|
Supporting worldwide
understanding of South Asian non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament
issues.
The Journal of South Asian Non-Proliferation
is a Product of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI)
CONTENTS
NUCLEAR RELATED ISSUES
IAEA to back India, but with Ômixed
feelingsÕ
Most IAEA members worried about precedent being set for Pakistan
Last-minute lobbying for n-deal
Pakistan not eligible for similar
n-deal: Burns
IAEA meets to consider Indian nuclear agreement
Pakistan keeps guessing ahead of IAEA meet
Strike on Iran still possible, U.S. tells Israel
Iran again
rejects N-deadline TEHRAN
EDF inks EUR 600 mln deal
with Guangdong Nuclear Power
U.S. Won't Take North Korea Off
Terror-Sponsor List
Swiss nuclear power plant undergoes overhaul
Rice says U.S. won't delist
North Korea on Monday
SPECIAL REPORT: Kuwait Readying for War in Gulf?
Iran
not to change nuclear stance in face of sanctions
Monday
manifesto: Energy expert plans for nuclear renaissance
Iran unmoved
on nuclear stance in face of sanctions
EDF finalises
deal to run two China nuclear plants
North Korea Won't Meet Nuclear Verification
Deadline, U.S. Says
Top Indian diplomat heading to NZ over nuke issue
Iran
unmoved on N-stance in face of sanctions
Nuclear authority "right" to withold
report on radioactive waste
Iran nuclear work will go on, says Nejad
N Korea to remain on terror
blacklist: US
N-weapons
in safe hands: Haqqani
Nigeria seeks safe nuclear
energy
Iran, EU agree to hold fresh nuclear talks
Nuclear talks with EU to continue: Iran
R E G I O N: Iran-EU agree to pursue nuclear talks
NSG draft waiver covers
all nuclear items
India
exemption: NSG to decide on Sept 2
We must entrust France with
our nuclear energy
US, Iran need to talk nuclear issue
Jindal Steel Plans to Build Nuclear Power Plants,
Mint Reports
Iran
to pursue talks with EU
Australia
to support US-India N-pact at suppliersÕ meeting
Kuwait calls for peaceful end to Iran nuclear row
R E G I O N: Kuwait calls
for peaceful end to Iran nuclear row
US imposes sanctions on 5 Iranian firms
US imposes
sanctions on five Iranian groups
FM says
equitable principles to strengthen non-proliferation
While the US
Looks Eastward Brazil Is Emerging as a Nuclear Superpower
JSPL eying to set up nuclear power projects
North
Korea, Japan agree terms for abduction probe
N-deal: India
hopes US, France will convince NSG nations
US military seeks perfect nuclear controls
Nuclear energy a possibility
for WA
B&W parent buys nuclear fuel unit
Chamber calls on State to consider
nuclear energy
NSG
focus forces Delhi to call off envoysÕ meeting
US applies new sanctions on Iran
Air Force beefs up nuke,
intelligence jobs
Japan signals key approval of India-US
nuclear deal
Foreign
Secretary Menon leaves for Vienna for NSG meet
NZ to oppose India's nuclear deal
Libs urged
to be clear on nuclear power
Early reactor plan given OK by
regulatory group
Spin-Offs
Planned For Northeast Nuclear Plants
Verification
of North Korean Nuclear Program Must Meet International Standards
Nukes Unlikely to Be Affected by
Musharraf Leaving
Saudi Nuclear Plan Gets Green Light
Diplomat: Tehran, Moscow in agreement
over Bushehr NPP
Paper On Nuclear Energy For Cabinet Next Month
IAEA
holds N-talks in Iran
UN watchdog holds nuclear talks in Iran
NZ
holding up India-US nuke pact
Nuclear suppliers propose terms for US-India deal
SKorea
seeks ChinaÕs help to end dispute in nuke talks
NSG debates India trade
ban
Democrat asks NSG not to break nuclear rules for
India
N-deal: Why should India get a
free pass from NSG?
Iran Says US Sanctions Ineffective
Nuclear exports to discuss India trade ban
Iran will hit back if Israel attacks: Hezbollah
Chinese, S Korean presidents due to discuss N
Korea
DPRK vows to bolster Ôwar deterrentÕ
Khamenei defends Ahmadinejad
Fire breaks out in N-plant
Japan, Australia to seek disarmament of N-states
Reaction to US–South
Korea military exercises :
Iran designing new nuclear
power plant
Nuclear power plant in Spain catches fire, causing
no casualties
RussiaÕs nuclear chief to visit IranÕs new power
plant
Steam
generator installed in Qinshan nuclear power complex
IranÕs
Supreme Leader Endorses Ahmadinejad for Second Term
Fire forces shutdown of
Spanish nuclear plant
Chinese
President in Korea for talks on North
Nuclear
deal fate ÔuncertainÕ
US ready to put Russian nuclear deal on ice
Iran's Supreme Leader Endorses
Ahmadinejad for Second Term
'West seeks to impede Iran's progress'
US sub could have leaked radiation in Singapore
South Korea, China urge co-operation over North Korea
New nuclear group to look into Indo-US deal
US
sub may have leaked radiation
Turkey's Dogan Signs Deal
With 3 Firms To Bid For Turkey's First Nuclear Tender
Israel says it will not
accept a nuclear Iran
India
nuke deal is prime focus of US nuclear policy: Rice
North Korea threatens to suspend N-disablement
N Korea halts denuclearisation over row with US
N Korea 'violated nuclear pact'
North Korea halts nuclear
disablement
NZ
denies blocking India's nuclear dream
North Korea Halts Nuke Program Dismantling
US accuses North Korea of
violating nuclear accord
'No plans yet to change
N-agreement due to NSG concerns'
'No time for nuke deal now'
INDIA/US: Nuclear Deal Headed for Fiasco
NSG: Austria hints at softening stand
Interim
solutions on the way to energy heaven
Recycling nuclear fuel is SA
priority
Russian nuclear sub tested
TVA asks Govt to renew nuclear plant permit
Inside
the Ring
TVA considers project at
Bellefonte
MISSILE RELATED ISSUES
Missile
defense meet set tonight
Turkey to establish anti-missile system
US faults
Russia for rising violence in Georgia
Missile test launch from Vandenberg
scheduled for Wednesday
Poland fires
missile defense negotiator
US co to pay $126K penalty for releasing missile
technology
US shield deal seems nearerÕ
U.S. Sanctions Five Iranian Groups Over Nuclear Work
US
slaps more sanctions on Iran
Russia moves missiles into Sth Ossetia
Obama talks
about immigration, border security
Syria Testing Hizbullahesque Missile Tactics In
Preparation For Next Conflict With Israel
Landmark
missile display at AFA falls victim to rust
Russia threatens military
response to US missiles
Israel too weak to attack: Iranian Gen
Israel too vulnerable to attack: Iranian general
OPINION / EDITORIAL
North KoreaÕs non-aggression
N-accidents
on the rise
Caution needed while
dealing with Iran Gulf News
Will Russia Get Away With It?
No-nuke movement for real
change
Analysis: East Europeans Eye Russian Assault Warily
The Russo-Iranian Axis
Nuclear unit
shuts down
The Lessons of
the Russian-Georgian Conflict
The Missile Defence Scam
The American dilemma at the NSG
The Devils in His Details
N. Korea hopes better deal from the next
US leader
The missile
defence scam
CHEM / BIO
Fort Detrick: From
Biowarfare To Biodefens
Anthrax suspect commits
suicide in US
ÔRespondent deceasedÕ
— case closed: ScientistÕs death compounds anthrax mystery—II
Special report: War has
always been a dirty 'biological' battle
The SS 21 missile
Chemical weapon depots look
ahead
U.S. officials Announce
FBI's Case 2001 Anthrax Attacks "Solved":
Sandia scientists help
solve anthrax case
Avian Flu
Biowar Vaccine - The PentagonÕs alarming project?
The Anthrax Files:
SUMMARIES
IAEA to
back India, but with Ômixed feelingsÕ
Siddharth Varadarajan
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
Vienna: The Indian safeguards agreement, which the Board of
Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to approve
on Friday, will mark the first time a United Nations body recognizes the
reality, if not the legitimacy, of India possessing nuclear weapons. But even
as they join the consensus that has built up in Vienna, many of the 35
countries who sit on the IAEA board harbour misgivings about the agreement.
They will make declarations during the August 1 meeting to clarify that they
remain committed to the goal of getting India to give up its nuclear weapons.
In meetings and interviews with several members of the Board, none except
Mexico was prepared to go on record about their reservations. ÒWe will
support India but we have mixed feelings,Ó Ambassador Alejandro Diaz of
Mexico told The Hindu on Thursday.
ÒNPT not being taken into accountÓ
Most IAEA
members worried about precedent being set for Pakistan
Siddharth Varadarajan
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
Vienna: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
secretariat may have deflected PakistanÕs criticisms of the Indian safeguards
agreement last week by suggesting Islamabad could follow a similar approach
but most members of the IAEA Board say their biggest worry in approving
IndiaÕs draft would be the danger of setting a precedent for its neighbour.
These fears have been amplified by the recent remarks made by Pakistan Prime
Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, when he said Òthere should be no
discriminationÓ and that Òif [the IAEA wants] to give such nuclear status to
India, we expect the same for Pakistan.ÓÒThis is a safeguards agreement for
India,Ó said a Board member from a Western country when asked about Pakistan,
Òand we are backing it because we see India as a unique case.Ó The board
member said Pakistan would benefit from the Indian agreement not by seeking
to copy it but because it would lead to safeguarding of nuclear facilities
that are currently beyond international scrutiny.
Last-minute
lobbying for n-deal
P. S. Suryanarayana
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
SINGAPORE: In what turned out to be
last-minute lobbying, India on Thursday ÒreinforcedÓ its ÒrequestÓ for
support from Thailand, member of the Board of International Atomic Energy
Agency, for the New Delhi-specific safeguards agreement. Special Envoy of the
Indian Government and Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs,
N. Ravi, called on the new Thai Foreign Minister, Tej Bunnag, in Bangkok. A
letter to Thai Prime Minister Samak Sunderavej from Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh was handed over at this meeting, which, officials said, was held in a
positive atmosphere. Mr. Ravi had, earlier in the week, travelled to Seoul
and Manila. In Seoul, he called on Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and handed
over a letter addressed to President Lee Myung-bak. South Korea is in the
Nuclear Suppliers Group, while the Philippines is an IAEA Board member for
2007-2008. IndiaÕs civil nuclear energy needs and its non-proliferation
credentials are understood to have figured in these discussions. Before
arriving in Seoul, Mr. Ravi visited Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan on a
similar mission
Pakistan
not eligible for similar n-deal: Burns
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
Washington: The former Under Secretary of State of Political
Affairs, Nicholas Burns, one of the architects of the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal,
feels Pakistan cannot expect a similar pact, a day after its Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani demanded such a deal from the U.S. Mr. Burns also pressed
for the speedy approval of the deal ahead of the IAEA taking up the
India-specific safeguards pact for approval, saying it was ÒgoodÓ for both
the countries besides helping strengthen the non-proliferation regime.
ÒIndiaÕs trust, its credibility, the fact that it has promised to create a
state-of-the-art facility, monitored by the IAEA, to begin a new export
control regime in place, because it has not proliferated the nuclear
technology, we canÕt say that about Pakistan.Ó said Mr. Burns when asked
whether the U.S. would offer a nuclear deal with Pakistan on the lines of the
Indo-U.S. deal during a debate on the nuclear agreement at the Brookings Institution.
After meeting U.S. President George W. Bush, Mr. Gilani demanded a nuclear
deal similar to the one Washington has forged with New Delhi, assuring the
nuclear proliferation network of its scientist, A. Q. Khan, was broken and
would not be repeated.
IAEA
meets to consider Indian nuclear agreement
(The
Economic Times,1st, Aug, 2008)
VIENNA: An inspections agreement crucial
to a landmark nuclear deal between India and the U.S. comes under scrutiny on Friday
by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Washington-New Delhi pact
calls for allowing the sale of atomic fuel and technology to India, a country
that has not signed international nonproliferation accords but has tested
nuclear weapons. It would be a reversal of more than three decades of U.S.
policy. To implement the deal, India must strike separate agreements with the
IAEA and with the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries that export nuclear
material before it can go to the U.S. Congress for approval. The so-called
safeguards agreement would effectively allow U.N. monitors access to 14 of
India's 22 existing or planned nuclear reactors by 2014. Without IAEA
safeguards, India cannot import nuclear technology from NSG nations,
including the U.S.
Pakistan
keeps guessing ahead of IAEA meet
(The Nation 1st, Aug, 2008)
Vienna - A
day before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors
is scheduled to meet here to adopt a draft safeguards agreement for India,
Pakistan is not saying whether it will abstain or ask for a vote when it
comes up for approval. The 35-member board will meet at the agencyÕs
headquarters on Friday to consider the draft agreement between India and the
IAEA for the application of safeguards to IndiaÕs civilian nuclear
facilities.ÒPakistan will abstain,Ó predicts a retired Pakistani diplomat.
Earlier this month, Pakistan circulated a letter among the board members
registering its opposition to the proposed safeguards agreement. It has
described the agreement draft as Òdiscriminatory and dangerousÓ. It has
argued that access to civilian nuclear technology should be available to
countries without discrimination.Pakistan would like to participate in the
nuclear technology trade and enjoy similar opportunities offered to India to
build its civilian nuclear facilities.To counter objections raised by
Pakistan, India briefed board members last Friday and distributed a document
that addresses some safeguards concerns.
Strike
on Iran still possible, U.S. tells Israel
(The Nation 1st, Aug, 2008)
WASHINGTON -- U.S.
government officials have reassured Israel that the option of attacking Iran
over its nuclear programme remains on the table, despite widespread Israeli
concern that Washington has begun softening its position toward Tehran,
according to The Los Angeles Times. In meetings Monday and Tuesday,
administration officials told Defence Minister Ehud Barak that the option of
attacking Iran over its nuclear program remains on the table, though U.S.
officials are primarily seeking a diplomatic solution. At the same time, U.S.
officials acknowledged that there is a rare divergence in the U.S. and
Israeli approaches, with Israelis emphasizing the possibility of a military
response out of concern that Tehran may soon have the know-how for building a
nuclear bomb. "Is there a difference of emphasis? It certainly looks as
though there is," said a senior American Defense official, who was not
named. U.S. and Israeli officials accuse Iran of enriching uranium with the
aim of building nuclear weapons. Iran firmly denies the charge, saying its
nuclear programme is geared to peaceful purposed.
Iran
again rejects N-deadline TEHRAN:
(Daily Times; 1 Aug 2008, 0107 hrs IST, PTI)
Iran on Thursday rejected any deadline to give a final response to a
package drawn up by world powers seeking to end the nuclear crisis and said
there should be more negotiations to reach a deal.ÒThe language of
deadline-setting is not understandable to us. We gave them our response
within a month as we said we would, now they have to reply to us,Ó Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, according to the state news agency IRNA.
Geneva meeting: Mottaki said Iran and the major powers had agreed at a July
19 meeting in Geneva to find common ground on both sidesÕ proposals aimed at
resolving the standoff over TehranÕs nuclear drive, and denied any ultimatum
was set.
EDF
inks EUR 600 mln deal with Guangdong Nuclear Power
Aug. 11, 2008 (China Knowledge) - French nuclear
energy provider Electricite de France SA (EDF) Group inked a formal agreement
yesterday with mainland state-run power producer China Guangdong Nuclear
Power Corp for incorporating a joint venture to build two nuclear reactors in
Guangdong, EDF said in a statement. Named Taishan Nuclear Power, the joint
venture firm is expected to break ground in Taishan, Guangdong in September
next year, of which Guangdong Nuclear Power will be the majority shareholder.
EDF Chief executive Pierre Gadonneix said EDF planned to spend EUR 600
million to EUR 800 million for a 30% stake in the joint venture firm in four years.
The deal, which is still subject to approval from the National Development
and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce, is part of EDF's
strategy to be a leader in nuclear energy worldwide, as an investor and an
operator, said Pierre.
August
11, 2008
By Reuters TOKYO -- U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice told Japan that Washington would not remove North Korea from
a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism on the initial deadline of August
11, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura has said.The White House had
made clear that it did not expect a deal with Pyongyang by August 11 for
presenting a verification plan for its nuclear programs, but it had said
talks would continue.The delay was likely to be welcome in Japan, where many
are concerned that an easing of U.S. sanctions against Pyongyang would lessen
Tokyo's chances of settling a feud over its citizens abducted by North Korean
agents decades ago. Japanese and North Korean
officials have begun two days of talks in the northeastern Chinese city of
Shenyang on the abductions, an emotive issue in Japan and a major obstacle to
establishing diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang.
Swiss
nuclear power plant undergoes overhaul
11 August 2008 - A planned shutdown of Switzerland's
MŸhleberg nuclear power plant (KKM) operated by BKW FMB Energy Ltd (BKW) was
carried out on 10 August 2008 in order to perform the annual overhaul and
change the fuel elements. The overhaul is scheduled to last just over four
weeks. In view of the long-term continued operation of the plant, BKW will be
carrying out some important renovations and maintenance work. The
recently-ended operating period is the best since the KKM went into
operation.For 8175 hours during the past operating period, which started at
the beginning of September 2007 and ended at the beginning of August 2008,
the KKM fed 3093m kWh gross (2006/07: 2970m kWh) of CO2-free electricity into
the BKW grid, recording the best operating cycle in terms of stability,
continuity and production since the plant went into operation.
Monday , 11 August 2008
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Japan
that Washington would not remove North Korea from a U.S. list of state
sponsors of terrorism on the initial deadline of Monday, Japanese Foreign
Minister Masahiko Komura said.The White House had made clear that it did not
expect a deal with Pyongyang by Monday for presenting a verification plan for
its nuclear programmes, but it had said talks would continue.The delay was
likely to be welcome in Japan, where many are concerned that an easing of
U.S. sanctions against Pyongyang would lessen Tokyo's chances of settling a
feud over its citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago. Japanese and North Korean officials on Monday began
two days of talks in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang on the
abductions, an emotive issue in Japan and a major obstacle to establishing
diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang. Komura told reporters that Rice
had informed him of the delay in the delisting in a telephone conversation
SPECIAL
REPORT: Kuwait Readying for War in Gulf?
The small oil-rich emirate of
Kuwait – situated between Iraq, Iran and an un-enviable geographic hard
place on the northern end of the Persian Gulf – has reportedly
activated its "Emergency War Plan" as a massive U.S. and European
armada is reported heading for the region. Coming on the heels of Operation
Brimstone just a week ago that saw U.S., British and French naval forces
participate in war games in the Atlantic Ocean, the object of which was to
practice enforcing an eventual blockade on Iran, the joint task force is now
headed for the Gulf and what could easily turn into a major confrontation
with Iran. The naval force comprises a U.S. Navy super carrier battle group
and is accompanied by an expeditionary carrier battle group, a British Royal
Navy carrier battle group and a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine.
Leading the pack is the nuclear-powered carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt
and its Carrier Strike Group Two; besides its 80-plus combat planes the
Roosevelt normally transports, it is carrying an additional load of French
Naval Rafale fighter jets from the French carrier Charles de Gaulle,
currently in dry dock.
Iran
not to change nuclear stance in face of sanctions
2008-08-10 19:08:59
TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's
government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said Sunday that Iran's nuclear
stance will not be changed by sanctions or
threats. "Iran's nuclear stance is strong and
transparent and this stance would not change through any sanction or
threat," Elham told reporters after a cabinet session, adding, "We
still believe that the nuclear talks are progressing." He said that five
permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) -- The United States,
Russia, China, Britain and France -- plus Germany have no consensus on imposing
new sanctions against Iran. Certain countries are willing to make use of the
new sanctions as a political tool and such a move will bear no fruit and can
be only considered as a psychological propaganda campaign, stressed the
spokesman
11/08/08
In a few weeks, Samir Brikho
hopes, his company will be starting work on one of the highest-profile energy
projects in Britain. A consortium involving Amec is the preferred bidder to
run Sellafield, one of the worldÕs biggest nuclear reprocessing and
decommissioning facilities. It is the jewel in the crown of the state-owned
nuclear operations, all of which are being sold in a long privatisation. Most
of AmecÕs work is for big power companies after the engineering and services
business completed a well-timed exit from civil construction last year.
Nuclear is top of its agenda. Mr Brikho, chief executive of Amec since 2006,
says: ÒThis is one of the most important things in our portfolio because if
we are serious in cutting down on CO2 emissions we need to exhaust our
possibilities on how we can develop wind and photovoltaic. But if we are serious
about cutting emissions we have no other choice but to use nuclear.Ó
10/08/08
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will not back down
on its nuclear stance despite the threat of tighter sanctions, Iranian media
quoted a government spokesman as saying on Sunday.Britain, France, Germany
and the United States are considering imposing sanctions that go beyond
existing U.N. measures against Tehran over its nuclear programme, a British
diplomat said on Friday. Western powers fear Iran wants to build a nuclear
bomb, while Tehran says it seeks to master nuclear technology for
electricity."Our stance would not change with sanctions or the threat of
sanctions," the students news agency ISNA
reported spokesman Gholamhossein Elham as saying. "It is important that
our country is ready to insist on its rights under any
conditions."Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United
States have led diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to freeze uranium
enrichment.The United States and Britain said on Wednesday the six had agreed
to consider more U.N. sanctions against Iran after Tehran failed to halt
enrichment, but Russia said there was no firm deal.
Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:17am EDT
BEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - EDF), the
world's biggest single producer of nuclear energy, signed a formal agreement
on Sunday to invest in and operate two new-generation reactors in the
southern province of Guangdong. Chief Executive Pierre Gadonneix said
France's EDF would pay 600 million to 800 million euros ($910 million-$1.21
billion) over four years for its 30 percent equity stake in the joint venture
firm, Taishan Nuclear Power Co. China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp, EDF's
long-standing partner in China, is the majority shareholder. The deal, which
needs the approval of the National Development and Reform Commission and the
Ministry of Commerce, fleshes out an agreement in principle reached last
November during a visit to China by French President Nicolas Sarkozy .
North
Korea Won't Meet Nuclear Verification Deadline, U.S. Says
By
Michael Forsythe
Aug.
10 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea won't meet an initial deadline tomorrow to
verify its nuclear programs that would lead to its removal from a list of
nations that support terrorism, a U.S. official said. ``At this point it is
reasonable to say that tomorrow probably will come and go without that
happening,'' Dennis
Wilder, the National Security Council director for Asia, told reporters
in Beijing today. ``We are in discussions with the North. We continue to try
to work with them on this question of a robust verification regime.'' In
June, President George
W. Bush gave Congress 45 days notice of his intention to remove North
Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, after North Korea
submitted an inventory of its nuclear materials and programs. The deadline
falls on Aug. 11. Wilder said that tomorrow is the ``minimum time frame'' in
which North Korea could have complied, ``not a deadline.''
Top
Indian diplomat heading to NZ over nuke issue
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax
Media | Monday, 11 August 2008
India's
top diplomat is heading to New Zealand to lobby Wellington for support of its
nuclear deal with the United States.It comes as the United States and France also pressure Prime
Minister Helen Clark over the deal.New Zealand sits on a key international
nuclear body and with a small group of nations will later this month
determine whether India can sign a much yearned for nuclear technology deal
with the United States.A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said
"New Zealand has reservations" about the deal and will work with
others at a crucial meeting of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG)
on August 21.New Zealand refuses to sign off on the deal saying India cannot
have it because it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
India wants a waiver from the rule.India's diplomats regard Switzerland and
New Zealand, along with Austria, Ireland and the Netherlands, as the five
"toughest" NSG members that are opposed to any concessions for
India.While special representatives of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
have already engaged with three of them, an attempt is now being made to
convince the leaders in Switzerland and New Zealand to support the waiver for
India.
Iran unmoved on
N-stance in face of sanctions:
Monday, August 11, 2008
TEHRAN: Iran will not back down on its nuclear
stance despite the threat of tighter sanctions,
Iranian media quoted a government spokesman as saying on Sunday. Britain,
France, Germany and the United States are considering imposing sanctions that
go beyond existing UN measures against Tehran over its nuclear programme, a
British diplomat said on Friday. Western powers fear Iran wants to build a
nuclear bomb, while Tehran says it seeks to master nuclear technology for
electricity. ÒOur stance would not change with sanctions or the threat of
sanctions,Ó the students news agency ISNA reported spokesman Gholam hossein Elham
as saying. ÒIt is important that our country is ready to insist on its rights
under any conditions.Ó Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United
States have led diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to freeze uranium
enrichment. The United States and Britain said on Wednesday the six had
agreed to consider more UN sanctions against Iran after Tehran failed to halt
enrichment, but Russia said there was no firm deal. Iran gave a noncommittal,
one-page letter this week to the six powers containing no reply to their
offer to refrain from seeking more UN penalties if Iran froze expansion of
its nuclear work.
