[GANA] / Nuclear_Weapons_Future - Jan., Feb., Mar. 2006 - archive

_Nuclear_Weapon_ related news and documents selected by the Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Ak Malten, the Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance: "GANA's News-feeds and their archives contain _Nuclear_Weapon_ related news and documents selected by the Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance. "

Information about and links to them can be found at GANA's Website News-Index. The URL is:

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Documents and articles on Proliferation, Non-Proliferation and Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:05:00 GMT

Documents and articles on Proliferation, Non-Proliferation and Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

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Are Nuclear Weapons Illegal?

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:10:00 GMT

Judge Weeramantry "I regret that the Court has not held directly and categorically that the use or threat of use of the weapon is unlawful in all circumstances without exception. The Court should have so stated in a vigorous and forthright manner which would have settled this legal question now and forever."

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How to Become a Nuclear Superpower - The dangerous World of Nuclear Proliferation.

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:15:00 GMT

Kelly Whalen "How to Become a Nuclear Superpower - The dangerous World of Nuclear Proliferation"

From signing official treaties to secretly buying plutonium on the black market, this interactive feature shows the steps counties can take to develope nuclear weapons. - javascript needed

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Can a Nuclear Weapons Free Future be reached or will it be impossible?

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:20:00 GMT

John P. Holdren "Aiming for Zero: The Trajectory Toward a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World"

Keynote Presentation in Honor of Sir Joseph Rotblat at the 55th Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, Hiroshima, Japan, 22-27 July 2005. - PDF-document format

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Iran insists on right to enrich uranium at home

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:30:00 GMT

AFP: "TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran will only consider a compromise offer from Russia on its nuclear programme if the deal acknowledges its right to enrich uranium on Iranian soil, the government spokesman said. "

"As we said before we want to have enrichment inside Iran... and any proposal which is based on this principle will be studied," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters on Monday.

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Iran tells IAEA atom research to resume January 9 (Reuters)

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Reuters "VIENNA Reuters - The International Atomic Energy Agency received a note from Iran on Tuesday saying it would resumed its suspended nuclear fuel research on January 9, a Western diplomat said."

" ... The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has decided to resume from January 9, 2006, R and D, research and development, on the peaceful nuclear energy program which was suspended as part of its expanded voluntary and non-legally binding suspension," Iran's message said."

"The agency, IAEA, is thus requested to take necessary and timely preparation in this regard," Iran's note said. "It is to be noted that the said R and D will be conducted in accordance with Iran's safeguards agreement with the IAEA."

"Research on nuclear fuel may include some small-scale testing of sensitive atomic processes, including uranium enrichment, an activity Iran has said it is keen to master."

"The note sent by ElBaradei to IAEA board members said the agency's secretariat was "seeking clarifications from Iran as to the implications of the note."..."

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After This War

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:00:00 GMT

Howard Zinn, ZNet Commentary: "Only after the war did I begin to question the purity of the moral crusade. Dropping bombs from five miles high, I had seen no human beings, heard no screams, seen no children dismembered, But now I had to think about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the fire bombings of Tokyo, and Dresden, the deaths of 600,000 civilians in Japan, and a similar number in Germany."

"I came to a conclusion about the psychology of myself and other warriors: once we decided, at the start, that our side was the good side and the other side was evil, once we had made that simple and simplistic calculation, we did not have to think any more. Then we could commit unspeakable crimes and it was all right."

"War, I decided, creates, insidiously, a common morality for all sides. . It poisons everyone who is engaged in it, however different they are in many ways, turns them into killers and torturers, as we are seeing now. It pretends to be concerned with toppling tyrants, and may in fact do so, but the people it kills are the victims of the tyrants. It appears to cleanse the world of evil, but that does not last, because its very nature spawns more evil. War, like violence in general, I concluded, is a drug. It gives a quick high, the thrill of victory, but that wears off and then comes despair".

"We may be on the verge of a world-wide understanding, that war, defined as the indiscriminate killing of huge numbers of people (acknowledging the possibility of humanitarian intervention to prevent atrocities) can no longer be accepted, for whatever reason, because the technology of war has reached the point where inevitably, 90% of its victims are civilians, and many of those are children, so that any war, whatever words are used to justify it, is a war against children."

"The most powerful government on earth, the United States, had to withdraw from Vietnam when it could no longer count on the loyalty of its military or the support of its citizens. There is a power greater than guns and wealth. Occasionally, in history, it has come into view to stop wars, to overthrow tyrannies. Perhaps the time has come to bring an end to war, and turn the human race onto a path of health and healing."

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America's nuclear ticking bomb

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Jorge Hirsch, The San Diego Union-Tribune: "Russia and China have sided with Iran in that it is legally entitled under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for nonmilitary purposes. The United States adamantly opposes Iran's restarting of any uranium-enrichment-related activities and is pushing for Iran to be referred to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions. The United States has explicitly not ruled out its own military option against Iran and has recently exercised that option against a state (Iraq) suspected of having weapons of mass destruction and of sponsoring terrorism. Iran certainly falls in that category."

"If only conventional bombs are used in an unprovoked U.S. or Israeli aerial attack against Iran's facilities, Iran is likely to retaliate with missiles against coalition forces in Iraq and against Israel, as well as possibly a ground invasion of southern Iraq, that the 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq would not be able to withstand. Iranian missiles could potentially contain chemical warheads, and it certainly would be impossible to rule out such possibility. Iran has signed and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (in 1993 and 1997 respectively), however it is still likely to have supplies, as determined by the U.S. State Department in August 2005."

"Early use by the United States of low-yield nuclear bombs with better bunker-busting ability than conventional bombs targeting Iranian nuclear, chemical and missile installations would be consistent with the new U.S. nuclear weapons doctrine and could be argued to be necessary to protect the lives of 150,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq and of Israeli citizens. It would also send a clear message to Iran that any response would be answered by a far more devastating nuclear attack, thus potentially saving both American and Iranian lives."

"However, the nuclear threshold is a line of no return. Once the United States uses a nuclear weapon against a nonnuclear adversary, the 182 countries that are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty will rightly feel at risk, and many of them will rush to develop their own nuclear deterrent while they can. A new world with many more nuclear countries, and a high risk of any regional conflict exploding into all-out nuclear war, will be the consequence."

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WMD Procurement Networks in Europe

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Dr Jeffrey Lewis, Arms Control Wonk.com: "Ian Cobain has a pair of stories in The Guardian summarizing "a report from a leading EU intelligence service" used "to warn off EU companies from doing business" with front companies for foreign WMD programs:"

"The 55-page intelligence assessment, dated July 1 2005, draws upon material gathered by British, French, German and Belgian agencies, and has been used to brief European government ministers and to warn leading industrialists of the need for vigilance when exporting equipment or expertise to so-called rogue states.

It concludes that Syria and Pakistan have also been buying technology and chemicals needed to develop rocket programmes and to enrich uranium. It outlines the role played by Russia in the escalating Middle East arms build-up, and examines the part that dozens of Chinese front companies have played in North Korea's nuclear weapons programme."...."

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Wayne Madsen Report, January 2, 2006: -Plans for nuclear strike on Iran-

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 06:00:00 GMT

Wayne Madsen, "January 2, 2006 -- Intelligence indications and warnings abound as Bush administration finalizes military attack on Iran."

"From European intelligence agencies comes word that the United States has told its NATO allies to be prepared for a military strike on Iranian nuclear development and military installations."

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Japanese NGOs send petition to IAEA

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (CNIC): "Japanese NGOs today sent a letter to IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and the Board of Governors urging the inter-governmental body to discuss and take action to ensure Japan upholds its 1997 commitment made to the international organization not to produce surplus plutonium.

Testing scheduled to take place next month at the Rokkasho reprocessing plant will separate out 4 tons of plutonium from spent nuclear fuel. This will violate the commitment Japan made to the IAEA because the plutonium cannot be consumed.

The petition sent to the IAEA by Green Action, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center and Greenpeace Japan states, "Japan originally made this commitment in the interests of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, a field in which it is a valuable leader. Given the heightened political tension around disarmament and non-proliferation in North East Asia, and its role as Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors, Japan should not renege on this commitment."

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GlobalResearch.ca: Nuclear War against Iran

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 22:00:00 GMT

Michel Chossudovsky: "The launching of an outright war using nuclear warheads against Iran is now in the final planning stages. Coalition partners, which include the US, Israel and Turkey are in "an advanced stage of readiness"..."

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Humanist double standard - OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC - Abolition of the individual death penalty? Yes, but also abolition of the collective death penalty by nuclear arms!

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Jean-Marie Matagne, Action of Citizens for the total Dismantling of Nukes ACDN France: "Humanist double standard - OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC - Abolition of the individual death penalty? Yes, but also abolition of the collective death penalty by nuclear arms!"

