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                         NUCLEAR POLICY
 
1 [NYTr] Australia, Too, Had Early Warning of No WMD in Iraq
2 AFP: Iran calls for nuclear talks but shows no sign of halting work
3 AFP: Bush says Iran will not get nuclear weapon
4 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada company fined $6.3 million for selling pumps t
5 RGJ: Sparks firm fined for exporting equipment to Iran
6 WorldNetDaily: Syria, Iran plot deal on nuke scientists
7 Japan Times: Iran should clear nuclear doubts
8 Boston.com: Tension grows over Iran's nuclear aims
9 Times Of Oman: Right to N-technology must for IAEA cooperation - Ira
10 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: IAEA Calls on North Korea to Scrap Nuclea
11 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: FM Ban Urges N.Korea to Forgo its Nuclear
12 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: IAEA Inspection Team to Leave Sunday   
13 Japan Times: Tokyo, Seoul vow to maintain a wary eye on North Korea
14 Japan Times: Subtle changes under Hu
15 AU ABC: IAEA investigators finish investigation 
16 US: [NukeNet] Nuclear issues and the Presidential Election
17 US: [DU-WATCH] America's nuclear wars
18 Haaretz: U.S. going ahead with plans to supply IAF with smart bombs
19 US: The State: Underdog Senate candidates do
20 [NYTr] Twisting Dr. Nuke's Arm
21 [NYTr] Venezuela Condemns US Violations of Nuke Energy
22 [southnews] How close was the Mideast to 1973 nuclear war?
23 Las Vegas SUN: Pakistan, India Leaders Vow Cooperation
24 The Observer: Terror fears as deadly cargo heads for UK waters
25 BBC: Paper probes 'bomb plot'
26 BBC: More time to quiz terror
27 News 24: Another WMD arrest in SA 
28 Xinhuanet: IAEA to inspect Israeli nuclear power plant for pollution
29 Japan Times: EXPAND SECURITY COUNCIL
30 ITAR-TASS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calls for legal ba
31 english.eastday.com: Nuclear non-proliferation dominates IAEA confer
 
                         NUCLEAR REACTORS
 
32 US: The Observer: British Energy goes to the wire
33 BBC: Reactor shut after power
34 Xinhuanet: Jordan concerns over aging Israeli nuclear reactor   
35 UK Independent: Government made responsible for BE liabilities
36 US: Daily Press: Nuclear risks aren't going away, author says 
37 US: SFSS: Massive power loss in storm's path; some outages could las
38 Sofia Morning News: Romania Needs More Data for Belene Nuke
39 US: APP.COM: Nuclear plant is back at full power 
40 Guardian Unlimited: BE moves to thwart Polygon
 
                          NUCLEAR SAFETY
 
41 US: [DU-WATCH] Starmet uranium cleanup to begin next week
42 US: [FOODIRRADIATIONCA] Governor Schwarzenegger Vetoes AB 1988
43 US: [DU-WATCH] Uranium Used in High Explosives
44 US: [DU-WATCH] Army proves ... no such thing as a "DU"
45 [DU-WATCH] Uranium Casualities and Other News
46 US: [DU-WATCH] Oklahoma: 2000 Lb Bomb Makers Get Hemolytic Anemia
47 Hindustan Times: IAEA to visit Jordan to probe suspected nuclear rad
48 US: Idaho Statesman: Fallout from nuclear tests won't cause Idahoans
49 US: DenverPost.com - EDITORIALS: Cold War workers need aid now
 
                         NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
 
50 US: [DU-WATCH] Starmet cleanup in Concord Mass - Public Involvement
51 US: [shundahaialerts] Skull Valley Gov't Nuke Waste Meetings
52 AFP: Greenpeace ship arrives in Cherbourg ahead of plutonium deliver
53 Las Vegas SUN:Not without a fight
54 US: Morgan Hill Times: Olin, city at odds over perchlorate
55 Guardian Unlimited: Keep power and sewage plants secret, media told
56 US: L.A. Daily News: Growth dampened or not? Officia water ruling
57 US: PE.com: Perchlorate bill clears panel 
58 CBC Montreal - Shannon still frets over contaminated water
 
                         NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
59 [progchat_action] FOCUS: Gorbachev Launches Global Campaign
60 Las Vegas SUN: Tunisia Ratifies Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
 
                        US DEPT. OF ENERGY
 
61 Seattle Times: Editorials & Opinion: I-297 is bad law
62 Tri-City Herald: Shutdown contract for FFTF awarded 
 
                          OTHER NUCLEAR
 
63 The Australian: Tensions simmer in world fusion project
*****************************************************************
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                         FULL NEWS STORIES
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*****************************************************************
 1 [NYTr] Australia, Too, Had Early Warning of No WMD in Iraq
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 10:23:16 -0500 (CDT)

 
Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
sent by John Clancy

Sydney Morning Herald - Sept 25, 2004

Editorial

When truth is the first casualty

Aware of the imminence of war based on a false assumption or
calculated deceit, a leading scientist tries to get word to the Prime
Minister but is thwarted by his own masters. In desperation and in a
"personal capacity", he dispatches his own missive to the PM. Instead
of taking heed, the PM proceeds to declare war while the Government
compiles a dirt sheet to discredit the scientist should the media
learn of his failed attempt to influence the PM.

Read like plot of some fanciful, B-grade political thriller about
thuggish suppression of dissenting individuals, craven bureaucracy
and self-interested manipulation of truth? Depressingly, of course,
it is all too real.

The case of Bob Mathews does more than add weight to suspicions that
the Government sent Australians to invade Iraq 18 months ago without
telling them his principal justification was disputed at senior
levels of government advice. The Mathews episode exposes the
disgraceful lengths to which government and its agencies go to
deflect or conceal criticism - even of the expert variety - so that
the public is soothingly lulled. And the Mathews episode entrenches
suspicion that the Government cherry-picks security advice, adopting
what it wants to hear and eschewing evidence that points to a
contrary conclusion. If any field demands relentlessly fearless
advice, free of the calculation of domestic political advantage, it
is engagement in war. And, yet, ahead of last year's March 20
declaration of war, the official advice to Mr Howard had the tone of
tailor-made opinion, crafted seemingly to comply with expectations of
what the Government wanted. Conjecture became fact and contrary views
were excluded.

Before the Iraq war, Dr Mathews was Australia's leading expert on
weapons of mass destruction, a principal research scientist at the
Defence Science and Technology Organisation. Over several months,
superiors blocked him from advising Mr Howard that the case for war
was based on falsehood because Iraq had no substantial WMD. He also
believed that invasion would heighten terrorism dangers against
Australia. So he wrote directly to the Prime Minister. Three days
later, in his declaration of war, Mr Howard was unequivocal.
Eradication of WMD was the principal justification for war.

Meanwhile, the Government armed itself with "talking points" to
discredit Dr Mathews if his letter went public. Well, the letter is
public now and the Government would be plain silly to try to portray
Dr Mathews as a crackpot. After all, history smiled on him, not those
who claimed with such certainty, and apparently without question,
that Saddam Hussein stockpiled WMD and would make it available to
terrorists. No WMD have been found and Mr Howard must be among the
few insiders left who still insist Australia's participation as an
invader has not raised the threat from terrorists.

In his declaration of war, Mr Howard said nothing was "more crucial"
in fighting international terrorism "than timely and accurate
information". He's probably correct. He should, however, acknowledge
it in practice as well as rhetoric.
       
                                *
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 2 AFP: Iran calls for nuclear talks but shows no sign of halting work

[http://www.spacewar.com/]

TEHRAN (AFP) Sep 26, 2004

 Iran appealed Sunday for a negotiated settlement to its standoff 
with the UN atomic energy watchdog but showed no inclination to 
abide by a resolution calling for an immediate halt to its 
sensitive nuclear activities.

"No negotiations with the Americans are on the agenda, but we 
call on the Europeans to discuss with us," foreign ministry 
spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

"The Europeans should negotiate and not use threatening language 
against us, because this is pointless," he added. "We have to 
find a bridge between our legitimate rights and the concerns of 
the Europeans."

Iran is under threat of being hauled before the UN Security 
Council amid widespread suspicions it is seeking the capacity to 
develop nuclear weapons.

In a resolution passed on September 18, the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) called on Iran to halt its uranium 
enrichment-related activities, a part of the nuclear fuel cycle 
that can be directed to both energy and weapons purposes.

But Asefi said that since the IAEA resolution was passed, 
"nothing has changed" in Iran's nuclear activites.

"Iran has not resumed enrichment but continues" to produce 
centrifuge parts and convert uranium, he said.

Nuclear fuel cycle work is permitted under the Non-Proliferation 
Treaty if it is for peaceful purposes but the IAEA wants such 
activities stopped pending the completion of its more than 
18-month-old investigation.

The three main European powers which have been spearheading talks 
with Iran -- Britian, France and Germany -- want Iran to give up 
its fuel cycle work altogether.

Iran suspended enrichment itself last year, but has continued to 
advance on other parts of the fuel cycle -- including the 
conversion of yellowcake (uranium oxide) to produce the feed gas 
for centrifuges -- and insists on its right to resume enrichment 
at any time.

Asefi said "no decision has yet been taken" over resuming 
enrichment itself.

The United States is pushing for Iran to be referred to the 
United Nations Security Council, charging the Islamic republic is 
racing to acquire the technology to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran asserts it is merely trying to generate electricity and be 
self-reliant when it comes to nuclear fuel.

In recent months the three Europeans have been hardening their 
stance, and several diplomats here have said a referral of the 
issue to the Security Council is becoming more likely following 
Iran's refusal to implement IAEA demands for an immediate 
suspension of enrichment-related activities.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer met his Iranian 
counterpart Kamal Kharazi on the sidelines of the UN General 
Assembly in New York during the week for what the sources said 
were "very blunt" talks.

"You are making a terrible mistake," Fischer told Kharazi, 
according to one participant.

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier has also spoken of a 
"moment of truth" on November 25, the date the IAEA has set for 
Iran to remove suspicions over its nuclear drive.

Iran has already warned that if it is referred to the Security 
Council, it will stop allowing the tough IAEA inspections it is 
currently subject to.

 All rights reserved. © 2004 Agence France-Presse 
[http://www.afp.com/] . Sections of the information displayed on 
*****************************************************************
 3 AFP: Bush says Iran will not get nuclear weapon

[http://www.spacewar.com/]  

CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) Sep 26, 2004

 US President George W. Bush says "all options are on the table" 
for making sure Iran dismantles its nuclear program, and that 
Washington will never let Tehran acquire atomic weapons.

"My hope is that we can solve this diplomatically," Bush said in 
a three-part interview with Fox News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor" 
program, excerpts of which were made public on Sunday.

"Let me try to solve it diplomatically first," said Bush. "All 
options are on the table, of course, in any situation. But 
diplomacy is the first option."

The Bush administration has charged that oil-rich Iran does not 
need a civilian nuclear program for energy and that Tehran is 
actually seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Asked whether the United States would let Iran develop that 
capability, Bush replied: "No, we've made it clear, our position 
is that they won't have a nuclear weapon."

"We are working our hearts out so that they don't develop a 
nuclear weapon, and the best way to do so is to continue to keep 
international pressure on them," the president said.

Iran appealed Sunday for a negotiated settlement to its standoff 
with the UN atomic energy watchdog but showed no inclination to 
abide by a resolution calling for an immediate halt to its 
sensitive nuclear activities.

"No negotiations with the Americans are on the agenda, but we 
call on the Europeans to discuss with us," foreign ministry 
spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

Iran is under threat of being hauled before the UN Security 
Council amid widespread suspicions it is seeking the capacity to 
develop nuclear weapons.

In a resolution passed on September 18, the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) called on Iran to halt its uranium 
enrichment-related activities, a part of the nuclear fuel cycle 
that can be directed to both energy and weapons purposes.

 All rights reserved. © 2004  [http://www.afp.com/] . Sections of 
the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, 
*****************************************************************
 4 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada company fined $6.3 million for selling pumps to Iran

September 25, 2004 

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Nevada company fined $6.3 million for selling pumps to Iran
SPARKS, Nev. - The U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese company has
agreed to pay a $6.3 criminal fine for illegally shipping
equipment to Iran and trying to shield the deal from regulators,
Commerce Department officials said. 

Ebara International Corp., based in Sparks, also will pay a
$121,000 civil fine after pleading guilty to seven felony
charges Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of
Columbia. 

Company founder Everett Hylton, who resigned as chief executive
a year ago, pleaded guilty to a separate charge of conspiracy to
make false statements to investigators. 

He agreed to pay a $10,000 criminal fine and a $99,000 civil
fine, according to the Commerce Department. 

A Dec. 7 sentencing date was set for both Hylton and the
company. 

It's illegal for U.S. companies to sell industrial products to
Iran, a nation designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the
State Department. 

"They did everything they could to evade our regulations," Julie
Myers, Commerce Department assistant secretary for export
enforcement, told the Reno Gazette-Journal. 

"There really was a problem with the corporate culture here - a
failure to take responsibility, all the way up to the CEO. They
made up documents, destroyed documents and made false
statements," she said. 

Ebara officials said Friday that they would pay the largest fine
in three annual installments of $2.1 million. 

They issued a prepared statement, which they said would by their
only comment on the matter. 

"EIC has taken necessary steps to ensure that employees - at
every level within the company - understand and are in full
compliance with U.S. export laws," Ebara president Martin
Perlmutter said in the statement. 

"(We) fully cooperated with the U.S. government's investigation
and it is evident that the company took quick and decisive
action to identify the source of the problem and correct it," he
said. 

Ebara was accused of shipping high-technology pumps with
military applications to Iran through two French companies,
Cryostar and Technip. 

An investigation found the cryogenic transfer pumps were resold
for use in a petrochemical plant in Iran through a complex
scheme arranged by Ebara, the Justice Department said. 

The pumps have applications for both liquid natural gas and
cooling nuclear power plants, and Commerce Department officials
had feared they could be used for nuclear projects. 

"It does not look like they could be used in that manner, but
similar pumps could be used in that manner," Myers said. "There
is concern that if similar pumps (can be used), you could export
the know-how." 

But Perlmutter disagreed, saying the pumps "have absolutely no
application in nuclear power plants." 

Iran has come under fire in recent weeks over questions about
whether it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. 

Four pumps valued at $750,000 were shipped to Iran, but the
probe prevented three more valued at $1.2 million from being
delivered, the Justice Department said. 

An investigation into the French companies' role in the case is
continuing and could lead to U.S. economic sanctions against
them, The Washington Times reported. 

Executives from the parent company, Ebara Corp. Japan in Tokyo,
were aware of the illegal pump sale, according to court
documents. 

Ebara makes pumps for the gas, petrochemical and shipboard
industries at its Sparks facility. 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 5 RGJ: Sparks firm fined for exporting equipment to Iran
 
  |||  [http://www.rgj.com/] 

 [jkurowsk@rgj.com] /RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL 

Ebara International Corp. of Sparks has agreed to pay a $6.3 
million criminal fine for exporting equipment to Iran and trying 
to hide the deal from regulators, according to the Commerce 
Department.

The company and former chief executive Everett Hylton also will 
pay various civil and criminal penalties for violating U.S. trade 
rules after pleading guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court for 
the District of Columbia, according to the department. The 
company pleaded guilty to seven felonies, while Hylton pleaded to 
one conspiracy charge.

The “cryogenic, in-tank, submersible pumps,” Ebara sold were for 
use in a petrochemical plant in Iran, according to the Justice 
Department. It is illegal to export anything to Iran, either 
directly or through a middleman.

Four pumps valued at $750,000 made it to Iran, but the 
investigation into the transaction prevented three more valued at 
$1.2 million from being delivered, according to the Justice 
Department.

The Sparks subsidiary of Tokyo-based Ebara has 160 employees — 
121 in Sparks, 32 in South Carolina and seven in London. The 
Japanese parent company has more extensive operations.

It makes pumps for the gas, petrochemical and shipboard 
industries at its 350 Salomon Circle location. The pumps are 
capable of operating at extremely low temperatures for use with 
compressed gases.

The investigation revealed that a French construction company 
sought a bid from Ebara in 2001 for the pumps. The Japanese 
parent company of Ebara initially declined the sale, according to 
the Justice Department,

but the London office “devised a plan to complete the deal and 
illegally circumvent the U.S. embargo.”

“They did everything they could to evade our regulations,” said 
Julie Myers, Department of Commerce assistant secretary for 
export enforcement in Washington, D.C. “There really was a 
problem with the corporate culture here — a failure to take 
responsibility — all the way up to the CEO. They made up 
documents, destroyed documents and made false statements.”

Company officials confirmed Friday they agreed to pay the largest 
fine in three annual installments of $2.1 million.

