***************************************************************** 04/25/04 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 12.99 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Boston.com: Iran says 'complete story' on uranium given to UN 2 Mehr News: U.S. Angry about the Improvement of Ties Between Iran and 3 Pasadena Star-News: Washington determinedly ignoring dangers in Nort 4 JoongAng Daily: No nuclear exports, North says 5 JoongAng Daily: North could open up 6 Reuters: N.Korea Says U.S. Ditching Truce and Raising Tensions 7 US: [DU-WATCH] General Myers comments on DU 8 US: WorldNetDaily: Tenet's 'slam-dunk' 9 MNS: Our Hidden WMD Program - Why Bush is spending so much on nuclea 10 US: Maine Today: Nuclear 'oops!' could do us in 11 The Return of Vanunu 12 Vanunu: The Fallout 13 JoongAng Daily: Power company chief eyeing China market 14 Sunday Herald: Vanunu: The Fallout - 15 CNEWS - Canada: Prime minister's science adviser opposes 16 Hi Pakistan: Pakistan voices concern over US draft on WMD --> 17 Hi Pakistan: EU to seek information on Pak nuclear tests --> 18 Hi Pakistan: Pakistan will enhance its nuclear capability: Kasuri 19 Khaleej Times: watchdog not only a one-way street 20 Boston.com: Sharon hints at end to secrecy about arms 21 Media Monitors Network: Vanunu: The Terrible Secret 22 UK Independent: As newly released technician speaks out, Sharon come NUCLEAR REACTORS 23 AU ABC: Thousands remember Chernobyl - 24 US: Las Vegas RJ: EDITORIAL: Special handling 25 US: The Sun News: Lost nuclear fuel rods could be in S.C. 26 US: The Sun News: Turns to use of more nuclear power 27 Toronto Star: New nuclear woes surface 28 US: Brattleboro Reformer: VY search continues 29 Deutsche Welle: Getting the Green Light (Ignalina) 30 Reuters: U.N. wants to end confusion about Chernobyl (Ha!) 31 Moscow Times: New Life Trickles Back to Chernobyl 32 Nuclear Monopoly Courts Investors 33 US: Casper Star-Tribune: Groups pan using reactors for clean hydroge NUCLEAR SAFETY 34 [DU-WATCH] 16 Puerto rican soldiers tested for uranium 35 [DU-WATCH] Hell science 36 [DU-WATCH] Uranium making soldiers in Iraq ill 37 femail.co.uk 38 Scotsman: Repaired N-Sub Begins Sea Trial NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 39 Las Vegas RJ: YUCCA MOUNTAIN RAIL LINE: Residents oppose route 40 RGJ: Nevada asks environmental council to intervene in Yucca rail pl 41 RGJ: Yucca officials to speak in Carson Valley 42 US: The Mercury: Radioactive sludge sets off alarms 43 UK Independent: US hands BNFL $500m rescue package after No 10 lobby NUCLEAR WEAPONS 44 Jakarta Post: Students on hunger strike to protest planned nuke plan US DEPT. OF ENERGY 45 Oakland Tribune: UC ploy to keep control of labs 46 amarillo.com: BWXT Pantex evaluation mixed 47 Paducah Sun Editorial: Long-Range Goal -- DOE must complete cleanup OTHER NUCLEAR 48 Google News Alert - nuclear 49 Google News Alert - nuclear 50 USATODAY.com: Diary details Einstein's last years ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Boston.com: Iran says 'complete story' on uranium given to UN nuclear inspectors [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/] Boston Globe By Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press | April 25, 2004 TEHRAN -- Iran said yesterday that it has offered the "complete story" to the United Nations nuclear watchdog about traces of weapons-grade uranium and documents pertaining to advanced centrifuges that could be used to produce atomic bombs. Mohammad Saeedi, a top Iranian nuclear official, said the information was submitted to five prominent International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors who visited Iran during a two-week visit. The inspectors, who arrived in Iran on April 12, left Tehran Friday, he said. "We offered them the complete story about traces of highly enriched uranium, mainly all movements of contaminated equipment inside Iran," said Saeedi, director of the International Affairs Department at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. Another team of IAEA inspectors arrived yesterday for "routine inspections," Saeedi said, without elaborating. IAEA officials were not immediately available for comment. Uranium enriched to low levels can be used in power plants, while highly enriched uranium can be used in bombs. IAEA specialists found traces of highly enriched uranium last year at two Iranian sites on equipment Iran says was contaminated before it was bought on the international nuclear black market. Inspectors also have found an advanced P-2 centrifuge program that Iran had not reported to the UN agency. Saeedi said Iran explained to the IAEA inspectors that it had conducted research on the centrifuges but had not produced them. "I think they were convinced with our explanations," he said. "We explained how far we had progressed in our research." Saeedi said Iran has not yet decided whether to produce P-2 centrifuges, equipment that could be used to enrich uranium for use in a weapon, but has produced P-1 centrifuges for low-grade enrichment. Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year under strong international pressure, but continued with its centrifuge program. It eventually said this month that it had stopped building centrifuges. The United States and other nations accuse Iran of having a covert nuclear weapons program and are pushing the United Nations to impose sanctions. IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei hopes to present an assessment of Iran's nuclear activities to the IAEA board of governors in June. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company. [ title=] ***************************************************************** 2 Mehr News: U.S. Angry about the Improvement of Ties Between Iran and EU (MNA) – The Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday that the U.S. is angry about the improving relations between Iran and the European Union. That the European states have reached an understanding regarding Iran’s world position is very unpleasant to Washington that is why they are making baseless charges against Tehran, Hamid-Reza Asefi told a regular press briefing. Asefi added that the U.S. is especially unhappy about Iran’s influence on the positions of European states that are U.S. allies. U.S. officials make accusations toward Iran and then they try to prove it, much in the same way as they did in Iraq, he told reporters. President Bush said at a news conference in Washington last Thursday that Iran "will be dealt with, starting through the United Nations" if it does not stop developing nuclear weapons and totally cooperate with international inspectors. Bush said he will encourage the U.S.’s allies to insist Iran live up to its commitment to cooperate with UN inspectors and end any uranium enrichment programs. During a visit last week to European capitals Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi held fruitful talks with European officials including French President Jacques Chirac over the crisis in Iraq, the developments in Palestine, and Iran’s dealings with the International Atomic Energy Agency. MS/DWN End MNA ***************************************************************** 3 Pasadena Star-News: Washington determinedly ignoring dangers in North Korea Article Published: Saturday, April 24, 2004 - By Nicholas D. Kristof IN the summer of 2001, there was a spike in Qaida "chatter' and mounting evidence that a terror strike was imminent. But without precise details, it was difficult to get the attention of top policy-makers or of the public until it was too late. Now something similar is happening, in North Korea. North Korea is potentially more dangerous than the mess in Iraq. It probably has at least one to three nuclear weapons already, it is producing both plutonium and uranium, and it is on track to have close to 10 nuclear weapons by the end of this year. Yet because President Bush's policy has failed in North Korea, Washington is determinedly looking the other way. When we next focus on North Korea, after the election, it could be a nuclear Wal-Mart. North Korea not only has genuine nuclear weapons programs, but it is also the model of a rogue state: It gets its U.S. currency by printing it. That's right, it counterfeits excellent American $100 bills. The latest disclosure, via David "Scoop' Sanger of The New York Times, is that the father of Pakistan's bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, claims that North Korea showed him three nuclear weapons in 1999. The Bush administration, after publicizing anything to do with Iraqi WMD, tried to keep that North Korean revelation secret. Khan's report has not been confirmed. But this much is sure: The Bush administration has invaded a country on far less evidence. Worse, North Korea is reprocessing enough plutonium to make an additional half-dozen weapons. It has also restarted one nuclear reactor and will soon replace the fuel rods there, producing enough plutonium for another weapon. All of that activity began during the Bush administration. North Korea is also continuing a uranium enrichment program that it covertly began in the Clinton years. To his credit, Vice President Dick Cheney forthrightly raised concerns about North Korea's nuclear program during his trip to Beijing last week. But the administration still has no effective plan to deal with the crisis. Soft-liners in the administration would like to negotiate a "grand bargain' with North Korea in which Kim Jong Il would accept CVID that's the latest hot term, standing for "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement.' In exchange, the U.S. would present security assurances, and Asian countries would offer bribes of investment, energy and aid. Such a negotiated deal is the only hope, but to hard- liners, it sounds suspiciously Clintonian. Meanwhile, the administration is playing a delaying game with six-party talks in China, and starting working-level talks in the next month through Joseph DeTrani, a former CIA officer and China hand. The DeTrani channel will be an important step forward, but it's difficult to imagine a deal that both the Bush and Kim administrations could agree on and in the meantime, North Korea keeps churning out nukes. "The administration is just trying to kick this can down the road,' said Jonathan Pollack of the Naval War College. "In a funny way, I think both we and the North Koreans are waiting for November.' Resolving this crisis is in the interest of virtually everybody on the planet, with two exceptions: Bush and Kim. They may have nothing else in common, except that their fathers also ran their countries, but they do share an interest in delay. Bush has his hands full with Iraq and doesn't want attention paid to the North Korean nuclear threat that is substantially worsening on his watch. Kim figures that he may as well wait to see whether John Kerry is elected, and he'd also like to finish reprocessing the plutonium and enriching the uranium. While the administration has steadily become more reasonable on North Korea, it still hasn't fully accepted the unpalatable truth: The only possible route out of this crisis is a grand bargain. Bush, who listened way too much to Cheney on the topic of Iraq, should reflect on something Cheney said on his China trip about negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programs: "Time is not necessarily on our side.' -- Nicholas D. Kristof is a columnist for the New York Times. Copyright © 2004 Pasadena Star News Los Angeles ***************************************************************** 4 JoongAng Daily: No nuclear exports, North says 2004.04.25 North Korea's foreign minister, Paek Nam-sun, told a visiting U.S. scholar last week that his country would never transfer nuclear materials or know-how to terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda. He was rebutting an assertion made by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney earlier this month. Selig Harrison, director of the Asia program at the Center for International Policy, quoted Mr. Paek's remarks to the Associated Press on Saturday in Beijing after a trip to North Korea last week. "We denounce Al Qaeda," Mr. Harrison said, quoting the North Korean official. "We will not transfer them because our nuclear program is for self-defense." But Mr. Harrison also added that Kim Yong-nam, the North's nominal head of state, told him that such a policy did not extend to missile exports. Mr. Harrison is the author of the book "Korean Endgame." by Brian Lee africanu@joongang.co.kr> ***************************************************************** 5 JoongAng Daily: North could open up 2004.04.25 Thursday's huge train blast in Yongcheon, North Korea, will worsen the famine-stricken communist nation's already dire economic situation, but it may also work as a trigger to open up the reclusive state, analysts said yesterday. The explosion and fire at the Yongcheon railway station killed more than 160 people. Around 1,300 are said to be injured and the death toll will likely increase, according to North Korean authorities and South Korean intelligence officials. The Yongcheon area in western North Korea is a transportation hub of the country and a center of rice production. The railroad connecting Yongcheon and Pyeongyang in the North and Dandong, China, is the country's core means of transporting food and energy. Oh Seung-yeol, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said yesterday the accident may prevent Pyeongyang from continuing its economic reform schemes. Others said the accident will be a stumbling block for Pyeongyang's project to develop a special economic zone in Sinuiju because the Yongcheon railroad is an important part of the infrastructure needed to develop the zone. But observers also say Pyeongyang may become more open to the world economy. In the aftermath of the disaster, the United States, China, Russia, Japan and the European Union member states have offered assistance, and Pyeongyang is actively seeking help from the international community. Since the North Korean nuclear crisis began in late 2002, the international community had shown reluctance to help North Korea resolve its economic problems. Pyeongyang's state-run Korea Central News Agency on Saturday said, "Many diplomats and members of international organizations here provided relief supplies to us. Such humanitarian aid is encouraging our effort to recover from the disaster." Mr. Oh said, "The accident does have some positive aspects. It will be a good opportunity for the closed North Korean economy to closely cooperate with the world economy." by Min Seong-jae iamfine@joongang.co.kr> ***************************************************************** 6 Reuters: N.Korea Says U.S. Ditching Truce and Raising Tensions Sun Apr 25, 2004 04:15 AM ET By Martin Nesirky SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea accused the United States on Sunday of abandoning a 50-year-old truce by deciding to withdraw its forces from the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean peninsula. But U.S. and South Korean officials said the North Korean military, in a statement issued by the official KCNA news agency, had misconstrued Washington's position on the Demilitarized Zone and the truce village of Panmunjom. They said Washington had no intention of giving up its command in the truce village. The Panmunjom mission of the Korean People's Army -- North Korea's 1.1-million strong military -- said in its statement the United States had announced "all of a sudden" it was withdrawing completely from the Demilitarized Zone and the so-called Joint Security Area that straddles the border in the truce village. "The report is completely factually in error," U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Deborah Bertrand said. "The United States retains its presence in and command of the Joint Security Area." Bertrand was speaking for the U.S. Forces in Korea, the United Nations Command that enforces the Armistice Agreement and the Combined Forces Command that brings together the U.S. and South Korean military. A South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman said by telephone the number of U.S. soldiers in the Joint Security Area was to be reduced from 150 to 40 by the end of October, but the United States would retain command because South Korea is not a signatory to the Armistice Agreement. After the change in the number of soldiers, the U.S. contingent will make up about seven percent rather than 30 percent of the 500-strong force there. Overall, the South Korean military is about 680,000 strong. The United States has 37,500 troops in the South to help deter the North. WRONG END OF STICK "North Korea appears to have misunderstood the details of the duty transfer to South Korea," the South Korean spokesman said. The North Korean statement reiterated the official view that U.S. forces are upgrading their equipment and staging exercises ahead of an attack to thwart Pyongyang's nuclear weapons plans. "The U.S. decision to take even its small force out of the JSA in Panmunjom and DMZ against this backdrop indicates that the U.S. preparations for a preemptive attack upon the DPRK are under way at a final phase," it said. "The gravity of the unilateral measure taken by the U.S. forces side without any consultation with the KPA side, a signatory to the Armistice Agreement, lies not in taking the small force out of the JSA and DMZ but in giving up its status as a signatory to the Armistice Agreement through this action." DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Armistice Agreement is the truce that was signed in 1953 to end three years of fighting in the Korean War. That means the two sides are still technically at war. The U.S. and North Korean military have contact through liaison meetings and telephone calls at Panmunjom, where burly South Korean guards in sunglasses under U.S. command face off against scowling North Korean guards. The North Korean statement said its military would take unspecified strong measures to ensure security in the Demilitarized Zone and said any hiatus in contacts "would push the situation to a very grave phase of tension." The United States has said it will hand over its last outpost in the Demilitarized Zone -- Observation Post Ouellette overlooking the North near Panmunjom -- this year as part of its reshuffle of forces in South Korea. But its role in the Joint Security Area will remain unchanged. (Additional reporting by Kim Miyoung) c Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 7 [DU-WATCH] General Myers comments on DU Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 00:11:18 -0500 (CDT) http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2854077.php April 23, 2004 Depleted-uranium testing standards face scrutiny, Myers says By Jane McHugh Times staff writer Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers promised to look into the methods used for testing soldiers redeploying from Iraq for depleted uranium. "We need to monitor and make sure we don't overlook things that could create problems later on," Myers said April 20 at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Myers was responding to a question from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., about the New York National Guard's 442nd Military Police Company, 12 of whose soldiers have complained of symptoms that mirror radiation exposure. An investigation by The New York Daily News showed that four of the soldiers were contaminated with radiation likely caused by dust from depleted uranium shells fired by U.S. troops. But Army Col. (Dr.) Dallas Hack, chief preventive medicine officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, said recently that more than 1,000 soldiers that returned from Iraq had been tested for exposure to depleted uranium. Of those, he said, only three tested above the levels in the average U.S. population but the levels were not high enough to warrant medical attention. But there's a chance the soldiers who did not test positive for "DPU" could have it because the instrumentation methods used for testing it in the United States isn't very accurate, the newspaper reported. Myers promised he would look into ways Japan and Germany, which have more advanced tests, might pick up signs of DPU that are not detectable in Army and federal government tests. The 12 soldiers, who were medevaced out of Iraq for other injuries, have complained of symptoms such as sleeplessness, headaches and blood in the urine, Clinton said. Last week, an Army medical doctor told Army Times the entire company will be tested. The company recently returned to Fort Dix, N.J. from deployment. Back to top Be the first to comment on this story. Printer Friendly Version ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/Sj.0lB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 8 WorldNetDaily: Tenet's 'slam-dunk' Posted: April 24, 2004 © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Ernest Hemingway once defined "sin" as "something you feel bad about, afterwards." On the evidence presented in Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies," and in Bob Woodward's "Plan of Attack," Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet ought to have a terminal case of the feel-bads. There are sins of omission. If DCI Tenet knew in the summer of 2001 that al-Qaida posed an imminent threat to us and did not adequately communicate that threat to President Bush, shouldn't Tenet now have trouble sleeping at night? Then, there are sins of commission. If DCI Tenet knew in the fall of 2002 that Saddam Hussein had no nukes or chembio weapons and was not a threat to us, yet assured President Bush the opposite was true, shouldn't he fell bad enough to resign? According to Bob Woodward, President Bush insists he had not made a final decision to attack Iraq in early December of 2002. He had found "less than convincing" what he had been told about Saddam Hussein's alleged attempts to reconstitute nuke and chem-bio programs. Recall that Gen. Hussein Kamal, director of Saddam's nuke and chem-bio weapons programs (and also Saddam's son-in-law), had defected to Jordan back in 1995, carrying with him thousands of supporting documents. Kamal was extensively debriefed by U.N. inspectors and by the CIA. Tenet was then deputy director of the CIA. Kamal reported that Iraqis had destroyed all Iran-Iraq War chemical and biological agents and weapons, including the missiles to deliver them. The International Atomic Energy Agency had discovered and destroyed what remained of the unsuccessful Iraqi nuke program. Quoth Kamal, "nothing remained." By 1998, the U.N. inspectors were able to report to the U.N. Security Council that Kamal had indeed told the truth. Whereupon several members proposed that the "sanctions" imposed on Iraq in 1991 be lifted. President Clinton refused to allow it, claiming he had "intelligence" to the contrary about Saddam's WMD programs. Tenet had become DCI in 1997. Then, without sharing that "intelligence" with the Security Council – as he was obliged to do, Clinton proceeded to unilaterally bomb the gee-whiz out of Saddam's many palaces. As the bombing was an obvious attempt to assassinate him, Saddam didn't allow U.N. inspectors to return to Iraq until Nov. 18, 2002. After checking out many alleged "WMD sites," the U.N. inspectors reported – as they continued to do, each month, right up till the eve of the invasion – that they could find no "indication" that there had been any attempts to reconstruct Iraq's WMD programs or facilities since 1991, much less since 1998. According to Woodward, the media reports of smiling Iraqis leading inspectors around, opening up buildings and saying, "See, there's nothing here," infuriated Bush, who then would read intelligence reports showing the Iraqis were moving and concealing things. He was told the "things" the Iraqis were moving and concealing were probably WMD. Finding that "less than convincing," Bush asked for a more detailed briefing by CIA Deputy Director John E. McLaughlin, which took place on Dec. 21 , 2002. McLaughlin's version used communications intercepts, satellite photos, diagrams and other intelligence. "Nice try," Bush said when the CIA official was finished. "I don't think this quite – it's not something that Joe Public would understand or would gain a lot of confidence from." He then turned to Tenet, McLaughlin's boss, and said, "I've been told all this intelligence about having WMD, and this is the best we've got?" "It's a slam-dunk case," Tenet replied, throwing his arms in the air. Bush pressed him again. "George, how confident are you?" "Don't worry, it's a slam dunk," Tenet repeated. In December 1998, President Clinton had just been impeached by the House for perjuring himself about the nature of his relationship with Monica-chubby and desperately wanted something else on the evening news. In December 2002, President Bush was looking for an excuse for invading and occupying Iraq that "Joe Public" would buy. So each president must have rejoiced – or at least slept better – when DCI Tenet confidently assured them he had "slam-dunk" intelligence that the Iraqis were lying and that the U.N. inspectors were gullible incompetents. But should they have? Would you have slept better if you had known on Christmas Eve, 2002, that DCI Tenet had confidently assured President Bush a few days before that Saddam had chem-bio weapons, would soon have nukes and would probably give them to al-Qaida? Do you sleep better, now, knowing that George Tenet is still director of Central Intelligence? Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. -- ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. [WorldNetDaily.com] webmaster@worldnetdaily.com --> news@worldnetdaily.com--> Contact WND ***************************************************************** 9 MNS: Our Hidden WMD Program - Why Bush is spending so much on nuclear weapons. By Fred Kaplan MSN Home [http://g.msn.com war stories Military analysis. Posted Friday, April 23, 2004, at 3:41 PM PT The budget is busted; American soldiers need more armor; they're running out of supplies. Yet the Department of Energy is spending an astonishing $6.5 billion on nuclear weapons this year, and President Bush is requesting $6.8 billion more for next year and a total of $30 billion over the following four years. This does not include his much-cherished missile-defense program, by the way. This is simply for the maintenance, modernization, development, and production of nuclear bombs and warheads. Measured in "real dollars" (that is, adjusting for inflation), this year's spending on nuclear activities is equal to what Ronald Reagan spent at the height of the U.S.