Monsieur le President,

You have just announced that you will cause the abolition of the death penalty to be written into France's constitution. This solemn act, of real historical significance, will confirm the message which was read on your behalf by Madame Nicole Guedj, on 6 October 2004, to the participants in the Second World Congress against the Death Penalty. It began thus:

"You are gathered today in Montreal in the name of a belief and a commitment which France also shares. Human life is sacred and inviolable. There is no situation where death can be an act of justice"

"Bravo, Monsieur le President! You do honour to the France of Human Rights and in so doing you show your great humanism."

""Human life is sacred and inviolable. There is no situation where death can be an act of justice" you say. Then explain to us why at the same time you are maintaining and modernising France's atomic weapons: 348 nuclear warheads placed on missiles which are ready to be fired by planes and nuclear subs, these warheads having on average a power exceeding 10 times the Hiroshima bomb."

"Judging by that bomb, which caused over 200 000 deaths, France's estimated equivalent of 57 millions tonnes of TNT could kill a billion people. Explain to us why France ought to maintain at great expense a billion guillotines - along with, admittedly, only one executioner: the head of state, i.e. yourself."

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Iran's abrupt no-show stuns atomic negotiators

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times: "PARIS Iran threw negotiations on its nuclear program into disarray Thursday, abruptly canceling a high-level meeting with the United Nations' nuclear monitoring agency in Vienna as the head of Iran's negotiating team was said to have returned home to Tehran."

"One official close to the talks said that the Iranians withdrew because they had been caught off-guard by the uncompromising stance of ElBaradei and his team in a series of messages and in a meeting with Iran's ambassador, Mohammad Mehdi Akhondzadeh, on Wednesday."

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Russia and Iran in nuclear talks

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 12:00:00 GMT

Paul Anderson, BBC News: "The Iranians say a first day of talks between their officials and Russian diplomats and experts on Iran's nuclear programme has ended satisfactorily.

These centre on a proposal to transfer all of Iran's uranium enrichment programme to Russian territory.

It is backed by the European Union and the United States, which suspect Iran is trying to develop an atomic bomb. The Iranians strenuously deny this."

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Iran to remove U.N. seals at atomic research sites

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 12:20:00 GMT

Parisa Hafezi, Reuters: "TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday it was preparing to remove U.N. seals at some nuclear research and development sites, despite strong Western opposition to its decision to resume atomic research halted over two years ago.

It would be the second time in five months that Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, removed some seals put in place by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

European Union and U.S. officials have said the move, which follows Iran's resumption of uranium processing at its Isfahan plant in August, will jeopardize efforts to find a diplomatic solution to Iran's atomic ambitions and could accelerate calls for its case to be sent to the U.N. Security Council.

"We will remove the seals and we have announced that we are ready to start research from tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference.

"It depends on the IAEA to announce its readiness as this will take place under the agency's supervision," he added."

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Iran to Resume Uranium Enrichment?

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Paul Kerr, Arms Control Wonk.com: "That's what Jacqueline Shire is reporting over at ABCNews.com:

"Sources with knowledge of Iran's nuclear program tell ABC News that a senior Iranian official notified the IAEA verbally over the weekend of its intention to introduce uranium hexafluoride gas, or UF6, into centrifuges at a facility in Natanz, 150 miles south of Tehran.

Introducing UF6 into centrifuges is the necessary step in producing enriched uranium. The centrifuges work by separating out uranium-235 atoms, which can be used to make nuclear weapons and also to fuel nuclear reactors, from heavier uranium-238 atoms." "

"This would suck."

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How to Stop the Planned Nuking of Iran - Congress should enact emergency legislation

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Jorge Hirsch, antiwar.com: "Multiple pieces of independent evidence suggest that America is embarked in a premeditated path that will lead inexorably to the use of nuclear weapons against Iran in the very near future. Facing clear evidence of this peril, we cannot wait for the final proof - the smoking gun - in the form of a mushroom cloud. Whether you are liberal or conservative, antiwar or pro-war, if you believe this would be catastrophic for America and the world, the time to act to derail it is now!"

"....How do we stop Bush from pulling the trigger?

Congress should enact immediate emergency legislation to take away from President Bush the authority to use nuclear weapons preemptively against non-nuclear countries. This is a power granted to Congress under the U.S. Constitution."

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PARLIAMENTARIANS AND CIVIL SOCIETY APPEAL ON IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Parliamentarians And Civil Society: "PARLIAMENTARIANS AND CIVIL SOCIETY APPEAL ON IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE IRAN CRISIS AND A NUCLEAR-FREE MIDDLE EAST

NO FIRST USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

[snip]To: etc.[snip]

Dear Presidents Bush and Ahmadinejad, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Secretaries of State and Defence and Ambassadors,

The proliferation of nuclear weapons is possibly the single greatest threat to civilisation. If a feared cascade of proliferation occurs, the probability that by malice, madness, miscalculation or malfunction, nuclear weapons will at some point be used will increase sharply. All nations have a responsibility to ensure that the number of nations with nuclear weapons does not grow, to prevent non-state actors from obtaining them, and for those who posses nuclear weapons to eliminate and abolish them.

Threats and rumours of military action or even nuclear weapons use only worsen a growing crisis between Iran, the United States, and Israel."

"The Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, and prominent individuals signed below hereby urge a solution to the crisis in relations between the US and Iran, Israel and Iran, based on the following clearly defined principles:[snip]..."

Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, and prominent individuals are still invited to sign the letter.

They can send their signatures to the following address:

FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign foesyd4@ihug.com.au

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Straw Says U.K., U.S, Haven't Discussed Striking Iran (Update2)

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Robert Hutton, Bloomberg.com: "Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. and U.K. haven't discussed military action against Iran, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said, after the Iranians resumed research into uranium enrichment."

"I've never had a single discussion with anyone in the U.S. administration about the possibility of military action," against Iran, Straw told British Broadcasting Corp. radio. Military action wouldn't be conceivable or appropriate, he said.

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Iran threatens to end UN checks

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:05:00 GMT

BBC News: "Iran has threatened to halt snap inspections of its nuclear sites by the United Nations if it is referred to the UN Security Council."

"Earlier, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Iran's chief nuclear negotiator had told him Iran was still interested in "constructive negotiations, but within a time-frame".

Mr Annan said he was keen for the issue to be resolved through the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), if possible.

The UK, France and Germany met in Berlin on Thursday in response to Iran's decision to resume nuclear research this week.

Speaking afterwards, they said talks with Iran had reached a "dead end" and called for an emergency session of the IAEA.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed the EU move and talked of "a menu of possibilities" for diplomatic action against Iran."

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British troops could be victims of Iran's nuclear stand-off with West

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Kim Sengupta, The Independent: "Meanwhile, another senior military figure, Admiral Sir Alan West, the head of the Royal Navy, warned that any military action against Iran could have "horrendous consequences" and "must be avoided"."

Sir Alan said even air strikes - let alone a full-scale invasion - would be extremely problematic and could have "disastrous" results. Sir Alan was the first Western military commander to express his disquiet over the possibility of an armed intervention in the growing crisis over Iran's nuclear programme. It came amid reports that the US and Israel may bomb the nuclear facilities if Tehran refuses to back down from its belligerent stance over its nuclear testing, despite international anger.

Admiral West said: "The consequence of military action would be quite horrendous. We should not do it, the matter should be resolved some other way."

Talking about a previous example - an Israeli strike at Iraq's nuclear plant at Osirak in 1981, Admiral West said: "That was just one target. With Iran you have got to get every single one. There will awful repercussions if that does not happen.".."

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Russia Would Let Iran Nuclear Issue Go to UN Council (Update1)

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 14:20:00 GMT

Bill Varner, Bloomberg: " Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Russia would allow the issue of Iran's nuclear program to go to the United Nations Security Council and has a strategy for the panel to increase pressure on the Islamic state to comply with nonproliferation accords, Ambassador Andrey Denisov said.

"Russia does not exclude the possibility," Denisov said in an interview in New York, referring to the question of whether to bring the issue to the Security Council. He said Russia would "at least abstain," if not support a resolution on referral that is put before the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog.

"Iran armed with a nuclear weapon poses a grave threat to the security of the world," Bush told reporters after talks in Washington today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel agreed, saying the U.S. and European allies would "try to persuade as many countries to ally themselves with us."

China, which previously joined Russia in opposing Security Council involvement in Iran and might block sanctions using its veto, cautioned today against bringing the issue to the UN. Ambassador Wang Guangya said doing so might lead the Iranian government to end all cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog agency."

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Bush Warns Against Nuclear-Armed Iran - U.S. Presses Allies for U.N. Action

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 14:30:00 GMT

Peter Baker, Washington Post Staff Writer: "President Bush declared yesterday that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose "a grave threat to the security of the world" as he tried to rally support from other major powers for U.N. Security Council action unless a defiant Tehran abandons any aspirations for nuclear weapons.

In using the phrase "grave threat," Bush invoked the same language he used before launching the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and he highlighted in particular the danger to Israel. But during a White House appearance with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bush stressed that he hopes to forge a "common consensus" with other world leaders for a diplomatic resolution of the escalating confrontation with Iran."