Ebara officials made arrangements to mitigate any effect the plea 
will have on employees, customers and vendors, they said in their 
statement to the press, which they said would be their only 
comment on the matter.

They did not say whether layoffs or other cutbacks would be 
required because of the fines.

“EIC has taken necessary steps to ensure that employees — at 
every level within the company — understand and are in full 
compliance with U.S. export laws,” the statement read.

Other fines stemming from the investigation include a $121,000 
civil fine and three-year probation for Ebara’s export 
privileges. 

Hylton, Ebara’s founder who resigned as chief executive and 
chairman of the board Sept. 29, 2003, after the investigation was 
confirmed, pleaded guilty to one count charging conspiracy to 
make false statements, according to the Justice Department. He 
agreed to pay a $10,000 criminal fine and a $99,000 civil fine, 
according to the department.

Both the company and Hylton will be sentenced Dec. 7.

Nuclear use doubted

When the Commerce Department acknowledged last September that it 
was investigating Ebara, some officials speculated the pumps 
could be used for nuclear projects, which Ebara officials denied 
Friday in their prepared statement.

“(Ebara’s) pumps have absolutely no application in nuclear power 
plants,” company President Martin Perlmutter said in the 
statement. Perlmutter took over as president after Hylton 
resigned.

The Commerce Department specifically controls exports of these 
types of pumps for antiterrorism reasons, officials said Friday.

“There has been some speculation they could be used for a cooling 
system for a nuclear power plant, and that caused us great 
concern initially,” said Myers from the Commerce Department. “It 
does not look like they could be used in that manner, but similar 
pumps could be used in that manner.”

One of the charges against the company regards the transfer of 
technology, she said.

“There is a concern that if similar pumps (can be used for 
nuclear power), you could export the know-how,” she said.

University of Nevada, Reno physics professor Ron Phaneuf, who 
teaches a course on energy and conducts atomic physics 
experiments here and in Berkeley, Calif., said it was unclear 
from the limited information provided in the Justice and Commerce 
Department documents whether the pumps could have a nuclear use.

Even if they can be used in nuclear plants, he said the pumps 
alone did not raise suspicions. 

“I don’t see them as technology that is critical to a nuclear 
program,” he said. “If it were something very specific to 
isotopes I would be suspicious.”

Complex scheme

Last year, Ebara’s lawyer said the company sold pumps to 
Cryostar, a French company that supplies goods and services to 
the petrochemical industry, who told Ebara officials the pumps 
they were buying would be used to process petroleum in Aubette, 
France. At that time, the lawyer said Ebara had no indication the 
pumps were destined for the Middle East or that they in fact 
arrived there.

But the Justice Department said there were more middlemen.

The Justice Department said Ebara officials “set forth a matrix 
incorporating five international entities to disguise the sale to 
Iran, which included routing the transaction through France, 
sanitizing paperwork, re-labeling the pumps with French 
nameplates …”

When company officials learned they were under investigation in 
March 2003, “Ebara managers immediately responded by forging a 
paper trial to show that the pumps were sold and delivered to a 
fictitious end-user in France in an unsuccessful effort to cover 
up the transaction,” the Justice Department said.

In the statement to the press, Ebara officials said they “fully 
cooperated with the U.S. government’s investigation and it is 
evident that the company took quick and decisive action to 
identify the source of the problem and correct it.” 

*****************************************************************
 6 WorldNetDaily: Syria, Iran plot deal on nuke scientists
 
  SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2004           
                                
 Iraqi engineers would get safe haven
 as Tehran bids for atomic weapons
 
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is attempting to broker a deal
with Iran to secure safe haven for a group of Iraqi nuclear
scientists who were sent by Saddam Hussein to Damascus before
the U.S. invasion. 

According to a report in the London Telegraph, western
intelligence officials believe Assad is desperate to get the
Iraqi scientists out of his country before their presence
prompts America to target Syria in the next phase of the war on
terrorism. 

The issue came up, according to the report, when Assad made a
visit to Tehran in July. Intelligence officials say the Iranians
have not yet responded. 

However, intelligence analysts believe Iran is working overtime
to develop its nuclear weapons program. It is not known how much
the Iranians can learn from the Iraqi weapons program. 

A group of about 12 middle-ranking Iraqi nuclear technicians and
their families were transported to Syria before the collapse of
Saddam's regime, says the report. The transfer was arranged
under a combined operation by Hussein's Special Security
Organization and Syrian Military Security, which is headed by
Arif Shawqat, the Syrian president's brother-in-law. 

The Iraqis reportedly brought with them CDs crammed with
research data on Iraq's nuclear program, were given new
identities, including Syrian citizenship papers and falsified
birth, education and health certificates. Since then they have
been hidden away at a secret Syrian military installation where
they have been conducting research on behalf of their hosts,
according to the report. 

The report also says Assad has his own nuclear weapons program
and is reconsidering the offer of sending the Iraqis to Iran. 
There is evidence Syria has acquired a number of gas centrifuges
-- probably from North Korea -- that can be used to enrich
uranium for a nuclear bomb. 

Syria is already in the U.S. crosshairs because the military
says the Syrians are allowing foreign fighters to cross the
border into Iraq, where they carry out terrorist attacks against
coalition forces. 

Under the terms of the deal Assad offered the Iranians, the
Iraqi scientists and their families would be transferred to
Tehran together with a small amount of essential materials. The
Iraqi team would then assist Iranian scientists to develop a
nuclear weapon. Assad also wants the Iranians to share with
Damascus the results of their nuclear weapons research. 

Iran is under close scrutiny from the International Atomic
Energy Agency, which is investigating claims that Iran is
maintaining a secret nuclear bomb program. The Iranians, who
possess one of the world's largest oil reserves, insist that
their nuclear program is aimed solely at developing nuclear
energy. 

Making the issue of nuclear weapons even more serious, Iran said
yesterday it has successfully test-fired a long-range "strategic
missile" and delivered it to its armed forces, saying it is now
prepared to deal with any regional threats and even the "big
powers." 

Iran's new missiles can reach London, Paris, Berlin and southern
Russia, according to weapons and intelligence analysts. 

"This strategic missile was successfully test-fired during (the
recent) military exercises by the Revolutionary Guards and
delivered to the armed forces," Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani
was quoted by the state-run radio as saying. 

The missile is believed by intelligence analysts to be an
updated version of the Shihab-3, improved with the help of the
North Koreans. 

The news comes shortly after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards
staged military maneuvers near the border with Iraq, seen as a
signal to Washington Tehran is prepared to fight back against
any attempts to prevent the development of a nuclear reactor
that could be used to make weapons-grade plutonium. 

The radio said Shamkhani refused to give details about the
missile for "security reasons," but said Iran was "ready to
confront all regional and extra-regional threats." 

Shamkhani last month said Iran was working on improvements to
the range and accuracy of the Shihab-3 in response to Israel's
moves to boost its anti-missile capability. 

Today's announcement came days after Israel said it was buying
from the United States about 5,000 smart bombs, including 500
one-ton bunker-busters that can destroy 6-feet-thick concrete
walls. 

Analysts say such bombs could be used to destroy Iran's nuclear
reactor before it goes online. In 1981, Israel bombed Iraq's
nuclear reactor before it went "hot." Iran may be only weeks or
months away from activating the reactor. 

The 2,000 pound "bunker-buster" bombs are part of one of the
largest weapons deals between Israel and the U.S. in years. The
bombs include airborne versions, guidance units, training bombs
and detonators. They are guided by an existing Israeli satellite
used by the military. 

In addition to the 500 one-ton bunker-busters, the purchase
includes 2,500 other one-ton bombs, 1,000 half-ton bombs and 500
quarter-ton bombs. Funding will come from U.S. military aid to
Israel. 

On Tuesday, Iran defied the International Atomic Energy Agency
by announcing it is producing uranium hexafluoride, the material
for centrifuge enrichment. 

Kurtis Cooper, a U.S. State Department spokesman, declared:

"Although Iran has repeatedly asserted that its nuclear program
is exclusively for peaceful purposes and its pursuit of uranium
enrichment technologies are to fuel a planned civilian power
program, Iran will have no peaceful use for enriched uranium for
many, many years. ... The rush to convert 37 tons of yellowcake
into feed-stock for centrifuge enrichment has no peaceful
justification. ... Thirty-seven tons of yellowcake is not a
test. It is a production run." 

Related articles: 

[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40633] 
[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40306] 
[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40130] 
[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40045] 
[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40042] 
[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38516] 

[WorldNetDaily.com] 

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com, Inc. 
webmaster@worldnetdaily.com
*****************************************************************
 7 Japan Times: Iran should clear nuclear doubts

  Saturday, September 25, 2004   

EDITORIAL

 I ran has two months to prove that it has nothing to hide about 
its nuclear programs. Last weekend, the governing board of the 
International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution calling 
for an immediate halt to the country's uranium enrichment-related 
activities. The unanimous resolution said Tehran should meet all 
demands by the agency by late November, when the board is 
scheduled to hold its next session.

 Iran, however, reacted defiantly to the resolution, saying its 
nuclear activities are designed strictly for power generation. 
Still, there is persistent suspicion that it may be trying to 
develop nuclear weapons through uranium enrichment. The Iranian 
government, if it is really committed to a peaceful nuclear 
program, should do everything it can to dispel the suspicion by 
accepting full U.N. inspections and taking stronger 
confidence-building measures. 

Iran's nuclear activity is a long story dating back many years, 
but it was not until after February last year that IAEA 
inspections raised concerns about a clandestine experiment with 
uranium enrichment. Following talks with Britain and two other 
European states, Iran suspended the work and signed the 
Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, 
making clear that it had no intentions of developing nuclear 
weapons.

 However, Iranian responses so far have proven not only 
inadequate but also inconsistent, prompting the IAEA to adopt 
resolutions calling for full cooperation. In July this year, Iran 
resumed assembling centrifuges for enrichment and declared a 
uranium conversion program that could produce enough enriched 
uranium to make several atomic bombs.

 It is only natural, therefore, that the latest resolution should 
have expressed "serious concern" about those activities. The 
governing board, which is set to meet Nov. 25, says it will then 
determine whether Iran's nuclear programs are really intended for 
peaceful purposes. As such, Saturday's resolution should be seen 
as the "ultimatum" to Tehran.

 The IAEA says it might consider "further steps" on the basis of 
a report from its secretary general, Mohamed ElBaradei. The 
United States takes the hardline position that if Iran does not 
comply, it should be referred to the U.N. Security Council -- a 
move that could lead to the imposition of sanctions. If Tehran 
wants to avoid such consequences, it must provide bona-fide 
cooperation to clear up any doubts about its nuclear intentions. 
Halfway diplomatic deals or makeshift responses will not resolve 
the standoff.

 Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, while rejecting 
the resolution, said the country would nonetheless continue with 
its voluntary suspension of the critical part of the enrichment 
process -- "actual enrichment" -- that could produce 
weapons-grade nuclear fuel. But he left open the possibility that 
hardline conservatives at home might pressure the government to 
withdraw from the NPT if the Security Council decided to impose 
sanctions.

 The U.S. administration of President George W. Bush, which is 
concerned that certain nonnuclear states are using NPT provisions 
as "loopholes" for nuclear weapons development, is determined to 
restrict civilian nuclear-fuel production by nonnuclear 
have-nots. But countries critical of U.S. policy have a degree of 
sympathy toward Iran, believing that the U.S. is curbing 
nonnuclear nations' rights to the peaceful use of nuclear energy 
and that the nuclear monopoly by a handful of nuclear states is 
making the NPT an unequal treaty. 

The NPT system has serious flaws and dilemmas, as shown by the 
open possession of nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan, North 
Korea's suspected nuclear-weapons programs and the existence of 
an international "nuclear black market." The nuclear-weapons 
states, meanwhile, have made little progress toward nuclear 
disarmament. Iran, which has been branded a "rogue state" by the 
Bush administration, sees the U.S. strategy of preemption as a 
threat to its security.

 Not a few countries are also critical of what they see as 
"double standards" in U.S. nuclear policy -- blaming Iran, for 
example, while winking at Israel. The U.S. is also seen as 
patronizing Pakistan, a beachhead in the U.S.-led antiterror 
campaign, despite its leading role in the nuclear black market.

 The NPT recognizes the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful 
purposes. But claiming this right is one thing; conducting 
suspect nuclear activities is quite another. Recent disclosures 
about South Korea's undeclared uranium-enrichment experiment 
immediately come to mind. The question at stake is whether 
nuclear programs by nonnuclear states are strictly peaceful or 
not. Iran must take the IAEA resolution seriously.

 The Japan Times: Sept. 25, 2004 (C) All rights reserved 
*****************************************************************
 8 Boston.com: Tension grows over Iran's nuclear aims
 
The Boston Globe

Diplomats warn of harm to region
 
By Brian Whitmore, Globe Correspondent  |  September 26, 2004 

VIENNA -- The diplomatic showdown over Iran's alleged nuclear 
ambitions could escalate into a confrontation that changes the 
political dynamic of the Middle East and further destabilizes the 
region, Western diplomats, officials, and analysts say. 

In addition to concerns that Tehran has already acquired 
sufficient know-how to go nuclear in a few years, there are also 
growing worries about a potential military confrontation with 
Israel, and that Iran could try to destabilize neighboring Iraq. 

Iran said yesterday that it had successfully tested what it 
called a ''strategic missile" and delivered it to its armed 
forces. Earlier last week, Tehran defiantly announced it had 
begun converting uranium into gas, a key step in developing 
nuclear weapons, just the latest in a series of incidents that 
appear to be putting Tehran on a collision course with Washington 
and key European allies. 

Those announcements were made just days after the International 
Atomic Energy Agency called on Iran to cease all activities 
related to uranium enrichment, and made it increasingly likely 
that Tehran could be hauled before the UN Security Council for 
violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA will 
meet in November to decide the matter. 

''The clock is ticking down" on Iran, a senior Western diplomat 
in Vienna said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

The IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, has been investigating Iran's 
nuclear program for nearly two years and has turned up a lot of 
suspicious activity, including a proven ability to enrich uranium 
and an emerging infrastructure that could produce large 
quantities of bomb-grade material. It has not, however, found a 
''smoking gun" proving a weapons program. 

Regardless of whether Iran intends to build nuclear weapons, 
there is a growing sense of urgency among the United States and 
major European allies that if unchecked Tehran's ability and 
desire to enrich uranium has put it in a position to go nuclear, 
should it choose to do so, in the near future. Iran insists its 
nuclear program is peaceful and for civilian purposes. 

The specter of a nuclear-armed Iran, which could threaten Israel, 
set off a dangerous arms race, and further destabilize the Middle 
East, is something the United States and its allies are furiously 
seeking to prevent. 

But as the issue appears to race toward a confrontation, there 
are also growing fears that should the Security Council 
eventually impose sanctions, an increasingly isolated Iran may 
pull out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as North Korea did last 
year, and pursue a weapons program unfettered. Officials have 
voiced concerns that Iran might attempt to further subvert the 
situation in neighboring Iraq by influencing Shi'ite Muslims 
there, or that Israel may try to take out Tehran's nuclear 
facilities in a military strike -- with unpredictable 
consequences.   

''In the November IAEA meeting, there will be real stakes 
involved," another senior Western official in Vienna said, 
referring to the meeting at which the UN nuclear watchdog will 
decide whether to report Iran to the Security Council.

''But this has become so much bigger than the IAEA," the official 
added, on condition of anonymity. ''It goes to the whole 
geopolitics of the Middle East and to the chronic insecurity of 
the region."

Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East assert that the 
international community follows a double standard in the region, 
allowing Israel to maintain an undeclared atomic arsenal while 
cracking down on states like Iran that are only suspected of 
harboring nuclear ambitions. Analysts estimate that Israel has 
100 to 200 atomic weapons, although the country neither admits 
nor denies it has such arms.

Proponents of Israel's weapons program say it needs a nuclear 
monopoly in the region, where many countries deny its right to 
exist.

Israel has made it clear that it will not tolerate a 
nuclear-armed Iran and has strongly hinted that it may use 
military strikes to eliminate nuclear sites there should 
diplomacy fail. Israel plans to buy about 5,000 US-made smart 
bombs, including 500 one-ton bunker-busters that can penetrate 
6-foot-thick concrete walls, according to recent press reports.

Just days after word of Israel's impending arms purchase, Iran's 
Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani announced his country's successful 
missile test and said Tehran was ''ready to confront all regional 
and extraregional threats," the Associated Press reported, citing 
a report on Iran's state-run radio station. It is unclear whether 
the new missile is an updated version of Iran's Shahab-3 rocket.

Moreover, CIA and US military intelligence have simulated a US 
strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Newsweek reported, citing 
defense sources, but were unhappy with the war game's outcome 
because they could not prevent the conflict from escalating.