Nuclear
authority "right" to withold report on radioactive waste
11-08-08
As the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority launched a fresh consultation
last week on how best to communicate with the public on a new radioactive
waste disposal site, it was been told it does not have to publish a draft
report on possible locations.The NDA was asked for an earlier,
draft version of the 2006 report "Potential Areas of
Future Geosphere Research" , which identified
geological factors requiring research regarding the possibility of locating
an underground disposal facility for nuclear waste.But despite agreeing that
releasing the report could have helped improve public confidence in the
"thoroughness" of the NDA's work preparing for a nuclear waste
disposal facility, the Information Commissioner refused a requested to
release the document under the Environmental Information Regulations.The
government issued a white paper earlier this summer stating that geological
disposal was the "realistic" option for Britain's radioactive waste
- having considered alternatives like dumping it at sea, at the ice caps, or
even blasting it into space
Iran
nuclear work will go on, says Nejad
Source: AFP submitted 10 hours 30
minutes ago
TEHRAN -
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday told visiting Algerian President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika that Tehran will press on with its nuclear programme,
despite the risk of fresh sanctions. ÒTheyÕve deeply understood that IranÕs
peaceful nuclear programme will never be halted and of course they have no
choice but to keep on talking to Iran,Ó Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling
Bouteflika. ÒDespite threats and sanctions by a number of big powers, our
nation is robust and is continuing living its own life as they cannot put
obstacles in the path of our progress,Ó Ahmadinejad added, according to the
state run television website.Bouteflika on Sunday started a visit to Iran at
the head of a high-level political and economic team of ministers.
08-12-2008, 02h03
WASHINGTON (AFP)
The United States Monday insisted North
Korea would remain on its terrorism blacklist until it fully complied with a
deal on disclosing its nuclear program, sidestepping the first chance to remove
the hardline communist state from its watch list.Under US law, Washington can
from Monday begin considering removing Pyongyang from the State Sponsors of
Terrorism list, 45 days after Pyongyang submitted a long awaited declaration
of its nuclear program.But the State Department said it would not delist
North Korea in exchange for the disclosure unless Pyongyang accepted a
comprehensive mechanism to verify the North's complex atomic
program."The important point is they haven't produced for us that verification
regime that we need to go forward on that issue," department spokesman
Robert Wood told reporters when asked about the delisting prospects.
N-weapons
in safe hands: Haqqani
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
WASHINGTON: Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Hussain
Haqqani has said the decision of an impeachment move would be constitutional.
Talking to a private TV channel in Washington, Haqqani said Pakistan has no
plan to transfer nuclear technology to other countries. He said that whatever
happened in the past, the investigations were launched against the
responsible persons and strict action was taken against them. He said the
Pakistani nuclear weapons are in safe hands while there is a proper and
strong command and control system.
Nigeria
seeks safe nuclear energy
By Olusoji Arale
Published: Tuesday, 12 Aug 2008
Nigeria is committed to implementing
international nuclear safeguards and safety regime in the process of
generating electricity from nuclear power plants. This was disclosed by the
Director-General, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Prof. Shamsideen
Elegba, at a training course for lawyers on nuclear safety and radiological
protection in Lagos on Monday.Elegba said that Nigeria had developed peaceful
application of nuclear technology in various fields, including petroleum,
health, manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture, water resources, education
and research.According to Elegba, there were no regulatory controls in the
use of nuclear technology in the country prior to 2001. He said,
ÒRadiological incidents and accidents were not reported, radiation employers
had no responsibilities to their workers and to the general public.
ÒRadiation workers had no rights to radiation safety, access to radioactive
sources and nuclear materials and their disposal were not regulated.Ó
Iran, EU agree
to hold fresh nuclear talks
Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN – Iranian and EU nuclear diplomats on Monday agreed to
continue talks aimed at ending IranÕs long-running nuclear standoff with the
West.The agreement came after Supreme National Security Council Secretary
Saeed Jalili on Monday held a telephone conversation with EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana. ÒThe two sides agreed to continue
negotiations in a constructive atmosphereÉSolana and Jalili voiced
satisfaction at the constructive trend of negotiations in Geneva and the
contacts afterwards,Ó IranÕs TV reported. On July 19, Jalili and Solana held
talks in Geneva over IranÕs nuclear dispute. U.S. Undersecretary of State
William Burns also participated in the negotiations. It was the highest level
of diplomatic contact between Iran and the United States in 30 years. Also
present were representatives from the four other permanent members of the UN
Security Council and Germany.Russia, China, the United States, Britain,
France, and Germany last month offered Iran an updated package of incentives
in return for a halt to TehranÕs uranium enrichment program.(12/08/08)
Nuclear
talks with EU to continue: Iran
TEHRAN, Aug 11: Iran said on Monday it has agreed
with the EU to continue talks aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis but again
insisted it will press on with contested work despite the threat of more
sanctions.Top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili spoke by phone with EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana, the pointman for six major powers which have
offered Iran an incentives package in return for a freeze in uranium
enrichment activities.Their talks came just days after European Union nations
last week introduced fresh sanctions against Iran over its atomic drive,
which western nations fear could be a cover for a secret nuclear weapons
programme.
R
E G I O N: Iran-EU agree to pursue nuclear talks
Solana and Jalili voice satisfaction at trend of negotiations
TEHRAN: IranÕs top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana agreed on Monday to pursue talks aimed at
resolving the nuclear crisis, state television reported.Their telephone talks
came just days after European Union nations last week introduced fresh
sanctions against Iran over its atomic drive. ÒThe two sides agreed to
continue negotiations in a constructive atmosphere,Ó the television said.
ÒSolana and Jalili voiced satisfaction at the constructive trend of
negotiations in Geneva and the contacts afterwards.Ó In Brussels, SolanaÕs
office confirmed the conversation but gave no details.
NSG
draft waiver covers all nuclear items
Siddharth
Varadarajan New Delhi: The Nuclear Suppliers Group draft rule change
circulated by the U.S. last week links the waiving of the cartelÕs export restrictions
for India to the non-proliferation commitments Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
made in July 2005 and does not impose any extraneous conditions. However,
with the U.S. being candid about the possibility of the draft undergoing
substantial revision once the 45-nation group takes up the India exemption in
Vienna on August 21, officials here are preparing for a tough fight
ahead.Despite an American proposal to that effect, the Indian side is not
keen to Òsit inÓ on the nuclear clubÕs deliberations as an ÒobserverÓ or be
called upon to bargain in any way with the groupÕs 44 other members. India
does not want to be part of any NSG meeting unless it is part of the
decision-making process, senior officials told The Hindu.. (12/08/08)
India
exemption: NSG to decide on Sept 2
12 Aug, 2008, 0523 hrs IST,Nirmala Ganapathy, ET Bureau
WASHINGTON : Even as diplomatic initiatives to
ensure the support of all Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries hot up,
India and the US have decided to schedule a second meeting of the group on
September 2.The second meeting would be crucial as this is where the NSG
countries will vote on whether to give India an exemption to undertake
international nuclear trade. The first meeting scheduled for August 21 will
give India and the US the opportunity to explain the merits of the India-US
civilian nuclear trade and also answer any questions the NSG countries have on
the exemption draft, which was circulated last week. New Zealand and some
European countries, which have strong non-proliferation roots, are expected
to raise objections. The gap between the two meetings has also been worked
out in such a way so that representatives attending the August 21 meeting
have time to go back and explain the deal to their respective governments.
For India, Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria, Ireland
and the Netherlands are the toughest NSG countries who have opposed exempting
India for civilian nuclear trade.
Last
Updated: 1:14am BST 12/08/2008
Selling British Energy to the French is not ideal, but it is preferable
to relying on Russia or Algeria, argues Tracy CorriganThe Government seems
almost embarrassingly keen to sell British Energy to state-controlled
ElŽctricitŽ de France (EDF). Now imagine that scenario in reverseÉExactly.
The ElysŽe's attitude to foreign interest in its power companies is very much
"Ne touchez pas, si'l vous pla”t" - only without the s'il vous
pla”t. It has just orchestrated an all-French merger of Gaz de France and
Suez to create a national champion and Europe's largest gas distributor.It is
not just energy that the French feel protective about: a couple of years ago,
a previous administration saw off interest from PepsiCo in Danone, maker of,
er, yogurt, because the company was a "jewel" of French
industry.Privately, the French must be laughing their heads off. In the
1970s, at the time of the first oil shock, they were irked that Britain could
fall back on North Sea reserves. They decided to interpret this imbalance as
a sign of French superiority.
US, Iran need
to talk nuclear issue
Md. Masum Billah
August 12, 2008
Iran's nuclear project
has further antagonized the USA-Israel combine. USA and Israel seek penal
actions against Iran including a quick war. Israel has carried out an
exercise that appears to have been a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's
nuclear faculties. More than 100 Israeli fighter jets took part in maneuvers
over the eastern Mediterranean in the first week of June. The Israeli Air
Force held exercises at a distance of 1500 km from its shores. The Iranians
have responded with test firings of the Shihab missiles which have similar
range. Iran now possesses 6000 centrifuges, machines used to enrich uranium.
Israel exercise is a message for Iran. Ehud Olmert warned Iran must be shown
there will be devastating consequence if it develops such nuclear weapon. In
1981 Israeli jets bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, 30km outside
Baghdad. Israel said it believed the French-built plant was designed to make
nuclear weapons that could be used against Israel .Israel is worried that a
powerful Iran could be an additional strength for the Arabs which will
disturb their peaceful sleeping which they do today at the cost of killing
and massacring the Palestinians almost everyday.But the world and US military
experts must give due consideration to the fact that Iran dominates the whole
length of Hormuz Straight.
Jindal
Steel Plans to Build Nuclear Power Plants, Mint Reports
By Archana Chaudhary
Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. plans to build
nuclear plants after India changes rules to allow non-state companies to
enter the atomic-energy business, Mint newspaper reported, citing a company
official it didn't identify. Jindal Steel & Power is setting up 5,160
megawatts of thermal-generation capacity, the report said. The company runs a
1,000-megawatt coal-fired power project in the eastern Indian state of
Chhattisgarh, the newspaper said.
Iran to pursue
talks with EU
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it has agreed with the
EU to continue talks aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis but again insisted
it will press on with contested work despite the threat of more sanctions.
Top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili spoke by phone with EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana, the point man for six major powers which have offered
Iran an incentives package in return for a freeze in uranium enrichment
activities
Australia to support US-India
N-pact at suppliersÕ meeting
SINGAPORE, Aug 12: Australia will support a civilian
atomic energy deal between India and the United States at a meeting of key
nuclear supplier states, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here on
Tuesday.RuddÕs statement comes ahead of an August 21 meeting in Vienna of the
45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group on the deal, under which the United States
will provide energy-starved India with nuclear fuel and technology.Australia
is a key member of the NSG, which must approve the US-India deal in order for
it to proceed. The US Congress must also ratify the agreement.
Kuwait
calls for peaceful end to Iran nuclear row
KUWAIT, Aug 12: Kuwait called on Iran and the West
to resolve a conflict over TehranÕs nuclear ambitions peacefully.Kuwait,
which hosts thousands of US troops, is deeply concerned about the prospect of
war in the Gulf and threats by Iran to impose shipping controls in the Strait
of Hormuz if it is attacked. About 40 per cent of global oil exports leave
the Gulf via the waterway off IranÕs southern coast.ÒWe hope things will not develop
for the worse, and that the language of reason and dialogue between all
parties prevails,Ó Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah told daily
al-Rai in an interview published on Tuesday.
R
E G I O N: Kuwait calls for peaceful end to Iran nuclear row
* Crown prince rules out participation in any attack
on Iran
KUWAIT: US-allied Kuwait called on Iran and the West
to resolve a conflict over TehranÕs nuclear ambitions peacefully. Kuwait,
which hosts thousands of US troops, is deeply concerned about the prospect of
war in the Gulf and threats by Iran to impose shipping controls in the Strait
of Hormuz if it is attacked. About 40 percent of global oil exports leave the
Gulf via the waterway off IranÕs southern coast. ÒWe hope things will not
develop for the worse, and that the language of reason and dialogue between
all parties prevails,Ó Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah told daily
al-Rai in an interview published on Tuesday. ÒWe think diplomacy is the best
solution.Ó
US
imposes sanctions on 5 Iranian firms
WASHINGTON, Aug 12: The Bush administration has
imposed economic sanctions on five Iranian companies that it has accused of
helping Iran pursue what the United States considers the Islamic RepublicÕs
ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.The Treasury Department announced on
Tuesday that it was freezing any assets the five companies might have in the
United States and prohibiting American individuals and companies from having
dealings with the five.The five companies are the Nuclear Research Centre for
Agriculture and Medicine, the Esfahan Nuclear Fuel Research and Production
Centre, Jabber Ibn Hayan, the Safety Procurement Co and Joza Industrial Co.
US
imposes sanctions on five Iranian groups
WASHINGTON: The United States Treasury on Tuesday said it had imposed
sanctions against five more Iranian entities, which it claimed have provided
support or materials to IranÕs nuclear and missile programmes. The Treasury
said the entities, designated as weapons of mass destruction proliferators,
are controlled by or acting on behalf of previously blacklisted Iranian
entities responsible for uranium enrichment, nuclear development work and
ballistic missile programmes. Added to the TreasuryÕs sanctions list was the
Nuclear Research Centre
FM
says equitable principles to strengthen non-proliferation
ISLAMABAD: The global non-proliferation regime could only be
strengthened by a policy based on non-discriminatory and equitable
principles, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday. Qureshi
said this while talking to International Commission on Nuclear
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) Co-chairperson and International
Crisis Group (ICG) President Gareth Evans, who met him at the Foreign Office.
While
the US Looks Eastward Brazil Is Emerging as a Nuclear Superpower
Written by Elizabeth Reavey
Wednesday,
13 August 2008 02:40
On
Thursday, July 31, Brazilian authorities gave the final go ahead to the
civilian nuclear power company, Eletronuclear, to continue construction of
the country's third nuclear power plant. Though the decision to revitalize
the 22-year-old nuclear reactor, Angra 3, came late last year, plans were
finalized in July by the government's environmental regulatory agency.
Eletronuclear, a subsidiary of the state-owned energy firm Eletrobr‡s, plans
to begin construction in February. Brazilian officials must constantly
address the country's still inadequate supply of energy if they hope to see
Brazil continue on the path to becoming a superpower. For this reason,
together with several major new discoveries of oil deposits off Brazil's
coastline, a confident President Luiz In‡cio Lula da Silva hails the
developing nuclear initiative as one that could ensure an increased supply of
energy to the population. However, there are grave political and economic
implications of any turn to nuclear energy that he is taking, that should not
be overlooked or minimized.Eletronuclear representatives pledge to strictly
comply with the 60 conditions put forth by the Brazilian government to ensure
the safety of the plant now under construction. Environmental activists warn,
however, that reviving the construction of the Angra 3 plant, which was
aborted in 1986, is neither environmentally safe nor is it fiscally or
politically sound.
August 13, 2008
It is reported that Jindal Steel & Power
Limited plans to set up nuclear power plants once the government opens up
atomic energy to the private sector.A senior executive at the company said
that ÒWe are looking at the nuclear option. Oe the Indian government allows
the entry of the private companies into that sector, we plan to diversify
into the nuclear power generation space.ÓAccording to the current guidelines,
atomic energy is the exclusive preserve of the Union government. Nuclear
power plants can be set up only by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Limited, a public sector firm under the department of atomic energy. The
sector is expected to be opened up to the private sector and other state
owned firms with changes in the existing legal and policy framework if the
Indo US civilian nuclear cooperation deal is passed by the US Congress.The
company has set up a 1,000 MW thermal power plant at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh
and plans to set up additional capacities of 2,520 MW and 2,640 MW in
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand respectively.
(Reuters)
13 August 2008
TOKYO - North Korea and Japan have agreed terms for a new
investigation into Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese people in the 1970s and
1980s, officials said, opening the way for Tokyo to lift some travel
sanctions.The deal, hammered out early Wednesday after two days of talks in
China, would see North Korea complete the investigation in the next few
months, with Japanese given access to documents, interviews and to related
sites to verify the results, an official at Japan's foreign ministry said.
Once an investigation committee started work, Japan would allow chartered
flights between the two countries and lift restrictions on visits between the
two countries, he said. ÔI think it's a step forward that we were able to
reach an agreement on fully investigating the issue again,Õ Japanese
negotiator Akitaka Saiki told reporters. Resolving the abduction feud would
be a step towards Japan and North Korea normalising relations for the first
time since World War Two, opening the way for large amounts of Japanese aid
to Pyongyang as part of efforts to curb its nuclear weapons ambitions. North
Korea made it clear it wanted the row to end.
N-deal:
India hopes US, France will convince NSG nations
August 13, 2008
Kuala
Lumpur, Aug 12: India has said that a "small number" of members of
the 45-nation NSG have worries about non-proliferation issues and the grant
of waiver to New Delhi will depend on persuasion by the US, France and
others. National Security Adviser M K Narayanan suggested that 95 per cent of
the countries recognize that the major constraint in India's progress is
absence of clean energy and energy at affordable prices. "We have a
small number (of countries) worried about non-proliferation. If we can get
over that, we are over the hill," Narayanan told the Straits Times, a
Singapore daily. "...that will also depend on what kind of persuasion
the US, France and others can bring to bear," he said ahead of the
August 21 meeting of the Vienna-based Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Asserting that India's point view has received a broad support during
discussions with individual countries, he said "they have understood
India is unique in many ways. We are hopeful. Further efforts are being made
before NSG consultation process and much of the support which has come is
many people see India as a country with a future, one already on the scene.
"He said several nations now recognized that the major constraint in
India's progress was absence of clean energy and energy at affordable prices.
"ThatÕs the line we have projected and it has gone down well with 95
percent of the countries."
US
military seeks perfect nuclear controls
The new chiefs of the US Air Force say they will restore the
standard for the control of nuclear forces to perfection.General Norton
Schwartz, the Air Force Chief of Staff says anything less than perfection is
not acceptable.The new Air Force Secretary, Mike Donley, confirms the stance
that comes in the wake of a series of embarassing blunders that cost their
predecessors their jobs.In March, the air force discovered that four fuses
for nuclear weapons and nose cone assemblies for ballistic missiles were
mistakenly shipped to Taiwan as helicopter batteries in August 2006, an error
that went undetected for 18 months.Mr Donley says a review into the
accountability of generals and colonels singled out in an investigation of
the Taiwan mis-shipment is expected to be completed in a couple of weeks. A
separate study is investigating and incident in September 2007, when nuclear
armed cruise missiles were inadvertently loaded onto the wing of a B-52
bomber at Minot Air Force Base, in North Dakota, and flown to Barksdale Air
Force Base, in Louisiana.
Nuclear
energy a possibility for WA
August 13, 2008 - 3:29PM
Western Australia's peak
business lobby group wants to play a key role in shaping the state's energy
security policy and says nuclear energy should play a part.The Varanus island
gas plant explosion that cut one-third of the state's domestic gas supplies
in June was a wake up call for WA to establish alternative supplies of
energy, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) WA chief executive James
Pearson told a conference in Perth on Wednesday." ... it would be folly
not to undertake a proper and thorough review of the state's energy
policy," Mr Pearson said."We've been concerned for some time about
a lack of diversity in supply and a need for a proper energy security policy
in this state, " Mr Pearson said."The gas crisis has been one of
the most significant
B&W parent buys
nuclear fuel unit
Published on Wednesday,
Aug 13, 2008
The Babcock & Wilcox
Co., parent of Barberton-based B&W Power Generation Group, is buying a
nuclear fuel company. B&W of Lynchburg, Va., said it has entered a
definitive agreement to buy Nuclear Fuel Services Inc. The Tennessee-based
company provides specialty nuclear fuels and related services. The new
company complements B&W's nuclear industry businesses and services.Terms
were not disclosed, and the deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
B&W is a subsidiary of Houston-based McDermott International Inc.
Separately Tuesday, McDermott shares fell the most in more than four years
after the company reported second-quarter sales that were lower than analysts expected.
Chamber
calls on State to consider nuclear energy
13th August 2008, 13:30 WST
A review of the
StateÕs energy supplies must consider alternative sources, including nuclear,
as well as looking at the lessons learned from the current gas crisis, says
the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.Speaking at the Office of EnergyÕs
Energy in WA conference, Chamber chief executive James Pearson said it was
important the business community sent a signal to government.ÒThis review is an opportunity to assess
all aspects of the StateÕs energy system – both its strengths and its
weaknesses,Ó he said.Mr Pearson said the review should include a detailed
assessment of all energy sources and an examination of the
inter-relationships between gas and electricity.The review should also look
at the way in which the response was managed as well as the future use of
market mechanisms such as the gas bulletin board, which was introduced as
part of the Government's response.The WA Opposition released its energy security
policy last month and the Carpenter government continues to review the
state's vulnerability to disrupted energy supplies but has not put a
timeframe on the release of any policy document.
NSG
focus forces Delhi to call off envoysÕ meeting
Web posted at: 8/13/2008 8:17:17
Source ::: Agencies
New Delhi ¥ The three-day assembly of Indian heads
of mission scheduled to begin here from August 20 has been called off because
the forthcoming meeting of the Nuclear SuppliersÕ Group (NSG) in Vienna is
Òpriority oneÓ right now for the foreign policy establishment. Heads of
Indian missions from nearly 126 countries were to arrive in the capital in
the next few days to take part in the unprecedented meeting. This would have
been the first time that ambassadors and high commissioners from all the
Indian missions abroad were to assemble in New Delhi for a detailed
interaction with the leadership on issues relating to the countryÕs foreign
policy. ÒAll eyes are now on the forthcoming
meeting of the NSG that is meeting on August 21 in Vienna,Ó an official said.
ÒAt the moment that is priority one on our list.Ó
US
applies new sanctions on Iran
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:37:01 GMT
The US has clamped
unilateral sanctions on five more Iranian entities over their alleged links
to and support for Iran's nuclear program. The US Treasury Department accused the Iranian entities of providing
materials to Iran's nuclear program and banned the American companies from
carrying business with those institutions. The new sanctions would also
freeze any assets that the Iranian companies might have in the United States.
The five entities have been identified as the Nuclear Research Center for
Agriculture and Medicine at Karaj, the Isfahan Nuclear Fuel Research and
Production Center, Safety Equipment Procurement Co. and Jaza Industrial Co.
and Jabbar Ibn Hayyan. The organizations are active in nuclear research,
educational programs, laboratory services for nuclear fuel production and
establishment of industrial units related to peaceful unclear energy. "These
five nuclear and missile entities have been used by Iran to hide its illicit
conduct and further its dangerous nuclear ambitions," said Stuart Levey,
the Treasury Department's undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence. The West has so far imposed three rounds of sanctions against
Iran, threatening the country with the fourth round should it refuse to halt
its enrichment.The European Union ratcheted up trade
restrictions on Iran Friday, introducing restrictions on public loans and
tougher cargo inspections.
Lolita C. Baldor,
Associated Press
Published Wednesday, August 13, 2008
WASHINGTON — The new leaders of the Air Force
acknowledged Tuesday that the service lost its focus and must work to mend
fences after a slew of contracting and nuclear-related missteps. Air Force
Gen. Norton Schwartz, the new chief of staff, told Pentagon reporters that he
plans to use the reinstatement of about 14,000 jobs in the service to bolster
its nuclear staffing and beef up intelligence and surveillance.ÒI think the
bottom line is we lost focus. We did. And that focus is coming back,Ó said
Schwartz, who was formally sworn in during a ceremony Tuesday morning. ÒI
think fundamentally our service is sound. It doesnÕt mean weÕre perfect, and
we certainly have work to do, things to fix, fences to mend.Ó
Japan
signals key approval of India-US nuclear deal
19 Aug, 2008, 1036 hrs IST, AGENCIES
TOKYO: Japan on Tuesday
signalled it would approve a nuclear energy deal between India and the United States, raising the chances
that the controversial pact will come into force.The 45-nation Nuclear
Suppliers Group, which controls the global flow of civilian atomic exports,
is expected to meet Thursday in Vienna on the nuclear deal. Objections by any
nation would scuttle the pact.Japan, the only nation to have suffered atomic
attack, had been one of the holdouts as it pressed for India to sign the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).But Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka
Machimura said: "It may be biased to view the deal as going against
nuclear non-proliferation efforts." "For example, the issue of
global warming has been getting serious in recent years and C02 emissions
from emerging nations such as China and India are becoming a problem,"
said Machimura, the government's spokesman. "It is important that India
proceeds with nuclear power generation as clean energy," Machimura said.