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Ukraine wants to produce own nuclear fuel

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:00:00 GMT

MARIA DANILOVA, Associated Press Writer: "Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said Friday that his country should produce its own nuclear fuel for power plants, part of the West-leaning leader's effort to reduce its reliance on Russia following a dispute over natural gas prices."

"We must change our uranium policy - our policy on the use of uranium for peaceful purposes," Yushchenko said on national television. "We must cooperate with international allies on a serious political and economic level so that we can have a full cycle of processing and production of nuclear fuel."..."

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Will Iran Be Next? - A War Game Report December 2004

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 21:00:00 GMT

James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly December 2004, "Throughout this summer and fall, barely mentioned in America's presidential campaign, Iran moved steadily closer to a showdown with the United States (and other countries) over its nuclear plans.

In June the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran had not been forthcoming about the extent of its nuclear programs. In July, Iran indicated that it would not ratify a protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty giving inspectors greater liberty within its borders. In August the Iranian Defense Minister warned that if Iran suspected a foreign power -specifically the United States or Israel- of preparing to strike its emerging nuclear facilities, it might launch a pre-emptive strike of its own, of which one target could be the U.S. forces next door in Iraq. In September, Iran announced that it was preparing thirty-seven tons of uranium for enrichment, supposedly for power plants, and it took an even tougher line against the IAEA. In October it announced that it had missiles capable of hitting targets 1,250 miles away-as far as southeastern Europe to the west and India to the east. Also, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman rejected a proposal by Senator John Kerry that if the United States promised to supply all the nuclear fuel Iran needed for peaceful power-generating purposes, Iran would stop developing enrichment facilities (which could also help it build weapons). Meanwhile, the government of Israel kept sending subtle and not-so-subtle warnings that if Iran went too far with its plans, Israel would act first to protect itself, as it had in 1981 by bombing the Iraqi nuclear facility at Osirak.

Preoccupied as they were with Iraq (and with refighting Vietnam), the presidential candidates did not spend much time on Iran. But after the election the winner will have no choice....."

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US senators say military strike on Iran must be option

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 23:00:00 GMT

Carol Giacomo, Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic senators said on Sunday the United States may ultimately have to undertake a military strike to deter Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but that should be the last resort

"That is the last option. Everything else has to be exhausted. But to say under no circumstances would we exercise a military option, that would be crazy," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said on CBS's "Face the Nation.""

Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said there are sensitive elements of Iran's nuclear program, which, if attacked, "would dramatically delay its development."

"But that should not be an option at this point. We ought to use everything else possible keep from getting to that juncture," he said on CNN's "Late Edition.".."

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Upgrades planned for U.S. nuclear stockpile/Agency leader expects significant warhead redesigns

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 06:00:00 GMT

James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer: Congress passed a landmark budget measure last year for the first upgrade of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile since the Cold War, insisting there would be limited modifications to make the warheads safer and more reliable.

But in his first interview since the measure was adopted, the head of the agency that manages the arsenal described the program as a potentially far more extensive redesign of the weapons.

"While the American public's attention is being focused on Iran's nuclear "ambitions," the United States is continuing an ambitious, mutli-faceted program to comprehensively maintain and upgrade its own nuclear arsenal. The following article, in today's San Francisco Chronicle, provides an excellent assessment of the current situation. Western States Legal Foundation has been writing about this trend for many years. If you're interested in more in-depth background and analysis, you might start with our 2-page introductory Information Brief, War is Peace, Arms Racing is Disarmament: The Non-Proliferation Treaty and the U.S. Quest for Global Military Dominance, available at http://www.wslfweb.org/docs/warispeacebr.pdf

The full report (30 pages) is available at http://www.wslfweb.org/docs/warispeace.pdf .."

Jackie Cabasso

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China, Russia Urge Iran Nuke Negotiations

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:00:00 GMT

GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer: "VIENNA, Austria - Pressure on Iran intensified Tuesday, with key European countries and the United States moving ahead with plans to refer Tehran to the U.N. Security Council and Israel vowing not to let the Iranians develop nuclear weapons.

But Russia and China -Iran's past backers- urged negotiations instead of confrontation, casting doubt on whether next month's International Atomic Energy Agency meeting will demonstrate a unified political will.

A meeting Monday in London produced no agreement among the United States, France, Britain and Germany and Moscow and Beijing on whether to refer the dispute over Iranian nuclear enrichment to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions..."

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US Calls Iran 'Test' for Security Council; Russia, China Balk

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:10:00 GMT

Peter Heinlein, United Nations: "The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says Iran's nuclear program should be a test case for the Security Council. But Chinese and Russian envoys remain reluctant to take up the issue."

"U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton maintained the Security Council has clear authority in the Iran uranium enrichment case under the U.N. charter. He called it a classic threat to international peace and security. But, acknowledging the diverse views among Council members, Ambassador Bolton cautioned that there is no guarantee of success.

"There are no guarantees in the Security Council. This will be a test for the Council, and appropriately so, because the Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile delivery systems threatens their region and threatens the world as a whole," he said.

But he cautioned that the Council's role should remained secondary, in enforcing the authority of the International Atomic Energy Agency, known as the I.A.E.A."

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Statement of Mouvement de la Paix for President Jacques Chirac's presence at Ile Longue on January 19, 2006

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Roland Nivet, Mouvement de la Paix: "At Crozon, in Brest harbour, on the site of Ile Longue, is located the nuclear submarines base of the FOST (Strategic Oceanic Force) that represents 85% of the French nuclear weapons, about 6,000 times Hiroshima.

At Ile Longue, France permanently infringes the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT):

[snip]"

The Mouvement de la Paix launches again its 2004 Appeal supported by fifty French organisations under the French Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament:

"In order to preserve the future of our planet and of future generations, we ask the President of the Republic:

* for immediate compliance with the NPT and in particular with its Article 6 that demands the elimination of nuclear weapons under strict and efficient international control,

* that France and the European Union take major steps to enforce the NPT,

* that the billions Euro's illegally embezzled for these weapons of mass destruction be allocated to satisfy social needs (education, health, culture, research, sports, employment, environnement, social and cultural development in suburbs,...)."

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_New_ French Nuclear Weapons Doctrine

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 09:10:00 GMT

Le Mouvement de la Paix: "The sudden change of nuclear doctrine imposed by Jacques Chirac is a dangerous act for the world's security

While France has accepted so far the principle of no-first strike, the principle of nuclear deterrence, Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, has just anounced -wihout any consultation of the Parliament and under no urgency- that France could retaliate with targeted nuclear strikes if attacked or even as prevention.

By anouncing all of the sudden this fundamental change in the French nuclear doctrine, he adopts an aggressive strategy. This is very serious! Thinking about using the atom bomb is synonymous with disappearance of all life on earth at short term."

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Letter from ACDN on the _New_ French Nuclear Weapons Doctrine- 20 January 2006: THE "KING" IS MAD. REMOVE HIM!

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Jean-Marie Matagne, president of ACDN: "THE "KING" IS MAD. REMOVE HIM!

President Chirac of France is a potential murderer and must be removed from office immediately."

"This radical change in official discourse - officially, France's nuclear weapons were weapons "unlike any others", "purely for deterrence", "destined to not be used" - is not absolutely new, even if one may wonder about the effects of a cerebro-vascular accident. The change was already possible to perceive in the speech that Chirac gave on 8 June 2001 at the IHEDN in Paris. At the time we denounced this "deviation" which no one else paid attention to. It is confirmed today."

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Indo-US Nuke Deal: Disturbing and Destabilising Development

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Sukla Sen: " The much talked of July 18 joint statement(1) issued by Manmohan Singh and George Bush, as the culmination of the Indian PM's visit to the US last year, is, in fact, a wide-ranging one. Nevertheless only a specific portion of this document, etching out the contours of a (possible and promised) nuclear deal between the two countries has attracted widespread and disproportionate attention. The reasons are not too far to seek. This is unarguably the most radical part of a document dealing with a number of vital issues together with some customary platitudes to democratic values and all that.

The promised deal just not only runs counter to the current global non-proliferation order, it will also call for a radical revision of the domestic laws of the US itself and its policies in this regard hitherto. While the deal has met with very considerable ebullience, mainly from India's ruling quarters, it also continues to face stiff opposition, on very divergent grounds, from all the three major quarters: India, US and the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Apart from these, the global anti-nuke peace movement is also highly apprehensive of the deal(2)...."

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Iran and the Bomb 1: How Close Is Iran?

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:00:00 GMT

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, Arms Control Wonk.com: "This is first part in a three part series on Iran's nuclear capabilities that I am writing at the urging of Noah Shachtman from DefenseTech.

When some moron like Charles Krauthammer claims Iran is now just "months" away from a bomb, you can pretty much ignore him: He has no idea what he is talking about.