Analysts warn it would be difficult to hit Iran's nuclear sites 
with absolute confidence, since they are in hardened facilities 
and the locations of all of them are not known.

''You could have failed to decisively set back the program but at 
the same time prompt Iran to take a number of steps in 
retaliation, including to destabilize the situation in Iraq," 
Robert Einhorn, who served as the Clinton administration's 
assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation, told 
reporters in Vienna in a conference call.

Iran has also said it would consider pulling out of the 1970 
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should the Security Council 
impose sanctions. Such a move would turn the country into an 
international pariah.

But while Iran would stand to lose a lot in terms of trade and 
investment if it withdrew from the treaty, such a defiant move 
could boost Tehran's prestige in the region. ''If Iran dropped 
out of the NPT, you would have at least 30 countries, mostly in 
the Middle East, cheering them on," the senior Western official 
in Vienna said.

The United States has been pushing hard to get Iran hauled before 
the Security Council, which could impose sanctions for violating 
the treaty. Britain, France, and Germany, however, have been 
attempting to negotiate with Iran to defuse the crisis.

Last October, the foreign ministers of the three European 
countries traveled to Tehran and persuaded the nation to agree to 
suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for trade and investment 
incentives. Iran angered the Europeans when it announced over the 
summer that it was resuming activities related to enrichment.

Over the past several weeks, Britain, Germany, and France have 
been scrambling to get Iran to resume its freeze on enrichment 
activities, but diplomats say the deal appears to have broken 
down. 

c Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
*****************************************************************
 9 Times Of Oman: Right to N-technology must for IAEA cooperation - Iran   

  Sunday, September 26, 2004             

TEHRAN — Iran is ready to cooperate fully with the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on condition it has complete rights
to use peaceful nuclear technology, Iran’s nuclear negotiator
Hassan Rowhani was quoted as saying by the state news agency
Irna yesterday.

Meanwhile, another senior official, Hossein Moussavian, warned
that Iran could resume enrichment of uranium “tomorrow,” if it
wanted to.

“Tehran is ready to completely cooperate with international
pacts in the nuclear field, on condition it is fully granted its
legitimate and national rights regarding peaceful nuclear
technology,” Rowhani said during a meeting with South African
Ambassador Yusof Saluji.

Rowhani will head to South Africa today to hold talks on
security issues, mutual cooperation and nuclear issues.

In a resolution passed on September 18, the IAEA called on Iran
to halt its uranium enrichment-related activities, a part of the
nuclear fuel cycle that can be directed to both energy and
weapons purposes. — AFP   
      
Copyright © 2001 - 2004 - www.timesofoman.com  - All Rights
Reserved 
*****************************************************************
 10 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: IAEA Calls on North Korea to Scrap Nuclear Arsenal   
 
      Updated Sep.25,2004 14:30 KST   

  The International Atomic Energy Agency has called on North 
Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons ambitions and give inspectors 
entry visas so they can supervise a return to peaceful 
activities. 

North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors who were watching the 
reactivation of a large reprocessing plant at its Yongbyon 
reactor almost two years ago. The reactor is capable of producing 
plutonium for nuclear weapons but the IAEA says North Korea can 
have no peaceful use for plutonium. 

The IAEA annual general conference passed a resolution Friday 
calling on Pyongyang to dismantle any nuclear weapons it may have 
and open up nuclear facilities for inspection. 

Japan told the IAEA conference that Pyongyang's cooperation with 
the IAEA is essential for securing peace in Northeast Asia. The 
United States believes North Korea has atomic weapons and is 
concerned that a recent explosion could have been a nuclear test. 

But Gary Samore, a former U.S. security official and head of the 
International Institute for Strategic Studies, doubts that North 
Korea would use an atomic bomb. 

"North Korea has a very well developed nuclear weapons program so 
from that standpoint no doubt its extremely serious in the sense 
that in all likelihood they've crossed the nuclear threshold," 
Mr. Samore said. "But in terms of the kind of threat they pose 
for use, I think it's probably pretty low." 

Mr. Samore says North Korea knows using nuclear weapons would be 
suicidal and believes their main purpose is defense and to 
protect the Pyongyang government from outside pressure. 

The IAEA general conference consists of delegates from 137 
countries but has no authority to enforce its resolutions. The 
IAEA reported the communist state to the United Nations Security 
Council in 2003 which took no action, preferring to let the 
six-party talks including China and the United States handle the 
problem. 

VOA News 

*****************************************************************
 11 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: FM Ban Urges N.Korea to Forgo its Nuclear Programs   
 
      Updated Sep.25,2004 14:41 KST   
 

  South Korea is once again urging North Korea to give up its
nuclear ambitions as the latest developments signal Pyongyang is
growing less interested in taking part in the six-nation talks.
The request was made by Seoul's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon
while speaking to world leaders gathered at the United Nations. 

Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon urged North Korea to forgo all of
its nuclear weapons programs, including uranium enrichment
activities. The remark was made in a keynote speech at the 59th
General Assembly of the United Nations which mainly dealt with
fighting global terrorism and nuclear proliferation. 

Pyongyang has been and continues to be denying U.S. allegations
that it has a uranium-enrichment program but acknowledged having
a plutonium one. Uranium and plutonium are both essential
ingredients for nuclear weapons. The international community is
concerned about the potential threat and five countries, South
Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia are currently engaged
in talks with North Korea to shelve its nuclear ambitions. This
is known as the six-way talks. 

"The Republic of Korea firmly believes, that the expeditious
resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, is in the best
interest of all the parties to the six party talks, including
the DPRK." 

The South Korean foreign minister also stressed the need of
holding a next round of multilateral negotiations as soon as
possible. Prospects are murky whether the talks can resume later
this month as scheduled as Pyongyang is adamant that it is not
coming back to the negotiating table until Seoul fully discloses
the details of its own nuclear experiments in the past. 

"The Republic of Korea reaffirms that it has no intention of
developing or possessing nuclear weapons." Ban said. 

The South Korean government recently revealed that unsanctioned
experiments to extract plutonium and separate uranium had been
conducted in 1982 and 2000 without government knowledge. A team
of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency is
currently staging a week-long probe into the case in the South. 

Arirang TV 

*****************************************************************
 12 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: IAEA Inspection Team to Leave Sunday   
 
      Updated Sep.25,2004 18:52 KST   
 

  An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection team
will leave the country on Sunday after finishing its week-long
second round of inspections into uranium and plutonium
extraction experiments by the Korea Atomic Energy Research
Institute (KAERI). The inspection team extracted a sample of
mixed uranium and plutonium from a nitric acid solution of
atomic wastes made in 1982 and probed the whereabouts of 12.5kg
uranium metal reported missing during the experiments to enrich
uranium to the IAEA. Two inspectors also visited the KAERI lab
in Gongneung-dong, Seoul to inspect the old research-use reactor
which was used for plutonium extraction experiments. 

The first inspection team also took a sample of 0.1g uranium and
uranium metal, raw material for enriched uranium when they left
the country after conducting inspections from Aug.31 until
Sept.4. The purpose of the two-time IAEA inspections is believed
to determine the purpose and contents of the Korea¡¯s
experiments by collecting samples of enriched uranium and
plutonium and examining experiment materials. 

Based on the results of its inspections, the IAEA is expected to
submit two reports on Korea¡¯s nuclear experiments to its board
In November. Experts say, however, that at present, there is
little possibility that the issue may be referred to the U.N.
Security Council. 

(Lee Young-wan, ywlee@chosun.com ) 

*****************************************************************
 13 Japan Times: Tokyo, Seoul vow to maintain a wary eye on North Korea

  Sunday, September 26, 2004   

 NEW YORK (Kyodo) Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and her South 
Korean counterpart, Ban Ki Moon, agreed Friday that North Korea 
is unlikely to test-fire a missile in the immediate future, but 
Tokyo and Seoul need to remain on alert, a Japanese official 
said.

 Kawaguchi and Ban also agreed that the two countries will 
cooperate on achieving an early resumption of the six-party talks 
aimed at resolving the standoff over North Korea's nuclear arms 
program, the official said.

 At the meeting on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General 
Assembly session in New York, Ban said analysis by South Korea 
currently indicates that the possibility of a North Korean 
missile launch test is not high, according to the official.

 Japan also thinks it is unlikely that North Korea will conduct a 
missile launch test immediately, Kawaguchi was quoted as saying.

 Ban, however, voiced concern that if North Korea test-fires a 
ballistic missile, it would deal a serious blow to cooperation 
between North and South Korea, the process of the six-party talks 
and relations between Japan and North Korea, the official said.

 Kawaguchi said continued vigilance is necessary and that Japan 
will keep in close contact with South Korea on North Korean 
missile moves, according to the official.

 Government sources in Tokyo said Thursday that North Korea may 
be preparing to test-fire either a Nodong or a Taepodong 
ballistic missile, or conduct a missile engine combustion test.

 The Japan Times: Sept. 26, 2004 (C) All rights reserved 
*****************************************************************
 14 Japan Times: Subtle changes under Hu

  Saturday, September 25, 2004   

 By RICHARD HALLORAN Special to The Japan Times

 HONOLULU -- The ascent of Hu Jintao to the third of the top 
three posts in China's hierarchy will most likely cause subtle 
changes in Beijing's relations with the United States and with 
China's neighbors North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast 
Asia -- but not on the sensitive issue of Taiwan.

 In China, political power rests on three pillars: the Communist 
Party of China (CCP), the government bureaucracy and the People's 
Liberation Army. Hu was named chairman of China's Central 
Military Commission last weekend and, in effect, commander of two 
million men and women in the world's largest military force.

 Earlier, Hu became general secretary of the CCP's Central 
Committee, the most important of the three posts, in November 
2003 and president of China and head of the government 
bureaucracy in March 2003. In each case, he succeeded former 
President Jiang Zemin, who appears to have let loose of all but 
the last strings of power.

 Part of the coming changes will be in style as Hu is regarded as 
a reserved, even self-effacing technocrat in contrast to the 
abrasive and sometimes pompous Jiang. Hu is an engineer who has 
climbed the political ladder by sticking to the party line, 
avoiding controversy and keeping his own counsel.

 Those who look to Hu for political reform will probably be 
disappointed. He was ruthless in suppressing Tibetans seeking 
autonomy and religious freedom while he headed the party 
apparatus there from 1988 to 1992. In recent speeches, Hu has 
scorned Western democracy as a "blind alley" that would lead 
China to a "dead end."

 And last week, Hu affirmed his belief in the authority of the 
CCP when he lauded "a great solidarity among all political 
parties, communities, ethnic groups, social groups and all 
China-loving people under the leadership of the CCP." As one 
American China hand asserted, he is a CCP man to the core.

 Moreover, Hu is confronted by enormous domestic problems, 
including 40 percent unemployment and under employment, an 
inadequate system of health care, rampant pollution, a corrupt 
banking system, inefficient state-owned enterprises, and 
uncertain supplies of energy and raw materials for China's 
growing economy.

 Thus, Hu may not be so confrontational as Jiang toward America, 
particularly when China enjoys a $150 billion export market in 
the U.S., by far China's largest. Moreover, the U.S., along with 
Japan and Taiwan, are major sources of foreign direct investment 
in China, providing technology and jobs.

 Even so, Hu evinces the fear of many Chinese leaders that the 
U.S. is forging an "arc of containment" around China. A scholar 
at the Singapore Institute for International Affairs, Eric Teo, 
wrote recently: "Beijing is always concerned that Washington 
could build an anti-China coalition around its periphery."

 Hu and the U.S., however, will continue to make common cause in 
seeking to dissuade North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons. 
Hu will likely be tougher on North Korea than was Jiang because 
he is more pragmatic, less ideological, and wants to preclude 
Pyongyang from selling nuclear arms and missiles to other rogue 
nations or terrorists.

 With South Korea, Hu will continue the effort to wean Seoul away 
from its alliance with the U.S. and to coax the South Koreans 
into submissive relations with Beijing like those of China's 
dynastic days. China has asserted that the ancient Korean kingdom 
of Koguryo was actually part of China, a claim that has angered 
Koreans.

 Hu's approach to Japan will apparently differ from that of 
Jiang, who stirred animosity during his visit to Tokyo in 1998 by 
accusing Japan of failing to acknowledge its responsibilities for 
World War II. In contrast, this week in Beijing Hu met with Yohei 
Kono, speaker of the Diet's Lower House, and sought to encourage 
good relations with a Japan that is becoming more assertive.

 Hu will continue Beijing's policy of seeking to entice Vietnam 
and other Southeast Asian nations into a Chinese orbit. "China 
has discreetly challenged U.S. presence and influence in the Asia 
Pacific region," Teo wrote, "putting forward Beijing's own vision 
of Asian regionalism."

 On Taiwan, Hu shares the views of Jiang, which is to say that 
Taiwan belongs to China and China will use military force to 
conquer the island if people there do not submit. In Hu's 
presence this week, Jiang said he preferred "peaceful 
reunification" but that "we shall by no means make the commitment 
to forsake the use of force. This is a major political 
principle."

 There is no reason to believe that Hu disagreed.

 Richard Halloran, formerly a correspondent for Business Week, 
The Washington Post and The New York Times, is a freelance 
journalist. 

The Japan Times: Sept. 25, 2004 (C) All rights reserved 
*****************************************************************
 15 AU ABC: IAEA investigators finish investigation 

[http://abc.net.au/ra/news/]     

Officials in South Korea say investigators from the United 
Nations nuclear agency have ended a week-long investigation into 
the country's past nuclear experiments.

A five-member team from the International Atomic Energy Agency 
launched the inspection on Monday at the state-run Korean Atomic 
Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, 160 kilometres south of the 
capital, Seoul. 

On Thursday, two of the five inspectors reportedly returned to 
Seoul to visit another nuclear centre.

Earlier this month, the government revealed that its scientists 
secretly enriched a small amount of uranium in 2000 and that 
scientists had extracted a tiny amount of plutonium in 1982. 

South Korea insists the lab experiments were not linked to 
nuclear weapons programs.

The inspection team will report back to the Vienna-based IAEA by 
November. 


25/09/2004 21:00:22 | ABC Radio Australia News 

[http://www.abc.net.au/privacy.htm]         
*****************************************************************
 16 [NukeNet] Nuclear issues and the Presidential Election
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 18:49:44 -0700

 
<x-flowed>

Dear NukeNet readers,

This list is for nuclear issues and if there are going to be messages about 
the U.S. presidential election on here, let's keep it to the issues and 
avoid starting a major debate over U.S. voting strategies.

For those who are unfamiliar with where the U.S. presidential candidates 
stand on nukes...

David Cobb and the Green Party -- having been founded on nuclear issues -- 
clearly have the strongest and most extensive anti-nuclear platform (I may 
be biased here, since I wrote most of it).  You can find it here: 
http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/ecology.html

Ralph Nader, who is running separately from the Green Party, also has a 
strong anti-nuclear stance.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/index.php?cid=23

Democrat John Forbes Kerry has a mixed record.  While he speaks strongly 
against Yucca Mountain and has voted the right way when specific nuclear 
legislation comes up, he has stated that he supports continued operation of 
nuclear reactors.  He's been quoted saying that a successful energy plan 
must include "recognition of the importance of nuclear power."  Kerry voted 
in favor of the energy bill in 2002, which is a vote in favor of the 
ambitious expansion of the nuclear industry sought by the Bush/Cheney 
Energy Plan.  Kerry and Edwards both failed to show up for every major 
energy bill vote in 2003 and 2004, enabling Kerry to claim that he "didn't 
vote for" Bush's energy bill, even though it's the same bill he DID vote 
for in 2002.  Kerry energy platform says nothing about nuclear power: 
http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy/

Republican George W. Bush supports the same ambitious nuclear expansion 
plan that Kerry voted for in 2002.  His website states simply "Utilize 
Nuclear Power - President Bush will ensure a future for nuclear power as a 
viable and emissions free energy source."  See: 
http://www.georgewbush.com/Agenda/Chapter.aspx?ID=1#en

The Libertarian candidate's website (http://www.badnarik.org) doesn't state 
a position on nukes, but their party platform uses the issue to blame the 
government for being the worst polluter, while letting corporations off the 
hook (typical Libertarian anti-government rhetoric): 
http://www.lp.org/issues/environment.html

The Constitution Party candidate's website 
(http://www.peroutka2004.com/theissues.html) also fails to mention energy 
or environmental issues, but the party platform states the following: 
"Private property rights should be respected, and the federal government 
should not interfere with the development of potential energy sources, 
including... nuclear energy.  We call for abolishing the Department of 
Energy."  See: http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php#Energy


About the vote-swapping thing that Bill Smirnow posted... even if 
vote-swapping were legal, I can assure you that hell will freeze over 
before Nader will make a deal to tell his supporters to vote for Kerry in 
swing states.  Doing so flies in the face of Nader's entire strategy.

