[GANA] / Nuclear_Weapons_Future - Jul., Aug, Sep. 2007 - archive

G8 -- Heiligendamm Statement on Non Proliferation

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT

G8 Summit 2007, Heiligendamm:

"G8 Summit 2007
Heiligendamm

HEILIGENDAMM STATEMENT ON NON-PROLIFERATION

1. Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery as well as effectively combating international terrorism are critical to international peace and security. We, the Leaders of the G8, remain resolute in our shared commitment to counter the global proliferation challenge and continue to support and implement all the statements on non-proliferation issued on the occasion of previous summits of the G8...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Energy deal with Iran could derail U.S. nuclear agreement with India

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:00:00 GMT

David Mikhail in The Hill:

"A controversial energy agreement involving Iran could spell the end of a groundbreaking nuclear deal between the U.S. and India.

The fate of the deal remains firmly in the hands of Congress; it still has to ratify the accord known as the "123 Treaty" in order for the agreement to be completed.

The failure of the nuclear agreement would represent a significant turn of events within Congress, as the deal had secured widespread support from lawmakers, including leaders of both parties. This would also signify a particularly significant loss for the White House, which has been in negotiations with India since 2005 and intensely lobbied for passage of the enabling legislation with few to no amendments last session...."

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India's Nuclear Choices -- More Missiles Than Megawatts

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:10:00 GMT

M. V. Ramana in Spectrum Online:

"More Missiles Than Megawatts

India's nuclear choices have favored warheads over civilian reactors, and those choices are taking their toll..."

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British Foreign Minister calls for work to begin on a nuclear-weapon-free world

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:30:00 GMT

Minister Margaret Beckett:

"This speech was delivered by Minister Margaret Beckett at the annual Carnegie Endowment Non-Proliferation Conference in Washington DC. News reports say that it was cleared with Gordon Brown who will soon be the new UK Prime Minister. While many very positive points are made in this speech, they are undermined by the Minister's refusal to entertain the possibility of achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world "in my lifetime," saying, "My sadness at such a thought is real." She does not provide a case for this pessimism, while using it to justify the decision to proceed with Trident replacement. In the 1980s, most people thought that they would have to live under Cold War circumstances the rest of their lives. Within a decade, all that changed. So cheer up Margaret, there is still hope for you in 2020!
AT...."

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US Conference of Mayors unanimously backs ending WMD Warfare

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:40:00 GMT

US Conference of Mayors:

"US Conference of Mayors unanimously backs ending WMD Warfare

A resolution proposed by the Mayors from Ohio, Nevada, California and Florida calls upon the nations to spurn the use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and work for their elimination. The new resolution concludes:

"Be it further resolved that the United States Conference of Mayors stands united in opposition to the initiation of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare under any circumstances and regardless of the target.
"Be it further resolved the United States Conference of Mayors shall remain engaged in this matter until our cities and citizens, and the cities and citizens located throughout the world, are no longer under the threat of nuclear, biological, and chemical devastation."

The resolution was discussed in the International Affairs Committee which forwarded it by unanimous agreement to the plenary business session were it was adopted without opposition on June 25th. This is the third resolution in four years by the USCM that supports the 2020 Vision Campaign and Cities Are Not Target project of Mayors for Peace. The full text of the resolution and list of sponsoring mayors can be found below or by clicking here and going to page 173...."

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Israel jails Vanunu for a further six months

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 19:30:00 GMT

Vanunu:

"2 July 2007: Hi .

Here is the court decision, after 2 years of all this trial.
The court sentenced me to 6 months in prison.
We have the right to appeal this decision.
We will appeal in Sep'.

I am still free.
-vmjc...."

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U.S., Russia at Odds over Increasingly Unpopular White House Plans for Missile System in Eastern Europe

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 19:40:00 GMT

Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation magazine and MIT professor and former Pentagon advisor Theodore Postol:

"President Bush hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday at the Bush family estate in Maine. Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation magazine and MIT professor and former Pentagon advisor Theodore Postol address the growing rift over U.S. plans for a so-called "missile defense" system in Eastern Europe, which some see as a direct threat to Iran. [includes rush transcript]...."

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US, Russia begin nuclear reduction talks

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 19:50:00 GMT

AFP:

"WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States and Russia on Tuesday pushed for peaceful nuclear energy use and said they had begun talks to trim their nuclear arsenals "to the lowest possible level" ahead of the expiry of a landmark strategic weapons agreement...."

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Too Hot to Handle? The Future of Civil Nuclear Power

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 19:55:00 GMT

Oxford Research Group:

"Too Hot to Handle? The Future of Civil Nuclear Power
Frank Barnaby and James Kemp, with a foreword by David Howarth MP, July 2007

Supporters of nuclear power claim that the security risks can be managed. However, this briefing paper clearly shows that a worldwide nuclear renaissance is beyond the capacity of the nuclear industry to deliver and would stretch to breaking point the capacity of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor and safeguard civil nuclear power.

Even a failed terrorist attack on one of the first new builds would most probably cause subsequent new build to halt in many countries. If this happened, the authors argue that governments would need to again review energy policy - minus civil nuclear power - further delaying progress towards a sustainable and secure energy policy and possibly causing the UK and other countries to miss the window of opportunity to tackle climate change.

This briefing paper is one of a series of reports and factsheets published as part of ORG's Secure energy project...."

