STOP SMALL MODULAR REACTORS IN CANADA
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