If U.S. voters are worried about voting for the truly environmental 
candidates (Cobb or Nader) out of fear of electing Bush, they ought to be 
actively promoting Instant Run-off Voting (IRV), which would abolish the 
"lesser evil" winner-takes-all voting system by allowing voters to rank 
their preferences (1,2,3...) like San Francisco will be using for the first 
time this November.

To learn about and get involved in the movement for Instant Run-Off Voting, 
visit:

http://www.fairvote.org/irv/
http://www.instantrunoff.com/
http://www.instantrunoff.com/states_1.html - has state and national IRV 
email lists
http://www.demochoice.org/ - try out IRV on the web


Mike Ewall
Energy Justice Network
215-743-4884
catalyst@actionpa.org
http://www.energyjustice.net



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</x-flowed>
*****************************************************************
 17 [DU-WATCH] America's nuclear wars
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 17:19:53 -0500 (CDT)

 
Americas Nuclear Wars

By Paul Harris Sep 15, 2004 Axis of Logic

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_11792.shtml

American soldiers have dropped Depleted Uranium (DU) on enemy
combatants since 1991. It is lethal, it is horrid, and even though
it doesnt have the bluster and showmanship of a mushroom cloud, it
is still a nuclear bomb.

It is one of the ironies of history: The United States went to war
against Iraq in 2003 on the basis that Iraq was

chock-a-block with weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Eventually, the Americans had to admit they were wrong and they
just couldnt find those weapons. Many skeptics suspect the Bush
administration lied about the WMDs in Iraq to cover a desire to
invade and steal Iraqi oil. They continue to lie: Iraq is full of
WMDs, both used and unused, but the Bushoviks and their sycophantic
media fail to alert the public because it is the Americans who are
using them.

Despite going to war in Iraq on the basis of fabricated evidence
about Saddam Husseins stock of vicious weapons, the United States
itself has a long history of manufacturing, storing, selling and
deploying WMD. As far back as the Second World War, there is clear
evidence of use by the United States of several chemicals which
meet the current U.S. definition of WMD. Still, most of us who point
fingers at the Americans are best familiar with their exploits in
Vietnam.

Agent Orange and napalm are the best known WMDs used in Vietnam
although the Americans also deployed Agents White, Blue, Purple,
Pink and Green (all of the agents were so named because of the
colour of distinguishing markers on their shipping containers).
These products are actually herbicides, developed during the 1940s,
and were used in Vietnam as defoliants to strip away the forests
and trees in order to deny the enemy hiding places. Most of these
products are known carcinogens and their extensive use in Vietnam
has compromised the health of many who came in

contact with them, including American forces; and they were used
in far greater concentrations than would be usual.

Napalm, or jellied gasoline, was also used as a defoliant in Vietnam
but, unlike the Agents, it burned the vegetation and killed by
incineration anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way. Those of
us old enough will remember the horrifying television images of
Vietnamese children being incinerated.

This was not the first or only use of this material:

napalm bombs were dropped on Japan by Allied troops during World
War II and used in flamethrowers in Germany in that same war. Later,
it was used by United Nations forces during the Korean War before
reaching the apex of its popularity during the Vietnam conflict.
Although its use was banned by the United Nations in 1980, the
United States did not sign the agreement.

The U.S. claimed to have destroyed all its supplies of

napalm by 2001 but that appears to be a matter of semantics rather
than fact; current evidence seems to verify that they have used it
as recently as 2003 in Iraq. A report carried in The Independent
on August 10, 2003 quotes Colonel James Alles, commander of Marine
Air Group 11: "We napalmed both those [bridge] approaches. Unfortunately
there were people there ... you could see them in the [cockpit]
video.

They were Iraqi soldiers. It's no great way to die. The generals
love napalm. It has a big psychological effect." The United States
has denied using napalm but only because they have altered the
petroleum distillate used and renamed the product the Mark 77
firebomb. Its victims will surely appreciate the clarification.

While the United States remains the only nation to actually drop
an atomic bomb on an enemy, there have been four occasions in the
past 15 years where the United States has actually engaged in nuclear
war: in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, and in Gulf Wars I & II.

Background

The use of DU is illegal under all international agreements, treaties,
and covenants and it is illegal even under U.S.

military law regarding WMDs. But in defiance of those international
treaties, and its own laws, the United States continues to use this
destructive material in full knowledge that its use could result
in the slow annihilation of all species, including our own.

Depleted uranium is the waste by-product of nuclear weapons and
domestic nuclear power. It is deadly and is used in weapons because
it is cheap and ignites and burns fiercely on hitting a solid target.
When it impacts, it releases an aerosol of fine uranium oxide that
is breathable and spreads great distances by wind until rain comes
to weigh it down, where it falls to the ground and is absorbed into
soil or water sources. The Americans have given DU to weapons
manufacturers free of charge.

It was first developed for the U.S. Navy in 1968 and DU weapons
were supplied to, and used by, Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur
War. Since, the U.S. has sold DU weapons to at least 29 countries.
The plans for this substance, however, actually date back to 1943.
A declassified document from the Manhattan Project is a blueprint
for depleted

uranium weapons.

Euphemistically, some in military circles refer to DU as the Trojan
Horse of nuclear war, the ultimate gift that keeps on giving. The
half-life of the material is 4.5 billion years.

Scientists are quite certain on two points: DU is deadly;

and the effects of this material will continue to contaminate the
earth long after humans are extinct.

They are also fairly clear that continued use of DU will mean the
future is going to move ahead without us.

There should be no misunderstanding about the seriousness of this
material: it meets the U.S. definition of a 'weapon of mass
destruction' and while the United States is prepared to invade
sovereign countries on the basis they 'might' have WMD themselves
and they 'might' be willing to use them, the Americans are actually
using them. And they use them in complete disregard for the people
and nations on which they are dropped, even in disregard of the
health of their own and allied troops. On that basis, there is some
serious question as to whom has really earned the title 'Evil
Empire'.

Self Abuse

In the three-week Gulf War in 1991, just 467 U.S.

personnel were reported as wounded. Of the 580,400 GIs who served
in that war, more than 11,000 are now dead and in excess of 400,000
are on permanent medical disability. New cases are arising by an
astounding 43,000 per year. In a nutshell, more than 70% of those
who served in the Gulf in 1990-91 now have medical problems.

The only substances to which these troops are known to have been
exposed are vaccines and depleted uranium.

Vaccines do not cause the diseases these troops have contracted.

The only known exposure with the potential to cause these illness
is the depleted uranium.

In response to the mounting evidence of the hazards, the American
response has been to use the same material in the Balkans, in
Afghanistan, and for a second time in Iraq. For protestors and
advocates for the afflicted, there is no comfort in knowing that
this transcends politics and has now gone on through three presidential
administrations.

Even worse, the Americans knew the deadly hazard inherent in this
material before they ever started to use it. A military report
prepared by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1974 stated: "In
combat situations involving the widespread use of DU munitions, the
potential for inhalation, ingestion, or implantation of DU compounds
may be locally significant." A contractor to the military, Science
Applications International Corporation (SAIC), noted in a July 1990

report that "aerosol DU exposures to soldiers on the battlefield
could be significant, with potential radiological and toxicological
effects."

For 13 years, veterans of Gulf War Part One, and subsequently the
Balkan veterans, have been hounding their governments to determine
if they have been contaminated by the DU used in those conflicts.
They are unable to search for this evidence through conventional
medicine because suitable testing equipment is not available outside
of

government facilities owing to the national security issues involved.

There has been a lengthy debate over the issue of GWI, and now
Balkan Illness, while many allied personnel who served in those
conflicts have endured unexplained and premature deaths or debilitating
systemic illnesses. There is evidence of transmission of related
diseases to sexual partners and children born to these veterans
since the conflicts.

But while the veterans continue to pressure the U.S.

government for proper DU screening programs, a series of reports
confirm the inadequacy of testing efforts and the fundamental failure
to understand the ramifications of DU use. In the absence of adequate
testing and follow-up, the military continues to use this material
in a form of Russian Roulette with its own troops, notwithstanding
the horrendous results on the nations where the weapons are being
dropped.

In the words of the well-known humanitarian, Henry Kissinger:
"Military men are just dumb, stupid, animals to be used as pawns
in foreign policy." And as if to prove his point, a report carried
by both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post on February
27, 1991 quoted American troops firing DU weapons at hapless Iraqi
soldiers:

"We toasted him  we hit the jackpot  a turkey shoot shooting fish
in a barrel  basically just sitting ducks Theres nothing like it.
Its the biggest Fourth of July show youve ever seen, and to see
those tanks just boom, and stuff just keeps spewing out of them
they just become white hot.

Its wonderful."

Where is the outrage?

Americans have cheered the successes of their military men and women
in Iraq and Afghanistan and, to a lesser degree, in the Balkans.
Most remain ignorant of the horrendous

weapons their troops used to destroy such feeble enemies.

Even more, they are almost completely ignorant of the hazards faced
by their own troops from the toys at their disposal.

There is no outrage in the U.S. for the dangers being faced by
American troops, even less outrage for the innocent

victims of this lethal onslaught. But Americas craven

allies, including my country Canada, can offer no excuses for their
silence. None of the information presented in this article is secret;
it is readily available from a variety of sources. In several
countries, including Canada, there are victims of DU exposure who
thought they were going to fight the good fight, little realizing
that their best buddy was going to expose them to lethal substances,
just because they could.

The American decision to initiate the use of DU weaponry, and then
to continue its use even when evidence mounted to thwart any lingering
doubts about the hazards, is a despicable act. This was a cold,
calculated decision to inflict long-lasting harm on enemies with
no regard for the innocent in those lands and no regard even for
American and allied troops.

There are few observers who would excuse any other nation behaving
in this way from charges of war crimes.

Bracing for the next American onslaught

Depleted uranium appears to have been given the green light in 1990
three reasons:

* to test the efficacy of 4th generation nuclear weapons still in
their development stage

* to blur the distinction between conventional and nuclear weaponry

* to facilitate the reintroduction of nuclear weapons into the
American arsenal

And it has done a marvelous job of stopping the enemy.

Unfortunately, the side effects on civilian populations and the
long-lasting environmental effects are horrendous.

If the use of this weaponry marks the future of American strategy,
and given their proclivity for military adventures, the deleterious
effects of DU on the environment and on the population of various
countries is assured.

More, the health of American and allied troops is also compromised.
The continued use of DU weapons should be

sufficient reason for Americas allies to decline invitations to
future military excursions.

Regardless of the peril presented by the enemy, Americas allies
need to be concerned about the peril presented by America.

Sources include:

Depleted Uranium: U.S. Commits War Crime Against Iraq, Humanity
Christopher Bollyn, American Free Press

Cancer Epidemic Caused by U.S. WMD  Christopher Bollyn, American
Free Press

No protection from known danger  Dan Fahey, Military Toxicity Project

Depleted uranium: Dirty bombs, dirty missiles, dirty bullets  A
death sentence here and abroad  Leuren Moret

Depleted Uranium: The Trojan Horse of Nuclear War Leuren Moret

The People versus George Walker Bush: International Criminal Tribunal
for Afghanistan at Tokyo

An Examination of Uranium Levels in Canadian Forces Personnel Who
Served in the Gulf War and Kosovo Health Physics Society Journal,
82(4): 527-532; April 2002

Perpetual Death from America  Dr. Mohammed Daud Miraki

Trail of a Bullet  a special series prepared by the

Christian Science Monitor
(http://www.csmonitor.com/atcsmonitor/specials/uranium)

Details  Paul Harris, YellowTimes.org (March 12, 2003)

several reports prepared by the World Depleted Uranium

Weapons Conference (www.uraniumweaponsconference.de)

various reports prepared by the Uranium Medical Research Centre
especially see the report 12 years too late? for an extensive list
of source material

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 18 Haaretz: U.S. going ahead with plans to supply IAF with smart bombs
 
Homepage [http://www.haaretz.com]          

Mon., September 27, 2004 Tishrei 12, 5765   
    
By Aluf Benn [aluf@haaretz.co.il]      
  
The U.S. Defense Department has announced that it is moving ahead 
with plans to supply 5,000 "smart bombs," including 500 "bunker 
busters," to the Israeli Air Force.     

A Pentagon spokesman told the Newhouse News Service that Congress 
had not objected to the deal, which was reported to it on June 1. 
The deal, reported in Haaretz last week, was widely discussed in 
the international media, which linked the supply of the advanced 
weaponry to a possible Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear 
facilities. When asked about the possibility of an Israeli 
attack, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the focus was 
on diplomacy, although other options were always on the table.

With its narrow body and ability to penetrate two-meter-thick 
concrete, the one-ton BLU109 "bunker buster" will improve IAF 
strike capabilities. It is equipped with a special fuse that sets 
off the explosive charge after the bomb penetrates the target. 

The U.S. has so far supplied the bunker busters only to Greece 
and South Korea. 

The U.S. also has a heavier, two-ton GBU28 model of the bomb, 
which can penetrate six meters of concrete, but it has so far not 
supplied it to foreign air forces.

The bombs will be purchased with $319 million of U.S. aid money. 
All 5,000 new bombs will be outfitted with JDAM satellite 
guidance systems that allow for precision hits. A small number of 
these systems are already in use by the IAF. 

In comparison to other guided bombs, these bombs are relatively 
cheap (approximately $20,000 each) and are guided by a global 
positioning system that frees the pilot from having to follow the 
target.

The contracts for the supply of the bombs have not been signed 
yet or a date set for their delivery. 

In other recently approved arms deals, the U.S. will also be 
supplying Israel with 103 light armored vehicles, 62 kits for 
upgrading mobile 107-millimeter mortars, and technology to 
manufacture a missile against the Arrow missile.         

[feedback@haaretz.co.il] 
  
  © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved   
*****************************************************************
 19 The State: Underdog Senate candidates do
 
 09/26/2
 
By AARON GOULD SHEININ

 Staff Writer

Jim DeMint and Inez Tenenbaum get most of the attention, but the
Democratic and Republican candidates are not alone in their
quest for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina. 

True, one of those two will be, barring catastrophe or miracle,
the next senator from the Palmetto State, but dont tell the
four candidates running under the banners of the smaller, less
mainstream parties that their campaigns are irrelevant. 

Voters are increasingly dissatisfied with the options the two
major parties offer, said Rebekah Sutherland, the Libertarian
Party candidate. And that leaves a sliver of hope for a
third-party candidate to win, she said. 

The veil is coming up, Sutherland said, and voters are
finding the wizard behind the curtain. This is a moment, if
people choose to open their eyes wide and see they have another
candidate to choose. 

Tee Ferguson, a former Democratic member of the S.C. House, has
much the same view as the United Citizens Partys candidate. But
Ferguson is not kidding himself about what the outcome is likely
to be Nov. 2. He talks not of winning, but of making an impact. 

His goal: To be able to get the issues I champion enough
support that the major parties will then take a look, he said.
Trust me, if the Democratic Party thinks theres any chance
whatsoever that a significant number of black voters will leave
the Democratic Party, then black people will start to get
something out of the system. 

Green Party candidate Efia Nwangaza, 57, has much the same
motivation for running. 

The black community specifically needs to be aware that there
are other choices, she said. The Green Party is a place where
we can use our vote in a way that serves not only our interests,
but the common good as well. 

Efforts to reach the other third-party U.S. Senate candidate,
Patrick Tyndall of the Constitution Party, were unsuccessful. 

All four candidates have their own issues in the campaign, and
they are not necessarily the same issues championed by Tenenbaum
and DeMint. 

Sutherland, who has run as a Republican for governor, state
education superintendent and the S.C. House, has one primary
issue: nuclear waste. 

The Aiken County resident works as a nuclear scientist at the
Savannah River Site and said the radioactive waste stored there
should be shipped out of South Carolina as soon as possible. She
supports the opening of the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada, which
was designed to store waste like that now at SRS. 

My first priority will be to get Yucca Mountain open,
Sutherland, 50, said. The process is moving too slowly. 

Tenenbaum and DeMint are ill-equipped to deal with the issue,
she said. 

They dont know, Sutherland said. Theyre ignorant. They
dont know science. Theres no way they could communicate to
other senators about it. 

Tyndall does not have a campaign Web site, but the Constitution
Party site says its goal is to limit the role of the federal
government to safeguarding the God-given rights of its
citizens, namely, life, liberty and property. We strive to
restore American jurisprudence to its original Biblical
foundations. 

While the four candidates might have little chance of winning
the election, there is precedent for a third-party candidate
influencing the outcome. 

For example, in the 1996 U.S. Senate race in Georgia, Democrat
Max Cleland won with 49 percent of the vote, beating Republican
Guy Millner by 1 percent. Third-party candidates captured nearly
4 percent of all ballots, according to the Center for Voting and
Democracy. 