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Japan 'must boost missile shield'

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 19:56:00 GMT

BBC News:

"Japan says it aims to erect a missile defence shield as quickly as possible, to counter the threat from North Korea...."

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Corbin Harney has passed over July 10th, 2007

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Shundahai Network:

"Public Statement by Corbin's Immediate Family...."

"Hi, Corbin,

I will never forget the precious moments we shared.
You will be there, I know, my dear Friend ..."

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

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Nuclear Power safety -- An earthquake-wracked nuclear power plant was ordered closed indefinitely Wednesday

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 07:30:00 GMT

ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer:

"Japan nuke plant leak worse than thought

KASHIWAZAKI, Japan - An earthquake-wracked nuclear power plant was ordered closed indefinitely Wednesday amid growing anger over revelations that damage was much worse than initially announced and mounting international concern about Japan's nuclear stewardship...."

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Nuclear Power safety -- ENVIRONMENT-INDIA - Mega Nuclear Plant Hits Popular Opposition

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 07:40:00 GMT

Praful Bidwai in IPS:

"KOODANKULAM, Tamil Nadu, Jun 11 (IPS) - Even as the Indian government gropes in the dark for a coherent policy on energy and the environment, it is rooting hard for a highly unpopular nuclear power project here, close to the peninsula's southern tip.

The project, which involves building six Russian-designed reactors of 1,000 Mw capacity each, will be India's biggest nuclear power station.

It faces staunch opposition from the local people, many of them fishermen, who fear it will destroy their livelihoods, gravely endanger their safety, and physically uproot thousands of families.... "

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Nuclear Power safety -- From Salzburg to Window Rock

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 07:50:00 GMT

Southwest Research and Information Center:

"From Salzburg to Window Rock

Why this slogan? Because it unites the Indigenous World Uranium Summit taking place now in Window Rock, Arizona, to September of 1992 when in Salzburg, Austria, individuals from around the globe gathered to testify at the World Uranium Hearing. There, before a 'Board of Listeners,' those living on the Nuclear Age's frontlines gave witness to the invisible, toxic threat radiating from uranium mines and mills, nuclear waste disposal installations, and nuclear test sites. Over the course of the Hearing one pattern grew increasingly plain: around the globe, those individuals most regularly victimized by the deadly fallout from the nuclear cycle are members of First Nations...."

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Nuclear Power safety -- India's nuclear choices - More Missiles Than Megawatts

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:00:00 GMT

M. V. Ramana in Spectrum Online:

"More Missiles Than Megawatts

India's nuclear choices have favored warheads over civilian reactors, and those choices are taking their toll..."

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Nuclear Power safety -- Lax US security means that materials for dirty bombs have been available at drop of hat

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:10:00 GMT

Kathleen Day, Washington Post Staff Writer:

"Sting Reveals Security Gap at Nuclear Agency

Undercover congressional investigators posing as West Virginia businessmen obtained a license with almost no scrutiny from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that enabled them to buy enough radioactive material from U.S. suppliers to build a "dirty bomb," a new government report says...."

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Nuclear Power safety -- The Earthquake That Screamed "No Nukes!"

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:30:00 GMT

HARVEY WASSERMAN in CounterPunch:

"Lies and Leaks:

The Earthquake That Screamed "No Nukes!"

The massive earthquake that shook Japan this week nearly killed millions in a nuclear apocalypse...."

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Hibakusha and Friends Blockade Faslane, the Trident base in Scotland

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:50:00 GMT

Faslane365:

"5 detained after peaceful 'Bamboo Blockade' as Japanese A-bomb survivors appeal to Britain to get rid of Trident

At around 2.30 pm today (July 25), Strathclyde police arrested 10 people, including atomic bomb survivors ('Hibakusha') from Nagasaki during a nonviolent blockade of the main gates of the Faslane nuclear base in Scotland, where the UK's Trident nuclear weapons are deployed...."

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U.S. Nuclear Weapons Strategy Delivered To Congress

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT

U.S. Department of Defense:

"On Friday, 20 July 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates joined with the Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to submit to Congress a three-page statement on U.S. national security and nuclear weapons, entitled "Maintaining Deterrence in the 21st Century."

The statement underscores the President's policy for achieving "an effective strategic deterrent at the lowest level of nuclear weapons consistent with U.S. national security and our commitment to our allies." The statement acknowledges that the Cold War is behind us, but points out that a new, diverse array of potential adversaries must now be deterred. At the same time, U.S. allies must remain assured of America's continuing security commitment and capabilities.

To achieve this, the strategy paper states that it is crucial to have bipartisan support for a 21st century nuclear weapons strategy. The statement recommends that Congress initiate the Reliable Replacement Warhead program, and notes the importance of a responsive nuclear infrastructure for managing the technological and geo-political risks associated with drawing down the size of the nuclear arsenal.

The statement is available at:...."

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Protesting Nuclear Waste -- Six Arrested at Vermont Yankee

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:10:00 GMT

ibrattleboro.com:

"On Sunday at Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, six people were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. More than 50 people showed up to witness and support the people who got arrested. The event was organized by the Citizens Awareness Network (www.nukebusters.org), which is planning future protests...."

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Nuclear Power safety -- No Future for Nuclear Energy

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Ralph Nader at commondreams.org:

"Here they go again. After thirty years without a firm order, the atomic power companies are pushing their radioactive, costly technology for a comeback on the backs of you the taxpayers.