The deal would give India access to international nuclear technology after
being shut out for decades for refusing to sign the NPT.
Foreign Secretary Menon leaves for Vienna for NSG meet
Tuesday, 19 August , 2008, 10:31
New Delhi:
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will leave for Vienna on Tuesday to
attend the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting. Menon will lead a
high-level team at a formal meeting with the NSG troika of Germany, South
Africa and Hungary. The team includes Prime MinisterÕs Special Envoy Shyam
Saran, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)Õs R B Grover and D B Venkatesh Varma
from the Indian mission in Geneva. The NSGÕs plenary session is expected to
discuss the possibility of granting India an exemption from its restrictive
export rules. India is standing by its Òexcellent non-proliferation recordÓ
and will seek to allay any fears or doubts that the NSG might have about
having nuclear commerce with it. India wants to be clear about the precise
parameters and protocols of any briefing session so as to avoid being
confronted at the plenary with demands for changes to the draft exemption. It
expects the NSG to approve the exemption Òwithout any change to the draft
that was circulated to them recently.Ó Ahead of the NSG meeting, a high-level
meeting was held in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting was attended by Menon,
National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and the Department of Atomic Energy
officials
NZ to oppose
India's nuclear deal
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media |
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
New Zealand is set to oppose a nuclear agreement between India and the
United States which could potentially create a diplomatic problem with Delhi.Speaking to reporters today Prime
Minister Helen Clark said that New Zealand, as a nuclear free state, was
concerned about the deal.Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invested
his political future in a treaty with the US where Washington will supply
India with civilian nuclear fuel and technology. He narrowly survived a
confidence vote last month to push through the deal on his side. New Zealand
sits on a key international nuclear body, the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG) and with a small group of nations will on Thursday determine
whether India can sign the deal with the US. New Zealand refuses to accept
the deal saying India cannot have it because it has not signed the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).India wants a waiver from the rule. An international
diplomatic offensive led by India and the United States has targeted New
Zealand, Austria and Switzerland over their opposition.Miss Clark said New
Zealand was working with "like minded" countries. New Zealand would
attend the NSG and listen carefully to the other countries. "It would be
no secret that we would like to see more conditionalities around the
agreement," she said."We are pursing this diplomatically."
Libs
urged to be clear on nuclear power
August 19, 2008 - 12:22PM
Federal Climate Change Minister
Penny Wong has hit out at the opposition for resurrecting the debate on
nuclear power. Liberal frontbencher Ian Macfarlane wants Australia to include
nuclear power in any future energy mix. "If we are serious about
reducing global greenhouse emissions, the nuclear option is one we cannot
ignore," the Queensland MP said. "It's a black and white answer. Or
should I say a black, green and yellow answer," he said. "Clean
coal, renewables and yellowcake - we must include nuclear in our future
baseload clean energy mix." Macfarlane's comments are the strongest
pro-nuclear remarks since former prime minister John Howard left politics. Ms
Wong has accused the coalition of not being clear with the Australian people.
"What we're seeing yet again is opposition frontbenchers resurrecting
the nuclear argument, resurrecting their plan for 25 nuclear reactors in
Australia," she told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday. "Something
they didn't tell the Australian people prior to the election, something they
flagged in government and then walked away from when they saw the Australian
people are opposed to nuclear power."
Early
reactor plan given OK by regulatory group
By Rob Pavey|
Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
A proposal to add two new reactors to
Plant Vogtle cleared a major hurdle Monday with the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's finding that there are no environmental impacts to prevent
issuing an early site permit. Southern Nuclear filed its Vogtle early site
permit application Aug. 15, 2006. The company has also applied for a Combined
Operating License to build and operate two AP1000 reactors on the site on the
Savannah River 26 miles downstream from Augusta.The early site permitting
process allows an applicant to address site-related issues, such as
environmental impacts, for possible construction and operation of a nuclear
power plant. Although it is not a license to build reactors, it streamlines
the process to determine whether a proposed site is suitable."Part of
the information for the early site permit finding will go into the process
for the combined operating license process, because there is some overlap,
particularly on the environmental side," said commission spokesman Roger
Hannah.
Spin-Offs
Planned For Northeast Nuclear Plants
By ALAN SAYRE | Associated Press
August 19, 2008
NEW ORLEANS — - Power provider Entergy Corp.
is advancing its plans to spin off nuclear plants that generate free-market
electricity, a deal that may be a boon for shareholders but a potential
burden for taxpayers, according to critics, particularly in the Northeast. If
approved by regulators, Enexus Energy Corp., to be based in Jackson, Miss.,
will become a separate, publicly traded company in the next several months.
Stockholders of New Orleans-based Entergy would receive Enexus shares on a
pro-rata basis. The exact number has not been determined. But there is
concern over debts of as much as $4.5 billion that the new company would take
on, including up to $3.5 billion paid to Entergy for the plants and other
assets. There is also the dismantling or mothballing of nuclear reactors at
the end of their life spans, which critics say Enexus may be unable to pay.
That could leave taxpayers with billions in cleanup costs should the company
become insolvent. The plants range in age from 32 years to 37 years. Plants
have a life span of between 30 and 40 years, according to the International
Atomic Energy Agency, but can be retrofitted to last longer. Enexus would
control five nuclear plants: Pilgrim Nuclear Station near Plymouth, Mass., the
James A. Fitzpatrick station in Oswego County, N.Y., two units at the Indian
Point Energy Center in Westchester County, N.Y., Vermont Yankee in
Vernon, Vt., and Palisades Power Plant in Covert, Mich.
Verification
of North Korean Nuclear Program Must Meet International Standards
By Jeong
Jae Sung
2008-08-19 11:42
While the North Korean nuclear issue
is at a standstill due to a difference of opinion on the verification
protocol between the U.S. and North Korea, the U.S. has emphasized the need
for appropriate verification methods meeting international standards. After a
meeting to establish a verification plan in New York on the 15th, U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill reiterated that the
verification regime must meet international standards.He emphasized that a
complete verification plan was a precondition for removing North Korea from
the list of states sponsors of terrorism. North Korea received an initial
plan for the verification from the U.S. at the meeting of the six party
delegates last month, but has not yet responded to it specifically. For over
a week, both sides have been on hold, trying to find an agreement on the
verification regime, even though the day when the U.S. was supposed to remove
North Korea from its list of terrorism sponsoring states has drifted by. In
the midst of which, the U.S. has now emphasized the need for Òinternational
standards for the verification.Ó This is interpreted as the U.S. trying not
to follow in the wake of the first North Korean nuclear crisis. However, it
remains to be seen whether North Korea will respond to the U.S.Õ intent.
Nukes
Unlikely to Be Affected by Musharraf Leaving
Created: Monday, 18 Aug 2008, 8:48 PM
CDT By MATTHEW PENNINGTON
Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pervez Musharraf's departure from the presidency
is unlikely to have a significant impact on how Pakistan's nuclear weapons
are controlled. Experts say a 10-member committee, and not just the president, makes decisions on how to use them and only a
complete meltdown in governance -- still a distant prospect in Pakistan --
could put the atomic bomb in the hands of extremists. "Pakistan's
nuclear assets are not one man's property," said Maria Sultan, a defense
analyst and director at the London-based South Asian Strategic Stability
Institute. "Any (political) transition in Pakistan will have no effect
on Pakistan's nuclear assets because it has a very strong custodial
control." The committee, known as the National Command Authority, is
served by a military-dominated organization with thousands of security forces
and intelligence agents whose personnel are closely screened. The nuclear
facilities are tightly guarded. "The reality is that Pakistan's
government exists on different levels. One of the levels it exists and works
at is in the control of its nuclear weapons," said Patrick Cronin,
director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National
Defense University in Washington. "Where it does not work is in
providing effective services, jobs, education and health that people
need." Although one of Asia's poorer nations, Pakistan became the
Islamic world's first atomic power through a combination of guile,
determination and illegal procurement of technology on the international
black market. It tested the bomb in 1998, a year before Musharraf took power,
in response to a similar test by its historic rival India.
Saudi
Nuclear Plan Gets Green Light
Posted on: Monday, 18 August 2008,
18:00 CDT
By The Media Line News
Agency; Special to The Jerusalem Post
The Saudi cabinet has
approved an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the
protocols and application of safeguards under the Nuclear Non- Proliferation
Treaty, the Saudi paper Arab News has reported. The Saudis established their
Atomic Energy Research Institute outside Riyadh in 1988 to conduct research
for peaceful purposes. There have been no allegations that the Saudis are
trying to build nuclear weapons, and they also lack the missiles needed to
carry them. In 2006 Saudi Arabia, together with the five other members of the
Gulf Cooperation Council announced they were setting up a commission to study
the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. For technical expertise most of GCC
countries turned to France and not to their traditional ally, the US. While
it might seem strange that the world's largest producer of oil would need
nuclear power to supply electricity, many analysts say that with crude oil
prices at record levels it makes sense to sell the oil abroad and use nuclear
power at home. Meanwhile, during a visit to Iran by Algerian President Abd
al- Aziz Bouteflika the possibility of establishing a cartel to control the
production of natural gas was again raised. There have previously been
discussions among various countries to set up the equivalent of OPEC for
natural gas, but so far the proposal has not materialized
Diplomat:
Tehran, Moscow in agreement over Bushehr NPP
TEHRAN (IRNA) -- IranÕs Ambassador to Russia Gholam-Reza Ansari said
here Sunday that Tehran and Moscow have reached ÒgoodÓ agreement in
connection with Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. ÒSending fuel for Bushehr
Nuclear Power Plant, Russia showed that it has a firm decision to complete
and commission the project,Ó Ansari told IRNA. Ansari said certain technical
problems had been the main reason for delay in completion and commissioning
of the NPP project and both sides are determined to remove the intricacies.
He said that due to certain technical problems, no definite timetable may be
set for completion and operation of the power plant but the last date
announced by Russians for that is end of 2008. ÒWe hope to witness completion and operation of Bushehr Nuclear Power
Plant by 2008,Ó he added. As for the Caspian Sea, he said Tehran and
Moscow hold very close stances with regards to the Caspian Sea. ÒWe believe
the Caspian Sea has a high capacity to bring the littoral states further
closer to each other. Iran and Russia have the highest amount of commonalty
in the run with regards to the Caspian sea and we hope that more commonalties
would be reaped in the aftermath of future sessions to help build related
cooperation,Ó he added.
Paper On
Nuclear Energy For Cabinet Next Month
August 19, 2008 11:41 AM
MELAKA, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Science, Technology
and Innovation Ministry will submit to the Cabinet late next month a
comprehensive proposal to include nuclear energy as an energy source for
generating electricity.Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the working
paper, which was ready, covered the political, economic, social,
technological, environmental, legal and security aspects."After it is
tabled to the cabinet, an announcement will be made on our commitment to
further preparations," he told reporters after opening an international
conference and workshop on protection from radiation and launching the book,
"Radiografi Industri-Prinsip dan Praktik", here last night.Dr
Ongkili said the Malaysian Nuclear Agency was the lead agency to coordinate
and manage the planning, preparations and development for the use of nuclear
energy as a power source in the country in future.Malaysia had experts who
had studied and researched nuclear technology as a safe new source of
power."This nuclear energy is vital following the increase in the world
fuel price and our limited oil reserve. Moreover, nuclear energy is cheap and
clean," he said.
IAEA holds
N-talks in Iran
TEHRAN: A top UN atomic watchdog official was
holding fresh talks on IranÕs nuclear drive on Monday, just a day after
Tehran announced it sent a rocket into space in a move Washington branded
Òtroubling.Ó Olli Heinonen, deputy director general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Tehran for his second round of talks
this month, the official news agency IRNA reported. Heinonon has made a
number of visits as part of the agencyÕs longstanding efforts to ensure there
is no military dimension to the nuclear drive, which some Western states fear
could be a cover for a secret weapons project.
UN
watchdog holds nuclear talks in Iran
Source: AFP submitted 10 hours 12
minutes ago
TEHRAN - A
top UN atomic watchdog official was holding fresh talks on IranÕs nuclear
drive on Monday, just a day after Tehran announced it sent a rocket into
space in a move Washington branded Òtroubling.ÓOlli Heinonen, deputy director
general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived in Tehran for his
second round of talks this month, the official news agency IRNA
reported.Heinonon has made a number of visits as part of the agencyÕs
longstanding efforts to ensure there is no military dimension to the nuclear
drive, which some Western states fear could be a cover for a secret weapons
project.His trip, which comes ahead of a new IAEA report on Iran expected in
September, follows up on August 7 talks in Tehran that Iranian officials
described as ÒpositiveÓ but did not give any more details.On Sunday, Iran
announced it had fired into space a rocket carrying a dummy satellite, a
launch likely to further exacerbate tensions with the West over its nuclear
work amid a threat of new UN sanctions.Western governments have warned that
the technology used in the Islamic republicÕs space programme could be
diverted to military use, claims denied by Tehran.ÒThe Iranian development and
testing of rockets is troubling and raises further questions about their
intentions,Ó White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said as US President
George W. Bush spent time on his Texas ranch.
NZ
holding up India-US nuke pact
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media | Friday, 22
New
Zealand diplomats last night played a major role inside a secretive
international group to block a nuclear deal between India and the United States.The 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) - which
includes New Zealand - was meant to have approved the deal in Vienna,
Austria, but consensus was not reached.In an unusual situation Wellington,
along with Austria, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland, have the power to block
NSG approval for India.New Zealand's stance over the deal has won front page
headlines in the Indian media who clearly do not know what to make of having
their nuclear dream frustrated by what headlines tag "hardline
non-proliferationists".Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invested
his political future in a treaty with the US in which Washington will supply
India with civilian nuclear fuel and technology. He narrow survived a
confidence vote last month in push through the deal on his side. New
Zealand refuses to accept the deal saying India cannot have it because it has
not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India wants a waiver
from the rule.On Tuesday Prime Minister Helen Clark said that New Zealand, as
a nuclear free state, was concerned about the deal.She said New Zealand was
working with "like minded" countries.New Zealand would attend the
NSG and listen carefully to the other countries. "It
would be no secret that we would like to see more conditionalities around the
agreement," she said.
USIBC to push
efforts for implementation of nuke deal
Washington (PTI): The United States-India Business
Council (USIBC) has intensified lobbying efforts to push for an NSG nod and a
landmark ratification of a legislation this year in
the Congress for operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal. The Nuclear
Suppliers Group, that controls international nuclear trade, is holding
discussions to consider a waiver for India to resume civil nuclear trade but
a decision during the two-day meet appears "tough" in the wake of
concerns by three of its members. "We understand that the NSG will
require more than one meeting to end India's nuclear isolation. But seizing
this moment is essential," Ron Somers, USIBC President said in a
statement. Earlier this month, the IAEA Board of Governors had approved the
India-specific safeguards agreement but an NSG nod and ratification of the
nuclear agreement by US congress are necessary to implement the Indo-US
atomic deal. "Today's meeting at the NSG, just three weeks following the
unanimous approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is a
crucial step that will bring India into the international mainstream which is
good for nuclear nonproliferation, good for global energy security, and good
for the environment," Somers said. The USIBC pointed out that the NSG's
admission of India to the non-proliferation regime will see IAEA safeguards
applied to 14 of its 22 nuclear facilities, its support for the IAEA
Additional Protocol, harmonisation with the Missile Technology Control Regime
and other nonproliferation gains.
Nuclear
suppliers propose terms for US-India deal
* Conditions include UN inspections of Indian
N-sites, no further nuclear tests
VIENNA: Nuclear supplier nations on Thursday proposed conditions for lifting
a global ban on fuel and technology exports to India, a step required to
implement a United States-India nuclear co-operation deal. A green light from
the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is needed for the deal, which has
drawn criticism because India has not joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), to proceed to the US Congress for final ratification. Diplomats said
up to 20 NSG states had tabled conditions for India to do business with the
cartel, despite its repeated calls for a Òclean, unconditionalÓ exemption
from rules barring trade with an NPT outsider that has tested nuclear bombs.
ÒThere were proposals on practically every paragraph,Ó said a European
diplomat, referring to a US waiver draft that some delegations and
disarmament critics said was too vague to ensure NPT principles would be
safeguarde
SKorea seeks ChinaÕs help to
end dispute in nuke talks
Seoul— South KoreaÕs chief nuclear negotiator
urged China Wednesday to help resolve the latest dispute in disarmament talks
with North Korea.Kim Sook called for patience to settle differences about
ways to verify the NorthÕs account of its atomic activities.ÒI think ChinaÕs
constructive role is required,Ó Kim told reporters after returning from talks
with his US and Japanese counterparts, according to Yonhap news agency.China—host of the six-nation talks also
involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia—heads a
working group on denuclearising the North.Kim said the United States and
North Korea remain divided over proposed verification protocol details but
refused to elaborate.ÒIt will take more time (to resolve the issue) but there
is no fixed deadline,Ó Kim said. ÒConsulting patiently with North Korea is
necessary
NSG debates India
trade ban
Friday, August 22, 2008
Nuke deal likely to reverse US policy barring sale
of nuclear fuel to Delhi
VIENNA, Austria: A group of nations that export nuclear material met on
Thursday to discuss whether to give India access to nuclear fuel and
technology - a decision crucial to finalising a landmark US-India deal
lifting a ban on such sales. The deal would reverse more than three decades
of US policy that has barred the sale of nuclear fuel and technology to
India, a country that has not signed international non-proliferation accords
and has tested nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency gave
India the green light earlier this month. But India still needs approval from
the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, or NSG, whose members were meeting in
Vienna to discuss whether to grant India a waiver from the groupÕs rules.
Observers said the group, which operates by consensus, was unlikely to relax
its rules during the highly secretive two-day meeting, and some suggested it
could take up to three meetings before a decision is made. In a last-ditch
lobbying effort, India briefed NSG members on Thursday after the groupÕs
initial morning session. Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon declined to
comment after the briefing. Other participants described it as useful, and
said the atmosphere at the morning session was cordial. The exemption would
give India access to technology and fuel normally reserved for countries that
have signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and allow their nuclear
facilities to be fully inspected. Some countries are enticed by the prospect
of doing more business with India, and appear to back a US argument that the
deal would bring India into the non-proliferation mainstream. Washington
considers the deal with New Delhi a foreign policy priority and hopes to gain
needed approval from US Congress before US President George W Bush leaves
office.
Democrat
asks NSG not to break nuclear rules for India
August 22nd, 2008 - 12:12 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, Aug 22 (IANS) A senior
Democratic US lawmaker has asked the 45-member Nuclear SuppliersÕ Group (NSG)
to attach important non-proliferation conditions to any rule-waiver to allow
nuclear trade with India.Edward J. Markey, who has consistently opposed the
India-US civil nuclear deal at all stages, made the demand as the nuclear
cartel began a two-day meeting in Vienna Thursday to consider a US proposal
to give India a waiver to facilitate their historic pact.ÒThe NSG should reject this ill-considered, unwise
and unproductive plan,Ó said Markey, member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee and the founder and co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on
Non-proliferation.As the end of his term nears, President George Bush Òseeks
to grant India a Ôproliferation pardonÕ, excusing its past violations of arms
control normsÓ, he said as the US Òproposal contains no non-proliferation
controls whatsoeverÓ.
N-deal:
Why should India get a free pass from NSG?
22 Aug 2008, 1030 hrs
IST,PTI
WASHINGTON: The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) should
impose more "non-proliferation conditions" including signing of
CTBT, if it decides to grant a waiver to India for resuming civil nuclear commerce, a senior
Democratic lawmaker has said. Acceptance of the draft waiver in its current
form could fuel a nuclear arms race in the Asian subcontinent, Edward J Markey,
a critic of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal said, as the 45-member grouping
on Thursday held discussions over the matter as part of a two-day meet in
Vienna. "When every single member country of the NSG has signed the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), why should India get a free
pass?" he said in a statement. "Pakistan has warned that carving
out a huge exemption for India increases the risk of a nuclear arms race in
the subcontinent, why should we allow India to vastly increase its nuclear
weapons programme? "As the end of his term
nears, President Bush seeks to grant India a 'proliferation pardon', excusing
its past violations of arms control norms," he said. Markey, a senior
member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the founder and
co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Non-proliferation, has
frequently criticised the Bush administration for proceeding with the nuclear
agreement. "The US today delivered to the NSG a draft rule-change for
India that undermines the entire international framework to limit spread of
nuclear weapons. Bush's proposal contains no non-proliferation controls
whatsoever," he said.
Iran
Says US Sanctions Ineffective
LONDON, Aug 22--US sanctions on Iran's financial
sector over Tehran's refusal to suspend its nuclear program have not hindered
Bank Mellat, the managing director of the bank says.In an interview with the
Financial Times in Tehran published Friday, Ali Divandari said that while US
sanctions "initially had a negative impact on the bank's reputation and
created troubles ... in practice there was no halt to our operations."He
said that the bank is working with important international commercial and correspondent
banks on a daily basis including European, Asian and African banks.But
Divandari refused to name any of the banks or their home countries.The
managing director of the major Iranian bank said that the number of banks
doing business with Bank Mellat had increased since the US sanctions because
major international financial institutions that were doing business with it
were replaced by a larger number of smaller banks.
The US and its Western allies have sponsored three rafts of UN Security
Council sanction on Iran as it has turned downed demands to put a halt to its
uranium enrichment activities before any negotiation on the issue.Iran
refuses preconditions for talks and stresses its atomic work is solely for
peaceful purposes.The US in October imposed unilateral sanctions against
three of Iran's largest banks -- including Bank Mellat -- accusing them of
financing the nuclear activities.The United States, Britain, France and
Germany have proposed Iran freeze uranium enrichment process in return for a
halt to further sanctions, the so-called freeze-for freeze deal. But Iran, as
a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says it has the
right to develop nuclear technology aimed at generating electricity for its
growing population.
Nuclear
exports to discuss India trade ban
Friday, August 22, 2008
By VERONIKA OLEKSYN,
Associated Press Writer
VIENNA,
Austria — The United States appeared optimistic and reaffirmed
its commitment to a landmark U.S.-India nuclear cooperation deal Thursday at
the end of a first day of discussions by a consortium crucial to its fate.But other participants in a meeting of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group suggested it was unlikely that a final decision on whether to
give India access to legal imports of nuclear fuel and technology would be
made by the time the meeting wraps up Friday.Chances "We continue to
believe this is a very important initiative and we remain committed to achieving
an outcome that is both a net benefit for the nonproliferation regime and
that meets India's energy needs," Undersecretary of State John Rood told
reporters.In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the
United States is "very hopeful" that the Nuclear Suppliers Group
would approve a waiver for India.The meeting is slated to reconvene Friday
morning.The U.S.-India deal would reverse more than three decades of U.S.
policy that has barred the sale of nuclear fuel and technology to India, a country
that has not signed international nonproliferation accords and has tested
nuclear weapons.
Iran will hit back if
Israel attacks: Hezbollah
Updated at: 0630 PST, Monday, August 25, 2008
BEIRUT: Israel will be targeted by thousands of
rockets if it attacks Iran, a senior official in the Tehran-backed group
Hezbollah said on Sunday.There has been speculation that either the United
States or Israel could attack Iran's nuclear facilities, although both have
said force should be a last recourse in curbing a nuclear programme which
they suspect aims to build atomic weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear
programme is peaceful, is the main backer of Hezbollah -- a Lebanese
political and military group that fired thousands of missiles into Israel
during a34-day war in 2006.
Chinese, S Korean
presidents due to discuss N Korea
Updated at: 0845 PST, Monday, August 25,
2008
SEOUL: North Korea's nuclear programs were on the
agenda Monday for a summit between the Chinese and South Korean presidents
amid recent angry rhetoric from Pyongyang. Chinese President Hu Jintao was
due to arrive for a two-day state visit to South Korea.The two leaders will
hold in-depth consultations on ``advancing the six-nation talks'' aimed at
ending North Korea's nuclear programs, according to comments posted on South
Korea's presidential Web site.