-Soviet standoff. It exceeds by over 50 percent the average annual sum ($4.2 billion) that the United States spent—again, in real dollars—throughout the four and a half decades of the Cold War. There is no nuclear arms race going on now. The world no longer offers many suitable nuclear targets. President Bush is trying to persuade other nations—especially "rogue regimes"—to forgo their nuclear ambitions. Yet he is shoveling money to U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories as if the Soviet Union still existed and the Cold War still raged. These are the findings of a virtually unnoticed report [http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/weaponeers/weaponeers.pdf] written by weapons analyst Christopher Paine, based on data from official budget documents, and released earlier this month by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report raises anew a question that always springs to mind after a close look at the U.S. military budget: What the hell is going on here? Specifically: Do we really need to be spending this kind of money on nuclear weapons? What role do nuclear weapons play in 21st-century military policy? How many weapons do we need, to deter what sort of attack or to hit what sorts of targets, with what level of confidence, for what strategic and tactical purposes? These are questions that haven't been seriously addressed in this country for 30 years. It may be time for a new look. Ten years ago, spending on nuclear activities amounted to $3.4 billion, half of today's sum. In President Clinton's last budget, it totaled $5.2 billion, still one-third less than this year's. (All figures are adjusted for inflation and expressed in 2004 dollars.) Have new threats emerged that can be handled only by a vast expansion or improvement of the U.S. nuclear arsenal? Has our nuclear stockpile deteriorated by a startling degree? There's no evidence that either is the case. Yet Paine quotes a statement from the National Nuclear Security Administration—the quasi-independent agency of the Energy Department that's in charge of the atomic stockpile—declaring, as its goal, "to revitalize the nuclear weapons manufacturing infrastructure." Its guidance on this point is the Bush administration's Nuclear Posture Review [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/policy/dod/npr.htm] of December 2001, which stated that U.S. strategic nuclear forces must provide "a range of options" not merely to deter but "to defeat any aggressor." The one aspect of this reorientation that's attracted some attention is the development of a "robust nuclear earth-penetrator" (RNEP)—a warhead that can burrow deep into the earth before exploding, in order to destroy underground bunkers. The U.S. Air Force currently has some non-nuclear earth-penetrators, but they can't burrow deeply enough or explode powerfully enough to destroy some known bunkers. There's a legitimate debate over whether we would need to destroy such bunkers or whether it would be good enough to disable them—a feat that the conventional bunker-busters could accomplish. There's a broader question still over whether an American president really would, or should, be the first to fire nuclear weapons in wartime, no matter how tempting the tactical advantage. The point here, however, is that this new nuclear weapon is fast becoming a reality. As chronicled in a recent report [http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/RL32347.pdf] by the Congressional Research Service, when Bush started the RNEP program two years ago, it was labeled as strictly a research project. Its budget was a mere $6.1 million in Fiscal Year 2003 and $7.1 million for FY 04. Now, all of a sudden, the administration has posted a five-year plan for the program amounting, from FY 2005-09, to $485 million. The FY05 budget alone earmarks $27.5 million to begin "development ground tests" on "candidate weapon designs." This isn't research; it's a real weapon in the works. Paine's report cites other startlers that have eluded all notice outside the cognoscenti. For instance, the Energy Department is building a massive $4 billion-$6 billion proton accelerator in order to produce more tritium, the heavy hydrogen isotope that boosts the explosive yield of a nuclear weapon. (Tritium is the hydrogen that makes a hydrogen bomb.) Tritium does decay; eventually, it will have to be refurbished to ensure that, say, a 100-kiloton bomb really explodes with 100 kilotons of force. But Paine calculates that the current U.S. stockpile doesn't require any new tritium until at least 2012. If the stockpile is reduced to the level required under the terms of the most recent strategic arms treaty, none is needed until 2022. Similar questions are raised about the Energy Department's plans to spend billions on new plutonium pits, high-energy fusion lasers, and supercomputer systems. There is some debate within the administration over such matters, but it's a peculiar debate. For instance, some Pentagon officials favor spending $2 billion over the next five years to do a complete makeover on the W-76 warhead inside the U.S. Navy's Trident I missile—giving it an option to explode on the surface, improving its accuracy so it could blow up a blast-hardened missile silo, and so forth. The Trident I is an old missile; it's scheduled to be warehoused in the next few years. But Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has advocated "modernizing" even the "reserve stockpile" of nukes. Opposing this view, many Energy Department officials want to spend less money on these "legacy" weapons and invest it instead on a new generation of smaller, more agile nukes. The official inside debate, in other words, is whether to build new nuclear weapons that are more usable in modern warfare or whether to do that and make the old nuclear weapons more usable, too. A broader debate—over whether to go down this twisted road generally—has not yet begun. Fred Kaplan writes the "War Stories" column for Slate. ©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms ***************************************************************** 10 Maine Today: Nuclear 'oops!' could do us in Activist Helen Caldicott, in Portland Saturday, says nuclear weapons stockpiles should concern us more. --> [http://www.mainetoday.com] Sunday, April 25, 2004 By KEVIN WACK, Portland Press Herald Writer Helen Caldicott, one of the world's leading anti-nuclear activists, warned of the continuing global threat posed by U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles in a speech Saturday in Portland. The former Cold War rivals still have thousands of nuclear weapons aimed at each other, and a single mistake could result in mutual annihilation, she said. "Anything that happens in the world that triggers anxiety could blow us all off the face of the Earth," Caldicott said. "No one knows about it now. In the Eighties, people were scared out of their brains." The 65-year-old Australian activist and author, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, spoke at a three-day conference on the militarization of space at Woodfords Congregational Church. Caldicott, who is a physician, discussed her 35-year campaign against nuclear weapons as an outgrowth of her medical training. "This is a medical issue," she said. "I'm a conservative. I'm for conserving life on the planet." She later used the medical analogy in response to a question about the nuclear intentions of international terrorist groups and nations such as Iran and North Korea. "You're concentrating on the rash, and not the fact that you're dying from cancer," Caldicott said in an interview after the speech. "We need to abolish nuclear weapons." Much of her speech dealt with problems of command and control, especially inside Russia's aging nuclear program. Such issues, she said, could lead to a mistaken belief that the country is under attack, prompting a quick-trigger decision to launch a retaliatory strike. In 1995, the launch of a joint U.S.-Norwegian research rocket prompted an alert in Russia that led then-President Boris Yeltsin to activate his nuclear-command suitcase. Caldicott pointed to the incident as the kind of blunder that could wipe out the human race. "I quite honestly don't know how we're still here," she said. "I can't imagine turning this planet into a lump of rock like Mars. ... But it could happen tonight - by accident, not by design." Caldicott called the public totally uninformed about the continuing nuclear threat. She blamed the news media, citing its sparse coverage of that near-miss in 1995. "There's a conspiracy of silence in this country," she said. "The media will not look at this. It's more like, 'North Korea's got three bombs."' Caldicott's latest book is titled "The New Nuclear Danger: George Bush's Military-Industrial Complex." And while she was harshly critical of Bush and members of his administration, she expressed no hope that the situation would improve with a Democrat in the White House. "Don't believe that if John Kerry gets in, he'll fix it," said Caldicott, who now lives in Washington, D.C. "The issue is for us to fix it." Caldicott's comments were well received by an audience that included many longtime peace activists. "I think that I'm pretty well-read and educated on foreign policy," said Dud Hendrick of Deer Isle. "But she educated me with this speech." Caroline LaJeunesse of South Portland said the talk brought her to tears. Caldicott's assessment of the nuclear threat as a medical problem resonated with her. "This is an issue of saving the planet - our number-one health-care issue," LaJeunesse said. Sponsors of the conference, called "Resisting Empire: Understanding the Role of Space in U.S. Global Domination," include Maine Veterans for Peace and Peace Action Maine. Staff Writer Kevin Wack can be contacted at 282-8226 or at: kwack@pressherald.com [kwack@pressherald.com] Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. ***************************************************************** 11 The Return of Vanunu Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 00:09:38 -0500 (CDT) The Return of Vanunu (from: http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=1733) By Israel Adam Shamir - April 21, 2004 Vanunu Mordechai says we don't need a Jewish state. Ashkelon is a peaceful small town to the south of Tel Aviv and to the north of Gaza, rebuilt after 1948 on the ruins of the old Palestinian town. White houses and white sand give it its clean look. Its high-security jail is also painted white, though it is far from idyllic place. Today the Mossad-operated jail returned Ashkelon into news for the first time since Richard Coeur-de-Lion took it from Saladin. For 18 long years until today Mordechai Vanunu was buried alive in its super-secret Agaf Seven, ever since he was kidnapped in Europe by Mossad spies and illegally brought to be tried and imprisoned here. Vanunu committed a double crime for he defied the Jewish state by disclosing the secret of its evil nuclear might and by embracing Christ. For this he was kept in solitary confinement; hour upon hour, day upon day, year after year under lidless eyes of Mossad watchers. This would be enough to break spirit of an ordinary man, to drive him into release of insanity, as his tormentors wished. But they failed for he was not an ordinary man. Born into a working-class Sephardic Jewish family in arid Negev, Vanunu witnessed persecution of the native Palestinians, and he felt compassion for them. This brotherly compassion for goyim, frowned upon in the Jewish tradition, brought him to Christ. He could not continue working at Dimona, the place where Israel makes weapons of mass destruction. He openly broke with Jewish omerta, denounced evil, and made his fellow citizens and the world aware of huge nuclear arsenal accumulated in the underground storages to threaten the world peace. A Christian has some qualities of Christ, and witness of Vanunu made him a Christian martyr. Jews are not a forgiving lot, and they are not likely to forgive a man who broke free. In order to make this religious meaning of his trial clear to all, the judges sentenced Vanunu for 18 years, to be immured alive, for 18 means alive in Hebrew. Many Jews wear the sign of 18, or Chai on their necks, where Christians wear cross. Do you know what this sign means? Daniel McGowan of Deir Yassin Remembered was asked by a policeman, and replied: it is the sentence you gave Vanunu. But 18 years passed, and today Vanunu came back to life. It was a moment of supreme elation reminiscent of Resurrection Sunday, when the white doves flew over the white prison, and crowds chanted in front of the gate of heavy iron bars guarding the entrance to Ashkelon jail. He approached the gate, grasped its bars as if wishing to break free, pulled his strong body up and looked at us, at his friends who came to see him coming out alive, and at his enemies who called for his blood. There was no Hollywood smile of a released prisoner. Not a timid lamb anymore, but Son of Man who saw death and came back. His face was stern and grim in the blue frame of the iron bars, like that of Christ breaking the Gates of Hell on an old icon. He turned to the TV crews and spoke to them, at first in his heavily accented Sephardic Hebrew, then in English: I want to tell you something very important. I suffered here 18 years because I am a Christian, because I was baptised into Christianity. If I was a Jew I wouldn't have all this suffering here in isolation for 18 years. Only because I was a Christian Vanunu Mordechai says we don't need a Jewish state. Vanunu Mordechai doesn't want to live in Israel and doesn't need a Jewish state. I am a symbol of the will of freedom. You cannot break the human spirit. Kill him! yelled the Jewish crowd, braying for blood, like in Mel Gibsons film. They raised their signs declaring Kill the traitor. But the prey escaped them: in a minute, his car took him into safe sanctuary of St George cathedral, the Anglican Neo-Gothic building in East Jerusalem, where kind Bishop Riah expected him. Thus Vanunu confirmed in his own words and deeds: Christ is the symbol of compassion to our fellow men and thus of rebellion against the Jewish rule, the symbol of unvanquished human spirit that is akin to God. Probably the bravest man alive, he reminded me that God became Man so a Man can become God (in words of St Athanasius). I thought of my friend Gilad Atzmon in London and of other good people who rebelled against the archaic spirit of dominance; of endless arguments whether Christ is relevant for our struggle in Palestine, arguments Vanunu answered so eloquently. In 1986, when Vanunu was arrested, I wrote in the socialist newspaper Al Hamishmar, Vanunu was my spy, for he spied for me the dark secrets of the Zionist establishment. But he returned with even more important message, that of spirit. Years ago, he revealed to us the weapons of our enemies; now he revealed our secret weapon in the battle for Palestine, that of Christ. And this battle goes on: while white doves flew over the prison, the Jewish tanks bombarded towns of Gaza, a few miles away, killing innocent civilians. He also revealed complicity of the American and European pseudo-Christians in the plot. Vanunu told us he was trapped not by Mossad but by a CIA agent for his revelations were mightily embarrassing for the US, for the country that forced the world to disarm while turning its blind eye to Dimona nuclear facility. Even now the US authorities promised to keep an eye on Vanunu so he wont embarrass them even more. Italys Berlusconi, this great friend of Sharon and Bush, did not move a finger to save the man kidnapped on Italian soil. This question should be discussed in the election campaign in the US: it is not too late for Americans to reject the accomplices of the Zionist warmongers. Yes, Vanunu is right: The time has come to end this silence and secret cooperation by the West, the United States, Canada and all Europe helping Israel and co-operating with Israel's secrets... It is not too late for us, the Israelis to listen to this man and to agree with him: we do not need a Jewish state; we need a state of compassion. -- A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. --Martin Luther King, 4/4/1967, Riverside Church, New York City ***************************************************************** 12 Vanunu: The Fallout Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 18:24:09 -0500 (CDT) http://www.sundayherald.com/41523 Glasgow Herald, Sunday April 25 Mordechai Vanunu spent 18 years in prison for blowing the whistle on Israel's secret nuclear programme. His release last week has now re-ignited the storm over the state's atomic weapons stockpile. Investigations Editor Neil Mackay reports THERE was more than one reason for the Israeli government rekindling its long-standing hatred of Mordechai Vanunu as he walked out of Shikma prison in the town of Ashkelon on Wednesday at 11.10 in the morning. The resurgent hatred isn't just down to the fact that Vanunu is seen by the Israeli government as the nation's worst ever spy -- a traitor who blew the whistle on the country s secret nuclear weapons programme in 1986 -- a crime for which he served 18 years in jail, with 11 of those in solitary. Israel has been dreading the release of Vanunu for quite a different reason: the government knew and feared that Vanunu s release would re-ignite the international clamour surrounding Israel's covert nuclear weapons programme. Israel was right to be worried. Almost immediately after Vanunu walked to freedom, the eyes of the world turned to concerns surrounding what is happening within the high-security walls of the Dimona nuclear research centre in the Negev desert -- the very facility which Vanunu exposed as a nuclear bomb production plant almost two decades ago. When Vanunu gave his story to The Sunday Times all those years ago, Israel's foreign secret service, Mossad, lured him to Rome with a classic honey trap after a female agent seduced him. He was drugged, beaten and shipped to Israel, where his trial was held behind closed doors. Vanunu says that during his detention his captors tried to drive him mad using techniques like isolation and burning lights in his cell for 24 hours a day. Little has changed in nearly two decades. Today, only three nations in the world are not signatories to the groundbreaking Nuclear Weapons Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT): Israel, India and Pakistan. Israel is still creating nuclear weapons 18 years after Vanunu exposed its active programme. It is believed that the nation may have up to 300 warheads, which would give Israel a greater nuclear arsenal than the United Kingdom. United Nations resolutions have called on Israel to place its nuclear facilities under international observers and for the establishment of a nuclear-free Middle East. The calls have been ignored. Dr Mohammed El Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- the UN's nuclear weapons inspection team -- and one of the world's leading diplomats, criticised Israel for its nuclear weapons programme. A diplomatic source close to El Baradei said: "El Baradei says that we need to get beyond the current narrow legislative point of view that we take when it comes to nations which have not signed up to the NPT." "We need to treat the acquisition of nuclear weapons like we would treat slavery. It is just unacceptable. If nuclear proliferation is banned then it must be banned for all countries, not just those who signed the treaty." El Baradei makes this comparison with slavery because that is how strongly he feels. He feels that violating a commitment on nuclear weapons is much different to breaking any other form of treaty. If someone breaks a treaty on trade it is not going to be a threat to international peace. But a country that illegally acquires nuclear weapons poses a threat to world security. "The question of nuclear weapons is of the greatest magnitude, therefore we have to treat it differently than any other international issue." As Israel has not signed the NPT, it is impossible for weapons inspectors to check any of the country's suspected nuclear facilities. "The international community has little or no accurate knowledge of what Israel does or doesn't have." a senior Western diplomatic source at the UN said. Israeli nukes are the worst kept secret on Earth. On Friday, Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, came close to ending decades of secrecy when he said that the United States recognised that Israel needed a credible deterrent to Iran and other hostile countries. "They understand that Israel's existence is still in danger," he said. Israel has always maintained a policy of "ambiguity" on the bomb -- neither confirming nor denying that it has nuclear weapons. The senior Western diplomatic source added: "It's now 34 years since the NPT was signed. There needs to be political will to push Israel into compliance and that must come from countries making decisions collectively through the UN." Tomorrow dozens of representatives from the 188 countries which have signed the NPT will meet at the UN s headquarters in New York and call for Israel to destroy its nuclear arsenal and join the NPT nations. Of the 188 NPT nations only five are legally deemed nuclear-weapon states: the US, Russia, France, UK and China. More countries have ratified the NPT than any other arms agreement in world history. Silvana De Silva, of the UN's department of disarmament affairs, acts as secretary of the NPT committee. She said: "The three non-signatory states [Israel, India and Pakistan] will be called on to join the treaty. They will be called on to give up their weapons and join the other states." "The issue of the universality of the treaty is central to any meeting of the NPT states. Israel, Pakistan and India will certainly be discussed." The Sunday Herald has been told that the NPT meeting at the UN will be characterised by "lots of Arab anger and pointed comments" regarding Israel's nuclear weapons. "The Arabs are furious with Sharon and the heat will go up on Israel to sign up to the NPT and for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East," one expert said. David Albright is probably the world's leading authority on the Israeli nuclear programme. He is a former UN weapons inspector and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington DC. His organisation has worked as a consultancy for the IAEA. Albright says Israel is still producing large amounts of weapons-grade plutonium at the Dimona facility, which has been operating for 40 years. Over its lifetime, he estimates, Dimona could have produced up to 650kg of plutonium. Although he believes that Israel could have overtaken the UK as a nuclear power (the UK has around 200 bombs, and Israel, Albright says, could have up to 300 bombs), the physicist tends toward a more conservative estimate of Israel possessing 150 nuclear weapons. "Weapons from the 60s and 70s have been retired and replaced and that has kept up the need for plutonium coming off the production line," said Albright. The maximum range of Israel's best rockets -- the Jericho II -- can reach Russia. However, the country could also be developing cruise missiles, which would make its nuclear capacity much more deadly. "The Israeli nuclear strategy is far from certain, Albright added. "We believe that they view the bomb as a doomsday weapon which would be employed to save the state of Israel from destruction. However, there is speculation that the military may be moving to a "counter force doctrinE" which would see nuclear weapons being used to hit military targets." The big concern, says Albright, is the ability of Israel to hold the US hostage. In the cold war, Israel was able to target Russia and could therefore threaten the Soviet Union if it helped the Arabs. That scared the US so much that it was ready to intervene early on Israel's side should any confrontation have occurred. With Pakistan now a nuclear power, the same scenario could be played out today. If Pakistan aided enemies of Israel, it could threaten the Islamic country and force the US to step in on the side of Israel to prevent nuclear war. That could also see China, another nuclear power, dragged into a conflict with terrifying global implications. US intelligence services are terrified about the full facts of the Israeli nuclear programme becoming known by the Islamic world, believing that if the exact details of Israel's stockpiles were revealed it could easily force Iran to dramatically increase the pace and scope of its own nuclear programme. The current "big question" regarding Israel's programme is whether or not it has established a uranium-enrichment plant at Dimona. Albright suspects the Israelis may have developed gas centrifuges with this end in mind. "On paper the US is committed to getting Israel to sign the NPT, but this administration doesn t really care in practice," he said. "They see the nations of the world as either friends or enemies and they don't want to bother about what is in the arsenals of their friends." The administration is, however, debating internally whether or not to put pressure on Tel Aviv to sign up to an international agreement entitled the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), which would effectively ban all signatories from producing plutonium and uranium for bombs. Washington believes this may be one way to deal with Israel, India and Pakistan. "Israel has told the US it opposes this," said Albright. "The US is under a lot of pressure to look fair on the international stage even though [Israel signing the FMCT] may not be something that the administration actually wants." Whether the FMCT comes to pass or not is fairly irrelevant as there is no element of verification in the treaty. So Israel or India could say they were not producing any fissile material when they were, in fact, still continuing to run plutonium off the production line. It could be nothing more than "a paper exercise", Albright said. With India and Pakistan rapidly gaining warheads -- top estimates put Pakistan at 90 bombs and India at 110 -- Albright says any delay in pushing through the FMCT is a mistake. "We're not strong critics of Israel," he said. "We want them to sign the NPT and FMCT but we aren't pushing them. It is important to keep the pressure on. We want to keep their arsenal as small as possible and we also want to tamp down the nuclear ambitions of other states in the area. A nuclear-free zone in the Middle East is our goal. "The US has dropped the ball. We need to keep Israel aware that one day they will have to give these things up, not that they will be able to grow their arsenal. We certainly don't want to see Israel as the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world." Ironically, Albright believes the recent invasion of Iraq could be a catalyst for the West forcing Israel to comply with the views of the international community on its nuclear weapons. "Israel said in the 1990s that nothing could change until Iraq and Iran were dealt with," said Albright. "Well, now Iraq has been dealt with, Iran is being dealt with and Israel is feeling very on edge as Arabs can now say that the threats from Iraq and Iran are non-existent. It is time to start talking." In the 18 years since Mordechai Vanunu vanished inside the Israeli penal system it seems, then, that little, if anything, has changed. Vanunu told the world that Israel had sophisticated weapons of mass destruction and the world was shocked and angry -- those facts remain the same today. Nothing said or done on the world's stage then, or now, has changed Israeli policy; the nation will not abandon its weapons, it will not allow inspectors into Dimona and it will not sign up to international treaties seeking disarmament -- certainly not without sustained pressure, supported by America, within the United Nations. When Vanunu emerged into freedom last week, he was greeted by simultaneous cries of "traitor" and "hero" (he was once nominated for a Nobel prize) . To the Israeli government he is still a traitor; for the man who spilled their secrets has come back to haunt them -- his thing the Sharon government wants to deal with. To many, though, Vanunu is still a hero, a man one step down, some have said, from Nelson Mandela -- a man who sacrificed his freedom 18 years ago to tell the world about Israel's secrets and who now, nearly two decades later, has forced the world's nations to think once again about what lies at the heart of the Dimona facility and what risks those secrets pose to the safety of the entire planet. 