The old argument in the Seventies was that nuclear powered electricity would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. With only three percent of our electricity coming from burning petroleum, the pro-nuke lobby is now jumping on the global warming bandwagon. Uranium, they argue, does not release greenhouse gases like coal or oil.

What nuclear lobbies ignore is all the coal and oil that needs to be burned to enrich uranium, to transport radioactive wastes with protective highway and rail convoys and provide security since they would be a priority target for sabotage...."

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Us-India Nuclear Deal May Spark Asian Arms Race

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Thalif Deen, IPS:

"NEW YORK (IPS) - The U.S. decision last week to proceed with a controversial civilian nuclear deal with India has triggered strong negative responses from peace activists, disarmament experts and anti-nuclear groups.

"The development of a nuclear/strategic alliance between the United States and India may promote arms racing between India and Pakistan, and (between) India and China," says John Burroughs, executive director of the New York-based Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy.

The deal, he told IPS, also undermines prospects for global agreements on nuclear restraint and disarmament.

An equally negative reaction came from former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala: "It has the dangerous potential of triggering a nuclear arms race among India, Pakistan and China, with disastrous consequences for Asian peace and stability and Asia's emerging economic boom."...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Germany to bat for consensus in NSG

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:10:00 GMT

IANS:

"New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) With the bilateral India-US civil nuclear pact in place, India will now go all out to garner support of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) - a mission in which it can expect support from Germany, the next chair of the group.

'Germany will try to evolve a consensus (for civil nuclear cooperation with India) in the NSG,' German Ambassador Bernd Muetzelburg told IANS.

When Germany assumes the chair of the NSG later this year, it will initiate the process of building consensus in the group for the nuclear deal, the envoy said.

'The nuclear deal has ended India's isolation and will bring it into the global nuclear mainstream,' said the German envoy...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Australia may sell uranium to India if New Delhi strikes nuke deal with US

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:20:00 GMT

Associated Press in the IHT:

"CANBERRA, Australia: Australia might lift its ban on selling uranium to India if New Delhi forms the nuclear partnership it is negotiating with the United States, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Thursday.

Australia, which holds 40 percent of the world's known uranium reserves, currently won't sell uranium to India because New Delhi is developing nuclear weapons and refuses to join an international nonproliferation treaty.

But Downer said India's dramatic economic expansion and the threat of global warming has forced the government to reconsider that ban.

Australia will take its cue from the civilian nuclear partnership deal that Washington and New Delhi have been negotiating for the past two years, Downer said...."

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Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament PNND Update 18 July-August 2007

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:40:00 GMT

PNND:

"1. Join Senator Romeo Dallaire in New York for the PNND Global Council Meeting

2. Einstein's legacy re-affirmed - Pugwash 50th anniversary
a. Pugwash 50th anniversary declaration
b. European Parliament Vice-President on Pugwash, Disarmament and Peace

3. European Parliament written declaration on tactical nuclear weapons in Europe

4. United States removes nuclear weapons from German airbase

5. Convention on Nuclear Terrorism enters-into-force

6. Proposal in Israel parliament to close Dimona nuclear reactor

7. US Congress Non-Proliferation Task-Force hosts Hans Blix

8. Cross-party support for Nuclear Weapons Convention

9. Key UK policy statement on nuclear abolition

10. Japan Defense Minister resignation over nuclear bombing comments

11. Japanese parliament debates US-India deal

12. US Congress on preventing war with Iran...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- myth and reality

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Praful Bidwai at tni.org:

"The United States and India have reported "substantial progress" on a bilateral agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, and will "refer the issue to our governments for final review". This follows tough, wrenching, high-level negotiations spread over four days in Washington, culminating a total of 300 working hours of talks in several different countries.

The deal is called the "123 agreement" because it will amend Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act to allow civilian nuclear commerce with India although India is a nuclear weapons-state, which has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, so wary are the two governments that they have so far given no details of the 30-page agreement's contents, in particular, about its acceptance of India's "right" to reprocess fuel burned in imported reactors, and continuity of supplies from the US in case India conducts a nuclear test. But according to reliable reports, the US has substantially conceded India's demands on both counts...."

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Demand No Nukes, No Wars, No Profiteers!

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:40:00 GMT

United for Peace and Justice:

"Sixty-two years after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bombs on two densely populated cities, killing more than 200,000 civilians, nuclear weapons remain a cornerstone of U.S. national security policy. Today, the U.S. retains about 10,000 nuclear weapons, is designing new ones, and is pouring billions of dollars into its nuclear weapons complex, while warning Iran that "all options are on the table." Who is threatening whom?

On the occasion of the August anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, join with groups across the country who are working to expose the escalating threat to the world posed by U.S. nuclear hypocrisy, and to confront the corporations that are perpetuating and profiting from a worldwide nuclear crisis and the wars in the Middle East. Some of this month's highlights include the Widening War Tour, featuring Hiroshima survivor Yuko Nakamura, that stops in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Florence, MA; nonviolent direct actions at the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories; and, the Think Outside the Bomb youth conference in Santa Barbara.