DPRK vows to
bolster Ôwar deterrentÕ:
Monday, August 25, 2008
SEOUL: North Korea vowed on Sunday it would bolster
its Òwar deterrentÓ as it denounced last weekÕs annual US-South Korean joint
military exercise. The communist North, which tested an atomic weapon in
October 2006, was reacting to the August 18-22 exercise involving computer
simulations and tens of thousands of US and South Korean troops. ÒThe DPRK
(North Korea) will bolster the war deterrent for self-defence... and
resolutely foil any provocation with strong countermeasures,Ó the communist
party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said. The newspaper commentary, similar in tone
to many of PyongyangÕs past threats, came as a snag has hit six-party
negotiations on ending North KoreaÕs nuclear weapons programmes. The talks
involve China, both Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia.
Khamenei defends
Ahmadinejad:
Monday, August 25, 2008
TEHRAN: IranÕs top leader is praising President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for standing up toÓ the West in a dispute over the
countryÕs nuclear programme.State TV quotes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying
AhmadinejadÕs government has helped reviveÓ the values of the 1979 Islamic
revolution that transformed Iran into a strict theocracy. He was also quoted
on Sunday as saying some bullying countries...wanted to impose their will on
Iran (over the nuclear issue)...but the president stood up to
them.ÓAhmadinejad has come under some domestic criticism for his handling of
the economy, despite a 2005 campaign promise to distribute IranÕs oil revenue
to each family. Iran faces skyrocketing food and fuel prices, unemployment
and inflation.IranÕs standoff with the West over its nuclear ambitions has
led to three rounds of UN sanctions.
Fire
breaks out in N-plant
MADRID, Aug 24: A fire broke out in a nuclear power
station in the northeastern province of Tarragona on Sunday, forcing the
plant to close temporarily but posing no threat of a nuclear leak or
environmental danger, nuclear regulators said.The fire broke out at 8.49am on
Sunday at one of the Vandellos II power stationÕs electricity generating
units and triggered an emergency shutdown, the Nuclear Safety Council said in
a statement.The fire was extinguished two hours later, and there were no
injuries or environmental damage.Vandellos II is situated on the
Mediterranean coast 140km southeast of Barcelona, and is one of seven Spanish
nuclear plants. It is run by Spain-based energy companies Endesa and
Iberdrola, SA.
Japan,
Australia to seek disarmament of N-states
TOKYO, Aug 24: Japan and Australia will jointly call
on the United Nations to adopt a resolution urging all atomic states to cut
their nuclear arms speedily, a newspaper reported here on Sunday.The Japanese
and Australian governments will submit the resolution to the United Nations
when its General Assembly convenes in late September, the Nikkei business
daily said, quoting government sources.
Reaction
to US–South Korea military exercises :
North Korea
vows to bolster Ôwar deterrentÕ
SEOUL: North Korea vowed Sunday it would bolster its
Òwar deterrentÓ as it denounced last weekÕs annual US-South Korean joint
military exercise.
The communist North, which tested an atomic weapon in October 2006, was
reacting to the August 18-22 exercise involving computer simulations and tens
of thousands of US and South Korean troops. ÒThe DPRK (North Korea) will
bolster the war deterrent for self-defence... and resolutely foil any
provocation with strong countermeasures,Ó the communist party newspaper Rodong
Sinmun said.The newspaper commentary, similar in tone to many of PyongyangÕs
past threats, came as a snag has hit six-party negotiations on ending North
KoreaÕs nuclear weapons programmes. The talks involve China, Koreas, the
United States, Japan and Russia. North Korea last year agreed to abandon its
atomic programmes in return for energy aid and diplomatic and security.
Iran
designing new nuclear power plant
TEHRAN: Iran has chosen the site and started
designing a new 360-megawatt nuclear power plant, a senior atomic official
said in remarks published on Sunday. Iran has yet to complete construction of
its first nuclear power plant and has previously sent conflicting signals
about the state of work on a planned second plant. An Iranian official said
this year construction work had already begun. ÒWe are involved in the design
phase of this power station,Ó the deputy head of IranÕs Atomic Energy Organisation,
Mohammad Saeedi, said, referring to plans for a second plant to be built in
the area of Darkhovin in southwest Iran.
Nuclear
power plant in Spain catches fire, causing no casualties
2008-08-25 10:46:42
MADRID, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A nuclear
power plant in the northeastern Spanish province of Tarragona caught fire on
Sunday, causing no casualties and environmental damages, said the
authorities. The fire, beginning at 8:49 a.m. local
time (0649 GMT) in the Vandellos plant, was extinguished at 10:30 a.m. (0830
GMT) by the plant's firefighters, said Spain's Nuclear Security Counsel in a
statement. The plant's operation was suspended, said the council, noting that
the accident "did not have any impact on the staff or the
environment." The plant's head, Josep Castellnou, said the fire occurred
at apart far from the center of the reactor and was quickly brought under
control. The cause of the accident was under investigation, and it would take
weeks for the plant to resume its electricity generation, he said. Vandellos,
located some 140 km southeast of Barcelona, is one of the seven nuclear power
plants in Spain. It is run by two companies, Endesa and Iberdrila
RussiaÕs nuclear
chief to visit IranÕs new power plant
25-08-08
RussiaÕs nuclear power chief will visit Iran to prepare the nuclear
fuel operation of the joint Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran,
ISNA news agency reported Sunday. An unnamed
nuclear official told ISNA that Sergei Kiriyenko is scheduled to visit Tehran
in the first week of September for talks with officials of the Iranian Atomic
Energy Organization. Kiriyenko is also scheduled to go to the Persian Gulf
port of Bushehr and inspect the latest developments in the Bushehr plant, the
official added.IranÕs Atomic Energy Organization head Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh
said the Russian side was committed to launch the Bushehr plant soon. Russia
finished delivery of 82 tons of low-enriched uranium for the plantÕs
light-water reactor in January, and Kiriyenko said in June that nuclear fuel
operations would start this year. The Iran-Russia joint project was
originally supposed to be completed at the beginning of the millennium but
has been delayed at least five times for various reasons. Iran said Russian
shipments would not stop the country from pursuing its own uranium-enrichment
program.
Aug.
25, 2008 (China Knowledge) - Chinese engineers successfully installed a
335-ton steam generator over the underground workshop of the Qinshan nuclear power
complex last Friday, according to sources.Qinshan nuclear power complex,
located on the northern coast of Hangzhou Bay in the country's eastern Zhejiang
Province, is China's first commercial nuclear power plant and started
construction in 1985.The steam generator, a core part of the expansion plans
in the second phase of Qinshan complex, will use the heat produced in nuclear
reactor core to convert water into steam, which would then be used in
pressurized water reactors between the primary and secondary coolant
loops.The second phase of Qinshan complex has two operational 650,000-kw
units, and its expansion project of installing another two 650,000-kw
pressurized reactors, which started on Apr. 28, 2006, is scheduled to be
completed by the end of 2010. By then, the four sets are expected to have a
combined installed capacity of 2.6 million kilowatt and an annual output of
18-20 billion kWh.It was reported that the Qinshan complex would be developed
in three phases and each of them has different types of reactor. A 300,000-kw
prototype reactor with a lifespan of 30 years has been installed in the first
phase, which went online in 1991 and has reaped US$1.28 billion in revenue
with a total power output of 31 billion kWh.
IranÕs Supreme Leader
Endorses Ahmadinejad for Second Term
Voice of America, 25 August 2008
Iranian state media say the country's supreme leader
has urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to plan for a second four-year term
in office. It is the first time that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made such a
strong public endorsement of Mr. Ahmadinejad, who faces re-election next
year. The ayatollah has the final say on all the country's affairs. Ayatollah
Khamenei met Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Cabinet Saturday and praised them for
defying international pressure to stop Iran's nuclear program. He also
praised them for resisting Western ideas, which he said had infiltrated the
previous administration.That was an apparent
reference to Mr. Ahmadinejad's predecessor, Mohammad Khatami, who sought closer
ties with the West. President Ahmadinejad has come under strong criticism
from fellow conservatives for his handling of Iran's high inflation and other
economic problems. Some of his conservatives critics
may challenge him for the presidency. Mr. Ahmadinejad welcomed the
ayatollah's endorsement, saying it represents a medal of honor for the
government. Iran has rejected demands by major powers to suspend uranium
enrichment. Tehran says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity,
but Washington and its allies suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
President Ahmadinejad's conservative critics say his approach to Iran's
nuclear dispute with the West has been too confrontational. He was elected
president in 2005 on a promise to help the poor benefit from Iran's oil
wealthChina, aiming to expand its nuclear power installed capacity to 40
million kilowatt by 2020 with an annual output of 260-280 billion kWh, has
four existing nuclear power plants in Qinshan, Daya Bay, Lingao and
Lianyungang Tianwan with 11 generating sets and an installed capacity of 9
million kilowatt.
Fire
forces shutdown of Spanish nuclear plant
Indo-Asian News Service
Tarragona,
August 25, 2008
A nuclear power plant in northwestern Spain has been
shut down after an electric generator caught fire, the latest incident at a
reactor that has already been penalised for its poor safety record, EFE news
agency reported on Monday. Fire service officials took about 90 minutes to
put out the fire at the Vandellos-2 nuclear plant in Tarragona province on
Sunday. The fire did not cause any injuries or environmental damage,
officials at the Spanish Nuclear Safety Authority (CSN) said."The
security systems (at the plant) worked as planned," the CSN added,
explaining that the facility was "shut down and stable" and the
incident "has had no impact whatsoever on the workers or the
environment."The incident came just weeks after the government pledged
to take serious action against another nuclear power plant over a radioactive
leak last year.Vandellos Mayor Josep Castellnou downplayed the significance
of the incident and appealed for calm in the wake of a situation that, he
emphasised, had been barely noticed by the local public."It occurred in
the conventional part of the plant, far from the nuclear reactor and it was
controlled with appropriate measures in some 10 minutes," he said.Castellnou confirmed that the ANAV nuclear power
association will begin an internal investigation at the facility to determine
the circumstances leading to the fire.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, arrived in South Korea
this morning for talks on expanding bilateral trade and ending North Korea's
nuclear weapons programme.Hu's two-day visit comes less than 24 hours after
the closing of the Beijing Olympics and as regional powers press North Korea
to accept a nuclear inspection system as part of a disarmament deal the
secretive North struck with five countries."We believe the visit will be
a turning point in the two countries' relationship, which has been primarily
an economic one, to expand into all areas, including politics, defence and
culture," an official at the South Korean presidential Blue House said
at the weekend.The two sides have discussed a free-trade deal, but Seoul has
been wary of initiating formal talks because of the potential flood of cheap
farm products. It is not on the summit agenda.China, the North's main
benefactor, is also South Korea's largest trading partner with $145 billion in
annual two-way trade, according to official South Korean data.In late June,
North Korea presented a long-delayed account of its nuclear weapons programme
at six-nation talks, hosted by China, that contained information about its
plutonium production.Russia, the United States, Japan and South Korea are
also members of the six-way talks on the North's nuclear programme. Monday ,
August 25 , 2008
Nuclear
deal fate ÔuncertainÕ
Siddharth Varadarajan
Monday , August
25 , 2008
Vienna: One day after the Nuclear
Suppliers Group failed to take a decision on an American proposal to grant
India a waiver from its export guidelines, Indian officials acknowledged that
the expected push to amend the draft waiver made the future of the nuclear
deal uncertain. For the record, India is sticking to the line that it
continues to work with friendly countries towards the granting of an
exemption from the NSGÕs rules. Sticking to this script, Foreign Secretary
Shiv Shankar Menon told reporters on Friday evening that India had been
informed that the group had had a Òpositive and constructive discussionÓ and
would meet soon to resume its examination of the India proposal. But
privately, Indian officials say there is little chance of India being able to
accept changes in the American draft waiver that are anything other than
cosmetic. The question, they say, boils down to whether those NSG members who
spoke out against the current proposal were merely letting out steam or fully
intended to follow through with the suggestions they made. ÒIf it is
the latter, and the Americans are not able to convince them otherwise, then
the deal looks very difficult from now on,Ó one official told.
US
ready to put Russian nuclear deal on ice
By Daniel
Dombey in Washington
Published:
August 25 2008 03:00 | Last updated: August 25 2008 03:00
The Bush
administration is set to put a high-profile nuclear deal with Russia on hold,
according to US diplomats.Officials expect Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of
state, to recommend that George W. Bush, president, recall the civil nuclear
co-operation agreement from Congress in the wake of Russia's conflict with
Georgia."At this point, it's dead," a congressional staffer
said.The deal would be one of the most visible victims so far of tensions
between Washington and Moscow, which have risen to levels rarely seen since
the end of the cold war. US officials have warned Russia it faces
"consequences" for its conduct in Georgia and they increasingly
write off Russia's hopes of joining the World Trade Organisation.The move to
put the nuclear agreement on ice would darken prospects for bilateral
co-operation between the two countries in the area of nuclear safety.US hopes
of United Nations action on issues such as Iran's nuclear programme depend on
working with Russia. The campaigns of John McCain and Barack Obama, the
Republican and Democratic candidates for president, have also spelled out
programmes for collaborating with Russia on arms control and
non-proliferation initiatives.Moscow has put great store in the civil nuclear
co-operation deal, which would permit the potentially lucrative transfer of
fuels and materials between the two countries. The US had earlier argued the
agreement was needed to set up an international nuclear fuel bank in
Russia.The idea of such a facility, intended to dissuade countries from
developing highly sensitive nuclear technologies, has won broad international
support.The deal faced resistance in Congress even before the Russia-Georgia
conflict.
Iran's Supreme Leader Endorses
Ahmadinejad for Second Term
By VOA News
25 August 2008Iranian state media say the country's supreme leader
has urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to plan for a second four-year term
in office.It is the first time that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made such a
strong public endorsement of Mr. Ahmadinejad, who faces re-election next
year. The ayatollah has the final say on all the country's affairs.Ayatollah
Khamenei met Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Cabinet Saturday and praised them for
defying international pressure to stop Iran's nuclear program. He also
praised them for resisting Western ideas, which he said had infiltrated the
previous administration.That was an apparent
reference to Mr. Ahmadinejad's predecessor, Mohammad Khatami, who sought
closer ties with the West.President Ahmadinejad has come under strong
criticism from fellow conservatives for his handling of Iran's high inflation
and other economic problems. Some of his conservatives critics may challenge
him for the presidency.Mr. Ahmadinejad welcomed the
ayatollah's endorsement, saying it represents a medal of honor for the
government.Iran has rejected demands by major powers to suspend uranium
enrichment. Tehran says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity,
but Washington and its allies suspect Iran is seeking nuclear
weapons.President Ahmadinejad's conservative critics say his approach to
Iran's nuclear dispute with the West has been too confrontational. He was
elected president in 2005 on a promise to help the poor benefit from Iran's
oil wealth
'West
seeks to impede Iran's progress'
Monday, August 25, 2008 - ?2005 IranMania.com
LONDON, August 25 (IranMania) - Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the West seeks to impede Iran's progress by creating
obstacles to the country's nuclear program, PressTV reported. "The
US government has been crippled by ignoring its own flaws and, instead,
shifting its focus to prevent the progress of other nations," said the
Iranian president Sunday. President Ahmadinejad was referring to Washington's
opposition to Iran's civilian nuclear program. Tehran is a signatory to the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is therefore entitled to the
peaceful applications of the technology. Despite the UN nuclear watchdog's
confirmation that enriched uranium in Iran does not exceed 3%, a rate
consistent with the construction of a nuclear power plant, the US, Israel and
their Western allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program.
Under US pressure, the UN Security Council has so
far imposed three rounds of sanctions against Iran, demanding the country
halt its enrichment activities. Iran says while it is fully committed to
dialogue to protect its right to the peaceful application of nuclear
technology, it will not accept Western demands that it bring its nuclear
activities to a halt. President Ahmadinejad concluded that the Iranian
nation's resistance to US policies toward the country's nuclear program has strengthened
the nation's resolve.
US
sub could have leaked radiation in Singapore
26/08/08
SINGAPORE: A US nuclear-powered submarine could have
leaked radioactive water during a Singapore stop in September 2006,
SingaporeÕs Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean said on Monday.Speaking in
parliament, Teo said the United States informed Singapore this month that the
USS Houston had been leaking trace amounts of radioactive water since June
2006.ÒThis suggested that the USS Houston could have been leaking during her
port call at Changi Naval Base in September 2006,Ó Teo said in response to a
parliamentary question. Singapore had asked the United States for information
after reports in early August said the USS Houston could have been leaking
radioactive water during a port call in Japan in March this year, he said.
South
Korea, China urge co-operation over North Korea
26/08/08
* Vow de-nuclearisation of Pyongyang through
six-party talks
SEOUL: The presidents of China and South Korea at a summit on Monday called
for cooperation in sputtering talks to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons
while they pledged to boost trade between the major economic partners.
Chinese President Hu JintaoÕs two-day visit to South Korea came less than 24
hours after the closing of the Beijing Olympics and as regional powers press
North Korea to accept a nuclear inspection system as part of a
disarmament-for-aid deal the secretive state struck with five countries.
De-nuclearisation: ÒWe confirmed that the de-nuclearisation of North Korea
will be achieved through six-party talks,Ó President Lee Myung-bak said at a
joint news conference with Hu.
New
nuclear group to look into Indo-US deal
26/08/08
TOKYO: Japanese and Australian politicians said
Monday that a new nuclear body would meet for the first time in October and
discuss a controversial India-US atomic energy pact.Former Japanese and
Australian foreign ministers Yoriko Kawaguchi and Gareth Evans are co-chairs
of the new body, which Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd proposed earlier
this year to bolster anti-nuclear efforts. ÒIt is extremely important for
Japan, the only victim of nuclear attacks, to aim to build a world without
nuclear weapons,Ó Kawaguchi told a joint news conference with Evans after
they met Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
IAEA to
back India, but with Ômixed feelingsÕ
Siddharth Varadarajan
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
Vienna: The Indian safeguards agreement, which the Board of
Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to approve
on Friday, will mark the first time a United Nations body recognizes the
reality, if not the legitimacy, of India possessing nuclear weapons. But even
as they join the consensus that has built up in Vienna, many of the 35
countries who sit on the IAEA board harbour misgivings about the agreement.
They will make declarations during the August 1 meeting to clarify that they
remain committed to the goal of getting India to give up its nuclear weapons.
In meetings and interviews with several members of the Board, none except
Mexico was prepared to go on record about their reservations. ÒWe will
support India but we have mixed feelings,Ó Ambassador Alejandro Diaz of
Mexico told The Hindu on Thursday.
ÒNPT not being taken into accountÓ
Most IAEA
members worried about precedent being set for Pakistan
Siddharth Varadarajan
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
Vienna: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
secretariat may have deflected PakistanÕs criticisms of the Indian safeguards
agreement last week by suggesting Islamabad could follow a similar approach
but most members of the IAEA Board say their biggest worry in approving
IndiaÕs draft would be the danger of setting a precedent for its neighbour.
These fears have been amplified by the recent remarks made by Pakistan Prime
Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, when he said Òthere should be no
discriminationÓ and that Òif [the IAEA wants] to give such nuclear status to
India, we expect the same for Pakistan.ÓÒThis is a safeguards agreement for
India,Ó said a Board member from a Western country when asked about Pakistan,
Òand we are backing it because we see India as a unique case.Ó The board
member said Pakistan would benefit from the Indian agreement not by seeking
to copy it but because it would lead to safeguarding of nuclear facilities
that are currently beyond international scrutiny.
Last-minute
lobbying for n-deal
P. S. Suryanarayana
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
SINGAPORE: In what turned out to be
last-minute lobbying, India on Thursday ÒreinforcedÓ its ÒrequestÓ for
support from Thailand, member of the Board of International Atomic Energy
Agency, for the New Delhi-specific safeguards agreement. Special Envoy of the
Indian Government and Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs,
N. Ravi, called on the new Thai Foreign Minister, Tej Bunnag, in Bangkok. A
letter to Thai Prime Minister Samak Sunderavej from Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh was handed over at this meeting, which, officials said, was held in a
positive atmosphere. Mr. Ravi had, earlier in the week, travelled to Seoul
and Manila. In Seoul, he called on Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and handed
over a letter addressed to President Lee Myung-bak. South Korea is in the
Nuclear Suppliers Group, while the Philippines is an IAEA Board member for
2007-2008. IndiaÕs civil nuclear energy needs and its non-proliferation
credentials are understood to have figured in these discussions. Before
arriving in Seoul, Mr. Ravi visited Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan on a
similar mission
Pakistan
not eligible for similar n-deal: Burns
(The Hindu; 1st, Aug, 2008)
Washington: The former Under Secretary of State of Political
Affairs, Nicholas Burns, one of the architects of the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal,
feels Pakistan cannot expect a similar pact, a day after its Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani demanded such a deal from the U.S. Mr. Burns also pressed
for the speedy approval of the deal ahead of the IAEA taking up the
India-specific safeguards pact for approval, saying it was ÒgoodÓ for both
the countries besides helping strengthen the non-proliferation regime.
ÒIndiaÕs trust, its credibility, the fact that it has promised to create a
state-of-the-art facility, monitored by the IAEA, to begin a new export
control regime in place, because it has not proliferated the nuclear
technology, we canÕt say that about Pakistan.Ó said Mr. Burns when asked
whether the U.S. would offer a nuclear deal with Pakistan on the lines of the
Indo-U.S. deal during a debate on the nuclear agreement at the Brookings
Institution. After meeting U.S. President George W. Bush, Mr. Gilani demanded
a nuclear deal similar to the one Washington has forged with New Delhi,
assuring the nuclear proliferation network of its scientist, A. Q. Khan, was
broken and would not be repeated.
IAEA
meets to consider Indian nuclear agreement
(The
Economic Times,1st, Aug, 2008)
VIENNA: An inspections agreement crucial
to a landmark nuclear deal between India and the U.S. comes under scrutiny on Friday
by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Washington-New Delhi pact
calls for allowing the sale of atomic fuel and technology to India, a country
that has not signed international nonproliferation accords but has tested
nuclear weapons. It would be a reversal of more than three decades of U.S.
policy. To implement the deal, India must strike separate agreements with the
IAEA and with the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries that export nuclear
material before it can go to the U.S. Congress for approval. The so-called
safeguards agreement would effectively allow U.N. monitors access to 14 of
India's 22 existing or planned nuclear reactors by 2014. Without IAEA
safeguards, India cannot import nuclear technology from NSG nations,
including the U.S.
Pakistan
keeps guessing ahead of IAEA meet
(The Nation 1st, Aug, 2008)
Vienna - A
day before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors
is scheduled to meet here to adopt a draft safeguards agreement for India,
Pakistan is not saying whether it will abstain or ask for a vote when it comes
up for approval. The 35-member board will meet at the agencyÕs headquarters
on Friday to consider the draft agreement between India and the IAEA for the
application of safeguards to IndiaÕs civilian nuclear facilities.ÒPakistan
will abstain,Ó predicts a retired Pakistani diplomat. Earlier this month,
Pakistan circulated a letter among the board members registering its
opposition to the proposed safeguards agreement. It has described the
agreement draft as Òdiscriminatory and dangerousÓ. It has argued that access
to civilian nuclear technology should be available to countries without
discrimination.Pakistan would like to participate in the nuclear technology
trade and enjoy similar opportunities offered to India to build its civilian
nuclear facilities.To counter objections raised by Pakistan, India briefed
board members last Friday and distributed a document that addresses some
safeguards concerns.
Strike
on Iran still possible, U.S. tells Israel
(The Nation 1st, Aug, 2008)
WASHINGTON -- U.S.
government officials have reassured Israel that the option of attacking Iran
over its nuclear programme remains on the table, despite widespread Israeli
concern that Washington has begun softening its position toward Tehran,
according to The Los Angeles Times. In meetings Monday and Tuesday,
administration officials told Defence Minister Ehud Barak that the option of
attacking Iran over its nuclear program remains on the table, though U.S.
officials are primarily seeking a diplomatic solution. At the same time, U.S.
officials acknowledged that there is a rare divergence in the U.S. and
Israeli approaches, with Israelis emphasizing the possibility of a military
response out of concern that Tehran may soon have the know-how for building a
nuclear bomb. "Is there a difference of emphasis? It certainly looks as
though there is," said a senior American Defense official, who was not
named. U.S. and Israeli officials accuse Iran of enriching uranium with the
aim of building nuclear weapons. Iran firmly denies the charge, saying its
nuclear programme is geared to peaceful purposed.