That is not an isolated incident. Since 1908, 139 U.S. Senate
races have been won by a candidate who did not get a majority of
the vote. 

In South Carolina, the third-party candidates would appear to
split along ideological lines. Nwangaza and Ferguson, for
example, would seem to take votes away from Tenenbaum; Tyndall
and Sutherland, from DeMint. 

But Sutherland is not looking to play spoiler. She thinks the
presence of five other candidates gives her a chance to win. 

I need less than 33 percent of the vote to win, she said. 

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658 or asheinin@thestate.com
[asheinin@thestate.com] .   




TheStateOnline
*****************************************************************
 20 [NYTr] Twisting Dr. Nuke's Arm
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 12:45:51 -0500 (CDT)

 
Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
The New York Times - Sept 25, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/25/opinion/25kristoff.html

Twisting Dr. Nuke's Arm

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  President Bush has been searching vainly for Osama 
bin Laden for three years now, so I've decided to help him out. I'm 
traveling through Pakistan and Afghanistan to see whether I can find 
Osama, bring him back in my luggage and claim that $25 million reward.

So for the last few days, I've been peering into mosques and down 
village wells, even under mullahs' couches. No luck so far, but I did 
find something almost as interesting.

I'm talking about the arrangement under which the U.S. cuts Pakistan 
some slack on nuclear proliferation, in exchange for President Pervez 
Musharraf's joining aggressively in the hunt for Osama - in the hope of 
catching him by Nov. 2.

If a nuclear weapon destroys the U.S. Capitol in coming years, it will 
probably be based in part on Pakistani technology. The biggest challenge 
to civilization in recent years came not from Osama or Saddam Hussein 
but from Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb. Dr. 
Khan definitely sold nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya, 
and, officials believe, to several more nations as well.

But, amazingly, eight months after Dr. Khan publicly confessed, we still 
don't know who the rest of his customers were. Mr. Musharraf 
acknowledged as much in an interview.

"I can't say surely that we have unearthed everything that he's done, 
but I think we have unearthed most of what he's done," Mr. Musharraf 
said. Translated, that means: I'm afraid you're eventually going to find 
out about other transactions that we're still trying to hide.

American intelligence experts haven't been able to interrogate Dr. Khan, 
and Mr. Musharraf claims that the U.S. has not even asked to do so. "Let 
me put the record straight: nobody asked us to be allowed to question 
him," Mr. Musharraf said.

President Bush apparently did not ask for that direct access at his 
meeting on Wednesday with Mr. Musharraf, and it's clear that the 
administration is not pressing the issue. Why? Because Mr. Bush in this 
election season has another priority: getting Mr. Musharraf to help 
catch Osama.

Unless he's pressed hard, Mr. Musharraf won't make Dr. Khan available. 
Dr. Khan is a Pakistani hero, and there'd be great outrage if so-called 
Yankee anti-Muslim crusaders were allowed to interrogate him. "There 
would be a very strong reaction," warned Ghafoor Ahmad, a senator and 
Islamic politician.

An interview with Senator Ahmad is a reminder that the alternatives to 
Mr. Musharraf could be worse: Mr. Ahmad indignantly told me that Osama 
had nothing to do with 9/11. He suggested that it might have been a 
joint operation of the U.S. government and Mossad.

So which other countries would Dr. Khan implicate if we could 
interrogate him?

Mr. Musharraf confirmed that the Saudi defense minister had visited Dr. 
Khan's laboratories a few years ago, but he insisted that Saudi Arabia 
was not a nuclear customer. I'm not so sure.

The Saudis, alarmed by Iran's bomb program and jealous of Israel's, may 
well want their own nukes. But if the Saudis build a bomb, so will 
Egypt, and all hell will break loose in the Middle East.

Mr. Musharraf also denied that Syria was one of Dr. Khan's clients. A 
Syria with nukes would also not be a prescription for stability in the 
Middle East. In addition, Dr. Khan had ties with African countries, and 
those ties are not yet fully understood.

The charitable explanation for Mr. Bush's failure to get to the bottom 
of the Khan affair is that putting too much pressure on Mr. Musharraf 
would risk his destruction in the crucible of Pakistani nationalism. And 
the U.S. government certainly has a genuine interest in catching Osama 
as soon as it can.

Yet it's impossible to overstate the risks if countries like Saudi 
Arabia or Syria develop nuclear weapons because of Dr. Khan's help. Mr. 
Bush portrays himself as Mr. Security, defending America from terrorism, 
but the paramount security threat we face is a nuclear 9/11, which could 
kill half a million Americans in one explosion. Whatever its electoral 
concerns, the White House simply can't be so complacent about tracking 
down Dr. Khan's other nuclear clients.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
       
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 21 [NYTr] Venezuela Condemns US Violations of Nuke Energy
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 16:13:11 -0500 (CDT)

 
Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Venezuela to Denounce US Violations at Inter-Parliament Assembly

Caracas, Sep 26 (Prensa Latina) Venezuela will denounce US violations
of international agreements on the pacific use of atomic energy,
during the Inter-Parliamentarians4 assembly beginning Monday in
France, according to Venpres News Agency.

The meeting will deal with important topics such as proliferation of
nuclear arms and biodiversity, the source informed, adding that the
Venezuelan delegation is made up of deputies Dario Vivas and Victoria
Mata, who will reaffirm Venezuela4s stance on these affairs.

Nuclear energy can be used only if directed to develop humanity, and
not wipe it out, Vivas said. "We will support Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez4 proposal on the creation of an International Humanitarian
Fund, aimed to deal with social problems such as poverty and health,
he asserted.

Both deputies also informed they will present a document accusing
transnationals of trying to supervise other nations4 natural
resources, like the case of the Amazonia.

"Developed countries intend to rule sovereign states4 policies on
biological diversity, a stance that we strongly reject and will
question in the assembly," Vivas indicated.

sus/dig/wap

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 22 [southnews] How close was the Mideast to 1973 nuclear war?
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 00:08:29 -0500 (CDT)

 
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The Israelis violated the 1973 cease-fire and encircled the Egyptian 
Third Army. The Soviet Union demanded Israel pull back, threatened to 
intervene unilaterally, and the United States reacted by declaring a 
DefconIII nuclear alert.

Yediot Aharonot said Washington took the Soviet threat very seriously 
because sensors the United States had buried in the Mediterranean Sea 
detected nuclear radiation emanating from a Soviet vessel that sailed 
over them.

Three days later, U.S. satellite pictures showed the Russians had 
deployed two Scud missile brigades in northern Egypt with nuclear 
warheads that were not concealed.

In the showdown with the United States, the Russians blinked first.

________________________________________

How close was the Mideast to nuclear war?

TEL AVIV, (UPI) Israel, Sept. 23 , 2004 -

The day Egypt and Syria stunned Israel by launching the 1973 Yom Kippur 
War, Israel's then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan ordered the preparation 
of a weapon said to be a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear 
warhead.

In a lengthy account published in Friday's edition of the Yediot 
Aharonot newspaper that reached the stands Thursday after passing 
through Israel's censors, the newspaper's Ronen Bergman and Gil Meltzer 
said the Israeli defense establishment was initially optimistic about 
the fighting, believing it would easily repel the onslaught.

Nevertheless, Dayan ordered preparation of very extreme means of 
retaliation -- the Ivri, which according to foreign press reports is 
another name for the ground-to-ground missile, Jericho, capable of 
carrying also a nuclear warhead.

The Yediot Aharonot reported that shortly before the fighting began 
Dayan asked at a meeting: Is the Ivri ready?

The then chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. David Elazar, answered: Not 
ready to fire.

Dayan's adjutant, Arieh Bar-On, said It would be ready within 12 hours.

The Ivri should be moved at night and be ready, Dayan ordered.

Three days later, an Israeli counter-strike in the Sinai desert failed. 
Grief gripped the officers at the supreme command headquarters. Some 
people cried, the newspaper said.

Elazar advocated, A dramatic effect, that Syria will be torn, that 
someone will scream ... 'Syria is being destroyed!' Elazar talked of 
bombing power stations and other targets that would burn as well as 
ruthless air attacks on two armored divisions even if we lose planes.

The apocalyptic atmosphere affected everybody ... and in The Pit (the 
fortified underground army headquarters) there were thoughts of 
recommending to the Cabinet the most extreme measures against Arab 
states, the newspaper said.

It quoted a former Deputy Chief of General Staff, Maj. Gen. Israel Tal, 
as having said in a top secret forum that on that day, Oct. 9, There was 
a feeling that the national existence is in danger. ... The goal was to 
stop the war quickly.

Eventually the tide turned, the United States airlifted arms to Israel, 
and the war ended with the Israelis reaching 101 kilometers (63 miles) 
from Cairo and closer than ever to Damascus.

The Israelis violated a cease-fire and encircled the Egyptian Third 
Army. The Soviet Union demanded Israel pull back, threatened to 
intervene unilaterally, and the United States reacted by declaring a 
DefconIII nuclear alert.

Yediot Aharonot said Washington took the Soviet threat very seriously 
because sensors the United States had buried in the Mediterranean Sea 
detected nuclear radiation emanating from a Soviet vessel that sailed 
over them.

Three days later, U.S. satellite pictures showed the Russians had 
deployed two Scud missile brigades in northern Egypt with nuclear 
warheads that were not concealed.

In the showdown with the United States, the Russians blinked first.

The newspaper said that after the war, then Prime Minister Golda Meir 
asked then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to negotiate a deal 
with Syria.

Israel would withdraw from the strategically important Mount Hermon in 
exchange for the repatriation of 28 Israeli pilots the Syrians had caught.

Yediot Aharonot said Israel's main concern was to return Squadron 
Commander Lt. Col. Avraham Lanir in order to protect the dramatic secret 
he had.

The newspaper could not say what that secret was.

Only Lanir and several Air Force reservists knew, and were authorized to 
operate, certain types of armament, Yediot Aharonot said.

The secrets Lanir knew, Could have influenced the fate of the entire 
campaign, Yediot Aharonot said.

Lanir was captured on Oct. 13, 1973, when he flew into a missile trap 
while on patrol deep inside Syrian territory. He turned his damaged 
plane towards Israel and bailed out, but the wind carried him back to 
the Syrian side. A Syrian jeep got to him before the Israelis did.

Lanir did not break down under Syrian pressure. In a hospital, he told 
another wounded Israeli pilot his hands and legs were broken.

Another pilot quoted a very senior Syrian officer who had visited him in 
jail as having said that an Israeli squadron commander was kept there. 
The Syrian officer said the Israeli pilot was a man who did not talk.

Lanir's body was returned to Israel in June 1974 and his widow received 
a Medal of Courage that he earned. Only one other prisoner of war 
received such a medal.

The citation said Lanir parachuted and reached the ground alive, was 
caught and taken prisoner. Lt. Col. Avraham Lair was tortured to death 
by his interrogators and did not reveal any information.

http://www.spacewar.com/upi/2004/0923-182846-mideast-1973.html

The archives of South News can be found at
http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/ 

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*****************************************************************
 23 Las Vegas SUN: Pakistan, India Leaders Vow Cooperation

 By KIM GAMEL ASSOCIATED PRESS 

NEW YORK (AP) - 

The leaders of India and Pakistan met Friday and promised
measures to gradually ease tensions between their nations and
explore a peaceful settlement for the disputed Kashmir region. 

After the session in a New York hotel, Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said
they also discussed the possibility of running a natural gas
pipeline between their nations, saying "such a project could
contribute to the welfare and prosperity of the people of both
countries." 

Since independence in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbors have
fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is split
between them and divided by a 1972 cease-fire line called the
Line of Control. 

The leaders said in a joint statement Friday that they agreed
that "possible options for a peaceful negotiated settlement" for
Kashmir should be explored "in a sincere spirit and purposeful
manner." 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 24 The Observer: Terror fears as deadly cargo heads for UK waters
 
UP] 

Mark Townsend Sunday September 26, 2004 The Observer 
[http://www.observer.co.uk]                
 		
Two British ships carrying the world's first seaborne cargo of 
weapons-grade plutonium - enough to make 40 nuclear bombs - will 
sail into UK waters under armed guard this week, amid heightened 
concern over a maritime terrorist attack. 

Holding 140kg of plutonium from US atomic missile warheads, the 
Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal will place millions at risk if 
disaster strikes. Ex-government nuclear physicists, experts on 
international terrorism as well as former Ministry of Defence 
staff have described the trip as absurd in the wake of fresh 
intelligence that al-Qaeda is plotting to target Western shipping 
interests. 

Nuclear security officials will monitor the ships' progress from 
a secret London-based headquarters as the merchant vessels enter 
the world's busiest waterway, the English Channel. Their arrival 
follows a statement by the head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir 
Alan West, that he had specific intelligence that al-Qaeda was 
seeking to blow up merchant ships, particularly those navigating 
congested shipping routes. 

Although the government has remained tight-lipped over details of 
the voyage, an Observer investigation can reveal the true extent 
of Britain's involvement in the controversial shipment. Documents 
show that the ships' security was assessed and approved 
principally by British nuclear security officials. It has also 
emerged that 13 armed British commandos will stand guard on the 
decks of each vessel. The boats are the property of 
government-owned company BNFL. Once ordinary commercial ships, 
both are now equipped with 30mm cannon. 

The cargo is destined for a nuclear reprocessing plant in France, 
where it will be converted for use as commercial fuel. If 
successful, the US wants to transfer thousands more kilogrammes 
of plutonium to Europe. At the end of the Cold War, the US and 
Russia promised to dispose of nearly 70,000kg of the material 
from dismantled nuclear warheads. But opponents claim the nuclear 
industries of both countries, along with Britain and France, 
should have resisted the opportunity to turn plutonium into 
commercial fuel and disposed of it safely as waste. 

The Pintail and Teal will enter UK waters on Thursday and are 
expected to sail within 16 miles of Cornwall's Lizard peninsula 
on Saturday before passing close below the Devon, Dorset and 
Hampshire coast and docking in Normandy. Environmentalists 
believe the narrow and often stormy Channel remains the most 
likely leg of the 2,000-mile voyage for potential disaster. More 
than 400 vessels pass through the waterway each day. 

Critics warn that the Pintail and Teal represent a valuable 
target for rogue states and terrorists seeking to acquire nuclear 
capability. Scenarios discussed by both UK and US intelligence 
are believed to include those where a vessel is not only seized 
but attacked by missile or rammed by boat or aircraft. The ships 
are relatively slow, with a top speed in the region of 15 knots, 
leaving them unable to outpace more modern vessels. 

Dr Frank Barnaby, former nuclear physicist with the UK Atomic 
Weapons Establishment, said: 'The consequences of an attack could 
be enormous. I cannot understand why they don't use a proper 
warship, given that in the event of an attack or collision where 
there is a fire in the cargo then the contamination potential is 
catastrophic.' 

Others warn that it is the weather that represents the gravest 
threat. Sir Timothy Garden, former assistant chief of defence 
staff at the MoD and ex-director of the Royal Institute of 
International Affairs, said: 'There are lots of reasons why 
shipping plutonium is not a good idea, but vessels going down to 
bad weather seems a greater risk than terrorism.' 

The boats are expected to dock at Cherbourg a week today, where a 
flotilla of protesters will jeer their arrival. From there, the 
warheads will be transported 800 miles by road to a reprocessing 
plant in Provence. 
	
 	
        Special report Terrorism threat to UK

Interactive guide How Britain is tightening security 
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,848249,00.html] 

Full list of terror suspects
UK assets of suspected terrorist groups and individuals (pdf)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2001/11
/08/sanctionsconlist.pdf] 

Anti-terror legislation
Download the full text of the crime and security bill (534k)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2001/11
/20/Full_text.pdf] 
Summary of the crime and security bill (47k)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2001/11
/20/Antiterrorism_bill.pdf] 

Useful links
Metropolitan police [http://www.met.police.uk/] 
Home Office: emergency planning review
[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/epd/emplanreview.htm] 
Ministry of Defence [http://news.mod.uk/] 
UK resilience [http://www.ukresilience.info/] 
Red Cross [http://www.redcross.org.uk/] 
Terrorism Act 2000 [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism/] 
Crime and security bill (pdf)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2001/11
/20/Full_text.pdf] 

[UP] 

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 25 BBC: Paper probes 'bomb plot'
 
  Last Updated: Sunday, 26 September, 2004
 
A look at Sunday's newspapers

A suspected bomb plot is exposed in the News Of The World, while 
elsewhere the future for Labour - which holds its conference this 
week - and the fate of hostage Ken Bigley dominate the papers. 

The News Of The World boasts about how an investigation uncovered 
a suspected plot to explode a dirty bomb in Britain. 

The paper said it acted on a tip-off that a merchant banker was 
on the lookout for nuclear bomb-making material for a client in 
the Middle East. 

It sent in investigations editor Mazher Mahmood, "posing as a 
Muslim extremist", who told the alleged plotters he could access 
radioactive material. 