25 April 2004 ***************************************************************** 13 JoongAng Daily: Power company chief eyeing China market 2004.04.25 The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. hopes to satisfy China's soaring demand for energy by exporting nuclear power plants, Han Joon-ho, chief executive of the company, said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo Friday. Mr. Han took office a month ago. He said that he would work on exporting power generation to foreign markets. "China, with its rapid growth, needs power stations with a 30 million kilowatt per year capacity; water power and steam power plants cannot meet that demand," Mr. Han said. "The technological levels of Korean nuclear power plants have reached global standards, and I believe we can enter the Chinese market successfully if we form a consortium with private companies such as Hyundai, Samsung and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction," he said. Korea Electric Power Corp. is expected to sign a contract with China to construct a 50,000 kilowatt steam power plant in Henan province. But it has not yet built a nuclear power plant in China. Mr. Han said that if the company sells nuclear power plants worth, on average, 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion), it can additionally export power transmission and electric power supply plants. "Nuclear power is attractive because the supply of uranium is abundant and the cost is low," he said. "We are also planning to increase the number of nuclear power plants in Korea." He said the company would construct new nuclear power stations in Uljin and Wolsung, where plants already exist, and would generously compensate affected residents. Costs incurred by Kepco's steam power plants have increased due to price hikes in crude petroleum and bituminous coal, and a government-mandated decrease in electricity prices last month, he said. "Electricity bills will probably rise late this year, although we will seek cost reductions through streamlining management," he added. Mr. Han said that it would be difficult to list Korea South-East Power, one of its power generating affiliates, on Seoul's stock market this year. It had planned to list in February, but the plan was delayed due to price disagreements. He said that securities firms proposed 15,500 won per share for the initial public offering, whereas its book value is 27,400 won. If it sold at the price suggested by securities companies, it would incur a 238 billion won loss. Mr. Han, who formerly headed two small business associations, said he would strengthen cooperation between Korea Electric Power Corp. and small and middle-sized companies. He said that the power company would adopt new technologies developed by smaller companies, and would transfer its own new technologies to them for free. by Chang Se-jeong sungha@joongang.co.kr> ***************************************************************** 14 Sunday Herald: Vanunu: The Fallout - 25 April 2004 Mordechai Vanunu spent 18 years in prison for blowing the whistle on Israels secret nuclear programme. His release last week has now re-ignited the storm over the states atomic weapons stockpile. Investigations Editor Neil Mackay reports THERE was more than one reason for the Israeli government rekindling its long-standing hatred of Mordechai Vanunu as he walked out of Shikma prison in the town of Ashkelon on Wednesday at 11.10 in the morning. The resurgent hatred isnt just down to the fact that Vanunu is seen by the Israeli government as the nations worst ever spy a traitor who blew the whistle on the countrys secret nuclear weapons programme in 1986 a crime for which he served 18 years in jail, with 11 of those in solitary. Israel has been dreading the release of Vanunu for quite a different reason: the government knew and feared that Vanunus release would re-ignite the international clamour surrounding Israels covert nuclear weapons programme. Israel was right to be worried. Almost immediately after Vanunu walked to freedom, the eyes of the world turned to concerns surrounding what is happening within the high-security walls of the Dimona nuclear research centre in the Negev desert the very facility which Vanunu exposed as a nuclear bomb production plant almost two decades ago. When Vanunu gave his story to The Sunday Times all those years ago, Israels foreign secret service, Mossad, lured him to Rome with a classic honey trap after a female agent seduced him. He was drugged, beaten and shipped to Israel, where his trial was held behind closed doors. Vanunu says that during his detention his captors tried to drive him mad using techniques like isolation and burning lights in his cell for 24 hours a day. Little has changed in nearly two decades. Today, only three nations in the world are not signatories to the groundbreaking Nuclear Weapons Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT): Israel, India and Pakistan. Israel is still creating nuclear weapons 18 years after Vanunu exposed its active programme. It is believed that the nation may have up to 300 warheads, which would give Israel a greater nuclear arsenal than the United Kingdom. United Nations resolutions have called on Israel to place its nuclear facilities under international observers and for the establishment of a nuclear-free Middle East. The calls have been ignored. Dr Mohammed El Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the UNs nuclear weapons inspection team and one of the worlds leading diplomats, criticised Israel for its nuclear weapons programme. A diplomatic source close to El Baradei said: El Baradei says that we need to get beyond the current narrow legislative point of view that we take when it comes to nations which have not signed up to the NPT. We need to treat the acquisition of nuclear weapons like we would treat slavery. It is just unacceptable. If nuclear proliferation is banned then it must be banned for all countries, not just those who signed the treaty. El Baradei makes this comparison with slavery because that is how strongly he feels. He feels that violating a commitment on nuclear weapons is much different to breaking any other form of treaty. If someone breaks a treaty on trade it is not going to be a threat to international peace. But a country that illegally acquires nuclear weapons poses a threat to world security. The question of nuclear weapons is of the greatest magnitude, therefore we have to treat it differently than any other international issue. As Israel has not signed the NPT, it is impossible for weapons inspectors to check any of the countrys suspected nuclear facilities. The international community has little or no accurate knowledge of what Israel does or doesnt have, a senior Western diplomatic source at the UN said. Israeli nukes are the worst kept secret on Earth. On Friday, Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, came close to ending decades of secrecy when he said that the United States recognised that Israel needed a credible deterrent to Iran and other hostile countries. They understand that Israels existence is still in danger, he said. Israel has always maintained a policy of ambiguity on the bomb neither confirming nor denying that it has nuclear weapons. The senior Western diplomatic source added: Its now 34 years since the NPT was signed. There needs to be political will to push Israel into compliance and that must come from countries making decisions collectively through the UN. Tomorrow dozens of representatives from the 188 countries which have signed the NPT will meet at the UNs headquarters in New York and call for Israel to destroy its nuclear arsenal and join the NPT nations. Of the 188 NPT nations only five are legally deemed nuclear-weapon states: the US, Russia, France, UK and China. More countries have ratified the NPT than any other arms agreement in world history. Silvana De Silva, of the UNs department of disarmament affairs, acts as secretary of the NPT committee. She said: The three non-signatory states [Israel, India and Pakistan] will be called on to join the treaty. They will be called on to give up their weapons and join the other states. The issue of the universality of the treaty is central to any meeting of the NPT states. Israel, Pakistan and India will certainly be discussed. The Sunday Herald has been told that the NPT meeting at the UN will be characterised by lots of Arab anger and pointed comments regarding Israels nuclear weapons. The Arabs are furious with Sharon and the heat will go up on Israel to sign up to the NPT and for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, one expert said. David Albright is probably the worlds leading authority on the Israeli nuclear programme. He is a former UN weapons inspector and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington DC. His organisation has worked as a consultancy for the IAEA. Albright says Israel is still producing large amounts of weapons-grade plutonium at the Dimona facility, which has been operating for 40 years. Over its lifetime, he estimates, Dimona could have produced up to 650kg of plutonium. Although he believes that Israel could have overtaken the UK as a nuclear power (the UK has around 200 bombs, and Israel, Albright says, could have up to 300 bombs), the physicist tends toward a more conservative estimate of Israel possessing 150 nuclear weapons. Weapons from the 60s and 70s have been retired and replaced and that has kept up the need for plutonium coming off the production line, said Albright. The maximum range of Israels best rockets the Jericho II can reach Russia. However, the country could also be developing cruise missiles, which would make its nuclear capacity much more deadly. The Israeli nuclear strategy is far from certain, Albright added. We believe that they view the bomb as a doomsday weapon which would be employed to save the state of Israel from destruction. However, there is speculation that the military may be moving to a counter force doctrine which would see nuclear weapons being used to hit military targets. The big concern, says Albright, is the ability of Israel to hold the US hostage. In the cold war, Israel was able to target Russia and could therefore threaten the Soviet Union if it helped the Arabs. That scared the US so much that it was ready to intervene early on Israels side should any confrontation have occurred. With Pakistan now a nuclear power, the same scenario could be played out today. If Pakistan aided enemies of Israel, it could threaten the Islamic country and force the US to step in on the side of Israel to prevent nuclear war. That could also see China, another nuclear power, dragged into a conflict with terrifying global implications. US intelligence services are terrified about the full facts of the Israeli nuclear programme becoming known by the Islamic world, believing that if the exact details of Israels stockpiles were revealed it could easily force Iran to dramatically increase the pace and scope of its own nuclear programme. The current big question regarding Israels programme is whether or not it has established a uranium-enrichment plant at Dimona. Albright suspects the Israelis may have developed gas centrifuges with this end in mind. On paper the US is committed to getting Israel to sign the NPT, but this administration doesnt really care in practice, he said. They see the nations of the world as either friends or enemies and they dont want to bother about what is in the arsenals of their friends. The administration is, however, debating internally whether or not to put pressure on Tel Aviv to sign up to an international agreement entitled the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), which would effectively ban all signatories from producing plutonium and uranium for bombs. Washington believes this may be one way to deal with Israel, India and Pakistan. Israel has told the US it opposes this, said Albright. The US is under a lot of pressure to look fair on the international stage even though [Israel signing the FMCT] may not be something that the administration actually wants. Whether the FMCT comes to pass or not is fairly irrelevant as there is no element of verification in the treaty. So Israel or India could say they were not producing any fissile material when they were, in fact, still continuing to run plutonium off the production line. It could be nothing more than a paper exercise, Albright said. With India and Pakistan rapidly gaining warheads top estimates put Pakistan at 90 bombs and India at 110 Albright says any delay in pushing through the FMCT is a mistake. Were not strong critics of Israel, he said. We want them to sign the NPT and FMCT but we arent pushing them. It is important to keep the pressure on. We want to keep their arsenal as small as possible and we also want to tamp down the nuclear ambitions of other states in the area. A nuclear-free zone in the Middle East is our goal. The US has dropped the ball. We need to keep Israel aware that one day they will have to give these things up, not that they will be able to grow their arsenal. We certainly dont want to see Israel as the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world. Ironically, Albright believes the recent invasion of Iraq could be a catalyst for the West forcing Israel to comply with the views of the international community on its nuclear weapons. Israel said in the 1990s that nothing could change until Iraq and Iran were dealt with, said Albright. Well, now Iraq has been dealt with, Iran is being dealt with and Israel is feeling very on edge as Arabs can now say that the threats from Iraq and Iran are non-existent. It is time to start talking. In the 18 years since Mordechai Vanunu vanished inside the Israeli penal system it seems, then, that little, if anything, has changed. Vanunu told the world that Israel had sophisticated weapons of mass destruction and the world was shocked and angry those facts remain the same today. Nothing said or done on the worlds stage then, or now, has changed Israeli policy; the nation will not abandon its weapons, it will not allow inspectors into Dimona and it will not sign up to international treaties seeking disarmament certainly not without sustained pressure, supported by America, within the United Nations. When Vanunu emerged into freedom last week, he was greeted by simultaneous cries of traitor and hero (he was once nominated for a Nobel prize) . To the Israeli government he is still a traitor; for the man who spilled their secrets has come back to haunt them his release re-igniting fears and alarm over Israels unmonitored nuclear arsenal. For a state like Israel, which sees itself besieged on all sides, the pressure to disarm prompted by Vanunus release is the last thing the Sharon government wants to deal with. To many, though, Vanunu is still a hero, a man one step down, some have said, from Nelson Mandela a man who sacrificed his freedom 18 years ago to tell the world about Israels secrets and who now, nearly two decades later, has forced the worlds nations to think once again about what lies at the heart of the Dimona facility and what risks those secrets pose to the safety of the entire planet. © newsquest (sunday herald) limited. all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 15 CNEWS - Canada: Prime minister's science adviser opposes privatization of nuclear agency [http://cnews.canoe.ca/] April 25, 2004 By DEAN BEEBY OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin's new science adviser has argued against privatizing Canada's nuclear agency, and says it needs much more government money to fulfil its mandate. Arthur Carty, who became the Liberal government's science czar on April 1, says Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. must remain within the government fold to uphold important policy goals. "We do not believe that AECL is currently well positioned to achieve these public policy goals, because of its limited mandate and resources," Carty argues in a letter obtained under the Access to Information Act. "With increased commercialization or privatization, AECL would be even less well positioned . . . It is doubtful that a more commercialized or privatized AECL can carry such a mission forward." The letter, dated Aug. 27, 2003, was written when Carty was president of the National Research Council and before the announcement of his appointment as national science adviser. The document was sent to a senior official in Natural Resources Canada, which launched a study last year on whether to privatize some or all of AECL, or whether to have the agency engage in more commercial activities. Carty argues that the agency performs an important role in allowing academics and industry access to nuclear labs; in representing the country abroad; and in providing objective advice to regulators and politicians. In particular, he defends the agency's Chalk River Laboratories, which handle nuclear waste and produce medical isotopes, among other activities. "Our impression is that this national centre needs about twice as much funding than its current operating budget," he wrote. "We also believe that urgent attention and significant capital funding should be committed to Chalk River's key science facilities." Last year, the Liberal government provided about $145 million in subsidies to AECL. The federal cabinet in December 2002 ordered the study into AECL, with particular emphasis on whether the agency's Candu reactor business is commercially viable and could be privatized. BMO Nesbitt Burns was hired by Natural Resources to conduct the study, which considered the sales potential of the so-called Advanced Candu Reactor, a version that's 40 per cent cheaper to build than the original and is designed to better compete with natural gas, coal and other energy sources. AECL has sold Candus in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick as well as Argentina, Romania, South Korea, China, India and Pakistan. The agency says other countries will more often choose the nuclear option as they grapple with energy security, high oil and gas prices and the need to reduce greenhouse emissions. The agency has already developed a commercial relationship with Hitachi Ltd., opening a joint office with the Japanese corporation in Vancouver on Dec. 8. The two companies are also collaborating on the construction of two Candu reactors in Qinshan, China, and are jointly developing the new-generation Candu. Carty did not respond to requests for comment on his letter. A spokesman for Natural Resources says the AECL report was delivered in December but no decision has been reached about its recommendations. "We are studying the report," said Ghyslain Charron. "We're trying to determine exactly what it means, what will be the impact." The transition to power of the Martin government last Dec. 12 likely delayed the release of the report, said a spokeswoman for the Canadian Nuclear Association, an industry lobby group. In the meantime, the industry is anxiously awaiting decisions in Ontario where the provincial government will likely decide by September how energy issues will be dealt with, said Claudia Lemieux. "Everybody in the nuclear industry is waiting to see how the structure of the Ontario power authority is going to develop so that we know what the rules of the game are because it's going to change," she said in an interview. "That will set the tone for how the private sector can participate." [http://www.canoe.ca/copyright.html] © 2004, CANOE, a division of [http://www.netgraphe.com] . All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 16 Hi Pakistan: Pakistan voices concern over US draft on WMD --> April 26 2004 UNITED NATIONS_Pakistan, backed by nonaligned countries, Thursday voiced opposition to a sweeping US-drafted proposal aimed at halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to terrorist groups, despite support for its intent. Ambassador Munir Akram said the draft resolution, hammared out by the five permanent members of the Security Council _ the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain _ could be used to justify military action against states. He also said the 15-member Council was not the "most appropriate body" to oversee non-proliferation because its five permanent members all retained nuclear arms plus the veto power. The permanent members took five months to prepare the draft, which grew out of a call by President Bush who urged the Security Council in September 2003 to criminalize the transfer of weapons of mass destruction to terrorists. The draft would compel nations to adopt and enforce laws prohibiting a terrorist or "non-state actor" from getting chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Among those supporting the draft, ahead of anticipated Council action on it, was United States Representative James Cunningham, who said that terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda, had shown a readiness to kill thousands and had not hidden their desire to acquire weapons of mass destruction. If they did acquire the weapons, he said, they could bring destruction and suffering on a scale the world could scarcely imagine, and the proposed resolution was the fastest way to address the threat. In his speech, the Pakistan ambassador dealt with the draft point-by-point, saying it raises a number of doubts, questions and concerns. Ambassador Akram said that, historically, the proliferation of WMD had occurred when States sought to obtain them. But non-State actors had often been the instruments used for proliferation by States seeking WMD. Recently, he said Pakistan had dismantled such a proliferation network involving its own nationals and others. The fear that non-State actors might themselves acquire and use WMD was a recent phenomenon, he said. That danger was present, but must be viewed in perspective. States could acquire such weapons capabilities, but the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons by non-State actors was much more difficult and much less likely. The existing treaty regime could address most of the concerns regarding the proliferation of WMD, the Pakistan ambassador said. Pakistan, a nuclear-weapon State, had established effective command and control of its assets, sites and materials. It could readily fulfil the actions sought in the proposed text. One of the main questions about the draft was whether the Council had the right to assume the role of prescribing legislative action by Member States. The existing treaties already prescribed most of the legislation that would cover States and non-State actors. They could be improved, where necessary, through negotiation. The Council could not be entrusted with oversight responsibilities over non-proliferation or disarmament, he said. Secondly, ambassador Akram said there were discrepancies between the draft's stated objective and its provisions, he said. Although it was designed to address proliferation by non-State actors, it sought to impose obligations on States. There were grave implications for efforts to impose obligations on States that their legislatures had not accepted, especially as they related to national security and self-defence. Thirdly, he said there was no justification for adopting the text under Chapter VII (enforcement clauses) of the Charter. The threat posed by the proliferation of WMD among non-State actors was not imminent, he said. Legitimate fears arose as to the use of authority under Chapter VII to justify coercive actions, including the use of force. That fear was exacerbated by the open-ended nature of the draft, providing for further decisions, the Pakistan ambassador said. Thus, the scope of the resolution could be enlarged beyond non-State actors, among other things. The Council committee sought to be established to report on the implementation of the draft, was unnecessary, ambassador Akram said. Its functions were unclear, and Pakistan could also not ignore some proposals that projected that the committee could be used to harass States. In addition, the definitions provided in the draft were entirely unclear. Were missiles and rockets the only means for the delivery of WMD?, he asked. Who would judge whether or not they were "designed" for that purpose? During informal consultations, he said, the co-sponsors had assured members that the scope of the text was restricted to stopping proliferation by non-State actors, that no enforcement measures were envisaged and that the proposed committee would be set up temporarily and would only collect and submit reports by States. However, he said, in the negotiations, the sponsors had been reluctant to reflect most of those assurances in the text. Recent remarks had seemed to retract some of those assurances, he added. Although the text has not yet been formally tabled, it became the main point of discussion in an open Council debate on the threat to international security posed by WMDs, especially if they should pass through black markets and fall into private hands. About 50 speakers took part in the debate in which nonaligned countries supported the points raised by Pakistan. The text, a work in progress, would ask Member States to take precautions, review domestic legislation and adopt new legislation to keep the means of making WMDs away from private sectors, or non-state actors. Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 17 Hi Pakistan: EU to seek information on Pak nuclear tests --> April 26 2004 BRUSSELS: As Pakistan Government is engaged in celebrating the ratification of the EU-Pakistan trade pact, the European Union (EU) is preparing to send a message to Islamabad through diplomatic channels, seeking further information into Pakistan’s nuclear tests, which, according to a unanimously approved amendment in an EP resolution, "showed traces of plutonium and is thought by some to have been a joint test for a North Korean nuclear weapon." The European Parliament has instructed its president to forward both the resolutions one pertaining to ratification of the EU-Pakistan trade pact and democracy/human rights situation in Pakistan and the other, an amendment on "urgent request to Pakistan regarding the countries nuclear tests". An amendment has been added as paragraph 8-a in the unanimously approved resolution on democracy and human rights. EU officials in Brussels told The News that the EU Presidency and the Commission would take up the issue with the government of Pakistan after the official texts of both the resolutions together with the amendments are conveyed to Pakistan by the president of the European Parliament. "We have no choice, but to follow the instruction of the Parliament on all points which are stipulated in the unanimously approved resolutions and amendments," an official said. The paragraph 8 in the resolution approved by the EP unanimously raises the issue of Pakistan’s alleged role in the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The European Parliament says: "(The House) draws attention to serious concerns of the international community about Pakistan’s role in the proliferation of nuclear weapons, with the allegations and evidence against Pakistan hardening day by day; while acknowledging that President Musharraf has been right to insist upon a detailed investigation and that he is right when he claims that the Khan "incident" happened because of the secretive nature of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme, highlights the fact that President Musharraf (and the rest of the world) should also recognise that nuclear proliferation happened because the nuclear programme was under the totally unaccountable control of the army." The amendment made in the resolution reads: "(The European Parliament) urgently requests further information from Pakistan regarding the nuclear test from 30th May 1998 in Balochistan which showed traces of plutonium and which is thought by some to have been a joint test for a North Korean nuclear weapon." The amendment to MEP John Walls Cushnahan’s resolution was brought to the House on behalf of the PSE Group which the house unanimously approved. Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 18 Hi Pakistan: Pakistan will enhance its nuclear capability: Kasuri --> April 26 2004 KARACHI: Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has declared that Pakistan will enhance its nuclear capability and there is no question of a roll back in this regard. "We shall maintain the competitive edge of our nuclear programme through our national means and enhance our capability both in quality and quantity," said Mr Kasuri while adressing at a function organized by the English Speaking Union of Pakistan on Saturday. Reaffirming Pakistan's desire for conventional balance between India and Pakistan, the foreign minister nevertheless declared that Islamabad would continue to improve its nuclear programme in all dimensions. Mr Kasuri also spoke on India-Pakistan relations, the war on terrorism, the Middle East and other dimensions of Pakistan's foreign policy. About Pakistan's commitment to combat terrorism, he said that the recent operations in Waziristan Agency was part of Pakistan's efforts to root out terrorism from its territory. However, he said that the use of force alone would not suffice if the objective was to eliminate terrorism rather than suppressing it. In this regard, he said, it was essential to define terrorism and focus on its root cause. He said there was a need to ensure that the fight against terrorism does not turn into a clash between the Western powers and Islamic countries. Racial profiling, targeting citizens of particular country or people belonging to a particular religion would severely jeopardize the drive against terrorism, he added. Referring to the "widespread anger" in the Muslim world over developments in the Middle East, he rejected the "cycle of violence" in that region. He said that Pakistan supported the two-state formula and strongly condemned the target killings of Palestinian leadership and threats to President Arafat's life as well as any unilateral decision regarding the Middle East. In the context of India-Pakistan relations, Mr Kasuri said that the long standing issue of Kashmir appeared as a challenge to the international community. Earlier in the day while delivering keynote address at a seminar on "Peace and friendship in South Asia" organized by the Rotary International, the minister expressed hope that resumption of composite dialogue with India would lead to a peaceful settlement of all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides while keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. He was confident that the constructive dialogue would promote progress towards the common objective of peace, security and economic development of the region. "Over the past several decades, the security and economic stability of our region was held hostage to the tension between India and Pakistan," he said and added, "increasing defence budgets are sucking away precious economic resources." This had created a climate that would overwhelm any pursuit for effective realization of economic and social rights of South Asian people, who constitute 40 per cent of the world's poorest people, he added. The foremost priority at this stage, he said, should be to resolve major differences between the two countries to move forward as a cohesive and cooperative region. "The governments cannot, and must not, avoid the responsibility of demonstrating the necessary political will to eliminate the root causes of suspicion and misperception (in the region)," said Mr Kasuri. He termed the 12th Saarc Summit held in Islamabad a turning point in the endeavours of South Asian states for promoting peace and prosperity among their peoples. Supporting the Bonn Process and efforts by Afghan President Hamid Karzai for reconstruction of his war-ravaged country, the minister said, "A peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan is vital to Pakistan's national security, economic and political interest." Mr Kasuri also spoke on Pakistan's relations with China, the US and the Muslim world. Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 19 Khaleej Times: watchdog not only a one-way street [http://www.khaleejtimes.com (AFP) 25 April 2004 TEHERAN - Iran pledge on Sunday it was committed to cooperating with the UN’s atomic energy watchdog to clear up international suspicions it is secretly developing nuclear weapons, but asserted it also expecting European powers to meet their commitments to the Islamic republic. “Based on the framework of understanding with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), we will continue our work until we clarify the ambiguities,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. “The presence of the IAEA’s inspectors in Iran is within this framework and this will continue in the future,” he added. But Asefi again reiterated that Iran expected Britain, France and Germany to meet their side of a deal struck in October last year when Iran agreed to allow a tougher IAEA probe. “We are expecting the IAEA and the Europeans to fulfill their obligations and normalise Iran’s nuclear case there,” Asefi said. Under the deal last year, the European Union’s “big three’ held out the carrot of providing peaceful nuclear assistance to Iran if the IAEA established the country was clean of a covert weapons programme. The details of such potential assistance were not given at the time, but Iran consistently refers to the terms of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) whereby signatories commit themselves to exchange peaceful nuclear techology. Iran, however, has yet to be given the all-clear by the IAEA, and has been chastised for failing to disclose key elements of its programme including its research on advanced P2 centrifuges capable of enriching uranium to weapons-grade. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei will give a report on Iran’s nuclear activities to the next IAEA’s board of governors meeting in June, based on the inspectors’ findings to be submitted by the end of May. Tehran vigorously denies US and Israeli allegations that it is seeking nuclear weapons, and is pressing for its dossier to be taken off the top of the IAEA’s agenda during the June meeting -- something that most diplomats say is very unlikely. © 2003 Khaleej Times All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 20 Boston.com: Sharon hints at end to secrecy about arms Boston Globe JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel came close to ending four decades of secrecy about the country's nuclear-arms capability, saying in an interview broadcast Friday night that the United States recognizes that his nation needs a credible deterrent to Iran and other hostile countries. By Associated Press | April 25, 2004 JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel came close to ending four decades of secrecy about the country's nuclear-arms capability, saying in an interview broadcast Friday night that the United States recognizes that his nation needs a credible deterrent to Iran and other hostile countries. Sharon spoke with Israel's Channel One TV, just two days after whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu ended an 18-year jail term for disclosing details of Israel's nuclear secrets. "They understand that Israel's existence is still in danger," Sharon said, referring to the United States. "Iran represents an existential threat, one of the existential threats or maybe the main existential threat," he said. "But the recognition of Israel's right -- and of the importance of Israel's ability -- to defend itself, by itself, these things are clearly understood." Since acquiring a nuclear reactor from France in the 1960s, Israel has maintained a policy of ambiguity, refusing to confirm or deny it has nuclear weapons. But based on information Vanunu gave in a 1986 interview, specialists have concluded Israel has the sixth-largest nuclear arsenal. . Israel's military censors insist that any reference by Israel-based journalists to the question of the nation's nuclear capacity be attributed to foreign media reports. "If you read the foreign press you will see that they talk about a whole complex of defensive tools, which Israel needs in its hands," Sharon said. [ title=] © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company. New York Times Company ***************************************************************** 21 Media Monitors Network: Vanunu: The Terrible Secret A service of MMN International Inc. [http://world.mediamonitors.net] Toll-free: 1 866 MediaNet E-mail: Editor@MediaMonitors.net by Uri Avnery (Sunday 25 April 2004) "The world must be prevented by all available means from hearing, from the lips of a credible witness, that the Americans are full partners in Israel’s nuclear arms program, while pretending to be the world’s sheriff for the prevention of nuclear proliferation." In the darkness of a cinema, a woman’s voice: “Hey! Take your hands off! Not you! YOU!” This old joke illustrates the American policy regarding nuclear armaments in the Middle East. “Hey, you there, Iraq and Iran and Libya, stop it! Not YOU, Israel!” The danger of nuclear arms was the main pretext for the invasion of Iraq. Iran is threatened in order to compel it to stop its nuclear efforts. Libya has surrendered and is dismantling its nuclear installations. So what about Israel? This week it became clear that the Americans are full partners in the creation of Israel’s “nuclear option”. How was this exposed? With the help of Mordecai Vanunu, of course. Throughout the week, a festival was being celebrated around the prisoner, who was released on Wednesday. The Security Establishment has not stopped harassing him even after he has sat in prison for 18 years, 11 of them in complete solitary confinement – a treatment he himself described on leaving the prison as “cruel and barbaric”. After he was “set free”, far-reaching restrictions were imposed on him (e.g. he is forbidden to leave the country, is restricted to one town, cannot go near any embassy or consulate, may not talk with foreign citizens). All this under the colonial British emergency regulations that were condemned at the time by the leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine, as “worse then the Nazi laws”. Not, God forbid, because of any desire for revenge! The security people declared from every podium that this is not revenge for all the shame Vanunu caused the security services, and is by no means just more persecution, but an essential security requirement. He must not be allowed to leave the country or to speak with foreigners and journalists, because he is in possession of secrets vital to the security of the state. Everybody understands that he has no more secrets. What can a technician know after 18 years in jail, during which technology has advanced with giant steps? But gradually it becomes clear what the security establishment is really afraid of. Vanunu is in a position to expose the close partnership with the United States in the development of Israel’s nuclear armaments. This worries Washington so much, that the man responsible in the State Department for “arms control”, Under Secretary John Bolton, has come to Israel in person for the occasion. Vanunu, it appears, can cause severe damage to the mighty super-power. The Americans are afraid of sounding like the lady in the dark cinema. (By the way, this John Bolton is an avid supporter of the group of Zionists neo-cons who play a central role in the Bush theater. He opposes arms control for the United States and its satellites, and was installed in the State Department against the wishes of the Secretary of State himself.) In the short address Vanunu was able to make to the media immediately on his release, he made a strange remark: that the young woman who served as bait for his kidnapping, some 18 years ago, was not a Mossad agent, as generally assumed, but an agent of the FBI or CIA. Why was it so urgent for him to convey this? From the first moment, there was something odd about the Vanunu affair. At the beginning, my first thought was that he was a Mossad agent. Everything pointed in that direction. How else can one explain a simple technician’s success in smuggling a camera into the most secret and best guarded installation in Israel? And in taking photos apparently without hindrance? How else to explain the career of that person who, as a student at Beer-Sheva University, was well-known as belonging to the extreme left and spending his time in the company of Arab fellow-students? How was he allowed to leave the country with hundreds of photos? How was he able to approach a British paper and to turn over to British scientists material that convinced them that Israel had 200 nuclear bombs? Absurd, isn’t it? But it all fits , if one assumes that Vanunu acted from the beginning on a mission for the Mossad. His disclosures in the British newspaper not only caused no damage to the Israeli government, but on the contrary, strengthened the Israeli deterrent without committing the government, which was free to deny everything. What happened next only reinforced this assumption. While in London, in the middle of his campaign of exposures, knowing that half a dozen intelligence services are tracking his every movement, he starts an affair with a strange women, is seduced into following her to Rome, where he is kidnapped and shipped back to Israel. How naive can you get? Is it credible for a reasonable person to fall into such a primitive trap? It is not. Meaning that the whole affair was nothing but a classic cover story. But when the affair went on, and details of the year-long daily mistreatment of the man became public, I had to give up this initial theory. I had to face the fact that our security services are even more stupid than I had assumed (which I wouldn’t have believed possible) and that all these things actually had happened, and that Mordecai Vanunu was an honest and idealistic, if extremely naive, person. I have no doubt that his personality was shaped by his background. He is the son of a family with many children, who were quite well-to-do in Morocco but lived in a primitive “transition camp” in Israel, before moving to Be’er-Sheva, where they lived in poverty. In spite of this, he succeeded in getting into university and got a master’s degree, quite an achievement, but suffered, so it seems, from the overbearing attitude and prejudices of his Ashkenazi peers. Undoubtedly, that pushed him towards the company of the extreme left, where such prejudices were not prevalent. The bunch of “security correspondents” and other commentators who are attached to the udders of the security establishment have already spread stories about Vanunu “imagining things”, his long stay in solitary confinement causing him to “convince himself of all kinds of fantasies” and to “invent all kinds of fabrications”. Meaning: the American connection. Against this background one can suddenly understand all these severe restrictions, which, at first sight, look absolutely idiotic. The Americans, it seems, are very worried. The Israeli security services have to dance to their tune. The world must be prevented by all available means from hearing, from the lips of a credible witness, that the Americans are full partners in Israel’s nuclear arms program, while pretending to be the world’s sheriff for the prevention of nuclear proliferation. “And the lady cried: “Not you! YOU!” Source: by courtesy &© 2004 Uri Avnery MMN Recommend Reading Copyright © 2004 MMN International Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 UK Independent: As newly released technician speaks out, Sharon comes close to admitting his country has nuclear weapons By Donald Mcintyre in Jerusalem 25 April 2004 Nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu was convinced during his long years of imprisonment that his jailers were out to brainwash him. In an extended interview in The Sunday Times, which ran his story in 1986, the man who revealed Israel's weapons programme at the Dimona nuclear plant said: "They were trying to destroy my personality. They monitored all my moves and I suspected they were tampering with my meals. I felt I had to resist accepting any changes or they would succeed in breaking me." He said that what helped him survive his imprisonment ­ including 11 years in solitary confinement ­ was listening to opera tapes and CDs sent by well-wishers, Wagner being a particular favourite. His remarks came as Mr Vanunu's family and supporters reported him to be in high spirits, despite their continued worries about his security from bitterly hostile elements among the Israeli public. He was brought face to face with that hostility by the taunts and shouts of "death to traitors" when he was driven from the high-security jail in Ashkelon after an otherwise tumultuous welcome from his supporters on Wednesday. Mr Vanunu's brother Meir said that foreign governments, including Britain's, should act to ensure that Mr Vanunu was protected after the Justice Minister, Tommy Lapid, said that Israel would not be providing security for Mr Vanunu. He was also disturbed by the heavy emphasis laid by sections of the Israeli media on his brother's conversion from the Judaism of his Moroccan immigrant parents. Referring to the main headline in the mass-circulation daily Yedhiot Ahronot after his release ­ "Mordechai the Christian" ­ he said: "They are treating him as a traitor to his religion and not as a man who is also idealistically and ideologically motivated." Although a few of the restrictions on his release have been slightly relaxed, he will not be able to make a new life in the US for at least a year. Despite his repeated denials, ministers continue to insist he has more security-sensitive details to divulge. The former Dimona technician has been fascinated by the technological changes since his imprisonment in 1986, according to Rayna Moss, who helped to form the Israeli Campaign for Mordechai Vanunu 18 years ago but never met him until an emotional encounter after his release last week. "It was more like a reunion than a first meeting," she said. "He has this phenomenal memory for everyone. What he really treasures is having people around him, hugging and talking to them. He said, 'In prison I had food and sleep. What I didn't have was people.'" Meanwhile, Ariel Sharon, Israel's Prime Minister, has ended a week of saturation coverage of Vanunu's release by going closer than ever towards admitting that his country has nuclear weapons. Little more than 48 hours after Mr Vanunu completed his sentence, Mr Sharon indicated that the US recognised Israel needs a credible deterrent against the threat from Iran and other hostile countries that pose an "existential threat" to Israel. In an interview broadcast as Mr Vanunu prepared to spend his third night outside jail in the precincts of St George's Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem, the Prime Ministerattributed estimates of Israel's nuclear capability ­ calculated at 200 weapons ­ to "foreign press" reports. UK Independent Ltd. ***************************************************************** 23 AU ABC: Thousands remember Chernobyl - World - www.theage.com.au By Anna Melnichuk Kiev, Ukraine April 25, 2004 A Chernobyl widow holds a portrait of her husband during the march in Kiev. Picture:AFP Many of them victims of radiation sicknesses, 5,000 people marched through the Ukrainian capital yesterday in grim commemoration of the 18th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Many of the marchers carried portraits of relatives or friends who died from the April 26, 1988, explosion of a nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl power plant, either in the accident itself or from illnesses linked to it. The blast and subsequent fire spread heavy radiation over much of northern Europe. "My husband died in 1992, crying of unbearable pain in his legs," said Hanna Yurkovska, a pensioner, carrying a black-framed portrait of her husband Viktor, who took part in the accident cleanup. "Doctors said it was Chernobyl that killed him." In Ukraine alone 4,400 deaths are counted as the result of the accident; among the hardest hit groups were the workers sent to clean up after the blast. Soviet authorities withheld much information on the accident, both from their own people and from the rest of the world. "I feel deep compassion for suffering of the Ukrainian people," said Andrea Contini, an Italian tourist watching the march. "The fact that the Soviets kept secret what happened is a shocking crime before their people - in fact, they doomed them to death." Advertisement Advertisement Only last year, Ukraine's security service declassified secret files documenting malfunctions and safety violations at the plant that caused the release of small doses of radiation from time to time long before the explosion. More than 2.32 million people have been hospitalised in Ukraine as of early 2004 with illnesses sparked by the disaster, including 452,000 children, according to the Health Ministry. The most frequently noted Chernobyl-related diseases include thyroid and blood cancer, mental disorders and cancerous growths. In all, seven million people in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are estimated to suffer physical or psychological effects of radiation related to the Chernobyl catastrophe. Ukraine shuttered Chernobyl for good in December 2000, but many problems remain. Ukrainian experts say that the concrete-and-steel shelter that was hastily constructed over the damaged reactor needs urgent repairs, although authorities claim that there are no serious safety threats. "Chernobyl is our pain," said Valentyna Tsarik, 50, whose entire family left the Chernobyl region after the blast to be resettled in Kiev. "I lost my health," said Tsarik, who said she her pension is to small to allow her to spend the equivalent of $A136 a month necessary to buy medicine to alleviate her radiation illness. "Can I undergo medical treatment? Can I live? I cannot," Tsarik said. - AP + Top of Page Page Tools Copyright © 2004. The Age Company Ltd. ***************************************************************** 24 Las Vegas RJ: EDITORIAL: Special handling Sunday, April 25, 2004 Officials are searching for two pieces of missing spent fuel rod at a Vermont nuclear plant The fuel rods were removed in 1979 from the Vermont Yankee reactor, which is currently shut down for refueling and maintenance, The Associated Press reported last week. "The great probability is this material is still somewhere in the pool," said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan. But Mr. Sheehan admitted it's possible the spent fuel was mixed in with a shipment of low-level nuclear waste and ended up at a repository in South Carolina or a facility in Washington state. He said it's also possible it was taken to a nuclear testing facility run by General Electric, which designed the plant. Hey, that's narrowing it down. The material would be fatal to anyone who came in contact with it without being properly shielded. Spent nuclear fuel also could be used by terrorists to construct so-called dirty bombs that would spread deadly radiation with conventional explosives. "We don't want this falling into the wrong hands," Mr. Sheehan said. "This is something we would never take lightly." Nonetheless, the stuff is unaccounted for. And two years ago, a Connecticut nuclear plant was fined $288,000 after a similar loss. That fuel was never found. So, do we have this straight? The New England nuclear power plants are losing track of deadly quantities of this stuff when it's supposed to be stored in pools of water right there inside their own security perimeters. But we're supposed to believe nothing will go awry if they load thousands of times more material into cannisters and ship it all the way across the country to Yucca Mountain? At least Vermont residents are now showing some concern -- Gov. James Douglas said Wednesday, "This situation is intolerable." How concerned do you think New Englanders would be if some of these rods went missing either after arriving in -- or while still on their way to -- Nevada? And the answer is: Not a single Vermont resident would give a hoot. Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal ***************************************************************** 25 The Sun News: Lost nuclear fuel rods could be in S.C. | 04/24/2004 | Vermont plant reports waste missing The Associated Press '[It] is very radioactive, and anyone handling the material would be in danger.' Dave McIntyre, Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman COLUMBIA - If an investigation shows missing nuclear waste from a New England power plant ended up in a low-level S.C. landfill, it wouldn't be the first time such as mistake has happened. Federal investigators are looking into the disappearance of two missing pieces of a highly radioactive fuel rod from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The plant operators reported the missing pieces Wednesday, saying they were not where they were supposed to be in the large pool used to store fuel rods. If federal authorities can't find the material at the Vermont plant, they say it could have been mistakenly shipped to the Chem-Nuclear Systems low-level nuclear waste dump in Barnwell County. It wouldn't be the first time highly radioactive and potentially fatal material found its way to a low-level dump. In 2002, federal officials fined the operators of the Millstone plant in Connecticut $288,000 because they lost two highly radioactive fuel rods that had been used there. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it's likely the missing rods mistakenly ended up in a 1988 shipment of low-level nuclear waste to the dump in Barnwell County or to a similar disposal site in Washington state. A commission report last week said the waste from Connecticut should be left in Barnwell County because trying to dig it up would be more dangerous than leaving it alone. Deborah Ogilvie, a Chem-Nuclear Systems spokeswoman, said she doubts high-level waste from Connecticut or Vermont has been buried in South Carolina. She said her company checks every waste shipment to make sure it meets federal specifications for disposal. But Tom Clements, a nuclear policy expert with Greenpeace, said he wants to know whether other high-level waste has ended up at the Barnwell dump site, one of only three in the United States. Federal officials and Ogilvie said there is no evidence any other inappropriate material is in the S.C. dump. "Both of these cases raise a lot of questions about the management of spent nuclear fuel, and the oversight of that management by the NRC," Clements said. "This reflects a serious breakdown in the regulatory process." Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials said they don't think the Vermont waste poses a widespread danger to the public, but spokesman Dave McIntyre said it "is very radioactive, and anyone handling the material would be in danger." The missing pieces could still be found at the Vermont plant. They were part of a fuel rod that was removed in 1979 from the Vermont Yankee reactor, which is currently shut down for refueling and maintenance. The pool where used fuel rods are stored is 40 feet deep and contains 2,789 fuel assemblies. The pencil-thin fuel rods are 12 feet long and filled with uranium pellets. The missing pieces might have been cut from longer rods for testing or could have broken when they were removed from the fuel assemblies. The search for the missing pieces was going to include the use of a remote-controlled camera in the pool as well as review of the documents dating back decades that cover shipments and movements of radioactive material. ***************************************************************** 26 The Sun News: Turns to use of more nuclear power | 04/25/2004 | NASA Officials hope to send spaceship to moons of Jupiter after 2011 By Robert S. Boyd Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - To boost future spaceships to distant moons and planets, the Bush administration is turning to nuclear power, long a no-no for a nation nervous about anything to do with radioactivity. Despite activists' fears of a nuclear accident, NASA has used small atomic generators to power scientific instruments and communications systems on at least 25 space missions during the past 30 years. Unlike batteries, which run down, or solar panels, which do not work well far from the sun, nuclear generators give steady, reliable, almost unlimited power. Each of the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, has eight penny-sized pellets of radioactive plutonium aboard to keep its electronic instruments warm during the freezing Martian night. The Cassini spaceship, which will reach Saturn in June after a seven-year voyage, carries 72 pounds of plutonium to produce electrical energy. To the dismay of some opponents of nuclear projects in space or on the ground, NASA has begun work on a far more controversial project. For the first time, it intends to use a powerful nuclear-propulsion system to send a large scientific spaceship, traveling as fast as 50,000 mph, on a tour of the ice-covered moons of Jupiter, where scientists think they might find evidence of life. NASA's science chief, Ed Weiler, calls the ship "Battlestar Galactica" after the science-fiction TV show. The proposed spaceship will depend on nuclear fission - splitting uranium atoms - to propel it to the neighborhood of Jupiter sometime after 2011. When the atoms are split, they will generate heat that can be converted to electricity. The electricity, in turn, would accelerate electrically charged hydrogen atoms and speed them out the rear of the spaceship, thrusting it forward. The multibillion-dollar mission is known as JIMO: Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter. It is the first phase of a larger NASA program called Prometheus, which is designed to develop nuclear propulsion for a series of space missions, including the human expedition to Mars that President Bush proposed in January. NASA wants to spend $2 billion developing Prometheus over the next five years. JIMO's trip to Mars would cost billions more. JIMO will be "difficult both technically and politically," Prometheus Director Alan Newhouse said. Before the space reactor can get off the ground, members of Congress will have turned over several times, and one or two new presidents will have been in the White House. Support for putting a nuclear power plant in space might not last that long. Prometheus officials say a nuclear fission system would give a spaceship up to 100 times more thrust than a non-nuclear system of similar weight. JIMO could make the trip to Jupiter in one-third to half the time of today's vessels, which are launched by chemical rockets fueled by hydrogen and oxygen. Using current technology, the trip takes about 38 months. Furthermore, the current generation of spaceships, once they have dropped off their booster rockets, depend on batteries or solar power, which have limited capabilities. "Solar does not provide enough power at the outer planets, which are too far from the sun," Newhouse said. "Chemical [power] limits maneuverability and destination. We launch, and we coast. We can't change targets. We can't operate many instruments. We can't transmit a great deal of information." With nuclear propulsion, he said, "we have power all the way. We can go into orbit, slow down, stay there, go back, change targets. We have almost unlimited power for instruments. We can send back much more data. The pro-nuclear enthusiasm of the Bush administration rankles activists, who oppose putting atomic devices in space. Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Brunswick, Maine, is concerned about environmental consequences of an accident. "We're told, 'Don't worry; everything is going to be safe,'" he said. "But space technology fails. ... We've seen enough examples, like the Russian 1996 Mars mission that fell back to Earth and spread a half-pound of plutonium around. Imagine if Columbia [the space shuttle that exploded last year] had a nuclear reactor on it." ***************************************************************** 27 Toronto Star: New nuclear woes surface [http://www.thestar.com/] Apr. 24, 2004. 01:00 AM Reactor tubes thin at Darlington Report warns of `costly lay up' JOHN SPEARS BUSINESS REPORTER Ontario Power Generation says it is developing technology to head off a long and costly shutdown at the Darlington nuclear generating station  the province's biggest nuclear plant. The problem at Darlington, 70 kilometres east of Toronto, was noted in a review conducted by KPMG, commissioned by OPG's interim board of directors. KPMG found that problems with feeder pipes in the Darlington reactors "could lead to an extended and costly lay up period." The company insists it is on top of the problem, but former MPP Sean Conway says that given the nuclear track record in Ontario, the consultant's report makes him uneasy. "Those early warnings more often than not seem to foreshadow some significant operational problems and costly refurbishments not too far down the road," Conway said in an interview. "I'm not saying that's going to happen at Darlington. I truly hope it doesn't happen, but I was really concerned by that part of the KPMG report that raised that spectre yet again, in this case at Darlington." Conway is now a policy consultant with the law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. The prospect of the Darlington station shutting down for an extended period would compound Ontario's electricity supply problems. At 3,524 megawatts, Darlington provides 15 to 20 per cent of the province's electricity. Feeder tubes carry heavy water in and out of the reactor core. The heavy water runs through the middle of the reactor where it is heated by the nuclear reaction. Outlet feeder tubes carry the hot heavy water to a steam generator, where the heat is used to generate the steam that drives the generating unit's turbines. Inlet feeder tubes then carry the cooled heavy water back to the reactor. Inspections at Darlington have revealed that the walls of the steel feeder pipes are growing thinner because of friction and chemical action. Thinning is expected to occur, but KPMG reports that "premature thinning" is occurring that could result in the tubes cracking. The discovery provoked a flurry of inspection and analysis, KPMG said. "Efforts to mitigate the risk, including complete replacement or repair, will continue to add to unanticipated costs and further outages," the firm warns. "This situation could lead to an extended and costly lay up period for Darlington if it is determined that the feeder tubes must be replaced." OPG spokesperson John Earl said the company is developing new technology for replacing damaged tubes. The technology "is expected to take approximately 18 months to two years to develop and will be available in time when the first replacements are expected to be required at Darlington starting in 2008," OPG said in a written response to questions. In an interview, Earl said reactors normally are taken out of service for maintenance at 12 to 18 month intervals. "That's how we're intending to do the feeder replacement  to schedule it within the routine maintenance schedules so we stay ahead of the predicted thinning," he said. OPG can't estimate the cost of the repairs, in part because the number of tubes that need replacing isn't known and the technology to repair them is still being developed. But Earl said the cost will be reduced if the repairs can be incorporated into normal maintenance outages. Conway remains apprehensive, especially since the Liberal government is pushing to close down the province's coal-fired generating plants  which produce about 25 per cent of the province's power  by 2007. The province's power system is under strain even with the coal plants. "It would be a very, very major worry of mine that some time in the next two or three or four years there might be a problem that could take Darlington down early for a refurbishment," he said. "Hopefully, that won't happen." Conway also noted that Darlington is Ontario's newest nuclear plant, yet has the most severe problem with tubes thinning. "I thought this problem had been identified earlier," he said. "I was disappointed to say that least that it appeared to be still a problem at Darlington." Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All ***************************************************************** 28 Brattleboro Reformer: VY search continues [http://www.reformer.com/] April 25, 2004 By CAROLYN LORIÉ Reformer Staff BRATTLEBORO -- Where are they? That's the question on everybody's mind since Vermont Yankee's announcement that two segments of a highly radioactive fuel rod turned up missing from the spent fuel pool on Tuesday night. The material was placed into a special canister in 1979 because the cladding surrounding it was defective. The discovery was made after an on-site inspector from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered the container that was supposed to contain the two pieces opened. Instead of finding the two pencil-thick seven-inch and 17-inch pieces, they found nothing. The speculation began immediately. And the worry. Neal Sheehan, NRC spokesman for region I, said the fuel was most likely in one of three places: lying at the bottom of the 40-feet-deep spent fuel pool; sitting in some testing lab, where it may have been shipped off to without being properly recorded; or buried deep in the low-level waste dump in Snelling, S.C., where it may have been inadvertently sent. If the missing material did somehow slip out of the canister and settle on the bottom of the spent fuel pool, there are robotic cameras that can be used to find it. According to Vermont Yankee spokesman Rob Williams, Friday was spent scanning the pool with an on-site camera and figuring out what special attachments are needed for a more detailed search. "There will be a very meticulous examination. We want to say with certainty that the segments are or are not there," said Williams. There is some concern, raised by the New England Coalition, that there may be pieces of fuel rods on the floor but not the pieces in question. According to Ray Shadis, technical advisor the Coalition, a former Vermont Yankee employee said that he had knowledge of segments on the floor from a rod that broke some time around 1992. Shadis said that Vermont Yankee officials may find material on the pool floor from another rod and declare the problem solved. Vermont Yankee officials declined to comment. Discovering whether the segments were sent off to a lab for testing is a matter of reviewing records. Something Vermont Yankee officials will be expected to do if the fuel pool search proves fruitless. A record search might also reveal whether the fuel was packed off to a nuclear waste dump in Snelling, S.C. Although the site is meant to receive only low-level waste, many have speculated that the fuel may have inadvertently been sent off with other waste. The site is managed by Chem-Nuclear Systems, which is based in Columbia, S.C. According to public affairs director Deborah Ogilvie, as of Thursday the company had not received any official notice from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment, which is the state regulator in charge of nuclear waste. In 2001 when rods were discovered missing from Millstone 1 nuclear power plant in Connecticut, Ogilvie said that the company was asked to review shipment records. The Millstone material were never found. Tim Moore, mayor of Snelling, said that if the fuel had made its way to his hometown "it would be a concern but not a worry that it couldn't be taken care of." While the missing fuel caused great consternation up north, Moore said that he had confidence that the matter would be resolved. "We have capable people to monitor this. If they find it, I'll hear about it," he said. The one scenario that Sheehan didn't consider was that the fuel was in the hands of someone plotting to make a "dirty bomb." Using conventional explosives, such as dynamite, a dirty bomb contains radioactive material that doesn't itself explode (as it does in a nuclear weapon) but is dispersed. Anyone in close proximity to the explosion runs the risk of exposure. How bad would that be? No one exactly knows because no one has actually detonated a dirty bomb. Many nuclear experts believe that there is more threat from the force of the explosion than from the spread of radioactive material. According to nuclear engineer Howard Shaffer, the process of dispersal greatly dilutes the radioactive material. He added that most nuclear industry experts think of dirty bombs not as weapons of mass destruction but as weapons of mass disruption, because of the psychological terror they have the power to induce. Although a dirty bomb would most likely not cause a large number of immediate fatalities, the risk of developing cancer after an exposure would increase significantly. While the possibility that the two missing segments have found their way into the "wrong hands" has many people concerend, those familiar with nuclear waste say that it is highly unlikely. Among those who voiced skepticism that the material was stolen is David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer who served as an expert witness for the coalition in the Vermont Yankee uprate case and a member of the Union of Concerend Scientists. "The segments are so radioactively hot that it is unlikely that someone, either accidentally or intentionally, carried them out of the plant," he said. In order for the material to be transported without releasing radiation, said Lochbaum, it would require a lead-lined cask approximately 3 feet by 2 feet, weighing at least several hundred pounds. Lochbaum said that he agreed with the NRC's and Vermont Yankee's claim that public health and safety were not at risk from these two missing segments. For many, the important question is not only "where are they" but "how could they be lost." Lochbaum echoed that sentiment saying that the method of accounting for radioactive material only on paper needs to be abandoned. "There's an assumption that what was there before will still be there. We need to rethink this so that there will be no more surprises," he said. Copyright ©1999-2004 New England Newspapers, Inc., a ***************************************************************** 29 Deutsche Welle: Getting the Green Light (Ignalina) 24.04.2004 [http://dw-world.de/select_html/] The Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania. The ten candidate countries joining the European Union in May face a daunting list of environmental requirements that must be met as stipulated in the bloc's membership criteria. When European nuclear experts visited the Ignalina power station in Lithuania in 1992, the state of the plant's two reactors was enough to shock the experienced team into declaring that if large scale modernization did not take place, then they would recommend that the power station should be shut down. The control rooms of the reactors, which were of the same type as that at the ill-fated Chernobyl plant, had no special protection and were situated in the turbine buildings, the most accident-prone part of any nuclear power station. A fire or an explosion would render the control room inaccessible, the team reported, making any attempt to shut down the reactor impossible. Equally troubling, investigators found that fire doors were made of wood and that all emergency systems were housed in the one room, serviced by a single cable which, if destroyed, would render all safety operations useless. This included the pumps for the reactor's emergency cooling system. It is therefore understandable why the European Union made the decommissioning of Ignalina one of its primary prerequisites for Lithuania's accession in 2004. Pressure from the EU and the need to comply with the bloc's stringent environmental rules forced the Lithuanian government to order the closure of one of the plant's reactors by 2005. The EU has issued a deadline for the complete decommissioning of Ignalina by 2009. Undoing 40 years of neglect Nuclear safety in the applicant countries is a major political issue and one of the greatest challenges being faced by those involved in the enlargement process along with cleaning up over 40 years of environmental neglect in the former Soviet and Eastern Bloc states. [ align=] The USSR's solution for disposing of high-level radioactive waste had been to simply pump most of it underground, polluting subterranean water sources. Combined with leaks and accidents which laid huge swathes of land to waste, many Soviet and Eastern Bloc states suffered from high levels of radioactive pollution. But nuclear energy was far from the exclusive domain of such neglect – it also seeped over into virtually every other aspect of the environment. A report issued by the Polish independent trade union Solidarity in the mid-1980's did a pretty fair job of assessing the East's environmental problems. The report provided a laundry list of Poland's growing problems, illustrating how Eastern Bloc politicians often acted with brown rather than green thumbs. [ align=] "One-third of the country’s food is poisoned, one-fifth of the population is seriously endangered by air pollution, one third of Polish rivers are completely dead, the Baltic is dying, while 78 percent of lakes have levels of pollution that far exceed any acceptable standard." Such a legacy puts the size of the task facing the new members into perspective. It also demonstrates the colossal progress the new member states have made in depolluting their lands. 300 laws for cleaner living The environmental regulations that the accession countries must adhere to in order to meet the membership criteria of the EU amount to over 300 different laws that include standards for air, waste, water, industrial pollution control and risk management, nuclear safety and radiation protection. The environmental dimension of the forthcoming enlargement presents greater challenges than in any previous accession. The task involves closing the gap in the level of environmental protection between Central and Eastern Europe and the rest of the EU while promoting economically and environmentally sustainable frameworks within the ten new member states so standards can be maintained once they have been reached. Greener pastures [European Union Commissioner for the Environment Margot Wallström ] Thus far, EU officials are pleased with the massive strides made by the accession states. At a press conference last week, the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Sweden's Margot Wallström (photo), lauded the incoming members for their efforts. "All the new member states are for the most part on track ... they have had to make big efforts," she said. "From an environmental point of view, we are very happy." Full compliance with the EU's environmental regulations is not just a huge logistical undertaking but has also required a massive financial investment. Estimates place the total cost of getting the ten candidate countries up to spec in the region of €100 - 120 billion. The bulk of the investment is likely to be needed for infrastructure in air pollution abatement, water and waste water management and waste management. Final hurdles The candidate countries have already started to integrate the EU's environmental regulations into their own national legislation but some are continuing to have problems accommodating EU policy into their own on a legal level. There are also problems concerning the reinforcing of a wide range of environmental institutions within the candidate countries, particularly the integration of existing regional and local environmental inspectorates into networks of non-governmental organizations across the bloc as stipulated within the EU legislation. While none of the candidate countries have satisfied all of the EU environmental regulations at the present time, almost all are expected to have implemented a satisfactory level of the regulations by the time accession comes around on May 1, according to the European Commission. In a report released last week, the Commission noted that key air pollutants in the new member states have declined by 60 to 80 percent. The presence of toxic metals, meanwhile, have fallen by 50 percent. And organic matter pollution in water has fallen as much as 80 percent. But there are still areas that need improvement – especially in the areas of waste management, industrial pollution and conservation. "The main problems have to do with the heavy pollution of the past, and the infrastructure. But they have been working very hard to address those problems," Wallström said.Nick Amies ***************************************************************** 30 Reuters: U.N. wants to end confusion about Chernobyl (Ha!) 25 Apr 2004 02:58 By Louis Charbonneau VIENNA (Reuters) - Although the world may never know the full impact of the world's worst nuclear disaster, the United Nations nuclear agency wants to put an end to the confusion for millions of victims of the Chernobyl accident. The disaster occurred 18 years ago, at 1:24 a.m. on April 26, 1986, when an explosion at Reactor 4 of the Ukrainian power plant spewed a cloud of radioactivity across Europe and the Soviet Union. Around 30 people died from radiation exposure after the accident, nearly 2,000 children later developed thyroid cancer and thousands of other fatal illnesses have been blamed on it. More than 100,000 people were resettled, causing physical, economic and psychological hardship. Among the millions of people whose lives were affected by the disaster, thousands may have developed cancer and died as a result. But poor records and corruption have prevented the accurate registration of the workers who helped put out the fire and entomb the smouldering nuclear plant in 1986. "We have an epistemological problem," said Abel Gonzalez, head of radiation and waste safety at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "In Chernobyl, you can say that the only concrete sick persons that you can (identify) are the (1,800) children who got thyroid cancer and the workers who were over-exposed. All the rest, we don't know." Not only is there a limit to the ability of the nuclear experts to understand the full impact of Chernobyl, but contradictory studies and statements about the disaster have confused the millions of people whose lives were affected by it. "People living in the affected villages are very distressed because the information they receive -- from one expert after another turning up there -- is inconsistent. People living there are afraid for their children," Gonzalez explained. Over the years, wildly varying reports have put the Chernobyl death toll as high as 15,000. For this reason, the IAEA has established the Chernobyl forum, whose task will be to give "authoritative, transparent statements that show the factual situation in the aftermath of Chernobyl," said Gonzalez, who represents the IAEA on the forum. The forum will bring together Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, the IAEA and all other U.N. organisations involved in Chernobyl. It will review all the studies and statements on Chernobyl, filter out the good, throw out the bad and present a clear summary to next year's U.N. General Assembly. REGISTRATION WAS DISASTROUS A native of Argentina, Gonzalez is no stranger to the Chernobyl story. From 1989 to 1991, he headed a huge IAEA study of the health, environmental and radiological impact of the disaster on villages and towns in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine that suffered the worst contamination. He was always convinced that many cases of leukaemia would appear among the 600,000 so-called "liquidators" who worked frantically in the spring of 1986 to put out the fire in the molten reactor and entomb the plant in a concrete sarcophagus. "I was personally convinced that leukaemia in the workers -- the liquidators -- would be detected. But until now it has not appeared," he said. Gonzalez said that this may be because some of the people who were granted the status of "liquidator", which gave them free public transport and other perks, never actually worked at Chernobyl but got liquidator cards through contacts. "I saw this with my own eyes," he said. "Someone with the liquidator card who never worked there." As a result the liquidator register is almost useless. "If proper registration had been done, probably you would have seen some leukaemia in workers. But the registration is such a disaster that it will be very, very difficult," he said. Because of this, the question of how many people have died as a result of the accident may never be properly answered. "It is an issue that is impossible to settle because there are two different types of deaths -- the deaths that you can check that they happened and the ones you can only imagine." BLAMING CHERNOBYL The Soviet Union's misinformation and overall mismanagement of the disaster resulted in a tendency of victims to attribute all kinds of illnesses to Chernobyl which may have nothing to do with it. "A woman brings her baby sick with leukaemia and says it is caused by Chernobyl. How do you explain to her that if Chernobyl had never happened her child might still have leukaemia?" According to a 1996 article by Atomic Energy Insights, around 200,000 women aborted foetuses due to unfounded fears that the children would have birth defects. Gonzalez said he was not undermining the seriousness of the disaster -- merely pointing out that the ability to clearly identify illnesses caused by Chernobyl is severely limited. "I don't want to undermine that this was a catastrophe," he said. The IAEA has often said that the Chernobyl changed the way the world looks at nuclear power. Unknown before April 1986, when newspapers first carried front-page headlines about the accident, Chernobyl is now a household word and the biggest public relations problem for supporters of atomic energy. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said that it was an important milestone for the United Nations nuclear watchdog. "Chernobyl was a tragic but important turning point for the IAEA," said ElBaradei. "It prompted us to focus unprecedented energies and resources to help the affected people and ensure that such a serious accident would never happen again." What is clear, ElBaradei said, is that it "had a disastrous impact on life, health and the environment in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia and prompted fear and concerns in other nations of the world about the effects of radiation." ***************************************************************** 31 Moscow Times: New Life Trickles Back to Chernobyl themoscowtimes.com Monday, Apr. 26, 2004. Page 1 By Simon Ostrovsky Staff Writer Luke Tchalenko / For MT An abandoned amusement park in Pripyat, a ghost town too close to the reactor to be safe for former residents to return. CHERNOBYL, Ukraine -- Maria Dika remembers the flash of flames and a collapsing wall as Chernobyl's reactor No. 4 exploded in the world's worst nuclear disaster 18 years ago Monday. Although she took an extremely high dose of radiation on that day, Dika, who was working as a security guard at the power plant, again lives in the glum town of Chernobyl, just 10 kilometers from the reactor. "The radiation got used to us," said Dika, a jolly 42-year-old who now manages a hostel for maintenance workers in the contaminated zone. "I was born and spent my life here. It's my home." Life is returning to the 30-kilometer-radius exclusion zone around Chernobyl, as many former residents have taken part-time maintenance jobs at the plant or returned to their native villages nestled in pine forests. Once the area had a population of close to 120,000 people, who were evacuated in the aftermath of the disaster. Undeterred by radiation levels that in places are dozens of times higher than acceptable norms, some 500 former residents like Dika have since returned, while 4,000 others are shuttled into the zone to work on the gradual powering down of the plant. The area has also become a bonanza for scientists studying the effects of radiation on plant and animal life that has reclaimed much of the area. But even as scientists work to minimize radiation levels, the danger of a new tragedy lingers, this time in the form of a radioactive dust cloud. Experts warn that the collapse of an unstable wall in reactor No. 4 could release some of the 200 tons of nuclear fuel encased inside the unit by a protective shell of concrete and steel that was hastily thrown up in the aftermath of the disaster. The reactor exploded in the early hours of April 26, 1986, when technicians failed to power down its core after a series of poorly timed tests, killing 30 people immediately and exposing more than 8 million people in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia to radiation. Victims blame Soviet authorities for informing locals of the accident too late, after they had already been exposed to enormous amounts of radiation. On Saturday, some 5,000 people marched in Kiev to commemorate the disaster and call attention to the plight of Chernobyl's late victims. Luke Tchalenko / For MT Maria Dika returned home despite risks. Thousands have died, but the total number of victims may never be known because of the difficulty in determining whether ailments are related to radiation. It is known that the frequency of thyroid cancer in contaminated areas has jumped since the accident, though this consequence is becoming evident only today. Radiation-induced thyroid cancer usually takes more than 15 years to set in. It will peak in the next few years, said Volodymyr Sert, a doctor who runs a Red Cross mobile diagnostic unit that screens residents in contaminated areas. The organization registered 68 cases in the Zhytomyr region last year compared to just 15 in 1986. In Laski, a half-deserted town 90 kilometers west of Chernobyl, background radiation levels are 30 times higher than in Kiev, 200 kilometers to the south of the reactor site. Thyroid cancer cases are particularly high there because iodine deficiency caused the thyroids of locals to absorb the radioactive iodine released when Chernobyl exploded, Sert said. And these people are still at risk of receiving a new dose of radiation. Nuclear fuel trapped in the remains of reactor No. 4 are causing the structure to deteriorate, said Yulia Marusych, a spokeswoman for the plant. "God knows how long it will hold," she said, pointing to a meter-tall model of reactor No. 4. The real reactor loomed outside the plant's observation deck. The aging gray shell of the sarcophagus encasing unit No. 4 leaks radiation through some 100 square meters of cracks and holes on its surface, Marusych said. A dosimeter gave a reading of 1,600 roentgens per hour, or 90 times background radiation levels in Kiev. There are plans to construct a 100-meter-high metal shell to cover units No. 3 and No. 4. The project, funded by international donors and lenders, as well as by the Ukrainian government, comes at a $768 million price tag and is scheduled to be finished by 2008. "I hope it will be in time," Marusych said. The power plant stands at the center of the 10-kilometer-radius dead zone. In Chernobyl town, which stands on the perimeter of the dead zone, a skeleton firefighting crew monitors forest fires to prevent radiation from spreading. The occasional bus trundles down the main street ferrying workers from the reactor. In contrast to the lush green fields outside Kiev, agricultural lands in the 30-kilometer exclusion zone have been abandoned -- brown plots dotted with stunted trees. Deserted houses with broken windows line the road, and only the rare farmer passes by on a horse-drawn cart. Unlike the areas surrounding the exclusion zone, scientists say, the dead zone will remain uninhabitable. Too heavy to be carried by the winds that blew lighter radioactive elements as far away as Austria and Scandinavia, plutonium -- with a half-life of 24,000 years -- settled around the reactor, said Valery Kashparov, who directs the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology. But with the proper funding, less radioactive areas, including parts of the exclusion zone, could be made safe for human life in less than a year, said Kashparov, a chain-smoker who said tobacco use is much more hazardous than radiation exposure. His institute has developed a number of techniques to make produce safe enough to consume and sell outside the contaminated areas. "Most of the radiation absorbed by people doesn't come from being in a radioactive area, it comes form eating produce grown there," Kashparov said. Research by the institute -- which was founded a month after the disaster to study and fight its effects -- shows that only 5 percent to 25 percent of radiation absorbed by the body comes from background radiation and contaminated air and water. "Eighty to 95 percent comes from eating contaminated food, especially milk and mushrooms," Kashparov said. Just by tilling and fertilizing pastures, radiation intake would drop by eight times, Kashparov said. "Tilling the pasture means cows will eat clean grass; the cows' meat and milk will in turn be clean, yielding cleaner manure used to fertilize potatoes, which in turn are fed to pigs," he said. "Unfortunately the government is not doing enough to inform people and to help finance the purchase of fertilizers." Almost 20 years after the disaster, little is known about the long-term effects of radiation. "People think that smaller doses of radiation over a long period of time are less dangerous than a large dose all at once," said Dmitry Grodzinsky, a radiobiologist at the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Sitting in his dark Kiev office, Grodzinsky warned that the effects are not smaller, just different. "An organism which is in an area of higher radiation is constantly agitated as the radiation destroys its cells. To adjust, the organism destabilizes its own genome so that it can adapt, resulting in more mutations in its offspring," he said. Grodzinsky gave pine trees with extraordinarily long needles as an example. He said as far as effects of radiation exposure go, cancer is a bigger danger than genetic instability. "Radiation is like a lottery. Particles may shoot through your body and just destroy some cells. But in 600 cases out of 1 million, it causes cancer." Radioactivity certainly spawns myths. When the 50,000 residents of Pripyat, a town just two kilometers from the reactor, were evacuated, they were not allowed to take their pets. Within a few months rumors spread of giant mutant dogs roaming the zone. "What really happened was that the dogs got hungry and ate all the little dogs until none where left. Natural selection reclaimed Chernobyl," Grodzinsky said. © Copyright 2002, The Moscow Times. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 32 Nuclear Monopoly Courts Investors Bloomberg themoscowtimes.com Monday, Apr. 26, 2004. Page 7 Russia may sell a stake in Rosenergoatom, the state-owned nuclear power monopoly, to private investors to raise the company's efficiency and help spur the nuclear industry's development, Interfax reported, citing Alexander Rumyantsev, head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency. "I don't see anything bad in selling from 20 percent to 24 percent of Rosenergoatom to a private investor for $10 billion," Rumyantsev was quoted as saying by Interfax. "The nuclear power industry needs to be privatized and attract private capital." Russia needs to merge its nuclear power plants into Rosenergoatom's assets before it could sell a stake in the company, Rumyantsev said. Russia has 30 nuclear reactors and 10 nuclear power stations, Interfax reported. Rosenergoatom may invest as much as $47 billion to double its output by 2020, the Atomic Energy Agency said earlier this month. The company's annual borrowings total 11 billion rubles ($380 million), Interfax reported. © Copyright 2002, The Moscow Times. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 33 Casper Star-Tribune: Groups pan using reactors for clean hydrogen fuel Casper, Wyoming - Saturday, April 24, 2004 [http://www.trib.com/wyoming] --> By DAN GALLAGHER Associated Press writer BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- The plan seems sensible enough for a country thirsty for energy and fuel alternatives: A shiny new nuclear reactor at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory would kick off research into creating hydrogen gas for the Bush administration's new fuel-cell transportation initiative. It also would further secure INEEL's status as the nation's top nuclear research site while boosting the payroll of what is already eastern Idaho's largest employer. Yet watchdog groups warn pollution-free hydrogen fuel should be made with power from renewables like wind or the sun, not in a nuclear reactor with a radioactive waste problem that remains unresolved nearly six decades after nuclear technology was born. Snake River Alliance Executive Director Jeremy Maxand called the Bush proposal "alchemy at best. We've got to get serious about energy. What we want to see is a comprehensive energy policy that includes renewables." In 2003, the president announced his hydrogen program in which fuel-cell cars would eventually fill auto showrooms, reduce the nation's need for oil and cut greenhouse emissions. Hydrogen goes in. Energy to power the car and water vapor come out. It also could fuel industry and heat or cool homes. The high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor envisioned for Idaho would create both hydrogen and electricity. The $1.1 billion project died in last year's energy bill, but it's part of the current legislation that is backed by Idaho lawmakers. U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo said Americans have become so reliant on oil that the nation is overly dependent on other countries for supplies. "Like a stock portfolio, we have to broaden our energy portfolio," Crapo said. "If we made the decision today, it still will be several decades before we have successfully ended our dependence." Most hydrogen today is made by reacting natural gas with high-temperature steam. The nation needs plenty of hydrogen already to make products such as fertilizer and to refine crude oil, said Steve Herring, an engineer with the Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems at the INEEL. "It's important to remember that we use 12 million tons of hydrogen a year," he said. "It's light, fluffy stuff, so that's a lot of hydrogen." There currently are 103 reactors operating in the nation today. Providing enough hydrogen to meet all the fuel-cell transportation needs would mean tripling that number, he said. The administration's FreedomCar program is working parallel to the hydrogen initiative. INEEL scientists are studying and developing some vehicles to run on the gas, and hybrids use combinations of gas and electricity. The nation not only could use hydrogen for cars but for more electricity, too. Nuclear energy currently provides about 20 percent of American demand for power and 16 percent worldwide. Department of Energy officials say the reason for the renewed interest in nuclear power is it generates electricity more inexpensively than plants fired by coal, natural gas or oil. And running the "information highway" of electronic communication that the United States is increasingly relying on to manage its business requires significant amounts of power, said Mike Tracy, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Larry Craig. Herring also counters Maxand's concern about radioactive waste, claiming the new process would go a long way toward reducing the amount of spent fuel left around the country. "We wouldn't have zero waste," he said, but "we would reduce a lot of the waste." Still, opponents reject the Energy Department's claim that nuclear reactors are safe for the environment. Maxand points to the 1979 Three Mile Island reactor core meltdown in Pennsylvania and the troubled Davis Besse power plant in Ohio, which was shut down several times after boric acid nearly ate through the steel reactor cell. But there are problems closer to home, critics say. From the 1950s through the 1970s, Maxand said, plutonium-contaminated waste was buried in unlined pits at the INEEL, while billions of gallons of hazardous and radioactive waste were pumped into the ground above the Snake River aquifer, the source of drinking water for much of southern Idaho. For the $87 billion recently appropriated to support continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Maxand said, more than 190,000 wind turbines could have been built in the United States, supplying 25 percent of the nation's electrical needs. In suggesting the production of hydrogen from reactors and coal-fired or oil-fired power plants, the administration is propping up those polluting industries, said Michele Boyd, legislative representative of Public Citizen, the public interest group founded by Ralph Nader. "It's a huge boondoggle," Boyd said. "Talking about a new $1.1 billion reactor, that's an obscene amount of money." Boyd said Public Citizen is part of the Green Hydrogen Coalition of groups such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, which support "green hydrogen" production from wind turbines and solar panels, instead of "black hydrogen" from reactors or fossil fuels. "What we're trying to do is develop reactor and hydrogen technologies that will mesh with renewables and other sources," Herring said. "It took 100 years to develop the internal combustion engine. We're not going to supplant fossil fuels in 10 years." Copyright © 2004 by the Casper Star-Tribune published by Lee ***************************************************************** 34 [DU-WATCH] 16 Puerto rican soldiers tested for uranium Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 11:27:09 -0500 (CDT) 16 Puerto Rican soldiers tested for uranium http://www.puertoricowow.com/ Friday, April 23rd, 2004. SAN JUAN (AP)- At least 16 soldiers from local units of the United States Armed Forces, who have recently returned from tours of duty in Iraq, have attended the Veterans Hospital to request they be tested for depleted uranium exposure. It was confirmed by Veterans Hospital spokeswoman, Annie Moraza, who stated that the request for testing was made after it was revealed that four soldiers who participated in the war had tested positive for high levels of contamination from depleted uranium. A New York newspaper reported that four members of the New York National Guard, three of whom were Puerto Rican, tested positive for contamination from depleted uranium. Reports state that over a 1,000 soldiers have requested testing from Walter Reed medical center in Washington as a result of the New York cases. Depleted uranium is a heavy metal used to reinforce projectiles and is believed to cause kidney problems. Veterans groups also claim that exposure to the hazardous material causes cancer, although medical studies dispute that by itself it causes cancer. ____________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/Sj.0lB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 35 [DU-WATCH] Hell science Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 11:58:52 -0500 (CDT) From: Peter & Darka Sent: April 24, 2004 2:50 AM Is Hell endothermic or exothermic The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well. Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: "First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls will go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1) If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2) If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in sleeping with her, then #2 above cannot be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze over." THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/Sj.0lB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 36 [DU-WATCH] Uranium making soldiers in Iraq ill Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 00:08:02 -0500 (CDT) Friday, April 23, 2004 Group: Uranium making soldiers in Iraq ill Metal used in shells, armor for tanks By Anthony Farmer Poughkeepsie Journal http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/frontpage/stories/fr042304s1.sht ml KINGSTON -- A group of peace activists from the region are calling for an end to the use of weapons that could be harming American soldiers. The activists met with congressional staffers Thursday to press their case. Members from a coalition of groups from the mid-Hudson Valley and Albany areas, including some veterans, held a press conference in Kingston Thursday to highlight their concerns over the possible health effects depleted uranium used in weapons could have on American soldiers when they return home. The coalition said weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq -- and the U.S. brought them there. Depleted uranium, a toxic heavy metal, is used by the U.S. military in armor-piercing shells. ''This is a weapon of mass destruction that we need to halt,'' said New Paltz resident Michelle Riddell, of SAFE Legacy, or Sane and Fair Energy Legacy. ''It is the tip of the nuclear iceberg.'' Depleted uranium is left over when highly radioactive types of uranium are removed for use as nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons. The metal is then used in shells and in armor to protect tanks. When the shells hit their target, uranium particles can get into the air and be inhaled by troops nearby. Experts dispute how harmful depleted uranium can be to humans. Meeting with lawmakers The group met Thursday with representatives of several members of Congress and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. Members of the group planned to travel to Washington for a Monday meeting with representatives of Sen. Hillary Ro dham Clinton, D-N.Y. Schumer and Clinton, and others, have expressed concern in recent weeks that soldiers are returning from Iraq and complaining about illnesses they believe are related to uranium poisoning. They have both called for the mi litary to provide adequate health screenings to soldiers returning from Iraq. The New York Daily News reported recently that a handful of soldiers from the 442nd Military Police Company returning from Iraq tested positive for depleted uranium and have been suffering from unexplained illnesses. The coalition on Thursday called for: - Proper training for troops on potential exposure to uranium and prompt, adequate testing and medical care to troops and affected civilians. - An end to the manufacture, use and sale of depleted uranium weapons. - Disclosure of contaminated sites. - Investigation into possible violations of international treaties by using the weapons. - Labeling of depleted uranium shipments as radioactive, to alert emergency responders in case of an accident. Several people said Thursday they have tried over the years to highlight the dangers of depleted uranium to Schumer, Clinton and other officials, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. The fact that soldiers returning home ar e testing positive for exposure to depleted uranium shouldn't be a surprise to the officials -- they've known the dangers of depleted uranium all along, members of the coalition said. ''He's been lying to us up until recently,'' Albany resident Thomas Ellis, co-founder of the Citizens' Environmental Coalition, said of Schumer. ''And so has Hillary Clinton.'' Aide: Meeting scheduled Schumer's office said they first received a request from the group to meet in March and quickly worked to schedule it. Schumer spokesman Blake Zeff said the meeting was very cordial and productive. ''Say what you want about Senator Schumer, everyone knows he's responsive,'' Zeff said. ''We were delighted to sit with them today and update them on Senator Schumer's efforts to test our soldiers returning from Iraq.'' Clinton has long been an advocate in the fight for better health care for the troops, dating back to her time as first lady, said Nina Blackwell, a Clinton spokeswoman. The health of the troops is a top priority for the s enator, she said. ''Senator Clinton has forwarded correspondence prepared by citizens concerned about depleted uranium to the Defense Department and her staff has followed up with the department to seek a prompt response,'' Blackwell said. ''Members of her staff have also had numerous conversations with them to investigate their concerns.'' Ulster County Legislator Susan Zimet, D-New Paltz, joined the coalition Thursday. She said the meeting at the Kingston office of U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, went well. ''They're doing what they can to say, 'Help educate us,' '' Zimet said of the officials. ____________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/Sj.0lB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 37 femail.co.uk Nuclear sub begins sea trials 25th April 2004 A major sea trial of a repaired nuclear submarine got under way after being postponed when crew members became stressed, possibly due to a previous accident, the Navy said. Eleven sailors raised their concerns with the captain of HMS Trafalgar - which had run aground off the Isle of Skye in November 2002 - just hours before the sub was due to leave Faslane on the Clyde to begin its "shake-down". A Royal Navy spokesman said last night: "Their worries gave the captain sufficient concern that he decided to land them for medical assessment and support, thus briefly postponing sailing." The results of medical examinations are still awaited, but it is thought the men, who recently sailed from the sub's home port of Devonport, may be suffering delayed post-traumatic stress disorder. The crew was also involved in a minor incident in recent weeks where diesel fumes briefly entered the sub's ventilation system while at in Devonport dockyard. The shake-down is where testing of the vessel and training of the crew is stepped up and the pressures on the sub's company increased to prepare for operational deployment. A spokesman said: "The boat was due to sail for shake-down after minor repairs at Faslane - subsequent to the major repair which followed the incident off Skye in 2002. "Eleven members of the ship's company made representations to the captain through their divisional system about stress relating to returning to sea. "Their worries gave the captain sufficient concern that he decided to land them for medical assessment and support, thus postponing sailing. "We got sufficient personnel to sail last night and the ship's shake-down is under way. The crew who were landed are fit to travel south for further assessment at the start of this week." [http://www.anm.co.uk] Terms & conditions | Privacy Policy ***************************************************************** 38 Scotsman: Repaired N-Sub Begins Sea Trial [http://www.scotsman.com/] Sat 24 Apr 2004 By Russell Fallis, Scottish Press Association A major sea trial of a repaired nuclear submarine got under way tonight, after being postponed when crew members became stressed, possibly due to a previous accident, the Navy said. Eleven sailors raised their concerns with the captain of HMS Trafalgar – which had run aground off the Isle of Skye in November 2002 – just hours before the