Iran
again rejects N-deadline TEHRAN:
(Daily Times; 1 Aug 2008, 0107 hrs IST, PTI)
Iran on Thursday rejected any deadline to give a final response to a
package drawn up by world powers seeking to end the nuclear crisis and said
there should be more negotiations to reach a deal.ÒThe language of
deadline-setting is not understandable to us. We gave them our response
within a month as we said we would, now they have to reply to us,Ó Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, according to the state news agency IRNA.
Geneva meeting: Mottaki said Iran and the major powers had agreed at a July
19 meeting in Geneva to find common ground on both sidesÕ proposals aimed at
resolving the standoff over TehranÕs nuclear drive, and denied any ultimatum
was set.
EDF
inks EUR 600 mln deal with Guangdong Nuclear Power
Aug. 11, 2008 (China Knowledge) - French nuclear
energy provider Electricite de France SA (EDF) Group inked a formal agreement
yesterday with mainland state-run power producer China Guangdong Nuclear
Power Corp for incorporating a joint venture to build two nuclear reactors in
Guangdong, EDF said in a statement. Named Taishan Nuclear Power, the joint
venture firm is expected to break ground in Taishan, Guangdong in September
next year, of which Guangdong Nuclear Power will be the majority shareholder.
EDF Chief executive Pierre Gadonneix said EDF planned to spend EUR 600 million
to EUR 800 million for a 30% stake in the joint venture firm in four years.
The deal, which is still subject to approval from the National Development
and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce, is part of EDF's
strategy to be a leader in nuclear energy worldwide, as an investor and an
operator, said Pierre.
August
11, 2008
By Reuters TOKYO -- U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice told Japan that Washington would not remove North Korea from
a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism on the initial deadline of August
11, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura has said.The White House had
made clear that it did not expect a deal with Pyongyang by August 11 for
presenting a verification plan for its nuclear programs, but it had said
talks would continue.The delay was likely to be welcome in Japan, where many
are concerned that an easing of U.S. sanctions against Pyongyang would lessen
Tokyo's chances of settling a feud over its citizens abducted by North Korean
agents decades ago. Japanese and North Korean
officials have begun two days of talks in the northeastern Chinese city of
Shenyang on the abductions, an emotive issue in Japan and a major obstacle to
establishing diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang.
Swiss
nuclear power plant undergoes overhaul
11 August 2008 - A planned shutdown of Switzerland's
MŸhleberg nuclear power plant (KKM) operated by BKW FMB Energy Ltd (BKW) was
carried out on 10 August 2008 in order to perform the annual overhaul and
change the fuel elements. The overhaul is scheduled to last just over four
weeks. In view of the long-term continued operation of the plant, BKW will be
carrying out some important renovations and maintenance work. The
recently-ended operating period is the best since the KKM went into
operation.For 8175 hours during the past operating period, which started at
the beginning of September 2007 and ended at the beginning of August 2008,
the KKM fed 3093m kWh gross (2006/07: 2970m kWh) of CO2-free electricity into
the BKW grid, recording the best operating cycle in terms of stability,
continuity and production since the plant went into operation.
Monday , 11 August 2008
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Japan
that Washington would not remove North Korea from a U.S. list of state
sponsors of terrorism on the initial deadline of Monday, Japanese Foreign
Minister Masahiko Komura said.The White House had made clear that it did not
expect a deal with Pyongyang by Monday for presenting a verification plan for
its nuclear programmes, but it had said talks would continue.The delay was
likely to be welcome in Japan, where many are concerned that an easing of
U.S. sanctions against Pyongyang would lessen Tokyo's chances of settling a
feud over its citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago. Japanese and North Korean officials on Monday began
two days of talks in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang on the
abductions, an emotive issue in Japan and a major obstacle to establishing
diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang. Komura told reporters that Rice
had informed him of the delay in the delisting in a telephone conversation
SPECIAL
REPORT: Kuwait Readying for War in Gulf?
The small oil-rich emirate of
Kuwait – situated between Iraq, Iran and an un-enviable geographic hard
place on the northern end of the Persian Gulf – has reportedly
activated its "Emergency War Plan" as a massive U.S. and European
armada is reported heading for the region. Coming on the heels of Operation Brimstone
just a week ago that saw U.S., British and French naval forces participate in
war games in the Atlantic Ocean, the object of which was to practice
enforcing an eventual blockade on Iran, the joint task force is now headed
for the Gulf and what could easily turn into a major confrontation with Iran.
The naval force comprises a U.S. Navy super carrier battle group and is
accompanied by an expeditionary carrier battle group, a British Royal Navy
carrier battle group and a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine. Leading
the pack is the nuclear-powered carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its
Carrier Strike Group Two; besides its 80-plus combat planes the Roosevelt
normally transports, it is carrying an additional load of French Naval Rafale
fighter jets from the French carrier Charles de Gaulle,
currently in dry dock.
Iran
not to change nuclear stance in face of sanctions
2008-08-10 19:08:59
TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's
government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said Sunday that Iran's nuclear
stance will not be changed by sanctions or
threats. "Iran's nuclear stance is strong and
transparent and this stance would not change through any sanction or
threat," Elham told reporters after a cabinet session, adding, "We
still believe that the nuclear talks are progressing." He said that five
permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) -- The United States,
Russia, China, Britain and France -- plus Germany have no consensus on
imposing new sanctions against Iran. Certain countries are willing to make
use of the new sanctions as a political tool and such a move will bear no
fruit and can be only considered as a psychological propaganda campaign,
stressed the spokesman
11/08/08
In a few weeks, Samir Brikho
hopes, his company will be starting work on one of the highest-profile energy
projects in Britain. A consortium involving Amec is the preferred bidder to
run Sellafield, one of the worldÕs biggest nuclear reprocessing and
decommissioning facilities. It is the jewel in the crown of the state-owned
nuclear operations, all of which are being sold in a long privatisation. Most
of AmecÕs work is for big power companies after the engineering and services
business completed a well-timed exit from civil construction last year.
Nuclear is top of its agenda. Mr Brikho, chief executive of Amec since 2006,
says: ÒThis is one of the most important things in our portfolio because if
we are serious in cutting down on CO2 emissions we need to exhaust our
possibilities on how we can develop wind and photovoltaic. But if we are
serious about cutting emissions we have no other choice but to use nuclear.Ó
10/08/08
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will not back
down on its nuclear stance despite the threat of tighter sanctions, Iranian
media quoted a government spokesman as saying on Sunday.Britain, France,
Germany and the United States are considering imposing sanctions that go
beyond existing U.N. measures against Tehran over its nuclear programme, a
British diplomat said on Friday. Western powers fear Iran wants to build a
nuclear bomb, while Tehran says it seeks to master nuclear technology for
electricity."Our stance would not change with sanctions or the threat of
sanctions," the students news agency ISNA
reported spokesman Gholamhossein Elham as saying. "It is important that
our country is ready to insist on its rights under any conditions."Britain,
China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States have led diplomatic
efforts to persuade Iran to freeze uranium enrichment.The United States and
Britain said on Wednesday the six had agreed to consider more U.N. sanctions
against Iran after Tehran failed to halt enrichment, but Russia said there
was no firm deal.
Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:17am EDT
BEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - EDF), the
world's biggest single producer of nuclear energy, signed a formal agreement
on Sunday to invest in and operate two new-generation reactors in the
southern province of Guangdong. Chief Executive Pierre Gadonneix said
France's EDF would pay 600 million to 800 million euros ($910 million-$1.21
billion) over four years for its 30 percent equity stake in the joint venture
firm, Taishan Nuclear Power Co. China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp, EDF's
long-standing partner in China, is the majority shareholder. The deal, which
needs the approval of the National Development and Reform Commission and the
Ministry of Commerce, fleshes out an agreement in principle reached last
November during a visit to China by French President Nicolas Sarkozy .
North
Korea Won't Meet Nuclear Verification Deadline, U.S. Says
By
Michael Forsythe
Aug.
10 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea won't meet an initial deadline tomorrow to
verify its nuclear programs that would lead to its removal from a list of
nations that support terrorism, a U.S. official said. ``At this point it is
reasonable to say that tomorrow probably will come and go without that happening,''
Dennis
Wilder, the National Security Council director for Asia, told reporters
in Beijing today. ``We are in discussions with the North. We continue to try
to work with them on this question of a robust verification regime.'' In
June, President George
W. Bush gave Congress 45 days notice of his intention to remove North
Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, after North Korea
submitted an inventory of its nuclear materials and programs. The deadline
falls on Aug. 11. Wilder said that tomorrow is the ``minimum time frame'' in
which North Korea could have complied, ``not a deadline.''
Top
Indian diplomat heading to NZ over nuke issue
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax
Media | Monday, 11 August 2008
India's
top diplomat is heading to New Zealand to lobby Wellington for support of its
nuclear deal with the United States.It comes as the United States and France also pressure Prime
Minister Helen Clark over the deal.New Zealand sits on a key international
nuclear body and with a small group of nations will later this month
determine whether India can sign a much yearned for nuclear technology deal
with the United States.A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said
"New Zealand has reservations" about the deal and will work with
others at a crucial meeting of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) on
August 21.New Zealand refuses to sign off on the deal saying India cannot
have it because it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
India wants a waiver from the rule.India's diplomats regard Switzerland and
New Zealand, along with Austria, Ireland and the Netherlands, as the five
"toughest" NSG members that are opposed to any concessions for
India.While special representatives of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
have already engaged with three of them, an attempt is now being made to
convince the leaders in Switzerland and New Zealand to support the waiver for
India.
Iran unmoved on
N-stance in face of sanctions:
Monday, August 11, 2008
TEHRAN: Iran will not back down on its nuclear
stance despite the threat of tighter sanctions,
Iranian media quoted a government spokesman as saying on Sunday. Britain,
France, Germany and the United States are considering imposing sanctions that
go beyond existing UN measures against Tehran over its nuclear programme, a
British diplomat said on Friday. Western powers fear Iran wants to build a
nuclear bomb, while Tehran says it seeks to master nuclear technology for
electricity. ÒOur stance would not change with sanctions or the threat of sanctions,Ó
the students news agency ISNA reported spokesman
Gholam hossein Elham as saying. ÒIt is important that our country is ready to
insist on its rights under any conditions.Ó Britain, China, France, Germany,
Russia and the United States have led diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to
freeze uranium enrichment. The United States and Britain said on Wednesday
the six had agreed to consider more UN sanctions against Iran after Tehran
failed to halt enrichment, but Russia said there was no firm deal. Iran gave
a noncommittal, one-page letter this week to the six powers containing no
reply to their offer to refrain from seeking more UN penalties if Iran froze
expansion of its nuclear work.
Nuclear
authority "right" to withold report on radioactive waste
11-08-08
As the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority launched a fresh consultation
last week on how best to communicate with the public on a new radioactive
waste disposal site, it was been told it does not have to publish a draft
report on possible locations.The NDA was asked for an earlier,
draft version of the 2006 report "Potential Areas of
Future Geosphere Research" , which identified
geological factors requiring research regarding the possibility of locating
an underground disposal facility for nuclear waste.But despite agreeing that
releasing the report could have helped improve public confidence in the
"thoroughness" of the NDA's work preparing for a nuclear waste
disposal facility, the Information Commissioner refused a requested to
release the document under the Environmental Information Regulations.The
government issued a white paper earlier this summer stating that geological
disposal was the "realistic" option for Britain's radioactive waste
- having considered alternatives like dumping it at sea, at the ice caps, or
even blasting it into space
Iran
nuclear work will go on, says Nejad
Source: AFP submitted 10 hours 30
minutes ago
TEHRAN -
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday told visiting Algerian President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika that Tehran will press on with its nuclear programme,
despite the risk of fresh sanctions. ÒTheyÕve deeply understood that IranÕs
peaceful nuclear programme will never be halted and of course they have no
choice but to keep on talking to Iran,Ó Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling
Bouteflika. ÒDespite threats and sanctions by a number of big powers, our
nation is robust and is continuing living its own life as they cannot put
obstacles in the path of our progress,Ó Ahmadinejad added, according to the
state run television website.Bouteflika on Sunday started a visit to Iran at
the head of a high-level political and economic team of ministers.
08-12-2008, 02h03
WASHINGTON (AFP)
The United States Monday insisted North
Korea would remain on its terrorism blacklist until it fully complied with a
deal on disclosing its nuclear program, sidestepping the first chance to
remove the hardline communist state from its watch list.Under US law,
Washington can from Monday begin considering removing Pyongyang from the
State Sponsors of Terrorism list, 45 days after Pyongyang submitted a long
awaited declaration of its nuclear program.But the State Department said it
would not delist North Korea in exchange for the disclosure unless Pyongyang
accepted a comprehensive mechanism to verify the North's complex atomic
program."The important point is they haven't produced for us that
verification regime that we need to go forward on that issue,"
department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters when asked about the
delisting prospects.
N-weapons
in safe hands: Haqqani
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
WASHINGTON: Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Hussain
Haqqani has said the decision of an impeachment move would be constitutional.
Talking to a private TV channel in Washington, Haqqani said Pakistan has no
plan to transfer nuclear technology to other countries. He said that whatever
happened in the past, the investigations were launched against the
responsible persons and strict action was taken against them. He said the
Pakistani nuclear weapons are in safe hands while there is a proper and
strong command and control system.
Nigeria
seeks safe nuclear energy
By Olusoji Arale
Published: Tuesday, 12 Aug 2008
Nigeria is committed to implementing
international nuclear safeguards and safety regime in the process of
generating electricity from nuclear power plants. This was disclosed by the
Director-General, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Prof. Shamsideen
Elegba, at a training course for lawyers on nuclear safety and radiological
protection in Lagos on Monday.Elegba said that Nigeria had developed peaceful
application of nuclear technology in various fields, including petroleum,
health, manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture, water resources,
education and research.According to Elegba, there were no regulatory controls
in the use of nuclear technology in the country prior to 2001. He said,
ÒRadiological incidents and accidents were not reported, radiation employers
had no responsibilities to their workers and to the general public.
ÒRadiation workers had no rights to radiation safety, access to radioactive
sources and nuclear materials and their disposal were not regulated.Ó
Iran, EU agree
to hold fresh nuclear talks
Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN – Iranian and EU nuclear diplomats on Monday agreed to
continue talks aimed at ending IranÕs long-running nuclear standoff with the
West.The agreement came after Supreme National Security Council Secretary
Saeed Jalili on Monday held a telephone conversation with EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana. ÒThe two sides agreed to continue
negotiations in a constructive atmosphereÉSolana and Jalili voiced
satisfaction at the constructive trend of negotiations in Geneva and the
contacts afterwards,Ó IranÕs TV reported. On July 19, Jalili and Solana held
talks in Geneva over IranÕs nuclear dispute. U.S. Undersecretary of State
William Burns also participated in the negotiations. It was the highest level
of diplomatic contact between Iran and the United States in 30 years. Also
present were representatives from the four other permanent members of the UN
Security Council and Germany.Russia, China, the United States, Britain,
France, and Germany last month offered Iran an updated package of incentives
in return for a halt to TehranÕs uranium enrichment program.(12/08/08)
Nuclear
talks with EU to continue: Iran
TEHRAN, Aug 11: Iran said on Monday it has agreed
with the EU to continue talks aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis but again
insisted it will press on with contested work despite the threat of more
sanctions.Top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili spoke by phone with EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana, the pointman for six major powers which have
offered Iran an incentives package in return for a freeze in uranium
enrichment activities.Their talks came just days after European Union nations
last week introduced fresh sanctions against Iran over its atomic drive,
which western nations fear could be a cover for a secret nuclear weapons
programme.
R
E G I O N: Iran-EU agree to pursue nuclear talks
Solana and Jalili voice satisfaction at trend of negotiations
TEHRAN: IranÕs top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana agreed on Monday to pursue talks aimed at
resolving the nuclear crisis, state television reported.Their telephone talks
came just days after European Union nations last week introduced fresh
sanctions against Iran over its atomic drive. ÒThe two sides agreed to continue
negotiations in a constructive atmosphere,Ó the television said. ÒSolana and
Jalili voiced satisfaction at the constructive trend of negotiations in
Geneva and the contacts afterwards.Ó In Brussels, SolanaÕs office confirmed
the conversation but gave no details.
NSG
draft waiver covers all nuclear items
Siddharth
Varadarajan New Delhi: The Nuclear Suppliers Group draft rule change
circulated by the U.S. last week links the waiving of the cartelÕs export
restrictions for India to the non-proliferation commitments Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh made in July 2005 and does not impose any extraneous
conditions. However, with the U.S. being candid about the possibility of the
draft undergoing substantial revision once the 45-nation group takes up the
India exemption in Vienna on August 21, officials here are preparing for a
tough fight ahead.Despite an American proposal to that effect, the Indian
side is not keen to Òsit inÓ on the nuclear clubÕs deliberations as an
ÒobserverÓ or be called upon to bargain in any way with the groupÕs 44 other
members. India does not want to be part of any NSG meeting unless it is part
of the decision-making process, senior officials told The Hindu.. (12/08/08)
India
exemption: NSG to decide on Sept 2
12 Aug, 2008, 0523 hrs IST,Nirmala Ganapathy, ET Bureau
WASHINGTON : Even as diplomatic initiatives to
ensure the support of all Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries hot up,
India and the US have decided to schedule a second meeting of the group on
September 2.The second meeting would be crucial as this is where the NSG
countries will vote on whether to give India an exemption to undertake
international nuclear trade. The first meeting scheduled for August 21 will
give India and the US the opportunity to explain the merits of the India-US civilian
nuclear trade and also answer any questions the NSG countries have on the
exemption draft, which was circulated last week. New Zealand and some
European countries, which have strong non-proliferation roots, are expected
to raise objections. The gap between the two meetings has also been worked
out in such a way so that representatives attending the August 21 meeting
have time to go back and explain the deal to their respective governments.
For India, Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria, Ireland
and the Netherlands are the toughest NSG countries who have opposed exempting
India for civilian nuclear trade.
Last
Updated: 1:14am BST 12/08/2008
Selling British Energy to the French is not ideal, but it is preferable
to relying on Russia or Algeria, argues Tracy CorriganThe Government seems
almost embarrassingly keen to sell British Energy to state-controlled
ElŽctricitŽ de France (EDF). Now imagine that scenario in reverseÉExactly.
The ElysŽe's attitude to foreign interest in its power companies is very much
"Ne touchez pas, si'l vous pla”t" - only without the s'il vous
pla”t. It has just orchestrated an all-French merger of Gaz de France and
Suez to create a national champion and Europe's largest gas distributor.It is
not just energy that the French feel protective about: a couple of years ago,
a previous administration saw off interest from PepsiCo in Danone, maker of,
er, yogurt, because the company was a "jewel" of French
industry.Privately, the French must be laughing their heads off. In the
1970s, at the time of the first oil shock, they were irked that Britain could
fall back on North Sea reserves. They decided to interpret this imbalance as
a sign of French superiority.
US, Iran need
to talk nuclear issue
Md. Masum Billah
August 12, 2008
Iran's nuclear project
has further antagonized the USA-Israel combine. USA and Israel seek penal
actions against Iran including a quick war. Israel has carried out an exercise
that appears to have been a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's nuclear
faculties. More than 100 Israeli fighter jets took part in maneuvers over the
eastern Mediterranean in the first week of June. The Israeli Air Force held
exercises at a distance of 1500 km from its shores. The Iranians have
responded with test firings of the Shihab missiles which have similar range.
Iran now possesses 6000 centrifuges, machines used to enrich uranium. Israel
exercise is a message for Iran. Ehud Olmert warned Iran must be shown there
will be devastating consequence if it develops such nuclear weapon. In 1981
Israeli jets bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, 30km outside
Baghdad. Israel said it believed the French-built plant was designed to make
nuclear weapons that could be used against Israel .Israel is worried that a
powerful Iran could be an additional strength for the Arabs which will
disturb their peaceful sleeping which they do today at the cost of killing
and massacring the Palestinians almost everyday.But the world and US military
experts must give due consideration to the fact that Iran dominates the whole
length of Hormuz Straight.
Jindal
Steel Plans to Build Nuclear Power Plants, Mint Reports
By Archana Chaudhary
Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. plans to build
nuclear plants after India changes rules to allow non-state companies to
enter the atomic-energy business, Mint newspaper reported, citing a company
official it didn't identify. Jindal Steel & Power is setting up 5,160
megawatts of thermal-generation capacity, the report said. The company runs a
1,000-megawatt coal-fired power project in the eastern Indian state of
Chhattisgarh, the newspaper said.
Iran to pursue
talks with EU
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it has agreed with the
EU to continue talks aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis but again insisted
it will press on with contested work despite the threat of more sanctions.
Top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili spoke by phone with EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana, the point man for six major powers which have offered
Iran an incentives package in return for a freeze in uranium enrichment
activities
Australia to support US-India
N-pact at suppliersÕ meeting
SINGAPORE, Aug 12: Australia will support a civilian
atomic energy deal between India and the United States at a meeting of key
nuclear supplier states, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here on
Tuesday.RuddÕs statement comes ahead of an August 21 meeting in Vienna of the
45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group on the deal, under which the United States
will provide energy-starved India with nuclear fuel and technology.Australia
is a key member of the NSG, which must approve the US-India deal in order for
it to proceed. The US Congress must also ratify the agreement.
Kuwait
calls for peaceful end to Iran nuclear row
KUWAIT, Aug 12: Kuwait called on Iran and the West
to resolve a conflict over TehranÕs nuclear ambitions peacefully.Kuwait,
which hosts thousands of US troops, is deeply concerned about the prospect of
war in the Gulf and threats by Iran to impose shipping controls in the Strait
of Hormuz if it is attacked. About 40 per cent of global oil exports leave the
Gulf via the waterway off IranÕs southern coast.ÒWe hope things will not
develop for the worse, and that the language of reason and dialogue between
all parties prevails,Ó Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah told daily
al-Rai in an interview published on Tuesday.
R
E G I O N: Kuwait calls for peaceful end to Iran nuclear row
* Crown prince rules out participation in any attack
on Iran
KUWAIT: US-allied Kuwait called on Iran and the West
to resolve a conflict over TehranÕs nuclear ambitions peacefully. Kuwait,
which hosts thousands of US troops, is deeply concerned about the prospect of
war in the Gulf and threats by Iran to impose shipping controls in the Strait
of Hormuz if it is attacked. About 40 percent of global oil exports leave the
Gulf via the waterway off IranÕs southern coast. ÒWe hope things will not
develop for the worse, and that the language of reason and dialogue between
all parties prevails,Ó Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah told daily
al-Rai in an interview published on Tuesday. ÒWe think diplomacy is the best
solution.Ó
US
imposes sanctions on 5 Iranian firms
WASHINGTON, Aug 12: The Bush administration has
imposed economic sanctions on five Iranian companies that it has accused of
helping Iran pursue what the United States considers the Islamic RepublicÕs
ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.The Treasury Department announced on
Tuesday that it was freezing any assets the five companies might have in the
United States and prohibiting American individuals and companies from having
dealings with the five.The five companies are the Nuclear Research Centre for
Agriculture and Medicine, the Esfahan Nuclear Fuel Research and Production
Centre, Jabber Ibn Hayan, the Safety Procurement Co and Joza Industrial Co.
US
imposes sanctions on five Iranian groups
WASHINGTON: The United States Treasury on Tuesday said it had imposed
sanctions against five more Iranian entities, which it claimed have provided
support or materials to IranÕs nuclear and missile programmes. The Treasury
said the entities, designated as weapons of mass destruction proliferators,
are controlled by or acting on behalf of previously blacklisted Iranian
entities responsible for uranium enrichment, nuclear development work and
ballistic missile programmes. Added to the TreasuryÕs sanctions list was the
Nuclear Research Centre
FM
says equitable principles to strengthen non-proliferation
ISLAMABAD: The global non-proliferation regime could only be
strengthened by a policy based on non-discriminatory and equitable
principles, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday. Qureshi
said this while talking to International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation
and Disarmament (ICNND) Co-chairperson and International Crisis Group (ICG)
President Gareth Evans, who met him at the Foreign Office.
While
the US Looks Eastward Brazil Is Emerging as a Nuclear Superpower
Written by Elizabeth Reavey
Wednesday,
13 August 2008 02:40
On
Thursday, July 31, Brazilian authorities gave the final go ahead to the
civilian nuclear power company, Eletronuclear, to continue construction of
the country's third nuclear power plant. Though the decision to revitalize
the 22-year-old nuclear reactor, Angra 3, came late last year, plans were
finalized in July by the government's environmental regulatory agency.