Overall, Iran is probably a little less than a decade away from developing a nuclear weapon. The key question here is how long it will take Iran to enrich a few tens of kilograms of uranium to more than 90 percent U-235....."

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Iran and the Bomb 2: Iran's Missiles

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:10:00 GMT

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, Arms Control Wonk.com: "This is second part in a three part series on Iran's nuclear capabilities that I am writing at the urging of Noah Shachtman from DefenseTech. (Read Part 1).

Once upon a time, Persian scientists spent their considerable talents making the world a better place, inventing useful things like batteries and studying the heavens (left).

Lately ... not so much. They've focused on less ethereal pursuits like developing the technology to rain death and destruction on their neighbors.

Which brings us to today's question: How far could Iran launch a nuclear weapon on a ballistic missile? ..."

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Iran and The Bomb 3: Strike options

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 21:00:00 GMT

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, Arms Control Wonk.com: "This is third part in a three part series on Iran's nuclear capabilities that I am writing at the urging of Noah Shachtman from DefenseTech. (Read Part 1 and Part 2).

A diverse crowd including Pat Buchanan's American Spectator) and Sy Hersh at the New Yorker) news outlets have been reporting signs of an imminent strike on Iran for a couple years now. The most recent stir was caused by German reporter Udo Ulfkotte, who claimed US officials were briefing our allies in Europe about plans for a military strike on Iran.

A lot of this rhetoric has been overheated. (Bill Arkin recently wrote a thoughtful post on the how strike planning has changed under the Bush Administration.)"

"In this post, I outline the parameters, challenges and prospects for a strike designed to eliminate just Iran's nuclear programs. Overall, I think the prospects for a strike are mixed-a properly timed strike might delay Iran's program by a few years, although there are good reasons to think that the long-term result of a strike would be to worsen America's security....."

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Iran - LCNP/WSLF letter opposing IAEA referral to the Security Council

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:00:00 GMT

John Burroughs, Executive Director Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy:

This post is about the LCNP/WSLF letter opposing IAEA referral to the Security Council. The URL is: http://www.lcnp.org/disarmament/iaea_letter-jan06.htm

"This letter to the IAEA Board of Governors is from the Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy and Western States Legal Foundation. The letter opposes Board referral of the Iran situation by the Board, based on extensive legal and policy analysis. The emergency meeting of the IAEA Board is February 2.

Similar letters to the IAEA Board have been sent by Reaching Critical Will (http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/rcwiaea.html) and Greenpeace International (http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/greenpeaceiaea.html)

Please consider contacting your capital, if your country is member of the IAEA Board, and/or communicating with the IAEA Board. See (http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/iaeaboard.html) for member states and contact information.

John Burroughs, Executive Director

Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy

211 E. 43d St., Suite 1204, New York, NY USA

tel 212 818 1861; fax 212 818 1857

www.lcnp.org; johnburroughs@lcnp.org"

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Germany Should Consider Nuclear Arms, Ex-Official Says

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:00:00 GMT

NTI, Global Security Newswire: "..."We need a serious discussion over how we can react to a nuclear threat by a terrorist state in an appropriate manner - and in extreme cases with our own nuclear weapons," said former Defense Minister Rupert Scholz."

"I guess you heard that German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she cannot in the least understand the debate French President's Jacques Chirac remarks evoked in the German public (there was a lot of criticism.

Now someone from her party clearly tops this. Not that Scholz ist not only former Defense Minister but also a professor of law!"

comments Regina Hagen, INESAP Coordinator

"There is a Dutch saying: "If one sheep is over the dam others will follow"

First the US, then the UK and France, but now also Germany seems to want to give the wrong signal to the rest of the World - if you want to be secure, you can not do without Nuclear Weapons. Who will be next in line ... you probably guessed it, ..right?"

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance.

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PARLIAMENTARIANS AND CIVIL SOCIETY APPEAL ON IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS -- updated 01-30-2006

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Parliamentarians And Civil Society:

"PARLIAMENTARIANS AND CIVIL SOCIETY APPEAL ON IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE IRAN CRISIS AND A NUCLEAR-FREE MIDDLE EAST

NO FIRST USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

To:

President George Bush

Secy of State Condoleeza Rice

UN Ambassador John Bolton

President Ahmadinejad of Iran

Foreign Minister of Iran, Kamal Jharze

Iran UN Ambassador, H.E. Zarif-Khonsari

Ehud Olmert, Acting Prime Minister of Israel

Israel Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni

H.E. Mr. Dan Gillerman, Israel UN Mission

cc:

Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission

Tony Blair, Prime Minister of UK

Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

The Hon. John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia

The Hon. Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia

Hu Jintao, President of China

Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of China

Li Zhaoxing, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

Mikhail Fradkov, Prime Minister of Russia

Sergey V. Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia

M. Jacques Chirac, Président de la République Française

M. Dominique de Villepin, Premier Ministre

M. Philippe Douste-Blazy, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères

Herr Horst Kõhler, Bundespräzsident Deutschlands

Frau Angela Merkel, Bundeskanzlerin Deutschlands

Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Deutsche Bundesaussenminister

Mr Kofi Annan, General Secretary of the United Nations

Mr Mohamed ElBaradei, Director of the IAEA

Wolfgang Schüssel, President of the European Union, Chancellor of Austria

IAEA Board Members

Dear Presidents Bush and Ahmadinejad, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Secretaries of State, IAEA Board Members, and Ambassadors,

The proliferation of nuclear weapons is possibly the single greatest threat to civilisation. If a feared cascade of proliferation occurs, the probability that by malice, madness, miscalculation or malfunction, nuclear weapons will at some point be used will increase sharply. All nations have a responsibility to ensure that the number of nations with nuclear weapons does not grow, to prevent non-state actors from obtaining them, and for those who posses nuclear weapons to eliminate and abolish them.

Threats and rumours of military action or even nuclear weapons use only worsen a growing crisis between Iran, the United States, and Israel."

"The Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, and prominent individuals signed below hereby urge a solution to the crisis in relations between the US and Iran, Israel and Iran, based on the following clearly defined principles:

[snip]..."

Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, and prominent individuals are still invited to sign the letter.

They can send their signatures to the following address:

FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign foesyd4@ihug.com.au

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6 House Democrats Oppose Rokkasho

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:00:00 GMT

The Japan Times: "WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Six U.S. Democrats have urged Japan to suspend its plan to begin a test operation to extract plutonium at a nuclear-waste reprocessing facility in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, Democratic congressional sources said Thursday."

WASHINGTON, DC - Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a co-chair of the Bipartisan Nonproliferation Task Force, today sent a letter, signed by five other House Members, to Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato, expressing concerns regarding Japanese plans to move ahead with the commissioning of the Rokkasho spent fuel reprocessing plant. January 26, 2006- Rep. Markey Voices Concern Over Nuclear Reprocessing By Japan

See: http://www.cornnet.nl/~akmalten/GANA-Nuclear_Weapons_Future-News-feed-archive-2006-Q1.html#RepMarkey3001

Copy of Letter to Japanese Embassy http://markey.house.gov/docs/defense/iss_nonpro_ltr060126.pdf

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IRAN NEXT?

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Hans Blix, MaximsNews: "UNITED NATIONS - 30 January 2006 / www.MaximsNews.com/ For a while it looked as if Iran was genuinely interested in building and owning a plant for the enrichment of uranium in Russia.

In such an arrangement, Russia would guarantee that the level of enrichment was not suddenly increased from around 4 %, which is needed for fuel in nuclear power reactors to some 90%, which can be used for warheads.

Then came some amazingly aggressive statements by the new President of Iran, seals placed by the IAEA in some facilities were broken and "research" relating to enrichment was resumed.

The world is now abuzz with speculations about hauling Iran before the UN Security Council, about economic and military actions, as well as about possible measures by Iran to terminate IAEA inspections and impacts on the price of oil. ...."

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U.S. Compromises on Wording of Iran Nuclear Resolution

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Elaine Sciolino, nytimes.com "VIENNA, Feb. 3 - The 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency put off a vote on a landmark resolution on Iran's nuclear program on Friday, largely because of American opposition to a clause indirectly criticizing Israel's nuclear weapons status, according to several diplomats.

But late Friday evening the dispute was apparently resolved after the Americans backed down and accepted compromise language, an American official said.

In Washington, R. Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, said the way had been cleared for the adoption of the resolution on Saturday. "The I.A.E.A. board is now poised to adopt a very important resolution declaring the international community's lack of confidence in Iran," he said. "This is a major development on this issue."

Earlier in the day, diplomats here had predicted the United States would have to accept a compromise on the clause, which mentions support for the creation of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East. The clause was insisted upon by Egypt, with the strong backing of the nonaligned nations on the agency's board.

Egypt and other Arab states routinely demand references to a "nuclear-free zone" in the Middle East in Security Council documents. They argue that Israel - which has never admitted that it has nuclear weapons and, unlike Iran, has never signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty - should be made part of a general security framework in the Middle East."