sub was due to begin its “shake-down” last night. A Royal Navy spokesman said tonight: “Their worries gave the captain sufficient concern that he decided to land them for medical assessment and support, thus briefly postponing sailing.” The results of medical examinations are still awaited, but it is thought the men, who recently sailed from the sub’s home port of Devonport, may be suffering delayed post-traumatic stress disorder. The crew was also involved in a minor incident in recent weeks where diesel fumes briefly entered the sub’s ventilation system while at in Devonport dockyard. The shake-down is where testing of the vessel and training of the crew is stepped up and the pressures on the sub’s company increased to prepare for operational deployment. A spokesman said: “The boat was due to sail for shake-down last night after minor repairs at Faslane – subsequent to the major repair which followed the incident off Skye in 2002. “Eleven members of the ship’s company made representations to the captain through their divisional system about stress relating to returning to sea. “Their worries gave the captain sufficient concern that he decided to land them for medical assessment and support, thus postponing sailing. “We got sufficient personnel to sail tonight and the ship’s shakedown is under way. “The crew who were landed are fit to travel south for further assessment at the start of this week.” A court martial hearing last month reprimanded Commander Robert Fancy and Commander Ian McGhie, both 39, for their part in causing HMS Trafalgar to ground on the seabed while on a training mission, causing damage costing ÂŁ5 million. The two pleaded guilty to a charge of negligence causing the grounding of the sub on November 6, 2002. Naval prosecutor Lieutenant Commander Alison Towler said the sub, at a depth of 50 metres and travelling at 14.7 knots, ploughed into the seabed off a small island called Fladda-Chuain as the vessel changed direction, injuring three sailors and causing the entire submarine crew to fall over. [http://www.scotsman.com/] | ***************************************************************** 39 Las Vegas RJ: YUCCA MOUNTAIN RAIL LINE: Residents oppose route Sunday, April 25, 2004 Most see effort to grab swath of land latest in long line of government abuses By KEITH ROGERS REVIEW-JOURNAL Photos by Cariño Casas [ccasas@reviewjournal.com] . Rancher Gracian Uhalde carries a stray ewe on his back in early April after it had wandered off with some cattle on the open range. Uhalde fears a rail line for nuclear waste would ruin his ranching operation in Lincoln and Nye counties if the Department of Energy proceeds with plans to build it. The remains of a stone cabin sit near a wooden cabin off the road to Reveille, a mining camp where Giovanni Fallini, the grandfather of Joe Fallini Jr., once lived. The valley in the distance is where the Department of Energy wants to build a rail line to haul nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain. Sue Fallini, foreground, points to the Caliente rail corridor map during a discussion this month with her daughter Anna, left, and husband, Joe, at their Twin Springs Ranch. Sculptor Michael Heizer gestures during an interview this month about the government's plans for a nuclear railroad that he says will disrupt the rural Lincoln County setting behind him. Caliente Mayor Kevin Phillips discusses the Energy Department's plans for a rail line to Yucca Mountain while standing on a caboose on display this month near Union Pacific tracks. Railroad tracks have been part of the town since 1900. Behind Phillips is the train depot built in 1923 that now houses local government offices. RACHEL Across an expanse of rocky peaks and sage-filled valleys, ranchers and others who thrive on this remote landscape fear the day when the much-ballyhooed, radioactive "glow train," as they call it, comes rumbling over the ridge. It's a day that state officials who are battling the federal decision to build a 319-mile-long railroad to haul nuclear waste from the outskirts of Caliente to a yet-to-be-built repository at Yucca Mountain say might never happen. They say the Department of Energy has underestimated the construction task, failed to do necessary field work on the environmental impact and miscalculated the cost by $1 billion, more than double DOE's estimate. That does nothing, for the moment, to ease the anxiety of the ranchers and other high desert folk in this area who know what it's like to be at odds with the federal government. While they persevere, they have the scars to show for it. Some developed cancers as the result of above-ground nuclear blasts in the 1950s and 1960s. Others have seen land that belonged to their ancestors dwindle over the decades. Some just want to be left alone. And the federal government isn't their only worry. Some rural residents think that officials in Lincoln and Nye counties are knuckling under to the project, which has the prospect to boost the local economies. In short, sheep rancher Gracian Uhalde, artist Michael Heizer, cattleman Joe Fallini Jr., Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte and their neighbors in between think the government's grandiose plan to withdraw land for the rail line will forever change their lives, which are deeply rooted in this swath of undeveloped land. "I don't know if I'm more skeptical about things nuclear or more skeptical about the government," said Uhalde, 51, driving his diesel Dodge Ram one April day with his border collie, Pookie, perched on a box in the back. "They don't want to deal with the human issue," he said. For him, his sons and daughter, their sheep-ranching heritage, which dates back to his grandfather's arrival in Lincoln County in the 1880s, will vanish if a railroad bisects his grazing allotments. This would be more devastating, he said, than the Cold War problems his family has endured for more than five decades with the nation's nuclear weapons testing grounds within earshot of his Cherry Creek ranch in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Long past are the days when atmospheric nuclear bomb blasts at the Nevada Test Site sent pink clouds over his home, laden with radioactive dust particles that "were falling like snow," he said. Tumors that he and his sister developed as a result qualified them for $50,000 from the government in downwinders' compensation. A rail corridor would split his long-held allotments, perhaps separating them by fences, which would disrupt the free-roaming range and restrict where livestock graze. Without fencing, his herds would be jeopardized by the danger of trains rolling through the range, particularly at night. The area affected by the proposed rail corridor is within a couple hours drive north of this mobile-home hamlet best-known for the government's classified Area 51 installation that lies behind ridges to the south along Groom dry lake. Given the remoteness of this range in the Coal and Garden valleys, Uhalde knows firsthand how vulnerable an unguarded railroad shuttling car after car of spent nuclear fuel would be to sabotage. "With this terrorist stuff in Madrid, these rails become soft targets," he said referring to the March 11 train bombings in Spain that killed 191 people. "My question is, why mess up our valley?" Uhalde said. "Leave us alone. You've done enough to us in the past." Heizer, 59, a world-renowned artist whose works include sculptures and fountains in New York, Boston, Houston, Seattle and Nevada, toils in obscurity on private land that is far removed and off-limits to the public. "My objection to having a radioactive train out here is the same: I live here," he said. Since 1970, while raising cows and growing hay, he has worked on a project he intends to call "City," that's tied to the area's scenic, remote setting. A railroad, especially one for hauling nuclear waste casks just three miles away, would bring development to the area and ruin the natural setting, something he's strived to protect for both the environment and his privacy. "A lot of people might think this a big, desolate land, but it's highly productive and utilized," he said on a stormy afternoon while lightning bolted toward a ridge in the distance. Among Heizer's concerns for the Yucca Mountain Project is the consolidation of a colossal amount of nuclear waste in a maze of tunnels in the volcanic-rock ridge 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. He brings up the same issues raised by state officials and scientists who question whether Yucca Mountain has the structural integrity to contain the waste for at least 10,000 years. "If you put it in one place and something goes wrong, man-made or natural, the disaster would be of bigger proportion. Doesn't everybody think Yucca Mountain has unproven science?" he asked. Robert Steele, a rancher who runs beef cattle in the corridor area, said he would be forced to relinquish his livelihood if the Caliente rail spur is built. The rail line would greatly diminish the range, the food source for his free-roaming cattle. "It would put us out of business," said Steele, 40, of Alamo, who has twin, teenage sons who are rodeo cowboys. "We're not doing it for the money. We're doing it for the love of cows, running cows and the lifestyle it brings," he said. For Zabarte, the rail line would cut deep into his Western Shoshone heritage, slashing through the heart of Newe Sogobia, land of "Mother Earth" in the Mojave Desert that his tribe claims has never been relinquished. "What we're dealing with is a living culture," he said. "Many people make the mistake in thinking this is foreign, in the past, and has no meaning and value except for a museum. "I see my people hurt. It hurts me to see land destroyed," said Zabarte, who follows a Shoshone tradition of gathering sage on the range. "It affects me in ways that are hard to put in words." Energy Department officials decided on the remote Caliente rail corridor because this last leg of the cross-country journey from reactor sites in the eastern United States, where most of the spent fuel is stored, would avoid the fast-growing Las Vegas Valley, 130 miles to the south. The Caliente route, however, is not the most direct, least-expensive path to construct a railroad. Instead of cutting across the secure and remote Nellis Air Force Range and the test site to reach Yucca Mountain adjacent the test site's southwestern edge, the department plans to haul most of the 77,000 tons of highly radioactive spent fuel and defense waste on a course skirting those areas. That's because, officials say, a rail line with nuclear cargo or even general freight would interfere with air combat training missions and high-tech experiments on the Nellis range, posing safety and logistical issues. Like the Uhalde family, the ranchers in the Fallini clan trace their roots here back more than a century. In the 1860s, Giovanni Fallini, a teenage immigrant from Italy was exploring the prospects for mining and ranching in south-central Nevada. He was a rancher whose sons worked for United Cattle and Packing Co. He was a friend and neighbor of a Shoshone named Reveille George at Reveille Mill, where silver and lead ore were ground up and the metals extracted for smelting. From that and other land holdings sprung Twin Springs Ranch, a 45-minute drive northwest of here on state Route 375, the Extraterrestrial Highway. The ranch is the hub of surrounding grazing allotments that his grandson Joe Fallini Jr. inherited. The spread, with water rights, covers 663,000 acres where 2,144 cattle roam. With Joe and Sue Fallini's daughter, Anna, 27, living at Twin Springs, the ranch has been in the family for four generations. Like the Uhaldes, they too endured the days of atmospheric nuclear testing. The fallout problem at the Fallini ranch was featured in a 1957 edition of Life magazine. Joe Fallini said his cousin died of leukemia at age 11 from fallout that showered the area. "All our dogs died with big cancers all over them," he recalled. "My dad and mother were smart enough they wouldn't let us go out when the radiation was real, real bad." Now they're concerned a rail line running over their allotments would end what has taken more than a century to establish. "It takes 130 years to put a ranch like this together and it takes one stroke of the bureaucratic pen to wipe it out," said Joe Fallini, 62. A fire extinguisher labeled, "BLM Repellent" is within an arm's reach of his desk. It's symbolic of the Fallinis' decades of wranglings with the Bureau of Land Management over the water-based allotments. After Joe Fallini's father died in 1979 followed by his mother's death 10 years later, the Fallinis spent 14 years paying off the estate tax, interest and related costs, the biggest fraction of which was about $1.2 million assessed for the BLM grazing privilege. They say the rail corridor, like connecting dots, would go right through the middle of their water developments. "We're thinking it's no coincidence," said Anna Fallini, the youngest of three sisters. She said there are other, more direct courses the corridor could follow but the one chosen by the Department of Energy sometimes coincides with wells and springs. In some places the corridor is about 4 miles wide, according to a map by a DOE contractor that was the basis for the one published in the Yucca Mountain Project's final impact statement. Sue Fallini said, "We're going to end up in the courts over this. ... Regardless of whether they put a railroad in or not, once they withdraw this land, we're never going to get it back." The federal government will have a difficult time prying water rights away from ranchers without paying a price for them, according to Karen Budd-Falen, a Wyoming attorney who specializes in grazing and property rights issues. "One of the things I would argue is that water in Nevada is a private property interest and the government cannot take ownership of this private property without due process and compensation," Budd-Falen said Thursday. But rangeland reform regulations passed during the Clinton administration could complicate the Fallinis' situation if the family is required to relocate water developments. If that happens, the BLM could assert joint ownership of any water improvements the Fallinis would make to sustain their livestock. Asked about some of the rural residents' concerns, an Energy Department spokesman had no immediate answers. "That's what we want to hear," said Allen Benson, a spokesman for department's Office of Repository Development in Las Vegas. "Those are the type of questions we want raised. That way, when we write the environmental impact statement, we'll address them," he said. Uhalde and others said they've received overwhelming support from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the state's congressional delegation to oppose the Yucca Mountain transportation project. But Uhalde said he's not at all pleased with elected officials on the county level. "I can't tell you how disgusted I am with Nye County and Lincoln County," he said. "They just rolled over and put their legs up in the air." The stronghold of support in Lincoln County for the rail project revolves around Caliente Mayor Kevin Phillips, co-chairman of what's called the Joint City-County Impact Alleviation Committee. The eight-member board intends to work with the Department of Energy to ease the impacts of the rail line on local services and parlay the project into economic development. Phillips says the town's 1,200 residents and some 4,000 in Lincoln County stand to benefit if local governments work with the federal government. He explained his position while sitting on the steps of a caboose on display not far from the Union Pacific Depot built in 1923 that houses local government offices along railroad tracks that have been part of the town since 1900. "I'm supportive of the rail corridor because, A, it's a reality and always has been; B, because of economic development; and C, because mostly I've studied and found out it can be managed safely, wisely and hopefully advantageously," Phillips said. Phillips said he knows why ranchers are upset. "They don't want to be bothered. I don't blame them." If the rail line is built, Phillips said, he hopes it will be used to ship other types of freight such as minerals and hay. Until it is built some six years after the repository is scheduled to open in 2010, he envisions small casks of spent fuel on rail cars will be off-loaded outside Caliente and hauled by legal-weight trucks to Yucca Mountain. Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal ***************************************************************** 40 RGJ: Nevada asks environmental council to intervene in Yucca rail plan the Reno Gazette-Journal] ASSOCIATED PRESS 4/23/2004 08:52 pm LAS VEGAS — Nevada has registered a new complaint about the Yucca Mountain project, claiming the Energy Department has gotten ahead of itself planning a 319-mile rail line to the site where it wants to bury the nation’s nuclear waste. State Attorney General Brian Sandoval sent a letter Thursday asking James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council of Environmental Quality, to issue “corrective instructions” to the Energy Department. Sandoval said another federal agency, the Surface Transportation Board, has primary jurisdiction over rail projects. Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis in Washington said project planners have yet to decide how a Yucca rail line would be used. The letter was part of an ongoing state campaign to challenge the Energy Department’s plan to entomb the nation’s most radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain. The Energy Department plans by the end of the year to submit a license application to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to open the repository in 2010. A spokeswoman at the White House council confirmed getting Sandoval’s letter, but called it too early to discuss possible options. The council coordinates how agencies administer the National Environmental Policy Act, the major law that guides most government actions that impact the environment. State officials said the White House council would have a range of options, including putting the Surface Transportation Board in charge of the rail project or ordering the Energy Department to work out a formal relationship with the transportation agency. Testifying in March before a House subcommittee in Las Vegas, board chairman Roger Nober said the agency would get involved in a repository railroad if Energy Department chooses to let it be used for shipments other than nuclear waste. The department announced April 5 that it wants to build the 319-mile railroad line from Caliente, near the Nevada-Utah border 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas, across the state to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The route, dubbed the Caliente corridor, would avoid the Las Vegas area and skirt the vast Nellis Air Force Base bombing range and Nevada Test Site. The Energy Department has not announced routes it would use to get the waste from sites in 39 states to Nevada. © Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett ***************************************************************** 41 RGJ: Yucca officials to speak in Carson Valley [http://www.rgj.com/] RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL 4/23/2004 09:23 pm The Douglas County Democratic Women plan a Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site presentation 7 p.m. Monday at the Carson Valley Middle School Library in Gardnerville. Susan Lynch, administrator of technical programs for the Agency for Nuclear Projects, plans to address the group along with Michon Mackedon, vice chairman of the state Nuclear Task Force and John E. Hadder, Northern Nevada coordinator of Citizens Alert. This nonpartisan presentation is free and open to the public. For more information or directions to the school, call Linda Fisher at 782-6480. © Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett ***************************************************************** 42 The Mercury: Radioactive sludge sets off alarms Sunday 25 April, 2004 Evan Brandt ebrandt@pottsmerc.com POTTSTOWN -- Sewage sludge from Royersford that was processed at the Pottstown Wastewater Treatment Plant set off radiation alarms at a Bucks County landfill. The initial investigation revealed that a substance called cobalt-60 was included in the sludge, said Elmer Panoc, the chairman of the Pottstown Municipal Authority. According to the Environmental Protection Agency fact sheet on the substance, cobalt-60 is used in medicine for cancer radiotherapy and in industry to test welds and castings. It is also used to sterilize instruments, and to irradiate food to kill microbes and prevent spoilage, according to the EPA. Cobalt-60, which releases gamma ray radiation, can affect people’s health, even if they do not ingest or inhale it, the EPA said. "Exposure to low levels of gamma radiation over an extended period of time can cause cancer," the EPA fact sheet says. "The magnitude of the risk of adverse health effects depends on the quantity of cobalt-60 involved and on the exposure conditions." David Allebach, the authority’s solicitor, said the colbalt-60 "was not airborne, and the levels we had measured, compared to what (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) considers harmful, posed no problems for our employees." But the situation has created a problem for the Pottstown Wastewater Treatment Plant, and several of the authority’s members had a problem with the official response. Allebach said the DEP, the EPA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were notified when the radioactive waste was found. "The NRC almost immediately washed its hands of the problem," Allebach said, adding that the DEP and the EPA both declined to send out a field investigator. "You’re kidding," authority member David Sutton said. "That’s a disgrace. This is a serious issue." "It could have been serious," Allebach agreed. "But no one seemed interested in even coming out to look at it." Sutton suggested sending letters to state Sen. John Rafferty, R-44th Dist.,state Rep. Mary Ann Dailey, R-146th Dist., and U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist., "to let them know we feel let down by the state and federal agencies that are supposed to have responsibility in this area." More ridiculous, said Robert Maul, the utilities director, is the fact that the wastewater treatment plant is not allowed to accept sludge for treatment. And that includes a byproduct of the treatment conducted on the system’s drinking water at the water treatment plant in Stowe. Tom Weld of BCM Engineering said that the authority hired a specialist to "sweep" the plant for radiation and that it received a clean bill of health. But the DEP remains unwilling to allow the plant to accept sludge, he said. "Nobody at the DEP wants to be the one to give the go-ahead," Maul said. Apparently, no one seems interested in investigating where the cobalt-60 came from, either, officials said. "DEP approved us taking this sludge from Royersford two years ago," said Brent Wagner, the superintendent of the wastewater treatment plant, adding that Royersford "has had this problem before." In order to ensure that the wastewater treatment plant does not have this problem again, Allebach said, the authority plans to purchase a Geiger counter to check each incoming sludge load for radioactivity. Panoc praised the plant staff for its reaction to the alert. "I had the opportunity to observe Brent and Bob deal with this, and there was absolutely no panic," Panoc said. "They knew what to do and who to contact, and it was reassuring to watch them work. They’re to be commended." ©The Mercury 2004 ***************************************************************** 43 UK Independent: US hands BNFL $500m rescue package after No 10 lobbying By Solomon Hughes and Jason Nisse 25 April 2004 Tony Blair's chief of staff, Jonathon Powell, has persuaded the US government to bail out BNFL to the tune of $500m (Ł280m) over two nuclear cleanup contracts. BNFL's American subsidiary, BNFL Inc, signed fixed price contracts in 1996 with the US Department of Energy to clean up nuclear waste at two sites - Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and in Idaho. However, the cost of the work has overrun by more than Ł200m. BNFL found that decommissioning and decontaminating the factory that made the uranium for America's first atomic bombs in Tennessee and getting rid of the waste from old nuclear bomb triggers in Idaho was much more costly than predicted. BNFL was forced to make Ł174m provision in its last accounts against these two contracts. The state-owned nuclear company argues that the US government is responsible for the extra charges because the Energy Department did not reveal the full extent of the nuclear contamination. A plan to defray costs by selling metal reclaimed from the Tennessee nuclear site to make household objects such as spoons was also halted. Negotiations have dragged on for at least a year. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Mr Powell met the US Department of Energy's under secretary, Robert Card, and top White House aide Clay Sell late last year. The move brought some progress as talks between the Department of Trade & Industry's Head of Energy, Joan McNaughton, and Mr Card took place last month, when a provisional deal to help BNFL was hammered out, according to Washington sources. The Americans are understood to have offered $500m to bail BNFL out of the two contracts, though the payments are to be made in stages and have a number of conditions attached. BNFL is understood to have rejected the deal, wanting higher, up-front payments and fewer conditions. The issue was again raised when Mr Blair was in Washington for meetings with President George Bush earlier this month, raising suspicions that the bail out is linked to the UK's support for the war in Iraq. A Number 10 source confirmed the talks, saying: "Mr Powell has made representations on behalf of the UK taxpayer." The DTI said: "Government-to-government talks on all energy matters take place all the time. We do not discuss the nature of these confidential talks." A BNFL Inc spokesmanwas more forthcoming, saying that these were "high-level, government-to-government negotiations based on accelerating payments for work that has already been performed by BNFL Inc." It is expected that a deal will be reached within a few weeks. BNFL is now expected to bid for another clean up project at Oak Ridge. This is the dismantling of K-22 and K-27, two massive buildings which date back to the Second World War when they were used for enriching uranium for the original atom bombs. This project, worth up to $500m, is being managed by Bechtel, which is also advising the UK Government on the Ł40bn clean up of Britain's nuclear sites, in which BNFL is due to play a major part. A BNFL source said it would be interested in the new Oak ridge contracts "if they were tendered on a sensible basis - not a fixed-price contract". UK Independent Ltd. ***************************************************************** 44 Jakarta Post: Students on hunger strike to protest planned nuke plant The Journal of Indonesia Today April 26, 2004 [http://www.thejakartapost.com ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post , Surabaya The government's controversial plan for a mega nuclear power plant (PLTN) on Madura island, East Java, has been thrust back into the spotlight by a group of students. The students from Madura's Trunojoyo University (Unijoyo) began a hunger strike on Thursday to pressure the National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) to cancel its plan. At least five of 13 hunger strikers collapsed on Saturday on campus, although they refused to be taken to hospital for medical treatment. "Maybe, more students will collapse, but we will not cease to protest," said chairman of Unijoyo's Student Executive Board (BEM) Khotib Manzhur. The number of protesters had initially been 11, but after two days, the addition of two students to the protest had lifted the spirit of the group. Specifically, the group is protesting the involvement of Unijoyo lecturers in a joint study with the BATAN team for the PLTN. Striking student Dasuki said the protest was against the construction of a nuclear power plant in Madura. The project and those doing research to support it should be opposed. It would be detrimental to the people of Madura," he told The Jakarta Post. Dasuki said university leaders had visited the hunger strikers claiming that Unijoyo would withdraw the academic team from the research if the students stopped the strike. The strikers, however, rejected the condition. "It's not enough. We demand a written statement signed by the rector of Unijoyo," Dasuki said. Moreover, the students won the support of many Muslim clerics in Madura. "Some Madurese clerics voiced their backing in phone calls. They deliberately refrained from visiting the campus to avoid accusations that they mobilized us," Dasuki added. Local senior councillors, politicians and environmentalists also oppose the nuclear plant. They say the project would be a setback for the country in choosing an alternative source of energy, as other countries have begun to shut down their nuclear reactors. Anthropologist Laksono from the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University said the plant could pose serious environmental threats. Radioactive waste from the PLTN would be stored in five-centimeter-thick-steel containers and buried 500 meters underground. "A leak could spread to a radius of 10 kilometers, like what happened in Chernobyl. Besides causing cancer and physical defects in babies, it could also cause deaths," he said. With increasing support behind them, the striking students plan to oppose the PLTN through a national meeting of students to be held soon in Bangkalan regency, Madura. "During the meeting we will draft a concept to join forces against the planned PLTN," Dasuki added. The controversy surfaced when the government together with South Korea reached an agreement on Oct. 10, 2001 to set up the plant in 2015 in Ketapang subdistrict, Sampang regency. The project worth US$200 million is managed by BATAN and the Korean Electric Power Company. Covertly, they conducted desalination studies, breaking up elements of seawater into electricity, clean water and salt. At a glimpse, the plant seems to be a short-term solution to the shortage of water and electricity in Madura. Data from the East Java branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) reveals that only 10 percent to 40 percent of the demand for electricity and clean water in Madura is met annually. In 2015, the demand for electricity would increase to 200 Megawatts, which could then be met fully by the planned PLTN. ***************************************************************** 45 Oakland Tribune: UC ploy to keep control of labs Article Last Updated: Sunday, April 25, 2004 Talks with Lockheed concern shared running of weapon facilities By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER As University of California scientists warn about the potentially warping influence that profit-driven contractors could have on U.S. nuclear weapons labs and nuclear policy, the university quietly has been negotiating with defense contractors to help manage two nuclear weapons labs. Lately, the university has turned from Honeywell Inc. to talks with Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's largest defense contractor, with $31.8 billion a year in revenue. The talks are aimed at tightening business operations at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore weapons labs that the university runs for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Congress threw management of Los Alamos and Livermore labs open to competitive bid for the first time in more than 50 years after allegations of purchase fraud and theft at Los Alamos exposed poor financial oversight by its UC managers. If the UC-Lockheed talks result in a bidding team for the Los Alamos and Livermore contracts -- albeit a team that UC probably would insist on leading -- Lockheed Martin could gain an unprecedented foothold in all four of the research institutions that influence nuclear policy in the United States and the United Kingdom. Lockheed could have a managerial role at Los Alamos and Livermore, the two labs that designed both nations' nuclear explosives and provide advice on the need for nuclear testing; Sandia National Laboratories, which weaponizes those explosives for the United States, and the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, the British equivalent of all three labs plus production facilities, near the southern city of Reading. That kind of influence over the market in nuclear-weapons research would seem to be what university scientists were worried about last week. Los Alamos director Pete Nanos and Livermore director Michael Anastasio cautioned a panel of advisers to the government against allowing corporations to run one or more of the weapons labs. The two directors said the primary job of the labs -- advising the U.S. government on the operating condition of its nuclear weaponry, a question that inherently includes advice on whether to return to nuclear testing -- should not be left to a corporation interested in profits and dominating the market. Questioned about its talks, the university declined to describe Lockheed's role in a potential partnership and specifically declined an invitation to rule out a role for the defense contractor in weapons-related advise to the U.S. government. "The university is continuing to explore potential opportunities with industrial partners to enhance the business and management operations of the laboratories," said UC spokesman Chris Harrington. "These discussions are ongoing and it would be premature for the university to disclose who these entities are or to comment on the nature and the details of the discussions." Hugh Gusterson, an MIT anthropologist who has studied the weapons labs extensively, said the university appears to be making many arguments of convenience. On one hand, the university says its management of Los Alamos and Livermore is a self-sacrificial service to the nation but on the other it's a boon to UC's researchers and graduate students. "It's clear the UC is behaving the way that any bureaucracy dominated by lawyers will behave, which is to opportunistically make the arguments they need to prevail," Gusterson said. "So one minute universities are better than private contractors and the next minute private contractors are fine. I guess you could say UC is spinning the issue, and it's really hard to see where the national interest is." In many ways, a UC-Lockheed team would be a natural. For decades, UC scientists at Los Alamos and Livermore labs worked with Lockheed engineers in Sunnyvale to shoehorn nuclear explosives into the cone-shaped reentry vehicles for U.S. Navy strategic missiles. In 1993, Lockheed took over operation of Sandia National Laboratories from AT. Sandia's weaponeers in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore engineer bombs and warheads for nuclear explosives designed and maintained by Los Alamos and Livermore, respectively. But as is the case at Aldermaston, Lockheed manages Sandia through a separate corporation designed in part to buffer the laboratory against the defense contractor's business interests. And several officials say the arrangement seems to work; they don't detect Lockheed's parental hand in Sandia weapons work. Likewise, the University of California hasn't taken much of a hand in managing Los Alamos or Livermore, other than appointing its directors and ordering its top managers not to put the university's reputation at risk. In the end, said former Sandia weapons executive Bob Peurifoy, who runs theH-bomb labs could be irrelevant. "The key is the integrity of the three laboratory directors," he said. "If they're doing their job, you could have the contract held by anyone. If they stray from their responsibilities, I question whether any contracting agency could deliver for the country." Contact Ian Hoffman at ihoffman [@angnewspapers.com] ***************************************************************** 46 amarillo.com: BWXT Pantex evaluation mixed [Amarillo Globe News] Web-posted Sunday, April 25, 2004 Contractor earns high marks on security, needs improvement in other areas By JIM McBRIDE jim.mcbride@amarillo.com The Amarillo Globe-News Pantex contractor BWXT Pantex got mixed grades in a recently released report. The contractor won high marks for its security operations and earned $20.6 million under its fiscal 2003 contract to run the Pantex Plant. It earned an award fee of $14.6 million and performance-based incentive fees of $5.9 million, achieving an overall rating of 87 percent, a National Nuclear Security Administration's evaluation report says. In particular, the NNSA praised the contractor's performance in safeguards and security. "Overall management focus on safeguards and security resulted in substantially exceeding expected levels of performance, with BWXT developing, implementing and complying with the site safeguard and security program and enhancing cybersecurity and counterintelligence measures,"the NNSA report says. Some portions of the report, however, were censored for security reasons. The evaluation did not contain detailed breakdowns specifying why the NNSA gave BWXT bonuses or why the contractor failed to meet government criteria for other bonus money. "It is also very positive that our customer noted our work in protecting the environment." Mike Mallory The NNSA report also praised BWXT Pantex for meeting federal regulations on safety documentation, enhancing firefighting capabilities, maintaining a high level of employee safety, developing a contractor assurance system and complying with environmental regulations. Mike Mallory, BWXT Pantex's president and general manager, said the evaluation was positive. "BWXT Pantex is pleased that our customer recognized our performance in the areas of improving safety and enhancing security. It is also very positive that our customer noted our work in protecting the environment and improving quality through our contractor assurance system," he said in a statement. "Overall, the evaluation speaks highly of the employees at BWXT Pantex who are committed to doing a safe, secure, high-quality job for our country every day." The NNSA rated the contractor's performance in safely managing and storing nuclear materials as "good." But the agency cited two personnel radiation exposures that were higher than expected and exceeded normal site control levels. The report says BWXT Pantex needs to improve in some respects. "Recognizing the success during this evaluation period, it should be noted that BWXT did not meet NNSA performance expectations in two key areas: product delivery performance and project management," according to the report. Mallory said the contractor is taking steps to meet NNSA goals. "There are evaluation areas where the expectation for improvement was noted. Even before we received this formal evaluation, we had begun taking steps to enhance our operations in these areas. We have met with the National Nuclear Security Administration to discuss these points, and I believe our plans were well-received," Mallory said. [http://www.amarillo.com/] ***************************************************************** 47 Paducah Sun Editorial: Long-Range Goal -- DOE must complete cleanup [http://www.paducahsun.com/] Paducah, Kentucky Friday, April 23, 2004 Editorial. It makes sense for local economic development officials to pursue the possibility of eventually turning the land occupied by the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant into an industrial site. With the enrichment plant scheduled to close early in the next decade, the community needs to have a plan for keeping the huge tract economically viable. Moreover, the federal government, which built the nuclear facility and presided over the contamination of the soil and the groundwater in the area, needs to commit itself to thoroughly cleaning the site so that it doesn't become a permanent wasteland. The process of decommissioning a federal nuclear facility should have the ultimate goal of making the affected communities whole again. If the land occupied by the plant and hundreds of acres surrounding it are left idle following the departure of the USEC Inc., the plant's operator, and the completion of the federal cleanup, scheduled for 2019, western Kentucky and southern Illinois will suffer irreparable economic damage. Officials with the Purchase Area Community Reuse Organization are hoping to turn the loss of the enrichment plant into a long-range opportunity for the region. Unfortunately, most of their hopes rest on two institutions with questionable records of reliability: Congress and the U.S. Department of Energy. PACRO is seeking $18 million from Congress for several tasks related to economic development, including marketing the regional industrial park in northern Graves County and planning for the reuse of the enrichment plant site. Most of the money would go toward the purchase of private land near the plant that has been devalued by contamination or the threat of groundwater pollution. The acquisition of the land would be the first step in preparing to offer the land surrounding the plant — and eventually the plant site itself — for industrial development. John Anderson, the director of PACRO, emphasizes that redeveloping the land is a long-term goal. "A lot of things have to fall into place to make this possible," he told the Sun. Anderson's cautionary words should be underlined. Unquestionably, local officials face a long, uphill struggle to salvage the contaminated land. The difficulty of that task is evident from the lengthy battle the state and the Kentucky congressional delegation have waged to get DOE moving on the plant cleanup. Since 1998, DOE has spent more than $820 million on the cleanup, but only a small portion of the contamination has been removed. Agency officials put a $3 billion pricetag on an agreement they signed with the state that sets a 2019 deadline for completing the major part of the cleanup. Paducah competes for federal funding with dozens of other nuclear installations. The amount of money available for the cleanups waxes and wanes according to the priorities of the occupant of the White House and the severity of the budgetary problems facing Congress. State and local officials know they face a challenge in keeping the current cleanup plan on track. If history is any guide, DOE will not fulfill its cleanup obligations in the time allotted. In any event, the cleanup will have to continue for a number of years beyond the 2019 deadline to make the site suitable again for industrial development. It's not even clear that PACRO will survive long enough to have a significant role in preparing for the redevelopment of the plant site. The group was established as part of a federal effort to help communities affected by the downsizing of the nuclear industry. But DOE doesn't plan to continue funding the program, and it's doubtful that Congress will step in to save it. Despite these obstacles, local leaders, the congressional delegation and state officials must continue to aggressively push the cleanup. The federal government's commitment to the Paducah area shouldn't end with an incomplete cleanup of the plant. State officials can drive that point home by pursuing legal action, if necessary, to expand the cleanup. Other states that hosted nuclear installations, including neighboring Tennessee and Ohio, have used lawsuits and the threat of lawsuits to hold DOE accountable for its failures. The only way to fully repair the damage caused by the nuclear contamination is to reclaim the contaminated land for the community. ***************************************************************** 48 Google News Alert - nuclear Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 13:29:39 -0700 (PDT) RUSSIAN Official Describe Iran's Nuclear Program As Peaceful Tehran Times - Tehran,Iran MOSCOW (IRNA) -- A Russian nuclear official said here that the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear program is quite peaceful. Iran ... SHARON Hints at Israel Nuclear Deterrent Miami Herald (subscription) - Miami,FL,USA JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came close to ending four decades of secrecy about the country's nuclear-arms capability, saying the United ... See all stories on this topic: N.KOREA Says to Push Ahead with Nuclear Programs Reuters - USA BEIJING (Reuters) - Top North Korean officials have vowed to push ahead with their nuclear programs as long as the atomic standoff festers, saying time is not ... See all stories on this topic: FUEL rods missing from nuclear power plant WFSB - Connecticut,CT,USA (Vermont) - Today officials at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant say that two missing fuel rods may never be found. The pencil ... See all stories on this topic: IRAN says it offered 'complete story' to nuclear inspectors Raleigh News - Raleigh,NC,USA TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran said Saturday it has offered the "complete story" to the UN nuclear watchdog agency about traces of weapons-grade uranium and ... See all stories on this topic: BUSH says US would not tolerate Iranian nuclear weapon Aljazeerah.info WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush praised diplomatic pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear programmes and said that Tehran's development of an ... See all stories on this topic: EU to seek information on Pak nuclear tests Hi Pakistan - Lahore,Pakistan ... European Union (EU) is preparing to send a message to Islamabad through diplomatic channels, seeking further information into Pakistan’s nuclear tests, which ... See all stories on this topic: PAKISTAN fears nuclear resolution Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA 23 (UPI) -- Pakistan fears that a draft resolution the US Security Council is now debating may lead to restrictions on its nuclear program. ... See all stories on this topic: NEW nuclear woes surface Toronto Star - Toronto,Ontario,Canada Ontario Power Generation says it is developing technology to head off a long and costly shutdown at the Darlington nuclear generating station — the ... This daily-once News Alert is brought to you by Google News (BETA)... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remove this News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts/remove?s=92d1672a1b037a07&hl=en Create another News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts?hl=en Try Google News: http://news.google.com/ ***************************************************************** 49 Google News Alert - nuclear Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 13:48:57 -0700 (PDT) NUCLEAR Monopoly Courts Investors Moscow Times - Moscow,Russia Russia may sell a stake in Rosenergoatom, the state-owned nuclear power monopoly, to private investors to raise the company's efficiency and help spur the ... See all stories on this topic: ANTI-NUCLEAR ACTIVIST VISITS MAINE WLBZ-TV - Bangor,ME,USA In a speech yesterday in Portland, Caldicott said the former Cold War rivals still have thousands of nuclear weapons aimed at each other. ... See all stories on this topic: NUCLEAR whistleblower seeks protection The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia Mordechai Vanunu, Israel's nuclear whistleblower, has asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to help ensure his safety after he received death threats on his ... See all stories on this topic: NO nuclear exports, North says Joongang Ilbo - Seoul,South Korea North Korea's foreign minister, Paek Nam-sun, told a visiting US scholar last week that his country would never transfer nuclear materials or know-how to ... See all stories on this topic: IRAN says cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog not only a one- ... IranMania News - Iran ... Sunday it was committed to cooperating with the UN's atomic energy watchdog to clear up international suspicions it is secretly developing nuclear weapons, but ... See all stories on this topic: NO rollback of Pakistan's nuclear program: FM Xinhua - China ISLAMABAD, April (Xinhuanet)-- Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has reiterated that the country will never rollback its nuclear development. ... See all stories on this topic: N. Koreans Feared Blast Was Nuclear Bomb Los Angeles Times (subscription) - Los Angeles,CA,USA By Barbara Demick and Mark Magnier, Times Staff Writers. SEOUL — The blast was so big that some North Koreans thought a nuclear war had erupted. ... See all stories on this topic: AMBASSADOR Says Nuclear Weapons Have No Place in Iran's Defense ... Tehran Times - Tehran,Iran ... the University of Adis Ababa, Daman-Pak Jami said Iran emphasizes on non-proliferation and is the initiator of the idea of 'Middle East without nuclear weapon ... ACTIVIST renews warnings of US-Russian nuclear threat Providence Journal (subscription) - Providence,RI,USA PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Anti-nuclear activist Helen Caldicott warned of a continuing global threat posed by US and Russian nuclear stockpiles during a speech ... NUCLEAR sub begins sea trials Ananova - England,UK A major sea trial of a repaired nuclear submarine got under way after being postponed when crew members became stressed, possibly due to a previous accident ... See all stories on this topic: This daily-once News Alert is brought to you by Google News (BETA)... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remove this News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts/remove?s=92d1672a1b037a07&hl=en Create another News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts?hl=en Try Google News: http://news.google.com/ ***************************************************************** 50 USATODAY.com: Diary details Einstein's last years Posted 4/24/2004 6:53 PM Updated 4/25/2004 2:53 PM PRINCETON, N.J (AP) — . In the last years of Albert Einstein's life, he amused himself by telling jokes to his parrot, and avoided visitors by feigning illness, according to a newly discovered diary written by the woman known around Princeton as his last girlfriend. The diary about Einstein recounts how, on his 75th birthday, he received a parrot as gift AP While Einstein also talked about the travails of his continuing work in physics, most of Johanna Fantova's diary recalls his views on world politics and his personal life. The writings are "an unvarnished portrait of Einstein struggling bravely with the manifold inconveniences of sickness and old age," Freeman Dyson, a mathematician at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, told The New York Times in Saturday's editions. The 62-page diary, written in German, was discovered in February in Fantova's personnel files at Princeton University's Firestone Library, where she had worked as a curator. The manuscript is the subject of an article to be published next month in The Princeton University Library Journal. According to the article, the new manuscript is the only one kept by someone close to Einstein in the final years of his life. "There is surprisingly little about physics in the diary," Donald Skemer, Firestone Library's curator of manuscripts, told The Times of Trenton. Fantova wrote that she recorded her time with the renowned physicist to "cast some additional light on our understanding of Einstein, not on the great man who became a legend in his lifetime, not on Einstein the renowned scientist, but on Einstein the humanitarian." Fantova was 22 years younger than Einstein. Although the two spent considerable time together starting in the 1940s, her journal only records their relationship from October 1953 until his death in April 1955 at age 76. She died in 1981 at age 80. Princeton already had a collection of the poems, letters and photos Einstein sent to Fantova, who sold them after his death to Gillett G. Griffin, a retired curator at Princeton's Art Museum. He gave those documents to the library. Griffin, invited many times to Einstein's home for dinner, said Fantova was a fixture there. "Reading what she left gives me an immediate connection with my own experience and gives everyone the immediacy of knowing Einstein himself," Griffin said. The diary recounts Einstein speaking about the politics of the day and portrays him as critical of speeches of Adlai Stevenson, the nuclear arms race and the anti-communist attack on the scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer by Sen. Joseph McCarthy. "This political persecution of his associate was a source of bitter disillusionment," Fantova wrote. Besides his politics, Fantova wrote of Einstein's popularity and how he tried to write back to strangers, some of whom tried to convert him to Christianity. He said, "All the maniacs in the world write to me," she wrote. The diary also recounts how, on his 75th birthday, Einstein received a parrot as gift. After deciding the bird was depressed, Einstein tried alter its mood by telling bad jokes. At times, Einstein would pretend to be sick in bed so he would not have to pose with visitors who wanted photographs. Einstein still enjoyed himself even when real illness did take hold. "Einstein's health began to fail, but he continued to indulge in what remained his favorite of all pastimes, sailing. Seldom did I see him so gay and in so light a mood as in this strangely primitive little boat," Fantova wrote. Einstein also wrote Fantova poems, some of which are in the diary. Einstein, with his second wife Elsa, had arrived in Princeton in 1933 at the newly formed Institute for Advanced Study. Elsa died three years later. Fantova first met Einstein in 1929 in Berlin. She arrived in the United States alone in 1939 and, at Einstein's urging, attended library school at the University of North Carolina. Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. 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