Eletronuclear, a subsidiary of the state-owned energy firm Eletrobr‡s, plans
to begin construction in February. Brazilian officials must constantly
address the country's still inadequate supply of energy if they hope to see Brazil
continue on the path to becoming a superpower. For this reason, together with
several major new discoveries of oil deposits off Brazil's coastline, a
confident President Luiz In‡cio Lula da Silva hails the developing nuclear
initiative as one that could ensure an increased supply of energy to the
population. However, there are grave political and economic implications of
any turn to nuclear energy that he is taking, that should not be overlooked
or minimized.Eletronuclear representatives pledge to strictly comply with the
60 conditions put forth by the Brazilian government to ensure the safety of
the plant now under construction. Environmental activists warn, however, that
reviving the construction of the Angra 3 plant, which was aborted in 1986, is
neither environmentally safe nor is it fiscally or politically sound.
August 13, 2008
It is reported that Jindal Steel & Power
Limited plans to set up nuclear power plants once the government opens up
atomic energy to the private sector.A senior executive at the company said
that ÒWe are looking at the nuclear option. Oe the Indian government allows
the entry of the private companies into that sector, we plan to diversify
into the nuclear power generation space.ÓAccording to the current guidelines,
atomic energy is the exclusive preserve of the Union government. Nuclear
power plants can be set up only by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Limited, a public sector firm under the department of atomic energy. The
sector is expected to be opened up to the private sector and other state
owned firms with changes in the existing legal and policy framework if the
Indo US civilian nuclear cooperation deal is passed by the US Congress.The
company has set up a 1,000 MW thermal power plant at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh
and plans to set up additional capacities of 2,520 MW and 2,640 MW in
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand respectively.
(Reuters)
13 August 2008
TOKYO - North Korea and Japan have agreed terms for a new
investigation into Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese people in the 1970s and
1980s, officials said, opening the way for Tokyo to lift some travel
sanctions.The deal, hammered out early Wednesday after two days of talks in
China, would see North Korea complete the investigation in the next few
months, with Japanese given access to documents, interviews and to related
sites to verify the results, an official at Japan's foreign ministry said.
Once an investigation committee started work, Japan would allow chartered
flights between the two countries and lift restrictions on visits between the
two countries, he said. ÔI think it's a step forward that we were able to
reach an agreement on fully investigating the issue again,Õ Japanese
negotiator Akitaka Saiki told reporters. Resolving the abduction feud would
be a step towards Japan and North Korea normalising relations for the first
time since World War Two, opening the way for large amounts of Japanese aid
to Pyongyang as part of efforts to curb its nuclear weapons ambitions. North
Korea made it clear it wanted the row to end.
N-deal:
India hopes US, France will convince NSG nations
August 13, 2008
Kuala
Lumpur, Aug 12: India has said that a "small number" of members of
the 45-nation NSG have worries about non-proliferation issues and the grant
of waiver to New Delhi will depend on persuasion by the US, France and
others. National Security Adviser M K Narayanan suggested that 95 per cent of
the countries recognize that the major constraint in India's progress is
absence of clean energy and energy at affordable prices. "We have a
small number (of countries) worried about non-proliferation. If we can get
over that, we are over the hill," Narayanan told the Straits Times, a
Singapore daily. "...that will also depend on what kind of persuasion
the US, France and others can bring to bear," he said ahead of the
August 21 meeting of the Vienna-based Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Asserting that India's point view has received a broad support during
discussions with individual countries, he said "they have understood
India is unique in many ways. We are hopeful. Further efforts are being made
before NSG consultation process and much of the support which has come is
many people see India as a country with a future, one already on the scene.
"He said several nations now recognized that the major constraint in
India's progress was absence of clean energy and energy at affordable prices.
"ThatÕs the line we have projected and it has gone down well with 95
percent of the countries."
US
military seeks perfect nuclear controls
The new chiefs of the US Air Force say they will restore the
standard for the control of nuclear forces to perfection.General Norton
Schwartz, the Air Force Chief of Staff says anything less than perfection is
not acceptable.The new Air Force Secretary, Mike Donley, confirms the stance
that comes in the wake of a series of embarassing blunders that cost their
predecessors their jobs.In March, the air force discovered that four fuses
for nuclear weapons and nose cone assemblies for ballistic missiles were
mistakenly shipped to Taiwan as helicopter batteries in August 2006, an error
that went undetected for 18 months.Mr Donley says a review into the
accountability of generals and colonels singled out in an investigation of
the Taiwan mis-shipment is expected to be completed in a couple of weeks. A
separate study is investigating and incident in September 2007, when nuclear
armed cruise missiles were inadvertently loaded onto the wing of a B-52
bomber at Minot Air Force Base, in North Dakota, and flown to Barksdale Air
Force Base, in Louisiana.
Nuclear
energy a possibility for WA
August 13, 2008 - 3:29PM
Western Australia's peak
business lobby group wants to play a key role in shaping the state's energy
security policy and says nuclear energy should play a part.The Varanus island
gas plant explosion that cut one-third of the state's domestic gas supplies
in June was a wake up call for WA to establish alternative supplies of
energy, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) WA chief executive James
Pearson told a conference in Perth on Wednesday." ... it would be folly
not to undertake a proper and thorough review of the state's energy
policy," Mr Pearson said."We've been concerned for some time about
a lack of diversity in supply and a need for a proper energy security policy
in this state, " Mr Pearson said."The gas crisis has been one of
the most significant
B&W parent buys
nuclear fuel unit
Published on Wednesday,
Aug 13, 2008
The Babcock & Wilcox
Co., parent of Barberton-based B&W Power Generation Group, is buying a
nuclear fuel company. B&W of Lynchburg, Va., said it has entered a definitive
agreement to buy Nuclear Fuel Services Inc. The Tennessee-based company
provides specialty nuclear fuels and related services. The new company
complements B&W's nuclear industry businesses and services.Terms were not
disclosed, and the deal is expected to close by the end of the year. B&W
is a subsidiary of Houston-based McDermott International Inc. Separately
Tuesday, McDermott shares fell the most in more than four years after the
company reported second-quarter sales that were lower than analysts
expected.
Chamber
calls on State to consider nuclear energy
13th August 2008, 13:30 WST
A review of the
StateÕs energy supplies must consider alternative sources, including nuclear,
as well as looking at the lessons learned from the current gas crisis, says
the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.Speaking at the Office of EnergyÕs
Energy in WA conference, Chamber chief executive James Pearson said it was
important the business community sent a signal to government.ÒThis review is an opportunity to assess
all aspects of the StateÕs energy system – both its strengths and its
weaknesses,Ó he said.Mr Pearson said the review should include a detailed
assessment of all energy sources and an examination of the
inter-relationships between gas and electricity.The review should also look
at the way in which the response was managed as well as the future use of
market mechanisms such as the gas bulletin board, which was introduced as
part of the Government's response.The WA Opposition released its energy
security policy last month and the Carpenter government continues to review
the state's vulnerability to disrupted energy supplies but has not put a
timeframe on the release of any policy document.
NSG
focus forces Delhi to call off envoysÕ meeting
Web posted at: 8/13/2008 8:17:17
Source ::: Agencies
New Delhi ¥ The three-day assembly of Indian heads
of mission scheduled to begin here from August 20 has been called off because
the forthcoming meeting of the Nuclear SuppliersÕ Group (NSG) in Vienna is
Òpriority oneÓ right now for the foreign policy establishment. Heads of
Indian missions from nearly 126 countries were to arrive in the capital in
the next few days to take part in the unprecedented meeting. This would have
been the first time that ambassadors and high commissioners from all the
Indian missions abroad were to assemble in New Delhi for a detailed
interaction with the leadership on issues relating to the countryÕs foreign
policy. ÒAll eyes are now on the forthcoming
meeting of the NSG that is meeting on August 21 in Vienna,Ó an official said.
ÒAt the moment that is priority one on our list.Ó
US
applies new sanctions on Iran
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:37:01 GMT
The US has clamped
unilateral sanctions on five more Iranian entities over their alleged links
to and support for Iran's nuclear program. The US Treasury Department accused the Iranian entities of providing
materials to Iran's nuclear program and banned the American companies from
carrying business with those institutions. The new sanctions would also
freeze any assets that the Iranian companies might have in the United States.
The five entities have been identified as the Nuclear Research Center for
Agriculture and Medicine at Karaj, the Isfahan Nuclear Fuel Research and
Production Center, Safety Equipment Procurement Co. and Jaza Industrial Co.
and Jabbar Ibn Hayyan. The organizations are active in nuclear research,
educational programs, laboratory services for nuclear fuel production and establishment
of industrial units related to peaceful unclear energy. "These five
nuclear and missile entities have been used by Iran to hide its illicit
conduct and further its dangerous nuclear ambitions," said Stuart Levey,
the Treasury Department's undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence. The West has so far imposed three rounds of sanctions against
Iran, threatening the country with the fourth round should it refuse to halt
its enrichment.The European Union ratcheted up trade
restrictions on Iran Friday, introducing restrictions on public loans and
tougher cargo inspections.
Lolita C. Baldor,
Associated Press
Published Wednesday, August 13, 2008
WASHINGTON — The new leaders of the Air Force
acknowledged Tuesday that the service lost its focus and must work to mend
fences after a slew of contracting and nuclear-related missteps. Air Force
Gen. Norton Schwartz, the new chief of staff, told Pentagon reporters that he
plans to use the reinstatement of about 14,000 jobs in the service to bolster
its nuclear staffing and beef up intelligence and surveillance.ÒI think the
bottom line is we lost focus. We did. And that focus is coming back,Ó said
Schwartz, who was formally sworn in during a ceremony Tuesday morning. ÒI
think fundamentally our service is sound. It doesnÕt mean weÕre perfect, and
we certainly have work to do, things to fix, fences to mend.Ó
Japan
signals key approval of India-US nuclear deal
19 Aug, 2008, 1036 hrs IST, AGENCIES
TOKYO: Japan on Tuesday
signalled it would approve a nuclear energy deal between India and the United States, raising the chances
that the controversial pact will come into force.The 45-nation Nuclear
Suppliers Group, which controls the global flow of civilian atomic exports,
is expected to meet Thursday in Vienna on the nuclear deal. Objections by any
nation would scuttle the pact.Japan, the only nation to have suffered atomic
attack, had been one of the holdouts as it pressed for India to sign the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).But Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka
Machimura said: "It may be biased to view the deal as going against
nuclear non-proliferation efforts." "For example, the issue of
global warming has been getting serious in recent years and C02 emissions
from emerging nations such as China and India are becoming a problem,"
said Machimura, the government's spokesman. "It is important that India
proceeds with nuclear power generation as clean energy," Machimura said.
The deal would give India access to international nuclear technology after
being shut out for decades for refusing to sign the NPT.
Foreign Secretary Menon leaves for Vienna for NSG meet
Tuesday, 19 August , 2008, 10:31
New Delhi:
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will leave for Vienna on Tuesday to
attend the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting. Menon will lead a high-level
team at a formal meeting with the NSG troika of Germany, South Africa and
Hungary. The team includes Prime MinisterÕs Special Envoy Shyam Saran,
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)Õs R B Grover and D B Venkatesh Varma from
the Indian mission in Geneva. The NSGÕs plenary session is expected to
discuss the possibility of granting India an exemption from its restrictive
export rules. India is standing by its Òexcellent non-proliferation recordÓ
and will seek to allay any fears or doubts that the NSG might have about
having nuclear commerce with it. India wants to be clear about the precise
parameters and protocols of any briefing session so as to avoid being
confronted at the plenary with demands for changes to the draft exemption. It
expects the NSG to approve the exemption Òwithout any change to the draft
that was circulated to them recently.Ó Ahead of the NSG meeting, a high-level
meeting was held in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting was attended by Menon,
National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and the Department of Atomic Energy
officials
NZ to oppose
India's nuclear deal
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media |
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
New Zealand is set to oppose a nuclear agreement between India and the
United States which could potentially create a diplomatic problem with Delhi.Speaking to reporters today Prime
Minister Helen Clark said that New Zealand, as a nuclear free state, was
concerned about the deal.Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invested
his political future in a treaty with the US where Washington will supply
India with civilian nuclear fuel and technology. He narrowly survived a
confidence vote last month to push through the deal on his side. New Zealand
sits on a key international nuclear body, the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG) and with a small group of nations will on Thursday determine
whether India can sign the deal with the US. New Zealand refuses to accept
the deal saying India cannot have it because it has not signed the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).India wants a waiver from the rule. An international
diplomatic offensive led by India and the United States has targeted New
Zealand, Austria and Switzerland over their opposition.Miss Clark said New
Zealand was working with "like minded" countries. New Zealand would
attend the NSG and listen carefully to the other countries. "It would be
no secret that we would like to see more conditionalities around the
agreement," she said."We are pursing this diplomatically."
Libs
urged to be clear on nuclear power
August 19, 2008 - 12:22PM
Federal Climate Change Minister
Penny Wong has hit out at the opposition for resurrecting the debate on
nuclear power. Liberal frontbencher Ian Macfarlane wants Australia to include
nuclear power in any future energy mix. "If we are serious about
reducing global greenhouse emissions, the nuclear option is one we cannot ignore,"
the Queensland MP said. "It's a black and white answer. Or should I say
a black, green and yellow answer," he said. "Clean coal, renewables
and yellowcake - we must include nuclear in our future baseload clean energy
mix." Macfarlane's comments are the strongest pro-nuclear remarks since
former prime minister John Howard left politics. Ms Wong has accused the
coalition of not being clear with the Australian people. "What we're
seeing yet again is opposition frontbenchers resurrecting the nuclear argument,
resurrecting their plan for 25 nuclear reactors in Australia," she told
reporters in Sydney on Tuesday. "Something they didn't tell the
Australian people prior to the election, something they flagged in government
and then walked away from when they saw the Australian people are opposed to
nuclear power."
Early
reactor plan given OK by regulatory group
By Rob Pavey|
Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
A proposal to add two new reactors to
Plant Vogtle cleared a major hurdle Monday with the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's finding that there are no environmental impacts to prevent
issuing an early site permit. Southern Nuclear filed its Vogtle early site
permit application Aug. 15, 2006. The company has also applied for a Combined
Operating License to build and operate two AP1000 reactors on the site on the
Savannah River 26 miles downstream from Augusta.The early site permitting
process allows an applicant to address site-related issues, such as
environmental impacts, for possible construction and operation of a nuclear
power plant. Although it is not a license to build reactors, it streamlines
the process to determine whether a proposed site is suitable."Part of
the information for the early site permit finding will go into the process
for the combined operating license process, because there is some overlap,
particularly on the environmental side," said commission spokesman Roger
Hannah.
Spin-Offs
Planned For Northeast Nuclear Plants
By ALAN SAYRE | Associated Press
August 19, 2008
NEW ORLEANS — - Power provider Entergy Corp.
is advancing its plans to spin off nuclear plants that generate free-market
electricity, a deal that may be a boon for shareholders but a potential
burden for taxpayers, according to critics, particularly in the Northeast. If
approved by regulators, Enexus Energy Corp., to be based in Jackson, Miss.,
will become a separate, publicly traded company in the next several months.
Stockholders of New Orleans-based Entergy would receive Enexus shares on a
pro-rata basis. The exact number has not been determined. But there is
concern over debts of as much as $4.5 billion that the new company would take
on, including up to $3.5 billion paid to Entergy for the plants and other
assets. There is also the dismantling or mothballing of nuclear reactors at
the end of their life spans, which critics say Enexus may be unable to pay.
That could leave taxpayers with billions in cleanup costs should the company
become insolvent. The plants range in age from 32 years to 37 years. Plants
have a life span of between 30 and 40 years, according to the International
Atomic Energy Agency, but can be retrofitted to last longer. Enexus would
control five nuclear plants: Pilgrim Nuclear Station near Plymouth, Mass., the
James A. Fitzpatrick station in Oswego County, N.Y., two units at the Indian
Point Energy Center in Westchester County, N.Y., Vermont Yankee in
Vernon, Vt., and Palisades Power Plant in Covert, Mich.
Verification
of North Korean Nuclear Program Must Meet International Standards
By
Jeong Jae Sung
2008-08-19 11:42
While the North Korean nuclear issue
is at a standstill due to a difference of opinion on the verification
protocol between the U.S. and North Korea, the U.S. has emphasized the need
for appropriate verification methods meeting international standards. After a
meeting to establish a verification plan in New York on the 15th, U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill reiterated that the verification
regime must meet international standards.He emphasized that a complete
verification plan was a precondition for removing North Korea from the list
of states sponsors of terrorism. North Korea received an initial plan for the
verification from the U.S. at the meeting of the six party delegates last
month, but has not yet responded to it specifically. For over a week, both
sides have been on hold, trying to find an agreement on the verification
regime, even though the day when the U.S. was supposed to remove North Korea
from its list of terrorism sponsoring states has drifted by. In the midst of
which, the U.S. has now emphasized the need for Òinternational standards for
the verification.Ó This is interpreted as the U.S. trying not to follow in
the wake of the first North Korean nuclear crisis. However, it remains to be
seen whether North Korea will respond to the U.S.Õ intent.
Nukes
Unlikely to Be Affected by Musharraf Leaving
Created: Monday, 18 Aug 2008, 8:48 PM
CDT By MATTHEW PENNINGTON
Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pervez Musharraf's departure from the presidency
is unlikely to have a significant impact on how Pakistan's nuclear weapons
are controlled. Experts say a 10-member committee, and not just the president, makes decisions on how to use them and only a
complete meltdown in governance -- still a distant prospect in Pakistan --
could put the atomic bomb in the hands of extremists. "Pakistan's
nuclear assets are not one man's property," said Maria Sultan, a defense
analyst and director at the London-based South Asian Strategic Stability
Institute. "Any (political) transition in Pakistan will have no effect
on Pakistan's nuclear assets because it has a very strong custodial
control." The committee, known as the National Command Authority, is
served by a military-dominated organization with thousands of security forces
and intelligence agents whose personnel are closely screened. The nuclear
facilities are tightly guarded. "The reality is that Pakistan's
government exists on different levels. One of the levels it exists and works
at is in the control of its nuclear weapons," said Patrick Cronin,
director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National
Defense University in Washington. "Where it does not work is in
providing effective services, jobs, education and health that people
need." Although one of Asia's poorer nations, Pakistan became the
Islamic world's first atomic power through a combination of guile,
determination and illegal procurement of technology on the international
black market. It tested the bomb in 1998, a year before Musharraf took power,
in response to a similar test by its historic rival India.
Saudi
Nuclear Plan Gets Green Light
Posted on: Monday, 18 August 2008,
18:00 CDT
By The Media Line News
Agency; Special to The Jerusalem Post
The Saudi cabinet has
approved an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the
protocols and application of safeguards under the Nuclear Non- Proliferation
Treaty, the Saudi paper Arab News has reported. The Saudis established their
Atomic Energy Research Institute outside Riyadh in 1988 to conduct research
for peaceful purposes. There have been no allegations that the Saudis are
trying to build nuclear weapons, and they also lack the missiles needed to
carry them. In 2006 Saudi Arabia, together with the five other members of the
Gulf Cooperation Council announced they were setting up a commission to study
the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. For technical expertise most of GCC
countries turned to France and not to their traditional ally, the US. While
it might seem strange that the world's largest producer of oil would need
nuclear power to supply electricity, many analysts say that with crude oil
prices at record levels it makes sense to sell the oil abroad and use nuclear
power at home. Meanwhile, during a visit to Iran by Algerian President Abd
al- Aziz Bouteflika the possibility of establishing a cartel to control the
production of natural gas was again raised. There have previously been
discussions among various countries to set up the equivalent of OPEC for
natural gas, but so far the proposal has not materialized
Diplomat:
Tehran, Moscow in agreement over Bushehr NPP
TEHRAN (IRNA) -- IranÕs Ambassador to Russia Gholam-Reza Ansari said
here Sunday that Tehran and Moscow have reached ÒgoodÓ agreement in
connection with Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. ÒSending fuel for Bushehr
Nuclear Power Plant, Russia showed that it has a firm decision to complete
and commission the project,Ó Ansari told IRNA. Ansari said certain technical
problems had been the main reason for delay in completion and commissioning
of the NPP project and both sides are determined to remove the intricacies.
He said that due to certain technical problems, no definite timetable may be
set for completion and operation of the power plant but the last date
announced by Russians for that is end of 2008. ÒWe hope to witness completion and operation of Bushehr Nuclear Power
Plant by 2008,Ó he added. As for the Caspian Sea, he said Tehran and
Moscow hold very close stances with regards to the Caspian Sea. ÒWe believe
the Caspian Sea has a high capacity to bring the littoral states further
closer to each other. Iran and Russia have the highest amount of commonalty
in the run with regards to the Caspian sea and we hope that more commonalties
would be reaped in the aftermath of future sessions to help build related
cooperation,Ó he added.
Paper On
Nuclear Energy For Cabinet Next Month
August 19, 2008 11:41 AM
MELAKA, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Science, Technology
and Innovation Ministry will submit to the Cabinet late next month a
comprehensive proposal to include nuclear energy as an energy source for
generating electricity.Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the working
paper, which was ready, covered the political, economic, social,
technological, environmental, legal and security aspects."After it is
tabled to the cabinet, an announcement will be made on our commitment to
further preparations," he told reporters after opening an international
conference and workshop on protection from radiation and launching the book,
"Radiografi Industri-Prinsip dan Praktik", here last night.Dr
Ongkili said the Malaysian Nuclear Agency was the lead agency to coordinate
and manage the planning, preparations and development for the use of nuclear
energy as a power source in the country in future.Malaysia had experts who
had studied and researched nuclear technology as a safe new source of
power."This nuclear energy is vital following the increase in the world
fuel price and our limited oil reserve. Moreover, nuclear energy is cheap and
clean," he said.
IAEA holds
N-talks in Iran
TEHRAN: A top UN atomic watchdog official was
holding fresh talks on IranÕs nuclear drive on Monday, just a day after
Tehran announced it sent a rocket into space in a move Washington branded
Òtroubling.Ó Olli Heinonen, deputy director general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Tehran for his second round of talks
this month, the official news agency IRNA reported. Heinonon has made a
number of visits as part of the agencyÕs longstanding efforts to ensure there
is no military dimension to the nuclear drive, which some Western states fear
could be a cover for a secret weapons project.
UN
watchdog holds nuclear talks in Iran
Source: AFP submitted 10 hours 12
minutes ago
TEHRAN - A
top UN atomic watchdog official was holding fresh talks on IranÕs nuclear
drive on Monday, just a day after Tehran announced it sent a rocket into
space in a move Washington branded Òtroubling.ÓOlli Heinonen, deputy director
general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived in Tehran for his
second round of talks this month, the official news agency IRNA
reported.Heinonon has made a number of visits as part of the agencyÕs
longstanding efforts to ensure there is no military dimension to the nuclear
drive, which some Western states fear could be a cover for a secret weapons
project.His trip, which comes ahead of a new IAEA report on Iran expected in
September, follows up on August 7 talks in Tehran that Iranian officials
described as ÒpositiveÓ but did not give any more details.On Sunday, Iran
announced it had fired into space a rocket carrying a dummy satellite, a
launch likely to further exacerbate tensions with the West over its nuclear
work amid a threat of new UN sanctions.Western governments have warned that
the technology used in the Islamic republicÕs space programme could be
diverted to military use, claims denied by Tehran.ÒThe Iranian development
and testing of rockets is troubling and raises further questions about their
intentions,Ó White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said as US President
George W. Bush spent time on his Texas ranch.
NZ
holding up India-US nuke pact
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media | Friday, 22
New
Zealand diplomats last night played a major role inside a secretive
international group to block a nuclear deal between India and the United
States.The 45-member Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG) - which includes New Zealand - was meant to have
approved the deal in Vienna, Austria, butconsensus was not reached.In an
unusual situation Wellington, along with Austria, Ireland, Norway and
Switzerland, have the power to block NSG approval for India.New Zealand's
stance over the deal has won front page headlines in the Indian media who
clearly do not know what to make of having their nuclear dream frustrated by
what headlines tag "hardline non-proliferationists".Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh has invested his political future in a treaty with
the US in which Washington will supply India with civilian nuclear fuel and
technology. He narrow survived a confidence vote last month in push through
the deal on his side. New Zealand refuses to accept the deal saying
India cannot have it because it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). India wants a waiver from the rule.On Tuesday Prime Minister
Helen Clark said that New Zealand, as a nuclear free state, was concerned
about the deal.She said New Zealand was working with "like minded"
countries.New Zealand would attend the NSG and listen carefully to the other
countries. "It would be no secret that we would
like to see more conditionalities around the agreement," she
said.