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Bush's Budget to Call for Nuclear Partnership With Russia

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 11:05:00 GMT

Matthew L. Wald And David E. Sanger, nytimes.com: "WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 - The Bush administration will propose in its budget on Monday the creation of an atomic energy partnership with Russia, offering countries a supply of fuel for their reactors under restrictions intended to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons, according to administration officials.

Under the proposal, the United States and Russia would provide reactor fuel to other countries and take back the spent fuel afterward to prevent its use in weaponry. President Bush called for a similar plan two years ago, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has recommended an international fuel system in which it would control custody of nuclear fuel.

Mr. Bush's new budget includes about $250 million to continue research on two new technologies that are intended to significantly reduce the amount of nuclear waste requiring long-term disposal.

But one senior official called those techniques "a long way away," and Mr. Bush's own concerns about the plan, some officials say, explained why he did not include it in his State of the Union address on Tuesday."

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Iran reported to Security Council

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 12:00:00 GMT

BBC News: "The UN nuclear watchdog has voted to report Iran to the security council over its nuclear activities.

Twenty-seven countries out of 35 on the agency's board voted for the resolution, with just three against and five abstentions.

The decision follows days of intensive diplomacy at the agency and could lead to possible UN sanctions against Iran.

A senior Iranian official said Tehran's first response would be to resume full-scale enrichment of uranium."

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IAEA Board Passed Resolution on Iran - dd 02-04-2006

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 10:00:00 GMT

IAEA News Center: "In Focus : IAEA and Iran

Latest Briefings/Timeline

FEBRUARY 2006

4, Saturday: IAEA Board Passed Resolution on Iran. The IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution requesting the IAEA Director General to report to the UN Security Council all IAEA reports and resolutions, as adopted, relating to the implementation of safeguards in Iran."

* Resolution

* Photo Gallery: IAEA Board

* Timeline Archive >>

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Behind the Urgent Diplomacy: A Sense Iran Will Get the Bomb

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 14:00:00 GMT

DAVID E. SANGER, nytimes.com: "WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Hours after the United States and Europe prevailed in a contest over officially reporting Iran's history of clandestine nuclear activity to the United Nations Security Council, President Bush issued a statement on Saturday from his ranch, saying that the overwhelming vote showed "the world will not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons."

But even some of Mr. Bush's own advisers say that may prove an overstatement. Behind the diplomatic maneuvering, many of the diplomats and nuclear experts involved in the West's effort believe that stopping the program cold is highly unlikely, and probably impossible. They acknowledge that a more realistic goal now is to delay the day that Iran joins the nuclear club.

"Look, the Pakistanis and the North Koreans got there, and they didn't have Iran's money or the engineering expertise," said one senior official who is instrumental in putting together the American strategy. "Sooner or later, it's going to happen. Our job is to make sure it's later." By that time, he said, the hope is that a changed or different government is in power in Tehran...."

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Use of force debated amid diplomacy on Iran

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Carol Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent - Reuters: "In a private meeting with European diplomats this week, a former senior U.S. official raised the idea of launching a dozen B2 bombers in an air raid aimed at crippling key Iranian nuclear facilities."

"If what is told in the following article is true then:

1. The decision to bomb Iran seems already be made.

2. Preparations for the action seems to have left the planning phase

3. Bringing the Iran situation before the SC seems again only necessary as a fig-leaf for the next ILLEGAL WAR.

!!!! LET US TRY AND STOP THE NEXT ILLEGAL WAR SHORT !!!! "

Ak Malten,

Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

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Iran 'could quit nuclear treaty'

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 21:00:00 GMT

BBC News: "Iran could abandon the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if forced to limit nuclear activities, its hardline president says.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said if the rights of the Iranian people were violated, Iran would "revise its policies"."

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IRAN - CONSEQUENCES OF A WAR

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Professor Paul Rogers, Global Security Consultant, OxfordResearchGroup: "This briefing paper, written by our Global Security Consultant, Professor Paul Rogers, provides a comprehensive analysis of the likely nature of US or Israeli military action that would be intended to disable Iran's nuclear capabilities. It outlines both the immediate consequences in terms of loss of human life, facilities and infrastructure, and also the likely Iranian responses, which would be extensive.

An attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure would signal the start of a protracted military confrontation that would probably grow to involve Iraq, Israel and Lebanon, as well as the USA and Iran. The report concludes that a military response to the current crisis in relations with Iran is a particularly dangerous option and should not be considered further.

Alternative approaches must be sought, however difficult these may be......"

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Annan calls for U.S. calm on Iran

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:00:00 GMT

Bill Sammon, The Washington Times: "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday warned President Bush not to "escalate" tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions because the world wants to "find a way out of this crisis."

"We need to be able to resolve it, and I hope there will be no steps taken to escalate this approach," Mr. Annan told the president at the end of a meeting in the Oval Office.

Mr. Bush did not publicly mention Iran, although he discussed the topic with Mr. Annan before reporters were ushered in at the conclusion of the meeting...."

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Commentary: U.S. has few options on Iran

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 22:00:00 GMT

An excerpt from UN Wire: "Commentary: U.S. has few options on Iran

The scenario related to Iran's recent showdown with the West is eerily similar to one that played out in Iraq, this commentary argues. A preemptive military strike by the U.S. would likely upset countries around the world, while declarations about Iran's nuclear capabilities lack credibility given the U.S.' mistaken analysis about Saddam Hussein's WMD program prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Charles D. Ferguson of the Council on Foreign Relations writes. International Herald Tribune/Boston Globe (2/14)

UN Wire is a FREE daily e-mail newsletter covering the United Nations and the World. Aggregating the most important news from hundreds of top international sources, UN Wire provides the latest news and information you need to be an informed citizen."

Sign up for your very own free subscription to UN Wire.

"This article is a well written warning to the US not to repeat the Iraq War mistakes another time in the US vs. Iran Crisis

To be able to read the article Javascript should be on."

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

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France Says Iran Seeks Nuke Weapons

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:00:00 GMT

GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer, in The Guardian: "VIENNA, Austria (AP) - France accused Iran on Thursday of seeking nuclear weapons in Europe's bluntest criticism to date of Tehran's uranium enrichment plans, while Russia urged its erstwhile ally to re-impose an indefinite freeze on enrichment.

While the United States routinely accused Iran of trying to make such arms, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy's bold statement appeared to reflect mounting exasperation and a tougher stance than European negotiators had previously maintained in their efforts to persuade Iran to suspend nuclear activities.

"No civilian nuclear program can explain the Iranian nuclear program. It is a clandestine military nuclear program," Douste-Blazy said on France-2 television.

"The international community has sent a very firm message in telling the Iranians to return to reason and suspend all nuclear activity and the enrichment and conversion of uranium, but they aren't listening to us."..."

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Russia Warns U.S. Against Striking Iran

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:05:00 GMT

VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer: "MOSCOW - Russia's top military chief on Thursday warned the United States against launching a military strike against Iran and a top diplomat voiced hope that close cooperation with China could help resolve the Tehran nuclear crisis.

..."This may stir the whole world, and it is crucial to prevent anything like that," Baluyevsky was quoted as saying.

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alekseyev, meanwhile, said that cooperation with China could help push Iran toward accepting Moscow's offer to host Iran's uranium enrichment program.

The Russian proposal has become a centerpiece of international efforts to defuse tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions."

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The Dangers of a Middle East Nuclear War (2)

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Michel Chossudovsky, GlobalResearch.ca: "The Pentagon has blurred the distinction between conventional battlefield weapons and nuclear bombs. The nuclear bunker buster bomb is presented as an instrument of peace-making and regime change, which will enhance global security.

2006-02-17"

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The nuclear complex: America, the bomb, and Osama bin Laden

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mian, openDemocracy: "The twin ambitions of American empire and radical Islamism could bring nuclear catastrophe to the world. A different ethical and political project is urgently needed...."

"Power over life and death - don't be proud of it. Whatever they fear from you, you'll be threatened with."

Seneca (Roman philosopher and statesman)

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France and India agree on atom deal

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Amelia Gentleman, International Herald Tribune: "NEW DELHI France took a step toward providing civilian nuclear expertise to India on Monday, signing a deal aimed at helping the growing Asian economy tackle an energy crisis. The agreement came during bilateral talks...

[Even] France's plans to enter into civilian nuclear trade with India depend on a parallel U.S.-Indian nuclear agreement being pushed through during that visit, which would end three decades of international sanctions on nuclear trade with India.

The French deal on future nuclear cooperation cannot be finalized until New Delhi and Washington agree on their own pact, bypassing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which India has always refused to sign. Talks are currently deadlocked as India stalls over a U.S. demand to separate its military and civilian facilities....

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IRAN: IS THERE A WAY OUT OF THE NUCLEAR IMPASSE?