The paper then called in the police, who made four arrests after 
a sting operation.

Brother speaks 

The plight of Mr Bigley features prominently across the papers. 

The Sunday Times reports that three British men who travelled to 
Iraq to fight the coalition forces have joined the militant group 
that is holding him. 

Many of the papers observe that Mr Bigley's brother, Paul, will 
be addressing a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference in 
Brighton this week. 

The word "fringe" pops up again, in relation to the apology from 
the leader of the Commons, Peter Hain, for suggesting that the 
Iraq war would be a fringe issue at the conference. 

This "fringe issue", says the Mail On Sunday, is spiralling into 
a nightmare. 

Radical reform 

"I've got my job to do - and he's got his," Chancellor Gordon 
Brown tells the Sunday Telegraph, when asked whether there is 
still trust between himself and the prime minister. 

The paper is convinced that the relationship between the two has 
declined sharply since Alan Milburn was brought back into the 
cabinet, to run Labour's election campaign. 

In the interview, Mr Brown insists that Labour's hard-won 
reputation for economic stability should be at the heart of the 
campaign, although Mr Milburn champions an alternative approach, 
based on radical reform of schools and hospitals. 

The Sunday Times believes the prime minister will deliver what it 
calls a huge blow to the chancellor at the Labour party 
conference in Brighton this week, by making it clear that he 
intends to serve a full third term if he is re-elected. 

Interviewed in the Observer, the prime minister himself refuses 
to comment on any of this. 

'Worcester woman' 

"I'm not getting into this TB/GB thing at all" he begins. 

"The reason I don't get into this on and on and on business," he 
continues, "is that in the end, it's for the British people to 
decide." 

The Daily Star Sunday says women are turning against Tony Blair. 

News that six out of 10 women, questioned by the Fawcett Society, 
are no longer happy with him, says the paper, will shock the PM 
whose charm won him huge support from female voters in his two 
election landslides. 

The Sunday Mirror, though, does not think it will come as too 
much of a surprise, saying that he is planning to launch a bid 
this week to win back "Worcester woman." 

The paper believes his keynote speech will include his 
biggest-ever package for women and the family. The paper thinks 
he will have his work cut out though. 

"Even though these raft of family friendly policies are 
impressive", it argues, "there are many who will never forgive 
him for the war." 

Celebrity walkway 

The People reports that the woman it calls the "Soham liar," 
Maxine Carr, has been taking a holiday, at the expense of the 
taxpayer. 

And it was not just any old holiday, according to the paper - it 
was a secret, boozy, dirty weekend, with a £3,000 bill to keep 
her safe. 

She owes the public a duty to behave decently, says the paper, so 
that they have no more reasons to hate her. 

London could soon have a Walk of Fame to rival Hollywood's, 
according to the Sunday Express, which reveals that the 
television producer Michael Hurll has bought the rights to a 
stretch of the promenade along the South Bank of the Thames. 

The paper says the celebrities will be chosen by the public in a 
reality TV series, which will culminate in a lavish ceremony. 

The paper predicts that the first names in line for a star 
include David Jason, Catherine Zeta Jones, Tom Jones and the Two 
Ronnies. 
*****************************************************************
 26 BBC: More time to quiz terror
 
  Last Updated: Sunday, 26 September, 2004
 
		 		 		 
[Paddington Green Station]                              

The men are being held at Paddington Green station                                                                

Police holding four men arrested on suspicion of a terrorist plot 
to buy radioactive material have been given more time to question 
them. 

Three of the men were arrested at a Brent Cross hotel on Friday 
and a fourth in a north London house. 

The arrests followed a tip-off from a Sunday newspaper about the 
alleged plot by a group of businessmen. 

The extension has been granted to Friday at 1330 BST. The men can 
be held for a total of 14 days without charge. 

The information on the alleged plot was passed to police by the 
News Of The World. 

The newspaper claimed it sent in an undercover reporter posing as 
a "Muslim extremist" following a tip-off that a Saudi sympathetic 
to "the Muslim cause" was willing to pay £300,000 for a kilo of 
powerful, radioactive "red mercury". 

The chemical is said to have been developed by Russian scientists 
for "briefcase nuclear bombs", although scientists are divided 
over whether any actually exists. 

According to the News of the World, meetings were held with men 
hoping to supply the radioactive material to their Middle Eastern 
buyer. 

'Not highly significant'



A BBC correspondent said police had not found any radioactive or 
bomb-making material but that searches were ongoing. 

The men - who are being questioned at Paddington Green Police 
Station in London - were arrested on suspicion of commissioning, 
preparing or instigating acts of terrorism. 

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore said: "The 
allegation is that these men, who we understand are all 
businessmen, were trying to buy radioactive materials. 

"The suspicion, and this is what the police are questioning them 
about now, is that they were trying to get hold of radioactive 
materials to sell them on to terrorists. 

"They don't believe they have arrested highly significant people, 
on the other hand they have possibly stopped something in the 
making," she added. 

Police marksmen 

Gary Thompson, associate editor of the News Of The World said the 
story followed covert investigations by its reporter Mazher 
Mahmood. 

"He alerted police who made the arrests. We do not know what 
specific details there were of any targets (for bombs)," he said. 

Police marksmen and surveillance teams surrounded the hotel in 
Brent Cross on Friday and the arrests were made. 

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said on Saturday: "Several 
addresses have been searched. Some searches continue." 

MI5 were also involved in the operation, it has been revealed. 



*****************************************************************
 27 News 24: Another WMD arrest in SA 
		 	 
[http://www.news24.com

Geneva - A Swiss engineer suspected of selling nuclear equipment 
to Libya has been arrested in South Africa, the Swiss authorities 
said on Sunday, confirming a media report. 

The foreign ministry said that a man bearing dual Swiss-South 
African nationality had been arrested in Cape Town. 

The German paper SonntagsZeitung reported earlier that the man, 
who was not named, had been accused of importing and exporting 
equipment for enriching uranium, a stage in the development of 
nuclear weapons. 

The man's superior in the establishment where he works, a German 
national, is also suspected of illegal possession and production 
of nuclear material, the paper said. 

The two men are believed to have received more than a $1m from a 
client believed to be Libya, it said. 

It was not known whether the arrests were linked to police raids 
last Tuesday on two Swiss-based companies relating to a German 
probe into illegal exports of nuclear technology. 

Also on Tuesday, German officials said they had arrested a German 
businessman, named as Helmut R, suspected of illegal exports of 
nuclear technology. 

List of 15 suspects 

Last February the International Atomic Energy Association handed 
Switzerland a list of 15 names of people suspected of taking part 
in secret Iranian and Libyan nuclear programmes. 

The names included three Swiss and one German national resident 
in Switzerland. 

South Africa is currently investigating ties with a nuclear 
smuggling network thought to be linked to Pakistani scientist 
Abdul Qadeer Khan who admitted in February to helping Libya and 
other nations develop their weapons programme. 

On September 9 two German men living permanently in South Africa 
were charged by a South African court with illegally exporting 
equipment to enrich uranium. 

Gerhard Wisser, 66, and Daniel Geiges, 65, were charged on four 
counts of contravening the Nuclear Energy Act and a law banning 
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. 

Libya announced late last year that it was abandoning attempts to 
develop nuclear, biological and chemical weapons after months of 
secret negotiations with London and Washington.                              

 Edited by Elmarie Jack 			 

*****************************************************************
 28 Xinhuanet: IAEA to inspect Israeli nuclear power plant for pollution   

  www.xinhuanet.com

  www.chinaview.cn 2004-09-26 11:22:03   

    VIENNA, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Saturday it will send a team of 
expertsto Jordan next week to check if there is radioactive 
pollution from Israel's Dimona nuclear plant. 

    Mark Gwozdecky, spokesman for the IAEA, said the agency 
received a request from Jordan to assist in monitoring the 
radiological situation. 

    The spokesman said Israel has so far made no such request. 
Diplomatic sources in Vienna said no proof supports allegations 
of pollution at Dimona. 

    The Dimona nuclear power plant was built in the late 1950s 
withthe help of France in Israel's southern Negev desert. 

    A former Israeli nuclear scientist, Mordechai Vanunu, once 
warned that the plant could become a second Chernobyl. 

    In August, the Jordanian government said it planned to invite 
IAEA experts to conduct a field survey to eliminate any fear of 
contamination from the plant in neighboring Israel. Enditem   

  Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 29 Japan Times: EXPAND SECURITY COUNCIL

  Monday, September 27, 2004   

 Reforming the United Nations

 By HUGH CORTAZZI

 LONDON -- The Japanese government is understandably frustrated 
by the delay in reaching agreement on enlargement of the Security 
Council. Japan makes the largest contribution to the running of 
the United Nations, but still has to take its turn as an elected 
member of the Security Council. 

Britain, the United States and other leading powers have declared 
that they support Japan's application to become a permanent 
member of the council. There is also general support for 
permanent-member status for Germany, India and Brazil, but there 
is no consensus yet among the smaller powers, which ask why 
special preference should be given to larger powers.

 The issue of whether permanent membership should give new 
members the same veto power as that granted to the initial five 
permanent members (the U.S., Russia (then the Soviet Union), 
China, Britain and France) must also be settled. The five 
original member-states are unwilling to give up the veto and 
cannot be compelled to do so, but there is opposition to 
extending the veto to additional permanent members.

 A solution could be found in having two groups of permanent 
members: the original members would retain the veto, the new 
members would not acquire veto powers. To adapt the phraseology 
of George Orwell's "Animal Farm," some powers would be more equal 
than others. But that is probably inevitable in the world as it 
is today and can be explained as a quirk of history.

 If the U.N. was being formed today the charter would be 
different from what it was in 1945 immediately after a 
devastating world war. Britain and France would not necessarily 
both expect to be permanent members with a veto, although the 
fact that both have nuclear weapons is still a relevant 
consideration. But the basic problem facing the U.N. -- how to 
keep the peace in a divided world -- would be largely the same 
now as it was in 1945.

 The League of Nations failed to ensure peace. One reason was 
that it lacked enforcement powers. The U.N. has an enforcement 
mechanism in the Security Council, but it can only function 
effectively if all the five permanent members are in agreement. 
This issue has been circumvented in the past by use of the 
General Assembly's "uniting for peace" procedure, but this is far 
from satisfactory and can be divisive.

 As we saw over the war in Iraq, the Security Council is 
powerless if the world's leading military power is determined, in 
pursuit of its own interests, to take action without Security 
Council endorsement. This is the rationale for the veto, which 
has sadly been misused on a number of occasions, especially by 
the former Soviet Union and the U.S. The misuse of the veto makes 
the U.N. less effective in keeping the peace, and means that 
actions in defiance of the majority go uncurbed. It also 
undermines the prestige of the U.N.

 The U.S. refusal to take part in the League of Nations after 
World War I and the absence of any enforcement mechanism other 
than the adoption of economic sanctions -- which can so easily be 
circumvented -- were the main reasons for the League's failure. 

The U.N. is unpopular in Washington because opinions expressed at 
the U.N. are often critical of a number of U.S. policies, 
especially in the Middle East. U.S. President George W. Bush's 
recent speech at the U.N. General Assembly, even if it was hardly 
a reflection of realities in the Middle East and refused to 
acknowledge the extent to which U.S. policies in Iraq had failed, 
at least paid lip service to the role of the U.N.

 Even the neocons in the Bush administration should now recognize 
that America, despite its preponderance of military power, cannot 
go it alone everywhere and that "might is not right." The neocons 
nevertheless go on accusing their critics of being appeasers and 
argue that anyone who does not support their line condones the 
tyranny of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Islamic 
terrorism.

 This is nonsense. It is possible to both condemn wholeheartedly 
Hussein and to be outraged by suicide bombers -- condemning them 
as murderous fanatics -- while at the same time argue that the 
fight against terrorism cannot be won by military means alone. 

It is not appeasement, for instance, to urge that efforts should 
be stepped up to find a two-state solution to the Palestine 
problem, which would involve Israeli concessions in accordance 
with U.N. resolutions. Nor is it appeasement to argue for more 
sensitive policies by U.S. forces in Iraq that take more account 
of Iraqi nationalist aspirations and Muslim feelings. Nor does 
the expression of concern about the autocratic tendencies of 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his nation's behavior in 
Chechnya equate to condoning the appalling recent atrocities at 
Beslan and in Russia.

 The U.N. needs to be strengthened and helped to recover from the 
weakening effects of the Iraq war, which have made it more 
difficult for the world body to take the sort of effective action 
it should have taken to deal with the Sudan government and the 
crisis in Darfur region. 

I believe that the U.N. would be strengthened by early agreement 
on permanent-member status in the Security Council for Japan, 
Germany, India and Brazil, and at the same time on better 
arrangements for representation of smaller countries on the 
council.

 In any enlargement it is important that the council does not 
become unwieldy. This means that member states will need to 
exercise self-restraint in debate and appoint only 
representatives of the highest caliber with an understanding of 
current international issues.

 The best solution of the veto problem would be to remove it 
altogether, but this looks unlikely. Efforts should be made to 
try to find ways of curbing its misuse, perhaps by arranging that 
all vetoes should be referred to the General Assembly for public 
debate. It would not be possible for the assembly to overturn 
vetoes but it could put the spotlight on the veto power and 
perhaps make for restraint in the use of the veto. For their 
part, the new member states should voluntarily agree to forgo the 
right of veto.

 The Japanese people and government have shown their firm support 
for the U.N. and the basic principles of the U.N. charter. I am 
confident that Japan as a permanent member of the Security 
Council would, as it has done as a nonpermanent member, exercise 
a moderating influence.

 Japanese membership would reaffirm Japan's status as a leading 
world power. It would also reinforce the ability of the U.N. to 
deal not only with the military threats to peace but also with 
the multifarious issues that need to be solved in order to enable 
further progress to be made throughout the world in establishing 
stability and economic prosperity. Japan is a major aid donor and 
could help to give further impetus to efforts to deal with 
poverty in the Third World.

 Hugh Cortazzi, a former British career diplomat, served as 
ambassador to Japan from 1980 to 1984. 

The Japan Times: Sept. 27, 2004 (C) All rights reserved 
*****************************************************************
 30 ITAR-TASS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calls for legal basis to
fight nuclear terrorism
 	 	 	 
[ITAR-TASS News Agency of Russia]     

25.09.2004, 08.06

UNITED NATIONS, September 25 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference on Friday that the
international community needed to create a universal and
flawless legal basis for effective struggle against terrorism.

In his reply to the Itar-Tass correspondent, Lavrov said that he
considered “the sphere of nuclear terrorism” to be one of such
legal gaps. 

“We already have a U.N. Security Council resolution on curbing
the access of non-state subjects to materials linked to weapons
of mass destruction,” the Russian minister went on to say. He
also recalled the existence of the Russian draft of an
international convention against acts of nuclear terrorism. “I
think that in contemporary conditions when a threat of new
attacks by terrorist international is becoming more apparent, we
should intensify our work on this project,” Lavrov stressed. 

Some situations, such as the one that occurred on September 11,
2001, require quick actions. In this case, the U.N. Security
Council should take the responsibility and fill in the existing
legal gaps in full compliance with the Organization’s Charter.
All resolutions to be passed under Article 7 of the U.N. Charter
will become international laws. 

“It would be ideal if such resolutions are followed by
international conventions,” Lavrov stressed. 

© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
 31 english.eastday.com: Nuclear non-proliferation dominates IAEA conference 

25/9/2004 8:52 

The 48th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA) concluded Friday evening with a call for the 
prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction 
including nuclear weapons and their delivery means to help 
maintain international and regional peace and stability. 

During the five-day conference, delegates from over 100 member 
countries of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, discussed a wide 
range of issues such as nuclear security, measures to protect 
against nuclear and radiological terrorism as well as 
international cooperation in nuclear, radiation and transport 
safety and waste management. 

The participants reached consensus on almost all the issues they 
have covered, which analysts said, will contribute to enhancing 
the nuclear non-proliferation regime. 

The resolution on "Measures to Protect against Nuclear Terrorism" 
emphasized the importance of physical protection and other 
measures against illicit trafficking and national control systems 
for ensuring protection against nuclear terrorism and other 
malicious acts, including the use of radioactive material ina 
radiological dispersion device. 

It urged all member countries to continue to provide political, 

financial and technical support, including in-kind contributions, 
to improve nuclear and radiological security and prevent nuclear 
and radiological terrorism, and to provide to the Nuclear 
SecurityFund the political and financial support in needs. 

As part of its activity of promoting nuclear safety, the IAEA has 
focused since the terrorist attacks in the US in 2001 on "helping 
countries identify their vulnerabilities" in nuclear security. 