USIBC to push
efforts for implementation of nuke deal
Washington (PTI): The United States-India Business
Council (USIBC) has intensified lobbying efforts to push for an NSG nod and a
landmark ratification of a legislation this year in
the Congress for operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal. The Nuclear
Suppliers Group, that controls international nuclear trade, is holding
discussions to consider a waiver for India to resume civil nuclear trade but
a decision during the two-day meet appears "tough" in the wake of
concerns by three of its members. "We understand that the NSG will
require more than one meeting to end India's nuclear isolation. But seizing
this moment is essential," Ron Somers, USIBC President said in a
statement. Earlier this month, the IAEA Board of Governors had approved the
India-specific safeguards agreement but an NSG nod and ratification of the
nuclear agreement by US congress are necessary to implement the Indo-US
atomic deal. "Today's meeting at the NSG, just three weeks following the
unanimous approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is a
crucial step that will bring India into the international mainstream which is
good for nuclear nonproliferation, good for global energy security, and good
for the environment," Somers said. The USIBC pointed out that the NSG's
admission of India to the non-proliferation regime will see IAEA safeguards
applied to 14 of its 22 nuclear facilities, its support for the IAEA
Additional Protocol, harmonisation with the Missile Technology Control Regime
and other nonproliferation gains.
Nuclear
suppliers propose terms for US-India deal
* Conditions include UN inspections of Indian
N-sites, no further nuclear tests
VIENNA: Nuclear supplier nations on Thursday proposed conditions for lifting
a global ban on fuel and technology exports to India, a step required to
implement a United States-India nuclear co-operation deal. A green light from
the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is needed for the deal, which has
drawn criticism because India has not joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), to proceed to the US Congress for final ratification. Diplomats said
up to 20 NSG states had tabled conditions for India to do business with the
cartel, despite its repeated calls for a Òclean, unconditionalÓ exemption
from rules barring trade with an NPT outsider that has tested nuclear bombs.
ÒThere were proposals on practically every paragraph,Ó said a European
diplomat, referring to a US waiver draft that some delegations and
disarmament critics said was too vague to ensure NPT principles would be
safeguarde
SKorea seeks ChinaÕs help to
end dispute in nuke talks
Seoul— South KoreaÕs chief nuclear negotiator
urged China Wednesday to help resolve the latest dispute in disarmament talks
with North Korea.Kim Sook called for patience to settle differences about
ways to verify the NorthÕs account of its atomic activities.ÒI think ChinaÕs
constructive role is required,Ó Kim told reporters after returning from talks
with his US and Japanese counterparts, according to Yonhap news agency.China—host of the six-nation talks also
involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia—heads a
working group on denuclearising the North.Kim said the United States and
North Korea remain divided over proposed verification protocol details but
refused to elaborate.ÒIt will take more time (to resolve the issue) but there
is no fixed deadline,Ó Kim said. ÒConsulting patiently with North Korea is
necessary
NSG debates India
trade ban
Friday, August 22, 2008
Nuke deal likely to reverse US policy barring sale
of nuclear fuel to Delhi
VIENNA, Austria: A group of nations that export nuclear material met on
Thursday to discuss whether to give India access to nuclear fuel and
technology - a decision crucial to finalising a landmark US-India deal
lifting a ban on such sales. The deal would reverse more than three decades
of US policy that has barred the sale of nuclear fuel and technology to
India, a country that has not signed international non-proliferation accords
and has tested nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency gave
India the green light earlier this month. But India still needs approval from
the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, or NSG, whose members were meeting in
Vienna to discuss whether to grant India a waiver from the groupÕs rules.
Observers said the group, which operates by consensus, was unlikely to relax
its rules during the highly secretive two-day meeting, and some suggested it
could take up to three meetings before a decision is made. In a last-ditch
lobbying effort, India briefed NSG members on Thursday after the groupÕs
initial morning session. Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon declined
to comment after the briefing. Other participants described it as useful, and
said the atmosphere at the morning session was cordial. The exemption would
give India access to technology and fuel normally reserved for countries that
have signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and allow their nuclear
facilities to be fully inspected. Some countries are enticed by the prospect
of doing more business with India, and appear to back a US argument that the
deal would bring India into the non-proliferation mainstream. Washington
considers the deal with New Delhi a foreign policy priority and hopes to gain
needed approval from US Congress before US President George W Bush leaves
office.
Democrat
asks NSG not to break nuclear rules for India
August 22nd, 2008 - 12:12 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, Aug 22 (IANS) A senior
Democratic US lawmaker has asked the 45-member Nuclear SuppliersÕ Group (NSG)
to attach important non-proliferation conditions to any rule-waiver to allow
nuclear trade with India.Edward J. Markey, who has consistently opposed the
India-US civil nuclear deal at all stages, made the demand as the nuclear
cartel began a two-day meeting in Vienna Thursday to consider a US proposal
to give India a waiver to facilitate their historic pact.ÒThe NSG should reject this ill-considered, unwise
and unproductive plan,Ó said Markey, member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee and the founder and co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on
Non-proliferation.As the end of his term nears, President George Bush Òseeks
to grant India a Ôproliferation pardonÕ, excusing its past violations of arms
control normsÓ, he said as the US Òproposal contains no non-proliferation
controls whatsoeverÓ.
N-deal:
Why should India get a free pass from NSG?
22 Aug 2008, 1030 hrs
IST,PTI
WASHINGTON: The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) should
impose more "non-proliferation conditions" including signing of
CTBT, if it decides to grant a waiver to India for resuming civil nuclear commerce, a senior
Democratic lawmaker has said. Acceptance of the draft waiver in its current
form could fuel a nuclear arms race in the Asian subcontinent, Edward J
Markey, a critic of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal said, as the 45-member
grouping on Thursday held discussions over the matter as part of a two-day
meet in Vienna. "When every single member country of the NSG has signed
the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), why should India get a free
pass?" he said in a statement. "Pakistan has warned that carving
out a huge exemption for India increases the risk of a nuclear arms race in
the subcontinent, why should we allow India to vastly increase its nuclear
weapons programme? "As the end of his term
nears, President Bush seeks to grant India a 'proliferation pardon', excusing
its past violations of arms control norms," he said. Markey, a senior
member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the founder and
co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Non-proliferation, has
frequently criticised the Bush administration for proceeding with the nuclear
agreement. "The US today delivered to the NSG a draft rule-change for
India that undermines the entire international framework to limit spread of
nuclear weapons. Bush's proposal contains no non-proliferation controls
whatsoever," he said.
Iran
Says US Sanctions Ineffective
LONDON, Aug 22--US sanctions on Iran's financial
sector over Tehran's refusal to suspend its nuclear program have not hindered
Bank Mellat, the managing director of the bank says.In an interview with the
Financial Times in Tehran published Friday, Ali Divandari said that while US
sanctions "initially had a negative impact on the bank's reputation and
created troubles ... in practice there was no halt to our operations."He
said that the bank is working with important international commercial and
correspondent banks on a daily basis including European, Asian and African
banks.But Divandari refused to name any of the banks or their home
countries.The managing director of the major Iranian bank said that the
number of banks doing business with Bank Mellat had increased since the US
sanctions because major international financial institutions that were doing
business with it were replaced by a larger number of smaller banks.
The US and its Western allies have sponsored three rafts of UN Security
Council sanction on Iran as it has turned downed demands to put a halt to its
uranium enrichment activities before any negotiation on the issue.Iran
refuses preconditions for talks and stresses its atomic work is solely for
peaceful purposes.The US in October imposed unilateral sanctions against
three of Iran's largest banks -- including Bank Mellat -- accusing them of
financing the nuclear activities.The United States, Britain, France and
Germany have proposed Iran freeze uranium enrichment process in return for a
halt to further sanctions, the so-called freeze-for freeze deal. But Iran, as
a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says it has the
right to develop nuclear technology aimed at generating electricity for its
growing population.
Nuclear
exports to discuss India trade ban
Friday, August 22, 2008
By VERONIKA OLEKSYN,
Associated Press Writer
VIENNA,
Austria — The United States appeared optimistic and
reaffirmed its commitment to a landmark U.S.-India nuclear cooperation deal
Thursday at the end of a first day of discussions by a consortium crucial to
its fate.But other participants
in a meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group suggested it was unlikely that a
final decision on whether to give India access to legal imports of nuclear
fuel and technology would be made by the time the meeting wraps up
Friday.Chances "We continue to believe this is a very important
initiative and we remain committed to achieving an outcome that is both a net
benefit for the nonproliferation regime and that meets India's energy
needs," Undersecretary of State John Rood told reporters.In Washington,
State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the United States is "very
hopeful" that the Nuclear Suppliers Group would approve a waiver for
India.The meeting is slated to reconvene Friday morning.The U.S.-India deal
would reverse more than three decades of U.S. policy that has barred the sale
of nuclear fuel and technology to India, a country that has not signed
international nonproliferation accords and has tested nuclear weapons.
Iran will hit back if
Israel attacks: Hezbollah
Updated at: 0630 PST, Monday, August 25,
2008
BEIRUT: Israel will be targeted by thousands of
rockets if it attacks Iran, a senior official in the Tehran-backed group
Hezbollah said on Sunday.There has been speculation that either the United
States or Israel could attack Iran's nuclear facilities, although both have
said force should be a last recourse in curbing a nuclear programme which
they suspect aims to build atomic weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear
programme is peaceful, is the main backer of Hezbollah -- a Lebanese
political and military group that fired thousands of missiles into Israel
during a34-day war in 2006.
Chinese, S Korean
presidents due to discuss N Korea
Updated at: 0845 PST, Monday, August 25,
2008
SEOUL: North Korea's nuclear programs were on the
agenda Monday for a summit between the Chinese and South Korean presidents
amid recent angry rhetoric from Pyongyang. Chinese President Hu Jintao was
due to arrive for a two-day state visit to South Korea.The two leaders will
hold in-depth consultations on ``advancing the six-nation talks'' aimed at
ending North Korea's nuclear programs, according to comments posted on South
Korea's presidential Web site.
DPRK vows to
bolster Ôwar deterrentÕ:
Monday, August 25, 2008
SEOUL: North Korea vowed on Sunday it would bolster
its Òwar deterrentÓ as it denounced last weekÕs annual US-South Korean joint
military exercise. The communist North, which tested an atomic weapon in
October 2006, was reacting to the August 18-22 exercise involving computer
simulations and tens of thousands of US and South Korean troops. ÒThe DPRK
(North Korea) will bolster the war deterrent for self-defence... and
resolutely foil any provocation with strong countermeasures,Ó the communist
party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said. The newspaper commentary, similar in tone
to many of PyongyangÕs past threats, came as a snag has hit six-party
negotiations on ending North KoreaÕs nuclear weapons programmes. The talks
involve China, both Koreas, the United States, Japan
and Russia.
Khamenei defends
Ahmadinejad:
Monday, August 25, 2008
TEHRAN: IranÕs top leader is praising President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for standing up toÓ the West in a dispute over the
countryÕs nuclear programme.State TV quotes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying
AhmadinejadÕs government has helped reviveÓ the values of the 1979 Islamic
revolution that transformed Iran into a strict theocracy. He was also quoted
on Sunday as saying some bullying countries...wanted to impose their will on
Iran (over the nuclear issue)...but the president stood up to
them.ÓAhmadinejad has come under some domestic criticism for his handling of
the economy, despite a 2005 campaign promise to distribute IranÕs oil revenue
to each family. Iran faces skyrocketing food and fuel prices, unemployment
and inflation.IranÕs standoff with the West over its nuclear ambitions has
led to three rounds of UN sanctions.
Fire
breaks out in N-plant
MADRID, Aug 24: A fire broke out in a nuclear power
station in the northeastern province of Tarragona on Sunday, forcing the
plant to close temporarily but posing no threat of a nuclear leak or
environmental danger, nuclear regulators said.The fire broke out at 8.49am on
Sunday at one of the Vandellos II power stationÕs electricity generating
units and triggered an emergency shutdown, the Nuclear Safety Council said in
a statement.The fire was extinguished two hours later, and there were no
injuries or environmental damage.Vandellos II is situated on the
Mediterranean coast 140km southeast of Barcelona, and is one of seven Spanish
nuclear plants. It is run by Spain-based energy companies Endesa and
Iberdrola, SA.
Japan,
Australia to seek disarmament of N-states
TOKYO, Aug 24: Japan and Australia will jointly call
on the United Nations to adopt a resolution urging all atomic states to cut
their nuclear arms speedily, a newspaper reported here on Sunday.The Japanese
and Australian governments will submit the resolution to the United Nations
when its General Assembly convenes in late September, the Nikkei business
daily said, quoting government sources.
Reaction
to US–South Korea military exercises :
North Korea
vows to bolster Ôwar deterrentÕ
SEOUL: North Korea vowed Sunday it would bolster its
Òwar deterrentÓ as it denounced last weekÕs annual US-South Korean joint
military exercise.
The communist North, which tested an atomic weapon in October 2006, was
reacting to the August 18-22 exercise involving computer simulations and tens
of thousands of US and South Korean troops. ÒThe DPRK (North Korea) will
bolster the war deterrent for self-defence... and resolutely foil any
provocation with strong countermeasures,Ó the communist party newspaper
Rodong Sinmun said.The newspaper commentary, similar in tone to many of
PyongyangÕs past threats, came as a snag has hit six-party negotiations on
ending North KoreaÕs nuclear weapons programmes. The talks involve China,
Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia. North Korea last year agreed to
abandon its atomic programmes in return for energy aid and diplomatic and
security.
Iran
designing new nuclear power plant
TEHRAN: Iran has chosen the site and started
designing a new 360-megawatt nuclear power plant, a senior atomic official
said in remarks published on Sunday. Iran has yet to complete construction of
its first nuclear power plant and has previously sent conflicting signals
about the state of work on a planned second plant. An Iranian official said
this year construction work had already begun. ÒWe are involved in the design
phase of this power station,Ó the deputy head of IranÕs Atomic Energy
Organisation, Mohammad Saeedi, said, referring to plans for a second plant to
be built in the area of Darkhovin in southwest Iran.
Nuclear
power plant in Spain catches fire, causing no casualties
2008-08-25 10:46:42
MADRID, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A nuclear
power plant in the northeastern Spanish province of Tarragona caught fire on
Sunday, causing no casualties and environmental damages, said the
authorities. The fire, beginning at 8:49 a.m. local
time (0649 GMT) in the Vandellos plant, was extinguished at 10:30 a.m. (0830
GMT) by the plant's firefighters, said Spain's Nuclear Security Counsel in a
statement. The plant's operation was suspended, said the council, noting that
the accident "did not have any impact on the staff or the
environment." The plant's head, Josep Castellnou, said the fire occurred
at apart far from the center of the reactor and was quickly brought under
control. The cause of the accident was under investigation, and it would take
weeks for the plant to resume its electricity generation, he said. Vandellos,
located some 140 km southeast of Barcelona, is one of the seven nuclear power
plants in Spain. It is run by two companies, Endesa and Iberdrila
RussiaÕs nuclear
chief to visit IranÕs new power plant
25-08-08
RussiaÕs nuclear power chief will visit Iran to prepare the nuclear
fuel operation of the joint Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran,
ISNA news agency reported Sunday. An unnamed
nuclear official told ISNA that Sergei Kiriyenko is scheduled to visit Tehran
in the first week of September for talks with officials of the Iranian Atomic
Energy Organization. Kiriyenko is also scheduled to go to the Persian Gulf
port of Bushehr and inspect the latest developments in the Bushehr plant, the
official added.IranÕs Atomic Energy Organization head Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh
said the Russian side was committed to launch the Bushehr plant soon. Russia
finished delivery of 82 tons of low-enriched uranium for the plantÕs
light-water reactor in January, and Kiriyenko said in June that nuclear fuel
operations would start this year. The Iran-Russia joint project was
originally supposed to be completed at the beginning of the millennium but
has been delayed at least five times for various reasons. Iran said Russian
shipments would not stop the country from pursuing its own uranium-enrichment
program.
Aug.
25, 2008 (China Knowledge) - Chinese engineers successfully installed a 335-ton
steam generator over the underground workshop of the Qinshan nuclear power
complex last Friday, according to sources.Qinshan nuclear power complex,
located on the northern coast of Hangzhou Bay in the country's eastern Zhejiang
Province, is China's first commercial nuclear power plant and started construction
in 1985.The steam generator, a core part of the expansion plans in the second
phase of Qinshan complex, will use the heat produced in nuclear reactor core
to convert water into steam, which would then be used in pressurized water
reactors between the primary and secondary coolant loops.The second phase of
Qinshan complex has two operational 650,000-kw units, and its expansion
project of installing another two 650,000-kw pressurized reactors, which
started on Apr. 28, 2006, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010. By
then, the four sets are expected to have a combined installed capacity of 2.6
million kilowatt and an annual output of 18-20 billion kWh.It was reported
that the Qinshan complex would be developed in three phases and each of them has
different types of reactor. A 300,000-kw prototype reactor with a lifespan of
30 years has been installed in the first phase, which went online in 1991 and
has reaped US$1.28 billion in revenue with a total power output of 31 billion
kWh.
IranÕs Supreme Leader
Endorses Ahmadinejad for Second Term
Voice of America, 25 August 2008
Iranian state media say the country's supreme leader
has urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to plan for a second four-year term
in office. It is the first time that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made such a
strong public endorsement of Mr. Ahmadinejad, who faces re-election next
year. The ayatollah has the final say on all the country's affairs. Ayatollah
Khamenei met Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Cabinet Saturday and praised them for
defying international pressure to stop Iran's nuclear program. He also
praised them for resisting Western ideas, which he said had infiltrated the
previous administration.That was an apparent
reference to Mr. Ahmadinejad's predecessor, Mohammad Khatami, who sought
closer ties with the West. President Ahmadinejad has come under strong
criticism from fellow conservatives for his handling of Iran's high inflation
and other economic problems. Some of his conservatives
critics may challenge him for the presidency. Mr. Ahmadinejad welcomed the
ayatollah's endorsement, saying it represents a medal of honor for the
government. Iran has rejected demands by major powers to suspend uranium
enrichment. Tehran says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity,
but Washington and its allies suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
President Ahmadinejad's conservative critics say his approach to Iran's
nuclear dispute with the West has been too confrontational. He was elected
president in 2005 on a promise to help the poor benefit from Iran's oil
wealthChina, aiming to expand its nuclear power installed capacity to 40
million kilowatt by 2020 with an annual output of 260-280 billion kWh, has
four existing nuclear power plants in Qinshan, Daya Bay, Lingao and
Lianyungang Tianwan with 11 generating sets and an installed capacity of 9
million kilowatt.
Fire
forces shutdown of Spanish nuclear plant
Indo-Asian News Service
Tarragona,
August 25, 2008
A nuclear power plant in northwestern Spain has been
shut down after an electric generator caught fire, the latest incident at a
reactor that has already been penalised for its poor safety record, EFE news
agency reported on Monday. Fire service officials took about 90 minutes to
put out the fire at the Vandellos-2 nuclear plant in Tarragona province on
Sunday. The fire did not cause any injuries or environmental damage,
officials at the Spanish Nuclear Safety Authority (CSN) said."The
security systems (at the plant) worked as planned," the CSN added,
explaining that the facility was "shut down and stable" and the
incident "has had no impact whatsoever on the workers or the
environment."The incident came just weeks after the government pledged
to take serious action against another nuclear power plant over a radioactive
leak last year.Vandellos Mayor Josep Castellnou downplayed the significance
of the incident and appealed for calm in the wake of a situation that, he
emphasised, had been barely noticed by the local public."It occurred in
the conventional part of the plant, far from the nuclear reactor and it was
controlled with appropriate measures in some 10 minutes," he said.Castellnou confirmed that the ANAV nuclear power
association will begin an internal investigation at the facility to determine
the circumstances leading to the fire.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, arrived in South Korea
this morning for talks on expanding bilateral trade and ending North Korea's
nuclear weapons programme.Hu's two-day visit comes less than 24 hours after
the closing of the Beijing Olympics and as regional powers press North Korea
to accept a nuclear inspection system as part of a disarmament deal the
secretive North struck with five countries."We believe the visit will be
a turning point in the two countries' relationship, which has been primarily
an economic one, to expand into all areas, including politics, defence and
culture," an official at the South Korean presidential Blue House said
at the weekend.The two sides have discussed a free-trade deal, but Seoul has
been wary of initiating formal talks because of the potential flood of cheap
farm products. It is not on the summit agenda.China, the North's main benefactor,
is also South Korea's largest trading partner with $145 billion in
annual two-way trade, according to official South Korean data.In late June,
North Korea presented a long-delayed account of its nuclear weapons programme
at six-nation talks, hosted by China, that contained information about its
plutonium production.Russia, the United States, Japan and South Korea are
also members of the six-way talks on the North's nuclear programme. Monday , August 25 , 2008
Nuclear
deal fate ÔuncertainÕ
Siddharth Varadarajan
Monday , August
25 , 2008
Vienna: One day after the Nuclear
Suppliers Group failed to take a decision on an American proposal to grant
India a waiver from its export guidelines, Indian officials acknowledged that
the expected push to amend the draft waiver made the future of the nuclear
deal uncertain. For the record, India is sticking to the line that it
continues to work with friendly countries towards the granting of an
exemption from the NSGÕs rules. Sticking to this script, Foreign Secretary
Shiv Shankar Menon told reporters on Friday evening that India had been
informed that the group had had a Òpositive and constructive discussionÓ and
would meet soon to resume its examination of the India proposal. But
privately, Indian officials say there is little chance of India being able to
accept changes in the American draft waiver that are anything other than
cosmetic. The question, they say, boils down to whether those NSG members who
spoke out against the current proposal were merely letting out steam or fully
intended to follow through with the suggestions they made. ÒIf it is
the latter, and the Americans are not able to convince them otherwise, then
the deal looks very difficult from now on,Ó one official told.
US
ready to put Russian nuclear deal on ice
By Daniel
Dombey in Washington
Published:
August 25 2008 03:00 | Last updated: August 25 2008 03:00
The Bush
administration is set to put a high-profile nuclear deal with Russia on hold,
according to US diplomats.Officials expect Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of
state, to recommend that George W. Bush, president, recall the civil nuclear
co-operation agreement from Congress in the wake of Russia's conflict with
Georgia."At this point, it's dead," a congressional staffer
said.The deal would be one of the most visible victims so far of tensions
between Washington and Moscow, which have risen to levels rarely seen since
the end of the cold war. US officials have warned Russia it faces
"consequences" for its conduct in Georgia and they increasingly
write off Russia's hopes of joining the World Trade Organisation.The move to
put the nuclear agreement on ice would darken prospects for bilateral
co-operation between the two countries in the area of nuclear safety.US hopes
of United Nations action on issues such as Iran's nuclear programme depend on
working with Russia. The campaigns of John McCain and Barack Obama, the
Republican and Democratic candidates for president, have also spelled out
programmes for collaborating with Russia on arms control and
non-proliferation initiatives.Moscow has put great store in the civil nuclear
co-operation deal, which would permit the potentially lucrative transfer of
fuels and materials between the two countries. The US had earlier argued the
agreement was needed to set up an international nuclear fuel bank in
Russia.The idea of such a facility, intended to dissuade countries from
developing highly sensitive nuclear technologies, has won broad international
support.The deal faced resistance in Congress even before the Russia-Georgia
conflict.