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 11:00:00 GMT

International Crisis Group ICG: "EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

There is no easy way out of the Iranian nuclear dilemma. Iran, emboldened by the situation in Iraq and soaring oil prices, and animated by a combination of insecurity and assertive nationalism, insists on its right to develop full nuclear fuel cycle capability, including the ability to enrich uranium. Most other countries, while acknowledging to varying extents Iran's right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to acquire that capability for peaceful energy purposes, have a concern - reinforced by Iran's lack of transparency in the past, continuing support for militant Middle East groups and incendiary presidential rhetoric - that once able to highly enrich uranium, it will be both able and tempted to build nuclear weapons.

But EU-led diplomacy so far has failed to persuade Iran to forego its fuel cycle ambitions; the UN Security Council seems unlikely to agree on sanctions strong enough to force it to do so; and preventive military force is both a dangerous and unproductive option.

Two possible scenarios remain, however, for a negotiated compromise. The first, and unquestionably more attractive for the international community, is a "zero enrichment" option: for Iran to agree to indefinitely relinquish its right to enrich uranium in return for guaranteed supply from an offshore source, along the lines proposed by Russia. Tehran, while not wholly rejecting offshore supply, has made clear its reluctance to embrace such a limitation as a long-term solution: for it to have any chance of acceptance, more incentives from the U.S. need to be on the table than at present.

If this option proves unachievable - as seems, regrettably, more likely than not - the only realistic remaining diplomatic option appears to be the "delayed limited enrichment" plan spelt out in this report. The wider international community, and the West in particular, would explicitly accept that Iran can not only produce peaceful nuclear energy but has the "right to enrich" domestically; in return, Iran would agree to a several-year delay in the commencement of its enrichment program, major limitations on its initial size and scope, and a highly intrusive inspections regime......."

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Mr. Bush goes to Delhi

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 22:00:00 GMT

UN Wire, United Nations Foundation: "Mr. Bush goes to Delhi

When U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in India next week on his maiden voyage to the growing global power, there are "reasons to urge both sides to tread as carefully as angels before they rush in to an over-enthusiastic partnership," The Economist suggests. This cover story details how both sides should handle delicate issues like China and the sharing of nuclear technology. Economist, The (2/23)

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Defusing The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Carrot and Stick Approach

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

Jean du Preez, a CNS Research Story: "Setting the stage for what is likely to become a divisive and drawn-out brawl at the Security Council, on February 4, 2006, the Permanent 5 and Germany managed to persuade and arm twist the 35 member International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors into agreeing to report Iran to the Security Council because of the country's many failures and breaches of its obligations to comply with its Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement. The strong appeals by the EU-3 (Britain, France and Germany), enthusiastically supported by the United States, to drag Iran before the Security Council were supported by all but eight countries: only three countries (Cuba, Syria and Venezuela) opposed the decision while five others abstained (Algeria, Belarus, Indonesia, Libya and South Africa).

While most governments and analysts agree that Iran's lack of transparency and repeated failures to comply with its safeguards agreement over the past three years are sufficient reason for Security Council involvement, very little consideration has been given to the potential consequences of the decision to so involve the council at this point in time. If not properly handled, this situation could undermine the credibility of the IAEA, if not the Security Council.

Given the political backlash by Tehran, the IAEA has already been effectively limited to operate only within the strict legal confines of Iran's NPT comprehensive safeguards agreement. At the same time, the political rhetoric coming from various quarters ranging from the use of military action against Iranian nuclear installations to threats by President Ahmadinejad to withdraw from the NPT are likely to fan the flames of the nuclear crisis. This issue is spiraling out of control as U.S., European, and Iranian leaders play to their respective domestic audiences, rather than looking clearly at their strategic interests. The situation plainly needs to be reined in. This is only possible through strong leadership and renewed diplomacy, not political posturing.

But the Iran issue has not reached crisis dimensions yet. Had Tehran announced its withdrawal from the NPT, kicked out the IAEA inspectors and made aggressive efforts toward developing nuclear weapons - as North Korea did three years ago - it would constitute a threat to international peace and security, and justify swift Security Council action......"

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Iran - Centrifuges and Limited Enrichment

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT

Dr Jeffrey Lewis, Arms Control Wonk.com: "Iran's Chief nuclear negotiator gave an interview to Inter France Radio (in French) that was little noticed until the Iranian Embassy released his remarks.

Here is how IRNA reported his comments:

Larijani said that the best guarantee for peacefulness of the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran could include the following measures:

* "Accepting the current IAEA monitoring and verification systems,

* Use of modern centrifuges, proposed by some American and British scientists, which permit only limited enrichment,

* participation of interested countries in Iran's peaceful nuclear activities in the form of a consortium."

What struck me was the phrase:

"Use of modern centrifuges, proposed by some American and British scientists, which permit only limited enrichment,"

My initial reaction was "huh?" So I e-mailed a half dozen of the most technically astute folks. Their collective reaction, with somewhat more erudition, was also "huh?"...."

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Hiroshima, Nagasaki mayors protest nuclear weapons testing by U.S. and Britain - Update: including links to the letters

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito: "British and American government scientists performed an underground nuclear experiment, short of a nuclear blast, at a test site in Nevada on Tuesday", the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration said.

"The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- the two Japanese cities devastated by the world's only atomic bomb attacks -- on Friday urged the United States and Britain to halt nuclear tests, saying they threaten the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty....."

The texts of the letters can be found at the Mayors for Peace Website.

Protest against subcritical nuclear tests conducted by U.S.A. Letter of Protest

Protest against subcritical nuclear tests conducted by U.K. Letter of Protest

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THE NPT IS IN SERIOUS DANGER --- US - India --- Bush puts nuke deal in bigger context

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 07:05:00 GMT

Anwar Iqbal, The Washington Times: "Bush puts nuke deal in bigger context"

"after reading this article my first conclusion was, if this is how Bush wants to be remembered, The man Who Murdered the NPT and Arranged -its- Funeral Celebrations, then let him go ahead !!

But I hope he will then not be surprised, if his state will be the first to be bombed !!

BUT, NO, of course not, we should fight this folly with all our might !!!!

If the NPT is lost, then in what way can we stop the spread of Nuclear Weapons over our World or press the Nuclear Weapon States, real or de facto to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance"

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US and India at 'delicate' stage in nuclear talks

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Jo Johnson in New Delhi, FT.com: "India and the US were on Monday night locked in "delicate" negotiations over a deal that would recognise New Delhi as a legitimate nuclear power and address the fast-growing Asian economy's energy deficit.

In a defensive statement to parliament ahead of President George W. Bush's arrival on Wednesday for a three-day visit, Manmohan Singh, India's prime minister, denied the deal would cap his country's nuclear weapons programme...."

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Nuclear Cave In

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 21:00:00 GMT

Joseph Cirincione, Carnegie Endowment: "Buffeted by political turmoil at home, President Bush sought a foreign affairs victory in India. To clinch a nuclear weapons deal, the president had to give in to demands from the Indian nuclear lobby to exempt large portions of the country's nuclear infrastructure from international inspection. With details of the deal still under wraps, it appears that at least one-third of current and planned Indian reactors would be exempt from IAEA inspections and that the president gave into Indian demands for "Indian-specific" inspections that would fall far short of the normal, full-scope inspections originally sought. Worse, Indian officials have made clear that India alone will decide which future reactors will be kept in the military category and exempt from any safeguards.

The deal endorses and assists India's nuclear weapons program. US-supplied uranium fuel would free up India's limited uranium reserves for fuel that would be burned in these reactors to make nuclear weapons. This would allow India to increase its production from the estimated 6 to 10 additional nuclear bombs per year to several dozen per year. India today has enough separated plutonium for 75 to 110 nuclear weapons, though it is not known how many it has actually produced...."

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IAEA Director General Welcomes U.S. and India Nuclear Deal

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 09:00:00 GMT

IAEA, Press Release 2006/05: "2 March 2006 - IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomes the announcement of the nuclear cooperation agreement reached today between India and the United States.

"This agreement is an important step towards satisfying India's growing need for energy, including nuclear technology and fuel, as an engine for development. It would also bring India closer as an important partner in the non-proliferation regime," he said. "It would be a milestone, timely for ongoing efforts to consolidate the non-proliferation regime, combat nuclear terrorism and strengthen nuclear safety."

"The agreement would assure India of reliable access to nuclear technology and nuclear fuel. It would also be a step forward towards universalisation of the international safeguards regime," Dr. ElBaradei said. "This agreement would serve the interests of both India and the international community."..."

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TELL CONGRESS TO JUST SAY NO TO FULL NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH INDIA

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 09:05:00 GMT

Council for a Livable World: "In cooperation with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and other peace groups around the country, Council for a Livable World asks that you write a letter to your Representative urging them to co-sponsor H. Con. Res. 318, a bi-partisan resolution to preserve the nonproliferation regime.