Here's what you can do to prevent future Hiroshimas and Nagasakis throughout August and beyond:..."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- U.S. and India Release Text of 123 Agreement

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Office of the Spokesman from the U.S. State Department:

"Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
August 3, 2007

U.S. and India Release Text of 123 Agreement

The following is the text of the Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of India concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy (123 Agreement):..."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- U.S.-Indian Nuclear Agreement: A Bad Deal Gets Worse

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:10:00 GMT

Arms Control Association:

"....After months of contentious negotiations, the U.S. and Indian officials have concluded -- and released the text of -- a formal agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation. The proposed agreement (also known as a "Section 123" agreement) would give India assurances of supply and advance consent to carry out sensitive nuclear activities that are unprecedented. These U.S. concessions compromise long-standing U.S. nuclear nonproliferation policies and give India, a country that has refused to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), preferential treatment that the United States has not even given to states that have assumed all the obligations and responsibilities of the NPT.

Several more difficult hurdles must be cleared before Congress formally considers the agreement. First, India and the IAEA must negotiate and the IAEA Board of Governors must approve an Indian-IAEA safeguards agreement. Then, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group must approve by consensus changes to its guidelines that currently restrict trade with non-nuclear-weapon states, such as India, that do not accept safeguards on all their nuclear activities. The rotating chair of the NSG is currently held by South Africa. The NSG is due to hold a "consultative group" meeting in Vienna this autumn. Germany will take over the chair when the NSG meets for its full Plenary session in the spring of 2008.

Congress and other nuclear supplier states must use their authority to carefully consider the proposal, get straight answers to their questions, weigh the alternatives, and close the proliferation loopholes that plague the proposed U.S.-Indian nuclear cooperation agreement.

Background...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Letter sent by Abolition 2000 to heads of NSG governments on 14 August 2007

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Philip White, Coordinator of ABOLITION 2000's US-India Deal Working Group:

"ABOLITION 2000, a network of over 2000 organizations in more than 90 countries working for nuclear disarmament, today urged leaders of the 45 countries that control international nuclear trade as members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to reject the proposed US-India nuclear deal...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- the 123 agreement has been hitting serious opposition in India

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:50:00 GMT

Praful Bidwai in IPS:

"POLITICS-INDIA: Nuke Deal With US Draws Domestic Opposition

NEW DELHI, Aug 13 (IPS) - The "breakthrough" United States-India nuclear cooperation agreement finalised three weeks ago in Washington has run into serious all-round opposition in India and put Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a piquant situation

Under the Indian constitution, the legislature does not need to ratify an external agreement or international treaty for it to take effect -- the cabinet's approval is enough. But in the present case, such approval may not ensure the full implementation of the agreement at an early date.

Both the left and right ends of the political spectrum, as well as India's regional parties, have decided to oppose the agreement, called "123 agreement" because it is meant to amend that Section of the U.S. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act in order to permit civilian nuclear trade with India. (Under the existing Act, nuclear commerce is prohibited with countries which have conducted nuclear explosions and not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970.) ...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- No Nukes For Peace

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:00:00 GMT

Praful Bidwai at Transnational Institute Website:

"The Times of India, 13 August 2007

On the 62nd anniversary of the atomic devastation of Nagasaki, Praful Bidwai looks at the military and energy implications of the India-US nuclear agreement.

August 9 was the 62nd anniversary of the atomic devastation of Nagasaki. It is an appropriate, if sad, occasion to look at the military as well as energy implications of the India-US nuclear agreement.

The nuclear deal is as much about weapons as civilian power. Not only does it recognise India as a "responsible" state "with advanced nuclear technology"; it specifically distinguishes between India's civilian and military nuclear facilities while placing the former under international inspections (safeguards). Its Article 2.4 affirms that its purpose is "not to affect the unsafeguarded nuclear activities of either party" or to "hinder or otherwise interfere" with any other activities involving "material and technology" acquired or developed "independent of this agreement for their own purposes".

Put simply, India can produce and stockpile as much weapons-grade material as it likes in its unsafeguarded and military-nuclear facilities, including dedicated weapons-grade plutonium producers like Dhruva, the uranium enrichment plant near Mysore, the Prototype Fast-Breeder Reactor (PFBR) under construction, and the eight power reactors (of a total of 22 operating or planned ones) exempted from the agreed separation plan.

According to an International Panel on Fissile Materials report, the eight reactors alone will yield 1,250 kg of weapons-grade plutonium a year, enough to build 250 Nagasaki-type bombs. In addition, the PFBR and Dhruva will respectively produce 130 and 20-25 kg of plutonium annually. India can use imported uranium for its safeguarded reactors and dedicate scarce domestic uranium exclusively to military uses, generating up to 200 kg of plutonium after reprocessing...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- PSR-IDPD-IPPNW Statement on US-India nuclear deal

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:00:00 GMT

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW):

"The following statement in opposition to the agreement to transfer nuclear fuel and technology from the US to India has been issued jointly by the US and Indian affiliates of IPPNW. IPPNW is sending the statement to the Foreign Ministries and other appropriate agencies in the countries belonging to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, who could still block the agreement if they accept the argument that it undermines the NSG's goal to reinforce the non-proliferation regime established by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

IPPNW has made opposition to the US-India deal a priority of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Exemption accord must not contain reference to testing: M.R. Srinivasan

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Sandeep Dikshit in the Hindu:

"Exemption accord must not contain reference to testing: M.R. Srinivasan

Otherwise the civil nuclear deal will not be "able to move forward"...."

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A Simple Statement On Nuclear Power and Climate Change

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:00:00 GMT

NIRS - WISE Network:

"We do not support construction of new nuclear reactors as a means of addressing the climate crisis. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power."