Iran's Supreme Leader Endorses
Ahmadinejad for Second Term
By VOA News
25 August 2008Iranian state media say the country's supreme leader
has urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to plan for a second four-year term
in office.It is the first time that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made such a
strong public endorsement of Mr. Ahmadinejad, who faces re-election next
year. The ayatollah has the final say on all the country's affairs.Ayatollah
Khamenei met Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Cabinet Saturday and praised them for
defying international pressure to stop Iran's nuclear program. He also
praised them for resisting Western ideas, which he said had infiltrated the
previous administration.That was an apparent
reference to Mr. Ahmadinejad's predecessor, Mohammad Khatami, who sought
closer ties with the West.President Ahmadinejad has come under strong
criticism from fellow conservatives for his handling of Iran's high inflation
and other economic problems. Some of his conservatives critics may challenge
him for the presidency.Mr. Ahmadinejad welcomed the
ayatollah's endorsement, saying it represents a medal of honor for the
government.Iran has rejected demands by major powers to suspend uranium
enrichment. Tehran says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity,
but Washington and its allies suspect Iran is seeking nuclear
weapons.President Ahmadinejad's conservative critics say his approach to
Iran's nuclear dispute with the West has been too confrontational. He was
elected president in 2005 on a promise to help the poor benefit from Iran's
oil wealth
'West
seeks to impede Iran's progress'
Monday, August 25, 2008 - ?2005 IranMania.com
LONDON, August 25 (IranMania) - Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the West seeks to impede Iran's progress by creating
obstacles to the country's nuclear program, PressTV reported. "The
US government has been crippled by ignoring its own flaws and, instead,
shifting its focus to prevent the progress of other nations," said the
Iranian president Sunday. President Ahmadinejad was referring to Washington's
opposition to Iran's civilian nuclear program. Tehran is a signatory to the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is therefore entitled to the
peaceful applications of the technology. Despite the UN nuclear watchdog's
confirmation that enriched uranium in Iran does not exceed 3%, a rate
consistent with the construction of a nuclear power plant, the US, Israel and
their Western allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program.
Under US pressure, the UN Security Council has so
far imposed three rounds of sanctions against Iran, demanding the country
halt its enrichment activities. Iran says while it is fully committed to
dialogue to protect its right to the peaceful application of nuclear
technology, it will not accept Western demands that it bring its nuclear
activities to a halt. President Ahmadinejad concluded that the Iranian
nation's resistance to US policies toward the country's nuclear program has
strengthened the nation's resolve.
US
sub could have leaked radiation in Singapore
26/08/08
SINGAPORE: A US nuclear-powered submarine could have
leaked radioactive water during a Singapore stop in September 2006,
SingaporeÕs Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean said on Monday.Speaking in
parliament, Teo said the United States informed Singapore this month that the
USS Houston had been leaking trace amounts of radioactive water since June
2006.ÒThis suggested that the USS Houston could have been leaking during her
port call at Changi Naval Base in September 2006,Ó Teo said in response to a
parliamentary question. Singapore had asked the United States for information
after reports in early August said the USS Houston could have been leaking
radioactive water during a port call in Japan in March this year, he said.
South
Korea, China urge co-operation over North Korea
26/08/08
* Vow de-nuclearisation of Pyongyang through
six-party talks
SEOUL: The presidents of China and South Korea at a summit on Monday called
for cooperation in sputtering talks to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons
while they pledged to boost trade between the major economic partners.
Chinese President Hu JintaoÕs two-day visit to South Korea came less than 24
hours after the closing of the Beijing Olympics and as regional powers press
North Korea to accept a nuclear inspection system as part of a
disarmament-for-aid deal the secretive state struck with five countries.
De-nuclearisation: ÒWe confirmed that the de-nuclearisation of North Korea
will be achieved through six-party talks,Ó President Lee Myung-bak said at a
joint news conference with Hu.
New
nuclear group to look into Indo-US deal
26/08/08
TOKYO: Japanese and Australian politicians said
Monday that a new nuclear body would meet for the first time in October and
discuss a controversial India-US atomic energy pact.Former Japanese and
Australian foreign ministers Yoriko Kawaguchi and Gareth Evans are co-chairs
of the new body, which Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd proposed earlier
this year to bolster anti-nuclear efforts. ÒIt is extremely important for
Japan, the only victim of nuclear attacks, to aim to build a world without
nuclear weapons,Ó Kawaguchi told a joint news conference with Evans after
they met Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
US sub may have leaked
radiation
26/08/08
SINGAPORE, Aug 25: A US nuclear-powered submarine
could have leaked radioactive water during a Singapore stop in September
2006, SingaporeÕs Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean said on Monday.Speaking
in parliament, Teo said the US informed Singapore this month that the USS
Houston had been leaking trace amounts of radioactive water since June
2006.ÒThis suggested that the USS Houston could have been leaking during her
port call at Changi Naval Base in September 2006,Ó Teo said in response to a
parliamentary question.
Turkey's Dogan Signs
Deal With 3 Firms To Bid For Turkey's First Nuclear Tender
Published: 8/26/2008
ISTANBUL - Turkey's Dogan Holding said
Wednesday its subsidiary Dogan Energy signed a deal with Turkish, Belgian and
Canadian companies to participate in a tender to build and operate Turkey's
first nuclear power plant. Dogan said its partners for the nuclear tender
were Turkey's Anadolu Endustri Holding, Belgium's Unit Investment N.V., and Canada's
first private nuclear energy generating company Bruce Power Inc. Turkey plans
to build a nuclear power plant with a capacity between 3000 or 5000
megawatts. Turkish Electricity Trading and Contracting Inc. (TETAS) will sign
a contract with the best bidder to buy power for at least 15 years. The final
competition is planned to be held on September 24th.
Israel
says it will not accept a nuclear Iran
Tel
Aviv, August 26, 2008
Israel has reiterated it will not accept a nuclear
Iran in its neighbourhood and will rule out no option in dealing with it. Israeli
Defence Minister Ehud Barak made this statement while meeting US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice on Monday night. According to reports from the
meeting, Barak urged the US to continue to impose sanctions on Tehran.Israel
regards Iran as its primary existential threat, given Tehran's nuclear
ambitions coupled with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements
that the Jewish state should be erased from the map.
India
nuke deal is prime focus of US nuclear policy: Rice
Washington, Aug 26 (PTI) As India and the US work
overtime to get a clean NSG waiver, the Bush Administration said the Indo-US
atomic deal was currently the "principal focus" of its nuclear
policy and given a priority over a similar pact with Russia.Asked whether
developments in Georgia will affect the US-Russia civilian nuclear deal, US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the present focus of America's
nuclear commerce policy was the India deal and not the one with
Russia."Our principal focus right now has been on the India civil
nuclear deal, having worked through the IAEA, now working through the NSG,
and still trying to get into a position to make the appropriate presidential
determinations in early September. So that's our focus right now on the civil
nuclear side," Rice told reporters on her way to Tel Aviv.Rice's
comments came even as Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon discussed a
strategy with senior US officials in Washington to address reservations
expressed by some countries at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) over the
draft waiver that is required to push the Indso-US nuke deal forward.Echoing
Rice's sentiments, White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto said the
current focus of the administration was to see the India-US deal through. The
fate of the deal rests with the 45-member NSG which is due to meet for the
second time in two weeks on September 6."I think we have another nuclear
agreement in the queue ahead of that (Russian deal), that we're really
focussed on right now, and that's the India civil nuclear agreement. And
that's generating a lot of work and time and energy on our part to get that
done," Fratto said. PTI
North
Korea threatens to suspend N-disablement
27/08/08
SEOUL, Aug 26: North Korea said on Tuesday it will
stop disabling its nuclear facilities and consider restoring the Yongbyon
reactor that can make material for atomic bombs, accusing the United States
of violating a disarmament deal.ÒWe have decided to immediately suspend
disabling our nuclear facilities,Ó the NorthÕs KCNA news agency quoted a
foreign ministry official as saying.ÒThis measure has been effective on Aug
14 and related parties have been notified of it,Ó the official said.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played down
the North Korean announcement.ÒWe actually are in discussions with the North
Koreans and I think weÕll just see where we come out in a few weeks,Ó Rice
said, speaking in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
N
Korea halts denuclearisation over row with US
27/08/08
* South Korea, Japan express concern over PyongyangÕs move
SEOUL: North Korea said Tuesday it has stopped disabling its nuclear plants
and will consider restoring them because the United States has failed to
remove it from a terrorism blacklist.The communist state accused the US of an
Òoutright violationÓ of a six-nation nuclear disarmament deal and said work
to make the plutonium-producing plants at Yongbyon unusable had halted on
August 14. ÒSecondly, the DPRK (North Korea) will consider soon a step to
restore the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon to their original state as
strongly requested by its relevant institutions,Ó said a foreign ministry
spokesman.The US says the North must accept strict procedures to verify the
declaration it made in June of its nuclear activities before it can be taken
off the blacklist, which blocks US economic aid. The NorthÕs statement
appeared to reject that demand outright. ÒThe US is gravely mistaken if it
thinks it can make a house search in the DPRK as it pleases just as it did in
Iraq,Ó said the spokesmanÕs statement carried by the official Korean Central
News Agency.
N
Korea 'violated nuclear pact'
The
US has said that North Korea has pushed international disarmament efforts a
"step backward" in violating its commitment by suspending
disablement work on its nuclear reactor.Pyongyang blames Washington for
failing to deliver on a promise to remove it from a US list of terrorism
sponsors despite submitting a declaration of its nuclear activities following
months of negotiations. The latest disagreement threatens a six-nation pact
to disarm North Korea in return for energy aid and political concessions. In
a statement, the North Korean foreign ministry said they were
"compelled" to take countermeasures by suspending disablement work
on August 14 because the US had "postponed" the terror
de-listing.It also said the government is planning to "consider soon a
step to restore" the plutonium-producing facility at the Yongbyon
nuclear complex but did not say when it would do so. The statement came
shortly after Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, left Seoul after summit talks
with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, that included discussions
on the North Korean nuclear issue.
August 27, 2008
The United States
said that North Korea had violated its commitments under a six-nation
disarmament deal by deciding to stop disabling its nuclear facilities. North
Korea also announced that it would consider restoring the Yongbyon reactor
that can make material for atomic bombs. The White House reiterated its
demand that Pyongyang fulfils its commitment to disable the facilities before
it removes North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. ÒWe
understand that disablement activities have been halted temporarily and that
North Korea has linked the resumption of these activities to the rescission
of its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism,Ó a White House official
said. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, who is on a visit to the
Palestinian territories, played down the announcement. ÒWe actually are in
discussions with the North Koreans and I think weÕll just see where we come
out in a few weeks,Ó she said from Ramallah.
NZ denies
blocking India's nuclear dream
By
MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media | Wednesday, 27 August 2008
New Zealand
has denied it is trying to make India sign key anti-nuclear treaties in the
debate over approving an India-US nuclear pact.In a statement, Disarmament Minister Phil Goff has partially lifted a
veil of secrecy around the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which must
approve, by consensus, the nuclear deal between Delhi and Washington. It is
known for its secrecy.New Zealand has been cited as one of six small
countries said to oppose the deal. The NSG failed to agree on it last week
and will meet again on September 4."The discussions last week were
robust and constructive and we look forward to continuing this dialogue
around a revised draft exemption text at next month's meeting," Mr Goff
said.He has revealed, for the first time, that the NSG has around 50
amendments to the proposed treaty text."The key function of the NSG is
to formulate guidelines for managing exports of nuclear material, equipment
and technology to ensure that this trade does not contribute to nuclear
weapons proliferation."Discussion centred on trying to come up with
compatible objectives in the US-India Civil Nuclear Co-operation
Agreement."While New Zealand remains a strong advocate of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT) and would welcome India's accession to these treaties, we have not
included these elements in our package of proposals," Mr Goff said.He
added New Zealand acknowledged the "potential benefits" in the
nuclear pact "while noting concerns and the need for consistency in
pursuing the objective of non-proliferation.
North
Korea Halts Nuke Program Dismantling
By BARBARA DEMICK, Los
Angeles Times | August 27, 2008
BEIJING — Less than two months after North
Korea blew up the cooling tower of its main nuclear plant in a televised
spectacle, the government yesterday announced it had suspended the dismantling
of its nuclear program.North Korea's Foreign Ministry said it was responding
to American delays in removing it from a list of
"terror-sponsoring" states. The ministry said the suspension began
August 14 and that the regime would next consider restoring some of what had
been dismantled already at the main nuclear compound in Yongbyon.President
Bush asked Congress on June 27 to remove North Korea from the terror list,
but the administration also has said that the measure wouldn't go through
until America could verify a 60-page inventory North Korea had submitted of
its nuclear program.Secretary of State Rice made that point yesterday,
saying: "We have made very clear ... that we were awaiting a
verification mechanism that could assure the accuracy of the statements that
North Korea made in its declaration.""We actually are in
discussions with the North Koreans, and I think we'll just see where we come
out in a few weeks," she said, speaking in the West Bank city of
Ramallah, where she was meeting with President Abbas of the Palestinian
Authority.
US accuses North Korea
of violating nuclear accord
08-27-2008, 01h46
WASHINGTON (AFP)
The United States accused North Korea
Tuesday of violating a six-nation nuclear accord and retained it on a terror
blacklist, after the hardline communist state defiantly suspended disabling
its atomic plants. Washington said North Korea would stay on the State
Sponsors of Terrorism list until it agreed to a protocol that could verify a
nuclear program declared by Pyongyang in June ahead of dismantlement of its
atomic arsenal. "The United States will not take North Korea off the
state sponsor of terrorism list until we have a protocol in place to verify the
dismantling and accounting for Korea's nuclear program," said White
House spokesman Tony Fratto. The State Department said Pyongyang's decision
to stop disabling its key Yongbyon nuclear complex was of "great
concern" and "a step backward" in six-country diplomatic
efforts aimed at denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. "It certainly is
in violation of its commitments to the six-party framework, certainly in
violation of the principle of action-for-action," department spokesman
Robert Wood told reporters. Pyongyang said Tuesday that it had stopped
disabling its nuclear plants at the Yongbyon complex as of August 14 and,
instead, wanted to resurrect them because the United States had failed to
remove it from the terrorism blacklist
Agencies
Posted online: Wednesday, August 27,
2008 at 09:32:01
Washington, August 27: The United States on Tuesday said there were no
plans to change the Indo-US atomic agreement to address concerns in the
Nuclear Suppliers Group over giving waiver to India to do nuclear commerce
but maintained that "in life you never rule things out". The Bush administration
is working "very hard" to have the civilian nuclear initiative come
into fruition but it is also quite aware of the fact that the
"congressional clock is ticking", State Department spokesman Robert
Wood said in his briefing in Washington. Asked if
the US will be changing the agreement at all, he said, "there are no
plans that I know of to change the agreement. But, you know, in life you
never rule things out." "But it's obviously got to be something
that both the United States and India, you know, can agree to, if there were
going to be changes. But I've heard no mention of a need to, you know, adjust
the agreement in any way," Wood said. He asserted that Washington wants
to see the deal through as it is critically important for both the US and
India.
8/27/2008 8:50:10 AM
The
UPA government and the Bush administration have been doing all they can to
push the Nuclear deal past the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). However,
according to reports, New York Congressman Gary Ackerman has said that the
deal will not come through now and will happen only with the next government
in the United States.Speaking onn the sidelines of the Democratic National
Convention in Denver, Ackerman said there is simply not enough time for the
deal to get through the Congress in this session. Ackerman said
that the Congress will be in session from September 8 to 28, which is
much less than the prerequisite of 30 days as a resting period for the
agreement. The Congress can waive this rule, but that would mean opening it
for debate which will also mean possible amendments. Ackerman also was not
sure if the deal will get the NSG nod when the 45 countries meet in Vienna
next week.
INDIA/US: Nuclear Deal
Headed for Fiasco
Analysis by Praful Bidwai
NEW DELHI,
Aug 28 (IPS) - As the tortuous negotiations for the United States-India
nuclear deal enters its final stage, it becomes clear that India seriously
underestimated the discomfort and opposition the agreement would arouse in
many countries because of the special privileges granted to India, largely on
New Delhi's terms. The
emerging situation has thrown Indian policy-makers off-balance. They are now
groping for a strategy to deal effectively with dissenters in the 45-member
Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) which meets next week in Vienna, Austria. The
NSG, a private arrangement, must grant India a waiver from its tough rules
governing nuclear trade before the deal can be completed. The rules prohibit
nuclear commerce with countries that have not signed the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India is a non-signatory. The NSG is due to
discuss a U.S.-drafted waiver motion on Sep. 4-5. It failed at its two-day
meeting last week to agree on the proposed exemption. Several member-states
raised objections and moved as many as 50 amendments to the text. Since the
NSG works by consensus, even one member can hold up a decision. Many NSG members,
led by Austria, New Zealand, Ireland the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland,
are expected to move amendments to advance the group's fundamental
non-proliferation objectives while granting India a waiver. These amendments
seek to impose three conditions on the exemption: periodic review of India's
compliance with non-proliferation commitments; explicit exclusion of uranium
enrichment and reprocessing of spent-fuel technologies from what can be
exported to India; and most important, no more nuclear trade with India if
this country conducts another nuclear test. India however insists that the
waiver must be "clean and unconditional".
NSG:
Austria hints at softening stand
28 Aug 2008, 0223 hrs IST,
Sachin Parashar,TNN
NEW DELHI: In what could mark a significant crack in
the opposition to the India-US
nuclear deal, Austria, which along with New Zealand is seen as a major
objector, on Wednesday dropped hints that the waiver India is seeking from
the Nuclear Suppliers Group was not a lost cause.Talking to The Times of
India, an Austrian foreign ministry spokesperson said Austria fully
understands the importance of the nuclear deal and it was not opposed to
India meeting its energy requirements. Vienna said it stood in favour of the
waiver being a "net gain" for international security rather than an
intent to spike IndiaÕs plans.But while explaining Austria's position at the
NSG, the spokesperson did laud the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as an
imperative for international security and suggested additional measures were
needed to make the draft waiver more in line with international concerns.
With India prepared to support non-proliferation, short of signing NPT, and
the estimate in New Delhi that US was now pulling out all stops in keeping
its part of the bargain by fiercely lobbying the NSG, the possibility of an
altered, but acceptable waiver seems likely. This needs more concessions but
as long as they are not binding in nature, India could accept the
waiver."Austria fully understands the importance of the Indo-US nuclear
deal and India's right to produce energy from whatever sources it desires. We
want India to meet its objectives. As for the NSG meet, we want the group to
achieve a result that would be a net gain and we are confident that it will
happen," said spokesperson Peter Launsky in reply to queries mailed to
foreign minister Ursula Plassnik
08/28/08
By Digoy Fernandez
ContributorTHE sense I get from my previous posts
on the possibility of opening up the dialogue (again) to the possible use of
nuclear energy elicited both strong feelings from those who favor its use and
those who feel that nukes are a dead end option. Probably, one way out of the
morass is to try and consider the fact that, at present, the world is making
use mostly of a combination of fossil fuels, nuclear energy, geothermal
plants, hydroelectric power, and the odd based wind farm or solar energy
powered plant. Of the fuels mentioned above, it is probably proper to
consider that fossil fuels like coal and crude oil and nuclear energy would
form the bulk of what we could term as interim solutions pending the entry of
more efficient and renewable sources of power.The move toward electric cars
— that still require an electric grid to draw power from — and
those I mentioned a few blogs ago that are powered by air, water, or hydrogen
probably spell the death knell of the fossil fuel industry. Applications for
crude oil would be more limited in the not too distant future to industry as
cars and other forms of transportation find ways to exploit clean and
renewable sources of motivation.In a very recent conversation I had with a
classmate who just happens to be the Energy Secretary — no, I did not
get the idea of going nuclear from him — he pointed out another
possible source of energy that is best suited for countries located along the
equator or in tropical areas: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). I am
still Googling the topic because it is so interesting. But essentially, the
process makes use of the heat energy stored in the worldÕs oceans to generate
electricity. An ideal situation would be for a differential of 20 degrees Centigrade,
which is possible in the equatorial region where surface temperatures really
differ from those of the deeper nether regions (We have many deep underwater
trenches surrounding our archipelago!). The OTEC process is still undergoing
study and experimentation. But soaring oil prices should provide a suitable
motivation for both governments and the private sector to take a long hard
look at this almost infinite source of clean energy.Thus, even if we do
eventually succumb to the temptation to the need to utilize nuclear power,
this would also be, at best, an interim solution as we plumb the other
existing and new technologies for the best possible application on a massive
scale.
Recycling nuclear fuel is SA priority
August 28, 2008
By Wendell Roelf
Cape Town - South Africa was seeking
commercial contracts with foreign companies to reprocess spent nuclear fuel,
a senior government official said yesterday.The country plans to expand its
nuclear industry and diversify its energy mix as it battles a crippling power
shortage that has hit key mining, smelting and manufacturing sectors,
trimming growth in the economy."The preference at the department is that
we will use existing commercial reprocessing plants in the world for
reprocessing spent fuel," said Tseliso Maqubela, the nuclear chief
director of the minerals and energy department."In the medium to long
term we will also look at whether it's economically viable to establish a
reprocessing plant in South Africa, but economically it makes sense in the
short term that we use existing facilities," he added.Maqubela was
speaking after briefing parliament on the National Radioactive Waste
Management Bill.State power utility Eskom is planning to spend R343 billion
over the next five years to boost generation capacity.The government has
owned up to being behind the power crisis, after years of neglecting to
invest in the sector
2008-08-28
The nuclear submarine ÓDmitrii
DonskoyÓ has undergone successful testing at the Sevmash shipyard in
Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast. The vessel, an upgraded Typhoon submarine,
is now ready for the installation of state of the art Russian missile
systems, the plant informs.The ÒDmitrii DonskoyÓ was put on the water after a
period of significant upgrades in 2002. After that, the vessel has on several
occasions been tested with new Russian technology in the White Sea, the
Sevmash yard informs in a press release.
'The upgrades will make the submarine able to handle the latest Russian
missile technology, otherwise developed for the new generation of subs.More
than 170 men are currently working with the ÒDmitrii DonskoyÓ, hundred of
them employees at the Sevmash plant and 70 from other involved companies.The
Sevmash is also constructing the submarine ÒYuri DolgorukiiÓ, the first
fourth-generation Russian sub.
TVA asks Govt
to renew nuclear plant permits
KNOXVILLE
(AP): The Tennessee Valley Authority, faced with growing electricity demand
and rising coal costs, asked regulators Wednesday to renew construction
permits for two unfinished nuclear reactors it virtually abandoned 20 years
ago. Knoxville, Tennessee-based TVA, among the first to join a recent push to
build new reactors around the country, hasn't decided whether it will
complete the Unit 1 and 2 reactors at the Bellefonte site near Scottsboro,
Alabama. But it has budgeted $10 million this year to study what would be
involved. The request is complicated by another project TVA is considering
for the same site _ two additional reactors for which TVA has applied for a
combined construction and operating license with partner NuStart Energy
Development LLC. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Ken Clark said TVA's
environmental reviews for the new reactors assumed they would use cooling
towers and other infrastructure built for the older unfinished reactors but
didn't account for the finishing of the older reactors. Now, the NRC staff
will have to decide if the old construction permits for Units 1 and 2 can be
reactivated or if new permits will be required, Clark said. TVA has made no
final decision on whether to build any of the four reactors. TVA Chief
Operating Officer Bill McCollum said Wednesday the federal utility will need
to add a major new power plant or reactor every five to seven years to meet
growing demand. TVA supplies electricity to 8.8 million consumers in
Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and
Virginia.
Inside
the Ring
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Russian military operation
in Georgia is beginning to negatively impact U.S. ties to Moscow, including a
pending U.S.-Russia nuclear cooperation agreement and possibly space
cooperation.Five senators wrote to President Bush last week urging him to
"immediately withdraw" the so-called 123 nuclear agreement from
Congress because of "Russian aggression" against Georgia.
"This is simply not the time for our government to be promoting expanded
cooperation with Russia in this sensitive area," the senators said in
the Aug. 21 letter. Among those signing were Republican Sens. Jon Kyl of
Arizona, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, John Ensign of Nevada and Lindsey Graham
of South Carolina, and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.
"Instead, we believe that the United States must send a strong signal to
Russian leadership that its increasingly belligerent foreign policy will not
be rewarded." Two U.S. officials - one in Congress, the other in the
Bush administration - said policymakers in the State Department want to go
ahead with the nuclear deal, which would involve the transfer of reactor
technology. The senators also said Russian sales of SA-20 missiles to Iran
are another reason to cancel the nuclear accord because sales of the
air-defensive equipment are going forward despite U.S. protests. Another
coming chill in relations as a result of the Georgia crisis involves joint
space cooperation, which is in jeopardy after reports that Russia illegally
used the International Space Station (ISS) for military reconnaissance during
the early days of the war. NASA's
Web site posted a status report on the ISS that disclosed that a Russian
cosmonaut used digital cameras to photograph "the aftereffects of border
conflict operation in the Caucasus." Aviation Week first reported the
issue. Russia's space agency stated that the pictures were not for military
use but to support "humanitarian" operations.
By Larisa Brass ( | 