On July 18, 2005, US President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a new deal to allow the resumption of full civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries for the first time since India improperly used US nuclear material for its 1974 bomb test. The US should strengthen ties with India through expanded cooperation in trade, scientific and medical research, energy technology, education, and humanitarian relief, but the US should not expand nuclear cooperation with any state if it comes at the expense of efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons.

If the deal is approved in its current form by Congress and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, it could severely damage the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and US and international efforts. India has refused to sign the NPT, has detonated nuclear bombs, and refuses to accept full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards over all of its nuclear facilities. As a result, India does not qualify for full civil nuclear cooperation under existing US laws and global nuclear export regulations. India also refuses to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and stop the production of fissile material for its expanding nuclear arsenal...."

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IAEA Director General Encouraged by Meeting on Iran

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 09:10:00 GMT

IAEA, Press Release 2006/06: " 2 March 2006 - IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomes the high-level meeting between Foreign Ministers of the EU3, the High Representative of the EU and Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani scheduled to take place tomorrow in Vienna.

"I urge all parties to use this opportunity to create the necessary conditions to return to negotiations," Dr. ElBaradei said. "I call on Iran to demonstrate full transparency toward the IAEA to resolve important outstanding issues related to its nuclear programme. I also call on Iran to take all the necessary confidence building measures required to assure the international community of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme," he said. "As the negotiations proceed, it will be essential for all parties to specifically address the security, political and economic issues that underlie any future comprehensive settlement."

"Only through these two tracks - full transparency on the part of Iran and negotiations with all concerned parties - can confidence be established regarding the nature of Iran's nuclear programme and a durable solution be found," Dr. ElBaradei said..."

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NPT in Danger -- US signals apparent abandonment of nuclear disarmament

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 17:05:00 GMT

AFP: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has signaled its apparent abandonment of the goal of nuclear disarmament "for the foreseeable future" as it embarked on a quest for a new generation of nuclear warheads.

Although the term "nuclear disarmament" quietly disappeared from the Bush administration's vocabulary long ago, the statement by Linton Brooks, head the National Nuclear Security Administration, marked the first time a top government official publicly acknowledged a goal enshrined in key international documents will no longer be pursued.

..."The end of the Cold War did not end the importance of nuclear weapons," continued the chief steward of the US nuclear weapons program. "I do not see any chance of the political conditions for abolition arising in my lifetime, nor do I think abolition could be verified if it were negotiated."..."

COMMENT:

"This does not come unexpected to me. It was written in the stars for a long time.

Everyone of us, within Abolition 2000, knew this as the unofficial stand of all the Nuclear Weapon States. All of them are planning to update or actually updating their Nuclear Weapons Arsenal.

But with this shameful "vertical proliferation" of the Nuclear Weapon States, they make a mockery of their part of the bargain as laid down in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

But it is the silence of the rest of Parties to the NPT I can not accept. What is going on in the minds of their leaders? Are they deaf, dumb and blind? Hearing the silence, one could almost believe it true!!",

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

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NPT in Danger - White House defends proposed India deal

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 09:00:00 GMT

UN Wire: "White House defends proposed India deal

Bush administration officials are defending the deal the White House struck with India over its nuclear programs, insisting the proposed accord will not make it easier for rogue countries to acquire nuclear arms or weaken the U.S.' firm stand against Iran's recently resumed nuclear activities. "We think these are two countries that are going in diametrically opposed directions. India in the responsible one; Iran is the irresponsible one," the Bush administration's lead negotiator on the deal said." Washington Times, The (3/7)

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COMMENT:

This article shows that the US nuclear deal with India still has to pass the House and Senate of the US. So, while the time is running out, we still have time to let them know, why they should be opposed to this deal and stop it short of becoming the start of a very dangerous future, in which there will be NO Non-Proliferation Treaty anymore to protect us AND to press the Nuclear Weapon States to Abolish and Eliminate their Nuclear Weapons Arsenals.

Lets us try and prevent this from happening. Let us fight this deal NOW!

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

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NPT in Danger - Bush's India deal a backward step

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 09:10:00 GMT

Editorial in Toronto Star: "United States President George Bush has not handed India "The Bomb" by agreeing to sell that country nuclear technology. That's because India has had atomic weapons for decades. But the new pact between Washington and New Delhi undermines 35 years of nuclear arms control, and that stark reality poses a real risk to global security.

By treating India as an acceptable nuclear partner, Bush has signalled the U.S. is prepared to do business with "strategic partners" such as India or Israel, even as it continues to treat Pakistan like a nuclear pariah and blasts North Korea and Iran as threats to world peace. Bush is not alone in this selectivity. Canada, Britain and France agreed last year to resume civilian nuclear co-operation with India, despite the risks for arms control.

Why shouldn't Pakistan or Israel now seek similar bilateral deals outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? And what incentive have North Korea and Iran to comply?..."

COMMENT:

the article below tells the story, why this nuclear deal of the US with India is totally wrong and what extremely dangerous consequences this deal will hold for the near future.

If this deal still can be stopped, the we should do it NOW!

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance"

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America's misguided nuclear strategy

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Michael A. Levi,The Boston Globe in IHT: "NEW YORK Last week, President George W. Bush sealed a landmark nuclear deal with India. This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meets to confront the Iranian nuclear program. At the same time, Congress has been grappling with a raft of nuclear items in the president's budget. And all the while, the nuclear standoff with North Korea continues. This bursting nuclear agenda raises a question: Does America need a nuclear weapons policy?

When Henry Kissinger posed a similar question in his 2001 book "Does America Need a Foreign Policy?" he meant to criticize the conduct of foreign policy as the sum of exercises in crisis management. A similar critique applies to American nuclear weapons policy today.

The alternative - sorely needed now - is a nuclear weapons policy based upon enduring foundations. The United States, of course, faces crises that must be addressed now. But it faced crises during the Cold War, and still sustained a core set of nuclear arms control principles for several decades. Today, a new set of fundamental principles - whatever their specific details - would provide coherence, direction and predictability to American nuclear weapons policy. That would make American policy far more effective.

American nonproliferation policy is incoherent. The United States proposes to promote nuclear energy technologies in India that might increase the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation, while it attempts to persuade Iran to curb its own activities. In recent years, it has explored a range of new nuclear weapons concepts while counseling others that nuclear weapons are anachronistic. There will inevitably be tension among elements of American policy, and even apparent double standards will sometimes make sense. But the current state reflects a lack of underlying principles to guide policy makers through these conflicts, with the result being a nonproliferation strategy that often works against itself..."

Javascript should be on.

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The Legal Framework for Non-Use and Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:05:00 GMT

John Burroughs, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy: "

Briefing Paper for Greenpeace International

February 2006

on The Legal Framework for Non-Use and Elimination of Nuclear Weapons"

COMMENT:

May I recommend this important article by John Burroughs of Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy

George Farebrother, World Court Project UK Secretary,

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IAEA Board Report on Iran's Nuclear Programme Sent to UN Security Council

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 21:00:00 GMT

IAEA Report by the Director General: "IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has transmitted his report on Iran's nuclear programme to the UN Security Council, at the close of the Agency's Board of Governors meeting in Vienna today. Speaking to the press, the Director General called for a "cool headed approach" from all parties."

In Focus : IAEA and Iran

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Gen. Pace to Troops: Don't Nuke Iran - Illegal, immoral orders should be disobeyed

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:00:00 GMT

Jorge Hirsch, Antiwar.com: "At the luncheon of the National Press Club on Feb. 17, 2006, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, was asked by his interviewer, John Donnelly: "Should people in the U.S. military disobey orders that they believe are illegal?" Pace's response:

"It is the absolute responsibility of everybody in uniform to disobey an order that is either illegal or immoral."

Thank you, Gen. Pace. Donnelly didn't follow up on his question, so I will, trusting that your answers to my questions will represent your core beliefs, stated on earlier occasions. Gen. Pace, how does your Feb. 17 statement apply to a situation in which troops are ordered to use certain weapons?

Pace: "[T]hey will be held accountable for the decisions they make. So they should in fact not obey the illegal and immoral orders to use weapons of mass destruction."...."

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China Uneasy Over US Nuclear Policies

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 13:00:00 GMT

Antoaneta Bezlova, Inter Press Service: "BEIJING - With the dispute over Iran's controversial nuclear program moving this week to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the stage is set for a perilous confrontation between the Islamic republic and the international community - a showdown that not only Tehran but also world powers like China and Russia have fought to avoid.

While reporting Tehran to the UNSC is being executed in the name of preventing nuclear proliferation, China has voiced fears that the whole nonproliferation system has been destabilized by the freshly inked nuclear deal between the United States and India.

"The United States' making an exception to accommodate India, driven by geopolitical considerations, has sent repercussions through the international nonproliferation infrastructure," Hu Shisheng, a fellow of South Asian Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations wrote in the China Daily Mar. 7.

"The double standards will very likely complicate the nuclear issues of Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea all the more," he argued. "Now, the international community is presented with a big question: how can the effectiveness and binding power of the nonproliferation system be guaranteed?"..."