Please, add your signature.
Thanks,

Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance

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The Imperative of Revitalizing Nuclear Disarmament

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:00:00 GMT

Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C., Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative:

"August 23, 2007

Dear friends,

I am honored to present to you the new document, "The Imperative of Revitalizing Nuclear Disarmament," based on the Extraordinary Workshop convened by Pugwash Conferences and the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI) July 5-7, 2007 in Pugwash, Nova Scotia.

This is a clear, comprehensive and lucid analysis of the present nuclear weapons problem along with practical recommendations, in part synonymous with the MPI Paper, "Towards 2010: Priorities for NPT Consensus," which emerged out of the Article VI Forum process. This paper was also distributed widely at the recent Preparatory Committee conference of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, held in Vienna, April 2007.

On behalf of the Middle Powers Initiative, I sincerely hope that the analysis contained in the following document, as well as those on our website - www.middlepowers.org - will inform and assist you and your delegation as you prepare for the upcoming 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security.

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,

Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C.
Chairman. ...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- IAEA and NSG will be no Cakewalk

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:30:00 GMT

T P Sreenivasan in rediff news:

"The timing of the 'do or die' opposition of the Left to the nuclear deal has remained inexplicable. They had two long years to give a clear signal to the government that it was definitely a 'we or they' situation, but they chose to raise the alarm bells only when the 123 Agreement was done.

This was possibly because they thought that the US would never concede the points on testing and reprocessing. When they found that these hurdles were crossed and it appeared that the remaining steps like negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, NSG, were a mere formality, they chose to put their foot down...."

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Is peace that difficult?

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:00:00 GMT

Hans Blix in The Age:

"AT THE end of the Cold War there was an opportunity for the world to create a new collective security order. In 1991, after decades of blockages in the Security Council, it authorised armed intervention to stop the Iraqi aggression against Kuwait. In the same period, Russia and the United States took steps to reduce the number of deployed non-strategic nuclear weapons: the Chemical Weapons Convention was adopted in 1993, the Non-Proliferation Treaty was prolonged indefinitely after renewed commitments by nuclear weapon states to take get serious about disarmament; a Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty was negotiated and adopted in 1996; and at the review conference of the NPT in 2000, countries agreed on 13 practical steps to disarmament.

But the window of opportunity soon closed. The US embarked on unilateralism. In 2003, the UN Security Council was said to be irrelevant if it did not agree with the US and its coalition of the willing...."

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Australia-India Nuclear Deal -- Uranium sales would breach nuclear treaty

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:10:00 GMT

Anne Davies Herald Correspondent in Washington:

"AUSTRALIA will be in breach of an anti-nuclear treaty approved by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, if it goes ahead with plans to sell uranium to India.

Mr Downer, now an advocate of uranium sales, acknowledged 10 years ago in Hansard that, under the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty signed in 1985, Australia could not sell uranium to countries which had not signed up to "full scope safeguards" on their nuclear plants.

Yet Australia's sales to India, which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, will be subject to a regime which experts say falls well short of such safeguards. Under the draft US-India deal signed this month, only the civil nuclear plants will be subject to inspections, while military installations will not.

As Mr Downer put it in 1996: "Article 4(a) of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty imposes a legal obligation not to provide nuclear material unless subject to the safeguards required by Article III.1 of the NPT, that is full scope safeguards."...."

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Australia-India Nuclear Deal -- Uranium Sales May Fuel Asian Arms Race

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:20:00 GMT

Stephen de Tarczynski in IPS:

"MELBOURNE, Aug 27 (IPS) - Australia's deal to export uranium to India -- which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty -- will strengthen India's nuclear capabilities and could lead to a heightened arms race on the subcontinent, say activists...."

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Australia-India Nuclear Deal -- Nonproliferation Organization Blasts Australian Government Move to Sell Uranium to India

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:30:00 GMT

The Arms Control Association (ACA):

"....Under the South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, Australia has committed not to provide any "source or special fissionable material or equipment" to any non-nuclear-weapon state unless subject to the safeguards required by Article III.1 of the NPT. India is considered a non-nuclear-weapon state under the NPT. While India has agreed to allow partial safeguards on eight additional nuclear reactors by 2014, it rejects the comprehensive safeguards on all of its nuclear facilities and materials that are referred to in Article III of the NPT.

"Simply put, Australia has an international treaty obligation not to transfer uranium to India," said Kimball. See http://www.armscontrol.org/documents/rarotonga.asp for text of the South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, which is also known as the Treaty of Rarotonga...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Now, Israel wants NSG rules changed

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:20:00 GMT

Amit Baruah, Hindustan Times: "

Israel is citing the Indo-US civil nuclear deal as a precedent to alter Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) rules to construct its first nuclear power plant at Shivta in the southern Negev desert.

According to Platts.com, a leading web portal that tracks energy issues, Israeli officials said earlier this month that they would be looking to a US vendor to supply the nuclear reactor...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Give us the same deal, Pakistan writes to NSG

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:30:00 GMT

Pranab Dhal Samanta in The Indian Express:

"NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29
While the Manmohan Singh government continues its tedious search for an understanding with the Left on the nuclear deal to start the next stage of negotiations, Pakistan has formally approached key members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group seeking an exception from its rules on the lines being suggested for India.