This includes protecting against terrorists getting 
radioactivematerials to use in so-called dirty bombs. These are 
conventional bombs laced with radioactive materials and designed 
to contaminatewide areas. 

The IAEA helped out on a conference last week in Vienna co-hosted 
by US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Russian atomic chief 
Alexander Rumyantsev on a global initiative to keep highly 
radioactive materials out of the reach of terrorists. 

In May, Abraham announced that the US was giving 450 million 
dollars to the initiative, which tries to prevent nuclear 
materials stored around the world from getting to terrorists who 
could use them to make a dirty bomb or even a full atomic device. 

Another resolution on "Strengthening the Effectiveness and 
Improving the Efficiency of the Safeguards System including 
Implementation of Additional Protocols" passed at the IAEA 
conference affirmed that measures for the safeguards system with 
aview to detecting undeclared nuclear material and activities 
must be implemented rapidly and universally by all concerned 
states andother parties in compliance with their respective 
international commitments. 

It called on all member states to give their full and continuing 
support to the IAEA in order to ensure that the agency is able to 
meet its safeguards responsibilities. 

The IAEA resolution, which called for the creation of a 
nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, in a move clearly aimed at 
Israel which is believed to be the only state in the region with 
nuclear weapons, is another important achievement made during the 
conference. 

The resolution, which was presented by Egypt and passed by 
consensus, affirmed the urgent need for all states in the Middle 
East to accept the application of full-scope agency safeguards to 
all their nuclear activities, as a step in enhancing peace and 
security in the context of the establishment of a nuclear-free 
zone. 

It does not specifically mention Israel, which neither 
confirmsnor denies that it has nuclear weapons, and is the only 
state in the region that has not signed the nuclear 
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), setting safeguards that are 
monitored by the IAEA. 

The IAEA is "concerned by the grave consequence, endangering 
peace and security, of the presence in the Middle East region of 
nuclear activities not wholly devoted to peaceful purpose," the 
resolution said. 

In his keynote address to the conference on September 20, IAEA 
director-General Mohamed EIBaradei disclosed that more than 40 
countries with peaceful nuclear programs could retool them to 
makeweapons. He said that it is time to tighten world policing of 
nuclear activities and to stop relying on information volunteered 
by countries. 

Xinhua     
*****************************************************************
 32 The Observer: British Energy goes to the wire
 
[UP] 

Richard Wachman looks at the case of a chairman threatening his 
own shareholders with insolvency                
 		
Sunday September 26, 2004
The Observer [http://www.observer.co.uk]  		
 		
So, it has come to this. The chairman of a public company is 
ready to call in the corporate undertakers unless he can bring 
recalcitrant shareholders to book. British Energy chairman Adrian 
Montague, no doubt with the support of the government, is ready 
to declare the nuclear power group insolvent rather than cave in 
to demands from rebel stockholders. 

But it would be a desperate measure, and for the moment Montague 
is trying a different tack. Rather than put BE into 
administration, he is trying to outmanoeuvre his opponents by 
getting BE's shares delisted from the Stock Exchange. That way 
his obligations to BE's stockholders fall by the wayside. But the 
company says that if delisting fails, administration remains a 
possibility. 

Of course, there will be much legal wrangling before any of this 
happens. But consider the story so far. Two years ago, British 
Energy was staring into the financial abyss after overstretching 
its balance sheet. A rescue package had to be agreed between the 
company, its creditors and the government. 

The upshot, after 12 months of painful negotiations, was that the 
creditors were prepared to write off £1.5 billion of debt as long 
as they acquired 97 per cent of the company. And the government, 
after providing BE with a £600 million loan, agreed to shoulder 
the group's nuclear clean-up liabilities of £3.4bn in return for 
a large chunk of the company's cash flow. 

That should have been the end of the story. But earlier this 
year, along came US hedge fund group Polygon demanding a 
different kind of restructuring, one that would see shareholders 
emerge with more equity than under the plan agreed in 2003. 

Under Montague's proposal, shareholders will see the bulk of 
their investment wiped out, and new shares issued to banks and 
bondholders. The equity holders, among them 200,000 small 
investors who bought shares at privatisation in 1996, will emerge 
with just 2.5 per cent of BE. That hasn't made them happy. 

As one analyst said last night: 'BE's stockholders must take 
quite a haircut, but then so did investors in Marconi, Energis 
and Telewest, all companies which narrowly escaped bankruptcy 
after boom turned to bust in 2001.' 

Polygon and Brandes, a fellow rebel US shareholder, disagree with 
this thesis, and their argument packs quite a punch. When the 
rescue plan was being negotiated, wholesale electricity prices 
were at rock-bottom and there was massive oversupply in power 
generation. That was the main reason why BE nearly went to the 
wall. 

Now prices are going up and the industry has shed surplus plants. 
The outlook for BE is benign for the first time in years. But 
Polygon says: 'BE's shareholders are to get only a measly stub of 
equity, while in the debt markets, the bondholders are reaping a 
75 per cent return.' 

Polygon and its allies want shareholders to throw out Montague's 
plan and accept an alternative that would see bondholders fully 
repaid via a rescue rights issue. Under this scheme the company 
would ask investors to subscribe to new shares. 

If Polygon gets its way shareholders will emerge with 87 per cent 
of the company and would, in theory, face a brighter future as 
the company reaps the benefits of higher electricity prices. 

The government would still bear the cost of the nuclear clean-up; 
and it would also retain an economic interest to offset BE's 
costly nuclear decomissioning obligations. 

It all sounds so simple, but Montague and the bondholders have no 
intention of rolling over and letting Polygon dictate terms. 

Montague has threatened to put the company into insolvency if 
Polygon receives the support of the required 75 per cent of 
shareholders who will attend a special meeting to vote on its 
plan next month. 

Now the question is whether Polygon and Brandes will receive 
sufficient support from other shareholders or whether Montague's 
tough-talking will pay off. 

So far, Montague is not doing well. He took legal action in the 
US, alleging that the hedge fund had called an emergency 
shareholders' meeting without following the correct procedures, 
but the court threw out his case. 

Of course, the issue of BE's restructuring goes beyond the City - 
the politicians are involved too. Ministers cannot afford to sit 
idly by and let the bankers sort things out when there is a 
danger of blackouts in the run up to a general election. 

Fears about the future security of Britain's energy supply have 
been heightened by concerns about international terrorism. 

The company accounts for more than 20 per cent of Britain's 
energy consumption. And nuclear power has assumed more importance 
as oil prices rocket and the UK becomes a net importer of foreign 
gas. 

And yet at the same time the government is between a rock and a 
hard place because if Montague puts the company into 
administration it will amount to de facto renationalisation. That 
is because the government is by far the biggest creditor by dint 
of the financial burden it is taking on to shoulder BE's 
liabilities. But renationalisation would almost certainly cause a 
stink in parliament. 

There are reputations at risk here too. Montague has a track 
record as a company rescue specialist. And Patricia Hewitt, 
secretary of state for trade and industry, whose department 
played a vital role in coming up with a rescue plan for BE in 
2002, will not relish the idea of the plan being ripped up at the 
last moment. 

The company has hit back at Polygon, arguing that it doesn't 
matter if electricity prices have strengthened - they could just 
as easily fall in a few years. Besides, why should BE succumb to 
the demands of American hedge funds only interested in feathering 
their own nests? 

This is a game of brinkmanship - and the outcome is hard to call. 
But the government probably has most to lose.
 	
[UP] 

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 33 BBC: Reactor shut after power
 
  Last Updated: Saturday, 25 September, 2004
 
A reactor at Suffolk's Sizewell A nuclear power station has been 
shut down after an electrical power failure. 

Emergency services were called to the site just after 1900 BST
on Friday after a local resident reported smoke and hearing a
bang. 

The reactor was safely shut down and no injuries were reported. 

A spokesman for British Nuclear Group, which owns the plant,
said the incident was more of an inconvenience than a danger. 

The reactor is expected to remain closed for several days. 

  		 		 		 
[http://www.british-energy.co.uk/]



[http://www.bbc.co.uk/info] 
*****************************************************************
 34 Xinhuanet: Jordan concerns over aging Israeli nuclear reactor   

  www.xinhuanet.com

  www.chinaview.cn 2004-09-26 15:03:35   

     AMMAN, Sept. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Jordanian Government 
Spokeswoman Asma Khader said Jordan was deeply concerned over the 
dangerous impacts of Israel's aging nuclear reactor Dimona, local 
newspaper Jordan Times reported Sunday.

   Khader also confirmed that a UN team will visit Jordan "within 
a few weeks" to conduct a survey on radiation levels upon the 
government's request, adding that Jordan made the request to the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) two months ago. 

   "It is not the first time they (the nuclear experts) visit 
Jordan," Khader told the newspaper, noting that they visited the 
country three years ago and found Jordan was free of any nuclear 
pollution. 

   Last month, IAEA's Director General Mohammad el Baradei said 
his agency was prepared to send observers to Egypt and Jordan to 
monitor whether there was any evidence of nuclear radiation 
emanating from Israel. 

   The Dimona plant, which was built in the late 1950s and came 
into operation in 1964, lies only some 40 km from Jordan's 
border.

   Israeli nuclear expert Mordechai Vanunu has warned the plant 
could become a "second Chernobyl." 

   Vanunu, a former Israeli technician, served an 18-year prison 
sentence for revealing secrets about the plant. 

   Israeli authorities recently distributed anti-radiation pills 
to residents living near the site, raising concerns that the 
reactor is no longer safe.  Enditem    

  Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 35 UK Independent: Government made responsible for BE liabilities
 
By Michael Harrison
 
25 September 2004

 	 

British Energy's £3.4bn of nuclear liabilities and all its debts
are to be included in the public finances after the decision
yesterday by government statisticians to classify the company in
the public sector for the purposes of drawing up the national
accounts. 

A spokesman for the Office for National Statistics said the
reclassification reflected the degree of control that ministers
would have over the nuclear generator once its financial
restructuring was complete. 

The taxpayer is inheriting its historic decommissioning
liabilities in return for a deal whereby 65 per cent of its
future free cash flow will go to the Government. The ONS said
its preliminary view was that the inclusion of British Energy in
the public sector would not have a significant impact on the
Government's fiscal rules, which include a requirement that
national debt should not exceed 40 per cent of GDP. 

Meanwhile, British Energy spelt out the tactics it intends to
use to thwart an attempt by rebel shareholders - led by Polygon
Investments and Brandes - to block the refinancing of the
company. BE said it intended to circumvent any attempt to block
the deal by transferring its assets into an intermediate holding
company of the restructured group. 	           


UK Independent Ltd.
*****************************************************************
 36 Daily Press: Nuclear risks aren't going away, author says 

[http://dailypress.com/]    	       	 

HAMPTON ROADS, VA.                       

The CNU professor investigated programs in the U.S. and 
elsewhere. He found that many countries lost nuclear material or 
have insecure operations. 

BY ANGELA FOREST  [aforest@dailypress.com] 247-7863

Published September 25, 2004
	
 NEWPORT NEWS --         Many argue that the world was 
transformed by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but those 
who study nuclear weapons development might add another date - 
Aug. 6, 1945, when the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Japan.

While other weapons of mass destruction have recently attracted 
more attention, the nuclear threat has not gone away. In fact, 
according to Nathan Busch, an assistant professor of world 
politics at Christopher Newport University, the possibility of 
countries unleashing their nuclear arsenals on their regional or 
world neighbors is as great as ever.

In his book, "No End in Sight: The Continuing Menace of Nuclear 
Proliferation," Busch details his seven-year investigation into 
the safety and security of nuclear programs in this country and 
others - including Russia, China, Iran, India, Pakistan and North 
Korea. He determined that many countries either have lost nuclear 
material or maintain operations that could allow it to fall into 
the hands of people interested in hurting countries such as the 
United States.

During the early years of nuclear development in the United 
States, officials shipped plutonium by mail in a box, Busch said. 
A few years ago, a mock terrorist attack to test readiness at the 
Pantex nuclear facility in Texas resulted in the guards shooting 
at each other 20 minutes after the mock "terrorists" escaped with 
plutonium. Still, Busch said his research indicated that American 
nuclear sites would be difficult for terrorists to access.

"Overall security is pretty tight," he said. However, he noted 
that "when you're dealing with a highly trained terrorist attack, 
it's difficult to defend a facility."

Terrorist groups don't have the technical expertise and nuclear 
materials to manufacture weapons, but that could change, Busch 
said. Al-Qaida has been trying for over a decade to acquire 
material to create nuclear weapons.

"Terrorist groups like al-Qaida are well funded, extensive and, 
given enough time and safe haven, could potentially build a 
nuclear weapon," he said.

Of the countries he studied, Busch said, Russia and Pakistan are 
two where the risk is greatest. The concern in Russia stems from 
lax security. In Pakistan, it's related to radical ideology.

"The Russian government has admitted to around two dozen 
instances of theft or attempted thefts" that were tracked, Busch 
said, adding that U.S. government officials have noted other 
cases where Russian nuclear material was stolen and never 
recovered. At least one notable scientist involved with 
Pakistan's nuclear program has been accused of consulting with 
Osama bin Laden.

The Chronicle of Higher Education magazine has featured Busch and 
his book, which should be going into bookstores in the next few 
weeks. In a Chronicle interview, Busch said he was raised in Los 
Alamos, New Mexico, where his father worked as a laser physicist 
at the national laboratory there.

As part of research for the book, Busch worked for a year and a 
half at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also spent a year and 
half at Harvard University, where he spoke with former officials 
tied to India's nuclear program. He also reviewed unclassified 
government documents, CIA intelligence reports and information 
from congressional hearings.

The book might be on a suggested reading list for some of his 
classes at CNU, but Busch won't expect students to read it.

"It really used to rub me the wrong way when the professor would 
have his own book as required reading."          

Copyright ©2004 The Daily Press   
*****************************************************************
 37 SFSS: Massive power loss in storm's path; some outages could last 3 weeks

: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
 		 		 			 	 
Sun-Sentinel.com
  
By Joseph Mann Business Writer and sun-sentinel.com Posted  
September 26 2004, 8:37 PM EDT          
 
Florida Power & Light Co. is warning that some customers in areas 
seriously damaged by Hurricane Jeanne may have to wait as long as 
three weeks or more to get their power back.
 
This means that hundreds of thousands of people in South Florida 
could face long periods in the dark after the storm passes. Some 
Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast residents who lost power 
after Hurricane Frances were reconnected only nine days ago.
 
As of late Sunday afternoon, FPL reported that 1.6 million homes 
and businesses had lost electricity at some point during the 
hurricane, with 467,200 of them restored.
 
According to data that FPL provided Broward officials, more than 
90 percent of FPL customers in Martin and Indian River counties 
lost electricity and 77 percent of Palm Beach customers were 
without power.
 
Palm Beach County had 591,300 FPL customers who lost electricity 
with 131,800 restored as of late Sunday ; Broward had 165,900 
with 150,100 restored; and Miami-Dade had 25,100 with 23,800 
restored.
 
Martin County had 84,500 FPL customers who lost electricity, with 
4,100 of them restored; St. Lucie County had 95,900 who lost 
electricity with 6,600 restored; and Brevard County had 250,300 
without power with 44,300 restored.
 
FPL also reported that Jeanne had damaged itspower plant in Palm 
Beach County and its generating units in Martin County and are 
not expected to be operational Monday.
 
Restoring electricity is complicated by the succession of 
hurricanes that have slammed Florida.
 
Crews along the Florida Panhandle spent Saturday working to 
restore power to 81,515 homes and businesses still without 
electricity because of Hurricane Ivan.
 
FPL so far has contracted about 2,800 out-of-state personnel, 
including line repairmen and tree maintenance crews, to restore 
power after Jeanne, compared with more than 7,000 at the start of 
Frances.
 
But conditions have changed, and utility companies in the 
Southeast that sent crews to Florida last time are retaining them 
to cover possible damage from Jeanne in their service areas, or 
have lent crews to restore power in the Florida Panhandle 
following Hurricane Ivan.
 
A shortage of repair crews is not the only impediment. FPL said 
that the ground is saturated in many areas, which means more 
trees are likely to be toppled. Piles of debris left from Frances 
could also damage power lines and other equipment.
 
Despite the shortage of outside personnel, FPL is working 
feverishly to obtain more help. "I've personally called the 
presidents of most major utilities," said FPL President Armando 
Olivera in a Saturday conference call with the media. "We are 
stretched. It's an unfortunate reality."
 
Hurricane Frances cut power to about two-thirds of FPL's 4.2 
million residential and commercial customers over Labor Day 
weekend, many of them in South Florida, in what the company said 
was the worst storm damage in its history.
 
"We understand the hardship of hurricanes," Olivera said. "We 
have hundreds of employees with damage to their homes who are 
facing the same problems as other customers. But in all candor, 
they must be prepared for extended outages of three weeks or 
more."
 