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China, Russia Reject Iran Nuke Statement

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:00:00 GMT

NICK WADHAMS, Associated Press: "UNITED NATIONS - Russia and China have rejected proposals from the United States and other veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council for a statement demanding that Iran clear up suspicions about its nuclear program, diplomats said Monday....."

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Alice in Nuclear Blunderland

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Greenpeace International:

"More nuclear power = less nuclear weapons? Only if you're as mad as a hatter...."

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Appeal to Kofi Annan - Set up a UN Mediation Commission on Iran!

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:30:00 GMT

IPPNW: "

Appeal to Kofi Annan

Set up a UN Mediation Commission on Iran!

New York, March 14 2006: A group of prominent individuals and non-governmental organisations are today appealling to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to intervene in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme. Professor Victor Sidel, Head Representative to the New York City site for the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), the organization awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize, is delivering the appeal to the Secretary-General's office this morning. The appeal asks the Secretary-General to set up a UN commission to mediate with the parties in conflict and to deescalate the crisis. ...."

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US-India_Nuclear-Deal: Are the Basic Assumptions Behind the Bush Administration's Nuclear Deal with India Sound?

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Michael Krepon, The Henry L. Stimson Center: "....On all of these core nonproliferation principles, the administration caved to allow New Delhi to accommodate its bomb lobby. India's fast breeder programs that now exist or are under construction will not be safeguarded. Eight reactors will not be placed under safeguards, including six knockoffs of a Canadian design well suited for bomb making. The ten new power reactors that would be dedicated to producing electricity (four additional reactors are already subject to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency) would be subject to a new, "India-specific" type of inspection, meaning that they would be safeguarded only so long as fuel is provided for them. By promising assured fuel in perpetuity, the administration has managed to meet its promise of safeguards in perpetuity. The practical effect of this tortured logic would be that if India tests a new and improved nuclear weapon design - as most close observers of New Delhi's nuclear ambitions expect - then the United States would be obliged to continue supporting India's nuclear ambitions.

If this is the new "nonproliferation mainstream" then the NPT is in serious trouble. Kagan suspects this to be the case, arguing that "the nonproliferation 'regime' may now be collapsing." If this key assumption is correct, then kicking out a few more struts by catering to India's bomb lobby won't matter very much. Secretary Rice doesn't leap to this conclusion, but she shares with Kagan another key assumption: that India is an exceptional case, and that whatever down-side proliferation risks that are associated with this deal are manageable.

This is the most critical assumption behind the deal, and the one that warrants the closest scrutiny. Much depends on whether the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which operates by informal consensus and which has been successfully prodded by the United States and other key stakeholders to put tighter nonproliferation controls over profit, can hold fast with a singular exception for India. Given the great lengths to which the administration has gone to strike this deal, it is reasonable to expect that it will go to similar lengths in the NSG to help India. If, in the process, the consensus rule in the NSG is weakened or busted in pursuit of this presumed geo-strategic partnership, Kagan's prediction of the NPT's collapse would be on much firmer ground

No one could seriously argue that the significant advancement of US-India relations would outweigh a significant weakening of constraints against proliferation. And no admirer of India in the US Congress or elsewhere ought to be faced with this stark choice. This time, before consenting to another one of the administration's bold, geo-strategic bets, the Congress needs to dwell on the assumptions behind the initiative."

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NPT in Danger - Pakistan says Indian deal will hit arms treaty

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Jo Johnson and Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad, FT.com: "Pakistan on Thursday night said that a civil nuclear deal between the US and India would bring about the collapse of international agreements to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

Khurshid Kasuri, Pakistan's foreign minister, said in an interview with the Financial Times: "The whole Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will unravel. It's only a matter of time before other countries will act in the same way"...."

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NPT in Danger - Lawmakers take aim at India nuclear deal

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 11:30:00 GMT

Joel Brinkley The New York Times: "WASHINGTON As congressional debate begins on bills that would approve the Bush administration's nuclear deal with India, many senators and House members are telling administration officials that they want to rewrite parts of the agreement.

The administration contends that would kill the deal."This is a complex agreement, and if we were to reopen it, we would never be able to reassemble it again," said R. Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs.

The leaders of the House and the Senate Foreign Relations Committees introduced bills Thursday to authorize the deal. But the Republican chairmen of the committees made it clear that they did not necessarily support the legislation and were introducing it only as a favor to the White House...."

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Analysis re Security Council negotiations on Iran

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 06:00:00 GMT

Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy "LCNP posted yesterday points and recommendations regarding the elements now being considered by the Security Council for a "presidential statement" (non-binding statement by president of Security Council, now Argentina, approved by all SC members) regarding the Iran situation...

Russia and China have been preventing agreement on a statement, due to at least some of the concerns set forth in our analysis."

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A Nuclear Iran Would Be Bad - A Forcibly Defanged Iran Would Be Worse

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Tad Daley, Jodie Evans, and Mimi Kennedy - Common Dreams NewsCenter: "Three years ago last month, in more than 600 cities around the world, as many as 14 million people marched in their streets to prevent the United States from launching a unilateral, preemptive, illegal, unprovoked, and unwise invasion of Iraq. The Guinness Book of World Records has identified February 15, 2003 as the largest global antiwar mobilization in history. Now this same peace and progressive community (which the New York Times has called "the other superpower") is slowly beginning to turn its attention from the last war to the next war -- a looming military showdown between the West and Iran. The only problem?

We haven't quite figured out what we want to say.

At least two military options are probably being "war gamed" today somewhere in the bowels of the Pentagon. One is a full scale invasion of Iran, directed at changing its regime. The other is "surgical strikes" -- air operations, cruise missiles, lethal commandos on the ground -- aimed not at overthrowing the Iranian government but at "taking out" its nuclear program. It all sounds very precise, very swashbuckling, very dramatic...."

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NPT in Danger - US fails to bring NSG on board over India N-deal

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:00:00 GMT

Press Trust of India, Hindustan Times: "The United States has failed to persuade the Nuclear Suppliers Group to include the issue of allowing India to buy sensitive nuclear technology from world market on its agenda for Rio de Janeiro plenary session to be held in May.

In what is seen as a setback to Washington, a US delegation led by US Assistant Secretaries of State Richard Boucher and Stephen Rademaker failed to convince countries like Japan and China at the 45-nation NSG's two-day consultative meeting in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday.

"The NSG consultative group meeting wrapped up today and in a setback for the Bush administration, there was no agreement to put the US proposal on the formal agenda of the plenary meeting in May," Executive Director of Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball said in an e-mail."

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The Non-Proliferation Treaty is Failing: What Now?

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Richard Falk and David Krieger at www.wagingpeace.org: "For several decades now the world has been living with the illusion that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) established a functioning treaty regime that has spared the world from nuclear danger. It is an illusion partly because three nuclear weapons aspirants (Israel, India, Pakistan) have kept clear of the treaty, and suffered no adverse consequences when they developed nuclear arsenals. On the contrary, President Bush's proposed nuclear deal with India must be understood as a major diplomatic reward in spite of India's crossing the nuclear weapons threshold. And Israel has been allowed to develop a formidable nuclear weapons arsenal while the West kept completely silent...."

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NPT in Danger - Bush's nuclear agreement with India on shaky legs - Several countries, some in Congress want more details

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 22:00:00 GMT

James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer: " Growing resistance to President Bush's proposed nuclear cooperation deal with India is threatening to slow, and possibly kill, an agreement that the president has described as vital to improved relations with the budding South Asian power...."

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NPT in Danger - Jimmy Carter - A Dangerous Deal With India (Washingtonpost.com)

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Jimmy Carter in the Washington Post: "During the past five years the United States has abandoned many of the nuclear arms control agreements negotiated since the administration of Dwight Eisenhower. This change in policies has sent uncertain signals to other countries, including North Korea and Iran, and may encourage technologically capable nations to choose the nuclear option. The proposed nuclear deal with India is just one more step in opening a Pandora's box of nuclear proliferation...."

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UN Security Council calls on Iran to suspend enrichment-related activities

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:00:00 GMT

UN News Centre: "29 March 2006 - Expressing serious concern that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is unable to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran, the United Nations Security Council today called upon that country to re-establish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, in a manner that is verified by the Agency

"The Security Council expresses the conviction that such suspension and full and verified Iranian compliance would contribute to a diplomatic, negotiated solution that guarantees Iran's nuclear programme is for exclusively peaceful purposes," the Council said through a statement read out by its March President Cesar Mayoral of Argentina....."

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ElBaradei to UNSC - Calm Is Urged in Iran Debate

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 22:00:00 GMT

Jeffrey Fleishman and Alissa J. Rubin, Times Staff Writers: "BERLIN - United Nations atomic energy chief Mohamed ElBaradei urged the international community Thursday to steer away from threats of sanctions against Iran, saying the country's nuclear program was not "an imminent threat" and that the time had come to "lower the pitch" of debate...."

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