It's learnt that Pakistan, in its letter to key members like US, Russia and several other countries in Europe, has conveyed that it is willing to make the same commitments as India in return for civilian nuclear cooperation...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Comparison of the US-India and US-Japan Nuclear Cooperation (123) Agreements and their relationship with US laws and international frameworks

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:00:00 GMT

KAKUJOHO (Nuclear Information): "

Comparison of the US-India and US-Japan Nuclear Cooperation (123) Agreements and their relationship with US laws and international frameworks...."

More interesting articles (in English) can be found at: http://kakujoho.net/e/index.html

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The America-India nuclear deal -- Worse will come - Unless others stand up for the anti-nuclear rules

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:10:00 GMT

From The Economist print edition:

"FOR India's government, despite the hubbub in Parliament and barely veiled threats from its neighbour, Pakistan, the controversial deal it struck last month with America to allow civil nuclear co-operation between the two countries is already radiating success. Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, was in Delhi this week to cement a "strategic partnership", despite Japan's decades-long discomfort with India's bomb. Meanwhile, Australia's cabinet, hitherto resolute in its refusal to sell uranium to any country outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (and only to a select few within it), has taken its cue from America and agreed in principle to sell uranium to India, even though India hasn't signed the NPT, and won't...."

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RE: SALE OF URANIUM TO INDIA - A letter to Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:30:00 GMT

Peace Groups write:

"Dear Mr Downer,

The groups signatory to this letter were distressed and disappointed a week ago to hear that the Australian Government has decided in principle to lift a ban on the sale of uranium to India.

Many of these groups have already written to you in some detail over this matter.

We are faxing that letter again to you with this one. We write again to urge the Australian government to reverse this decision before it is too late...."

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The Sunflower

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 08:00:00 GMT

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation:

"The Sunflower - Issue #122 - September 2007

Perspectives
Nuclear Weapons and the University of California by David Krieger
The Imperative of Revitalizing Nuclear Disarmament
Is Peace That Difficult? by Hans Blix

Historical Perspectives
The World Commemorates Hiroshima/Nagasaki

Nuclear Labs
Education and Nuclear Weapons Don't Mix by Will Parrish

Missile Defense
Tensions Continue Over US Missile Defense System in Europe

Nuclear Energy and Waste
Nuclear Power + Earthquakes = Danger for Japan
Toshiba Sells 10% Stake in Westinghouse to Kazatomprom
Cooling Tower Collapses at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant

Resources
B is for Bomb; You is for YouTube
Nuclear Reactor Life Cycle Study
Globalization: Values, Responsibility and Global Justice

Foundation Activities
Toda/NAPF Conference: "The Challenge of Abolishing Nuclear Weapons"
NAPF Evening for Peace Honoring Peter, Paul and Mary
Foundation President David Krieger's Speaking Tour in Denmark and Italy
"Strategies for Sustainable Energy" Panel Chaired by Alice Slater
Sixth Think Outside the Bomb Conference

Quotes...."

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U.N. nuclear head urges Western patience on Iran plan

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 08:30:00 GMT

Mark Heinrich for Reuters:

"VIENNA (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog body on Friday rebuffed Western critics of a cooperation deal it has struck with Iran as "back-seat drivers" and urged them to give it time to work to help avoid war...."

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NZ calls for action on operational status of nuclear weapons

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 08:40:00 GMT

Hon Phil Goff at the beehive.govt.nz:

"New Zealand will lead a call at the United Nations General Assembly this year for nuclear states to draw back their nuclear weapons from immediate launch readiness", Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff said today

"Thousands of nuclear weapons currently are on high-alert status, ready for instant launch. This presents a major threat to global security...."

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Austrian Chancellor Gusenbauer on nuclear disarmament

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Citizens Service of the Federal Chancellor - Franz Putz:

"....Together with the peace movement Austria will furthermore endeavour to obtain non-proliferation and lastly nuclear disarmament within the scope of the NPT in the Genevian disarmament conference within the United Nations. The IAEO is an important and irreplaceable part of the international efforts to minimise the nuclear threat

In fact, nowadays we need international efforts to force nuclear disarmament more than ever. Therefore I appeal to all nations to ratify the treaty of a profound prohibition of nuclear tests (CTBT) and to negotiate a strict prohibition for the production of weapons-grade nuclear material as soon as possible. Together we have to urge that the terrible incidents in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been a lesson to us. Only a world devoid of nuclear weapons is a secure world...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- The perils of non-proliferation amnesia

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:30:00 GMT

William C. Potter and Jayantha Dhanapala original article in the Hindu:

"The India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal, if endorsed by the NSG and the U.S. Congress, will virtually ensure the demise of global nuclear export restraints.

Indo-U.S. nuclear cooperation means different things to different people - a reversal of decades of U.S. non-proliferation policy, a promising new market for U.S. nuclear commerce, violation of the fundamental principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and the prospect of a strategic partnership among vibrant democracies...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- During a public debate on "the deal" it was revealed that India is building nuclear sub

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Maseeh Rahman in Delhi for the Guardian:

"...."Indian scientists and technologists are capable of making light water reactors and we are already constructing an LWR at Kalpakkam in south India for the submarine," the former chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, PK Iyengar, said at a public debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal in Mumbai on Saturday.....

....India's keenness to go in for nuclear submarines increased after it tested nuclear weapons in 1998 and began to stockpile a nuclear arsenal. The country's military strategists said they needed to develop a "second strike capability" - to be in a position to retaliate to a nuclear attack.

"You need submarine-based arsenals to retain a second strike capability, since all land-based arsenals can be detected through satellite surveillance in about eight years," said retired Rear Admiral Raja Menon, a nuclear strategist. "If they've been detected, you have to assume that they can be targeted."...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- IAEA must insist on proper nuclear safeguards in India

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:10:00 GMT

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center [CNIC]:

"The US-India Deal Working Group of Abolition 2000, a global network of over 2000 organizations in more than 90 countries working for a global treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons, today urged the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to require that any negotiations on a new safeguards agreement with India be consistent with current IAEA standards and policies, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and with UN Security Council rulings. The letter is available on the following web page:

http://cnic.jp/english/topics/plutonium/proliferation/usindiafiles/iaealet10sep07.html ...."

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Norwegian Leadership toward a Nuclear Weapon Free World

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:40:00 GMT

Douglas B. Shaw at nukesonablog.blogspot.com:

"....Could this effort grow into an "Oslo Process," broadly engaging global civil society in an effort to promote prudent and verifiable progress toward a world free of nuclear weapons? Many important building blocks of such an effort are already in place or under development, including the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapon Free World, the call for a 2010 World Summit to eliminate nuclear weapons, the Mayors for Peace Program to Promote Solidarity of Cities Toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, the Middle Powers Initiative, the New Agenda Coalition, former Senator Sam Nunn's vision of "The Mountaintop," and, of course, the stunningly progressive "Hoover Plan" articulated in a January 4, 2007 Wall Street Journal op-ed by George Schultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger, and Sam Nunn...."

Note: the "Oslo Process" is pointing to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer or Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, also known as the Ottawa Treaty which was the result of the "Ottawa process"

..."The Ottawa process turned these dynamics upside down. Instead of a 'race to the bottom,' the participants found themselves in a process where they were constantly being challenged by civil society actors - not on the streets, but in conference halls, at roundtables, in the day-to-day negotiations."

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UK has plutonium for 17,000 bombs

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:50:00 GMT

the BBC:

"The UK has built up a stockpile of 100 tonnes of plutonium - enough to make 17,000 nuclear bombs, according to the country's national academy of science...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Sanctifying mass destruction

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:00:00 GMT

PRAFUL BIDWAI at SAAN_:

"The toxic terms of discourse of the nuclear debate have insidiously intruded into the public's mind and distorted its moral perspective...."

"....All NWSs, regardless of intent or the size and lethality of their arsenals, and despite their professed faith in nuclear deterrence, have doctrines for the actual use of nuclear weapons to incinerate whole cities - that is, to commit unspeakably repulsive and condemnable acts of terrorism against unarmed civilians. The world's greatest terrorist act was not the Twin Towers attack (which killed 3,600 people), but Hiroshima (where 140,000 perished).

Yet, those who erase this terrible, yet fundamental, truth from their consciousness still justify the idea that India is a "responsible nuclear power". They advance six claims in support...."

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US on the warpath with the IAEA

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:20:00 GMT

Shireen M Mazari at thenews.com.pk:

"Being at the IAEA these days has once again reminded one that US diatribes are not limited to regimes and states that act contrary to US goals or even wishes. In the usual alliance of the government and the media -- clearly the US media has its own interpretations of a "free" media -- the Americans have launched a blitzkrieg against the IAEA and especially its head, El Baradei. The issue, which has aroused a hail of abuse is Iran's nuclear programme. What has irked the US is the fact that the IAEA under its present leadership has proactively sought to resolve this issue peacefully by dialoguing with Iran instead of supporting the American position of seeking confrontation through provocation so that a pretext can be provided for US military action. Remember Iraq and the WMD issue?...."

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Nuclear crucible - The IAEA at the crossroads

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:30:00 GMT

Bob Rigg at GANA's website:

"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is once again in the eye of a political storm of nuclear proportions. More than a year ago the IAEA's Board of Governors, under immense pressure from the United States, adopted a resolution "reporting" the case of Iran's alleged but not proven non-compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to the United Nations Security Council. The United States had tired of the IAEA's meticulous inspection and verification process, according to which only states proven to have "diverted" fissile materials from a peaceful nuclear programme to non-peaceful purposes may be "referred" to the Security Council. Although the IAEA had real concerns about the transparency of aspects of Iran's nuclear program, it had found no convincing evidence of "diversion". Because this was frustrating US attempts to build a political case against Iran, the US decided to circumvent the IAEA by taking the Iran question to the Security Council. An IAEA resolution was crafted violating the IAEA's own statute by "reporting" Iran to the Security Council, although the IAEA's position on the question of diversion was and is unchanged. The US wanted to marginalise the IAEA, and to politicise its mandate...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Nuke Deal May Trigger Mid-Term Polls

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:50:00 GMT

Praful Bidwai at IPS:

"NEW DELHI, Sep 23 (IPS) - As India's coalition government tries to complete the controversial nuclear cooperation deal with the United States, it finds itself caught between domestic opposition to the agreement from its Left-wing allies and pressure from Washington to seal the deal.

For the agreement to be completed, it needs to be approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and must receive unconditional exemption from the rules for nuclear commerce set by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), before it is put up for ratification by the U.S. Congress.

At stake is the survival of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which needs the support of the Left for a parliamentary majority. After a second round of talks between the UPA and the Left in a 15-member committee two days ago, the two sides seem no closer to reconciling their differences on the deal...."

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Israel Seeks Exemption From Atomic Rules

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:00:00 GMT

GEORGE JAHN for AP:

"VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Israel is looking to a U.S.-India nuclear deal to expand its own ties to suppliers, quietly lobbying for an exemption to non-proliferation rules so it can legally import atomic material, according to documents made available Tuesday to The Associated Press.

The move is sure to raise concerns among Arab nations already considering their neighbor the region's atomic arms threat. Israel has never publicly acknowledged having nuclear weapons but is generally considered to possess them.

The new push is reflected in papers Israel presented earlier this year to the "Nuclear Suppliers' Group" - 45 nations that export nuclear fuel and technology under strict rules meant to lessen the dangers of proliferation and trafficking in materials that could be used for a weapons program.

The initiative appeared to be linked to a U.S.-India agreement that would effectively waive the group's rules by allowing the United States to supply India with nuclear fuel despite its refusal both to sign the nonproliferation treaty and allowing the IAEA to inspect all of its nuclear facilities...."

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Keep the Arctic free of nuclear weapons

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:10:00 GMT

RAMESH THAKUR in The Japan Times:

"WATERLOO, Ontario - As a nonnative speaker of English, I have always been intrigued by the phrase "polar opposites." Fact is, nothing so resembles the North Pole as the South Pole. Based on this polar symmetry, there exist the opportunity and an increasingly urgent need to emulate Antarctica and establish an Arctic nuclear-free zone. Such a step would have significant environmental and conservation benefits, while working to avoid conflict and foster scientific cooperation.

The urgency of the need arises from the existing unsatisfactory legal situation on territoriality, military practices and the faster-than-expected rate of Arctic ice cap shrinkage. Global warming is opening up the prospect of navigating the sea surface of the Northwest Passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the potential for military clashes.

Recently there has been a flurry of declarations (for example, by Canada), activities (by Russia) and counter-responses from others that use the Arctic perimeter or its waterways for their navies.

Many proposals have been advanced in the past for the creation of nuclear weapons-free zones in central Europe, the Baltics, Middle East, South and East Asia. The only success on paper in the Northern Hemisphere has come for Central Asia, but obstacles remain in the way of its operationalization. By contrast, almost the entire Southern Hemisphere is already covered by such zones: Latin America (1967), the South Pacific (1985), Southeast Asia (1996), Africa (1997), and of course Antarctica (1959)...."

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North Korea accuses US of helping Israel develop nuclear weapons

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:20:00 GMT

The Associated Press at iht.com:

"SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of actively providing nuclear weapons assistance to Israel while seeking to deprive other countries of the right to peaceful nuclear programs.

North Korea's top nuclear negotiator, meanwhile, denied accusations that his country had cooperated with Syria on a secret nuclear project...."

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Nuclear Threat Initiative -- SECURING THE BOMB 2007

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:30:00 GMT

the Nuclear Threat Initiative:

"Securing the Bomb 2007, commissioned by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, finds a dangerous gap in efforts to thwart nuclear terrorism and calls for urgent global campaign to reduce the risk.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of efforts to secure and remove vulnerable nuclear stockpiles around the world and a detailed action plan for keeping nuclear weapons and their essential ingredients out of terrorist hands...."

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US-India Nuclear Deal -- Down the garden path

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Aaron Tovish in the Hindu:

"Good leadership looks as far down the road as possible to anticipate obstacles and detours. On the nuclear deal, a combination of U. S. and Indian hubris has led India down the garden path without any clear strategy for reaching the ultimate destination other than economic enticements and intimidation...."

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The best U.S. weapon against Iran is diplomacy

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:20:00 GMT

JOHN BURROUGHS at Newsday.com:

"September 26, 2007

On Friday at the United Nations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will discuss strategy regarding Iran's nuclear program with her counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. What is needed is not another UN Security Council resolution strengthening existing sanctions. Rather the Bush administration should talk directly with Iran, and soon, because the U.S.-Iran confrontation is heating up dangerously. Tensions over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit this week are just the tip of the iceberg...."

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US, NATO and Israel Deploy Nukes directed against Iran

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Michel Chossudovsky at globalresearch.ca:

"In late August, reported by the Military Times, a US Air Force B-52 bomber flew from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana with six AGM advanced cruise missiles, each of which was armed with a W-80-1 nuclear warhead. "... Missiles were mounted on the pylons under its wings. Each of the warheads carried a yield of up to 150 kilotons, more than ten times as powerful as the US bomb that leveled Hiroshima at the close of the Second World War." (See Bill Van Auken, Global Research September 2007)...."

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US nuclear dump plan in danger after seismic shock

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:40:00 GMT

Fred Attewill at guardian.co.uk:

"The most expensive public works project in the US was today in disarray after it emerged that a planned giant nuclear dump would be located on a faultline.

Rock samples from deep within Yucca Mountain, in Nevada, showed that the fault runs directly beneath the site where the US federal government planned to store 70,000 tonnes of highly radioactive waste...."

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Russia: New Sanctions Would Harm IAEA

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:50:00 GMT

The Associated Press:

"MOSCOW (AP) - Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signaled that Russia was opposed to any new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, saying such a move would undermine the work of the U.N. atomic watchdog, Russian news agencies reported Thursday...."

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