"We don't want it to be three weeks, but it's going to be what 
it's going to be," said Geisha Williams, the company's vice 
president of electrical distribution. The company wants power to 
be restored as soon as possible, she added, "but it's a function 
of how much damage there is and how much manpower you have 
available."
 
FPL, which provides electricity to more than 8 million people, 
took 12 days to restore power to all customers whose power was 
knocked out by Frances. The company began supplying electricity 
to many subscribers as soon as Frances passed through South 
Florida, but the hardest-hit areas, such as Palm Beach County, 
were among the last to be reconnected.
 
Many customers, however, criticized FPL as being slow to respond 
and uncommunicative about restoration dates to homes and business 
that lacked power for days.
 
With evening forecasts aiming the brunt of the storm to the 
north, officials in Palm Beach County were hopeful that the 
county wouldn't suffer the worst of the outages and the wait.
 
By 7:30 p.m. Saturday, however, the green bursts of transformers 
blowing could be seen from the generator-powered county Emergency 
Operations Center. An adjacent office building, the county jail 
and some neighborhoods already had lost power, said Assistant 
County Administrator Vince Bonvento.
 
Still, he said -- or hoped -- the three-week estimate was "based 
on a worst-case scenario."
 
Following the FPL press conference, Gov. Jeb Bush said the 
shortage of line workers from other utilities is a major issue 
and that it will take time for FPL to contract the workers it 
needs.
 
"Utility crews are in short supply," Bush said. "I've spoken to 
the CEOs of the [power] companies and told them that anything I 
can do, including calling other governors tomorrow when it is 
clear where the storm will go, to expedite additional crews in, 
we're going to do."
 
FPL said it would begin damage assessments and repairs as soon as 
the storm leaves South Florida.
 
FPL activated its storm emergency plans several days ago, Olivera 
said.
 
FPL's nuclear power plant at St. Lucie was shut down Saturday 
morning. One of its nuclear generators at Turkey Point remains in 
operation, since FPL is not expecting hurricane-force winds in 
the area. The other Turkey Point unit was shut down previously 
for scheduled maintenance.
 
In restoring power after a storm, FPL starts with repairs to its 
power system, followed by essential community customers such as 
police, fire, hospitals, water and sewer services, transportation 
and communications.
 
The company then repairs facilities that affect the greatest 
number of people, followed by smaller areas and individual 
subscribers.
 
FPL officials said it will provide target dates for power 
restoration in each county, but that it cannot give dates for 
individual subscribers, neighborhoods or cities. "Hurricanes are 
not normal business," Williams said, "so we will not be able to 
provide specific restoration times to customers as we normally 
do."
 
Staff Writers Linda Kleindienst, Jennifer Peltz and Scott Wyman 
contributed to this report.
 
Joseph Mann can be reached at 954-356-4665 or 
jmann@sun-sentinel.com.     

Copyright © 2004,  [http://www.sun-sentinel.com]                                   
*****************************************************************
 38 Sofia Morning News: Romania Needs More Data for Belene Nuke
 	 	 	 	 	 	
[Sofia News Agency]                                                           

novinite.com

Business: 25 September 2004, Saturday.

Romania's government has asked Sofia for additional information 
on Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant environmental 
parameters.
 
Bulgaria's Environment Minister Dolores Arsenova explained that 
Sofia will be ready with the additional data in 15 days.
 
Bucharest has requested more information on the technology and 
the company that would supply the Belene nuke with the specific 
equipment. 

Earlier in September residents of the Danube-town of Turnu 
Magurele, South Romania, protested against the construction of a 
nuclear power plant on the Bulgarian side of the river. 
Meanwhile, Mircea Geoana, Romania's Foreign Minister said that 
the construction of Belene is a "sensible" topic. 

Bulgaria's second nuclear plant in Belene was re-launched for 
construction after a government decision end of last year. It had 
been set to a halt in 1992 due to protests from 
environmentalists.[ width=] 

  NOVINITE.COM
			
 All Rights Reserved © Novinite Ltd., 2001-2004 - Copyright

Novinite.com (thebulgariannews.com also) is unique with being a
real time news provider in English that informs its readers
about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also
*****************************************************************
 39 APP.COM: Nuclear plant is back at full power 
         
  ASBURY PARK PRESS

Published in the Asbury Park Press 9/25/04 By NICHOLAS CLUNN
MANAHAWKIN BUREAU

 LACEY -- The Oyster Creek nuclear power plant is again operating 
at full power, following a 10-day shutdown needed for workers to 
repair a backup safety valve, plant owner AmerGen announced 
yesterday.

 The 650-megawatt reactor returned to 100 percent output about 7 
a.m. Thursday after managers were satisfied with tests performed 
on the repaired piece of equipment.

 Personnel performing a quarterly safety test on Sept. 11 found 
that the valve failed to close fast enough. Plant operators would 
have to close the valve in case they needed to shut down the 
reactor in an emergency, such as a blackout.

 The valve, when closed, blocks steam from entering the turbine. 
Steam, which is heated by nuclear fission, spins the turbine, 
generating power. The malfunctioning valve is backed up by 
another valve that would serve the same purpose.

 Oyster Creek reduced power generation on Sept. 11 to 40 percent 
of capacity so personnel could have another look at the 
troublesome valve. Management shut down the reactor on Sept. 14 
to protect workers assigned to make repairs.

 AmerGen considered the outage planned, because federal 
regulations do not require the company to make repairs 
immediately. Unplanned outages can compel the federal Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission to increase oversight.

 There were no reports of power delivery problems as a result of 
the outage. Oyster Creek is plugged into a regional electric grid 
that can compensate when power plants go off-line.

 Nicholas Clunn: (609) 978-4597 or nclunn@app.com

*****************************************************************
 40 Guardian Unlimited: BE moves to thwart Polygon
 
renewables: fossil volatility costs more

Ian Griffiths
Saturday September 25, 2004
The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk]  		
 		
British Energy is to transfer all its assets into a new company 
in an effort to thwart rebel shareholders seeking a better deal 
from the nuclear generator's £5bn restructuring plan. 

Yesterday the company formally called the extraordinary general 
meeting requested by Polygon Investment Partners, the 
international hedge fund, which is leading the revolt against 
British Energy's restructuring proposals that will leave equity 
investors owning just 2.5% of the company.

BE said it would implement an asset transfer agreement, which 
would prevent Polygon from blocking the restructuring plan even 
if the resolutions it is proposing at the egm are passed.

Polygon, supported by US investor Brandes Investment Partners, is 
seeking support for a resolution that will give equity 
shareholders the right to approve asset disposals even after the 
company is taken private.

On Thursday British Energy said it was abandoning its share 
listings in London and New York. The London delisting will come 
into effect on 21 October, the day before the egm.

BE sources suggested the agreement to transfer the company's 
assets could be put in place before the egm.
 	
 	
        Special report The nuclear industry

Graphics The Mox ships' journey around the world (pdf) 
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2002/09 
/17/nuclear_ship.pdf] Nuclear map of Britain US nuclear map

Useful links
British Energy [http://www.british-energy.com/] 
Department of Trade and Industry [http://www.dti.gov.uk/] 
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd
[http://www.bnfl.co.uk/website.nsf/default.htm] 
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament [http://www.cnduk.org/] 
Greenpeace [http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage/] 
HSE nuclear glossary [http://www.hse.gov.uk/nsd/ilrwglos.htm] 
UK atomic energy authority [http://www.ukaea.org.uk/] 
National Radiological Protection Board [http://www.nrpb.org.uk/] 
Friends of the Earth
[http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/dump_nuc
lear/index.html] 
World Nuclear Association [http://www.uilondon.org/] 
World Nuclear Transport Institute [http://www.wnti.co.uk] 


[UP] 

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 41 [DU-WATCH] Starmet uranium cleanup to begin next week
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 18:21:56 -0500 (CDT)

 
By Davis Bushnell, Globe Correspondent  |  September 23, 2004
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/09/23/superfund_cleanup_set_for_two_sites/
CONCORD, TEWKSBURY
Superfund cleanup set for two sites
Superfund cleanup set for 2 properties

Field work is scheduled to begin next month at two of the region's most 
contaminated sites, Starmet Corp. in West Concord and the former Rocco's 
Landfill in Tewksbury. Both properties were placed on the US Environmental 
Protection Agency's Superfund list in June 2001.

The EPA recently approved work plans featuring extensive water and soil 
samplings at the two sites. Once a determination of the extent of 
contamination has been made sometime next year, a process to look into 
possible health risks can begin, officials said.

The federal agency and the state Department of Environmental Protection will 
hold a public information meeting Tuesday on the Starmet field work, which 
is expected to begin Oct. 4. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the main 
hearing room of the Concord Town House, 22 Monument Square.

A similar meeting is expected to be held in Tewksbury in October or November 
on the work plan for the old Rocco's Landfill, now known as the Sutton Brook 
Disposal Area, said Donald McElroy, the EPA's remedial manager for the 
property.

In another development concerning the Starmet site, the environmental 
protection department is preparing to solicit bids for the removal of more 
than 3,700 barrels of depleted uranium stored in various buildings on the 
46-acre property. Requests for proposals could ''possibly" go out next 
month, department spokesman Joseph Ferson said. If that happens, the project 
would probably get started early next year, he said.

The US Army has agreed to pay for the removal of the barrels, which contain 
low levels of radioactive material. Starmet's predecessor, Nuclear Metals 
Inc., produced uranium-tipped bullets for the Army in the 1970s, 1980s, and 
late 1990s.

Members of activist groups, meanwhile, who are monitoring the two Superfund 
sites, say they're generally pleased with the field work plans.

''The work that is about to begin is an important benchmark in the long 
process to clean up the [Starmet] site," said James West of Concord, 
technical assistance coordinator for the Citizens Research and Environmental 
Watch group. ''We hope that as many residents as possible will attend the 
Sept. 28 meeting to find out more about the project."
Susan Sinclair of Wilmington, president of the Townspeople Organized Against 
Illness and Contamination group, said she and other members are ''happy" 
that plans for the 100-acre Sutton Brook area have jelled ''so that field 
work can start soon."

Overseeing the investigative work at Starmet is de maximis Inc. of Weatogue, 
Conn. The firm is handling the field work for the five parties cited by the 
EPA in June 2003 for being responsible for the property's contamination. 
Besides the Army, they are the US Department of Energy, Whittaker Corp. of 
Simi Valley, Calif.; Textron Inc. of Providence, and MONY Life Insurance Co. 
of New York City.

The project coordinator for de maximis, Bruce Thompson, said his firm, along 
with subcontractors, will be working nonstop during October and November, 
collecting water and soil samples ''across the site. Three drilling rigs 
will be operating at one time."

Based on the results of operations this fall, a second sampling phase will 
get underway next spring, he said, adding that a risk-assessment program 
could begin next summer. A remedial plan for the property is targeted for 
2008 or 2009.

The Tewksbury project could also have two investigative phases, the first 
one this fall and next winter, the second in the spring, when contamination 
findings are likely to be revealed in detail, said McElroy of the EPA.
Woodard & Curran, an Andover environmental consulting firm, will conduct 
these investigations. The firm is working on behalf of 25 parties 
''potentially responsible" for the contamination of the former landfill, 
which was closed in 1982. The parties include the town of Tewksbury, 
Raytheon Co., and the Gillette Co.

The sampling work and risk-assessment phases may not be completed until 2006 
or later, McElroy said, emphasizing that it is always difficult to come up 
with precise timetables for Superfund site cleanups because of variables 
such as additional sampling work and funds needed for remedial action.
) Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.

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 42 [FOODIRRADIATIONCA] Governor Schwarzenegger Vetoes AB 1988
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 17:34:12 -0500 (CDT)

 
Friends and fellow opponents of food irradiation:

In a blow to California's parents and students, Governor Schwarzenegger
vetoed AB 1988, which would have required school board approval and
parental notification before irradiated foods can be served in schools.
Below is the statement of Public Citizen's California Director, Anna
Blackshaw.  While this veto is a setback, AB 1988's passage through both
houses of the California State Legislature is still a victory, and gives
us momentum to bring this bill or a similar one up next year.

Please CONTACT the Governor and let him know that his veto is denying
parents and students critical information about what is served in school
lunches!
** You can send the governor an email through his website at this link:
http://www.govmail.ca.gov
** Or you can call him at this number: 916-445-2841 (press #7 to speak
to constituent service -- you may  be on hold for a few minutes)
** Or send him a letter at this address:
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633

For more information on Public Citizen's campaign to keep irradiated
foods out of schools, visit www.safelunch.org

Press Release
Sept. 17, 2004                                          Contact: Tracy
Lerman (510) 663-0888  x. 103

Anna Blackshaw (510) 663-0888 x. 102

Governor Fails California Students by Vetoing
Parents' Right to Know Bill

Statement of Anna Blackshaw, Director of Public Citizen's California
Office

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to veto AB 1988, which
requires school board approval, public disclosure and parental
notification before irradiated foods can be purchased for school lunch
programs, deprives California's students and parents of valuable
information about what is in their school lunches.

AB 1988 would have protected parents' right to know what their children
eat at school and provided a democratic decision-making process for a
highly controversial issue that has parents concerned across the state.
The bill required simple actions, such as labeling irradiated food on
school menus, that would not be a financial burden on school systems
using these foods.  For schools choosing not to serve irradiated foods,
the bill would not impose any costs.  In fact, the irradiated ground
beef currently being offered to states through the National School Lunch
Program is significantly more expensive than non-irradiated ground beef,
ensuring that the increased price of irradiated food would make a much
more dramatic impact on school food budgets than any labeling
requirement in AB 1988.

While the California Department of Education is not carrying irradiated
ground beef in its commodity distribution system for this school year,
schools can still purchase irradiated foods from other sources. Current
regulations on the labeling of irradiated food do not apply to food
served in schools because they apply only to food purchased in the
grocery story.  This means that it is more important than ever for local
school districts to follow the example of the six California school
districts that have already banned irradiated food from their
cafeterias.

Given the scientific uncertainty over the safety of irradiated foods
and their wide-scale rejection by consumers, it is important to involve
parents in decisions regarding food their children will be served.  With
this veto, Governor Schwarzenegger has failed California's students and
parents.

###
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization
with an office in Oakland. For more information, please visit
www.citizen.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tracy Lerman
Senior Organizer
Public Citizen, California Office
1615 Broadway, 9th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
ph: 510-663-0888 x 103  f: 510-663-8569
tlerman@citizen.org
http://www.citizen.org/california

Keep irradiated food out of your child's lunch!
Visit http://www.safelunch.org to find out more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**********
If you do not wish to recieve these emails in the future, please send a email to tlerman@citizen.org with "unsubscribe foodirradiationca" in the subject line.
*****************************************************************
 43 [DU-WATCH] Uranium Used in High Explosives
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 18:13:31 -0500 (CDT)

 
I think its high time Jack C-J and his friends Dan Fahey and Charles 
S-M kissed some feet. They refused to eat crow a month ago. Now they 
look even more foolish. Many other cowards shied away from the field 
evidence. Here we have in the DoD's own literature, admission that 
high explosive DU rounds are in the US arsehole (opps, I mean 
arsenal)

I posted the McAlester list of DU munitions a couple of weeks ago. 
Now Bob N and others post it without realising what they are looking 
at. I waited and I waited, but no one picked up on it; not a great 
testimonial to the brains of this here anti-DU community. 

What is interesting is not the fact that McAlester handles DU or 
just how much it handles. It is a little more interesting that is 
both assembles and diassembles DU rounds. Meaning that there is 
obselescence and probably decay (literal and figurative) in the 
stockpile of DU rounds ... particularly those with high explosive 
components, no doubt as these materials degrade with time.
What increases in interest it that the list shows close to a dozen 
different munitions with DU, many of which have been referred to by 
ex-military and by field researchers but with no official admission. 
Most interesting is the clear without doubt admission of DU rounds 
(penetrators) and mines (frag munitions), using HIGH EXPLOSIVES.

Any idea folks of the ballastic effects, particle size, % of 
aerosolization of a round, fraction made airborne, loft of the plume 
when blowing up uranium?  

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 44 [DU-WATCH] Army proves ... no such thing as a "DU"
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:41:25 -0500 (CDT)

 
Elaine ... good find. 

The DJ Watters paper on "DU" is an incredible admission of many 
illegal and dangerous activities. The first of many issues revealed 
is consistent with the McAlester report of a 5% threshold on the 
fraction of non-238U nuclides (probobly 235U, 234U, and neutron 
acitvation products from reactors such as 236U, 239-242 Pu etc.) and 
the fact that the plant was assembling and disassembling rounds made 
with enriched urnaium. 

The second important revelation in the McAlester and the NCR License 
is that urnaium rounds include high explosive models and uranium-
incendiary and fragmentation ordnance, critically effecting 
aerosolisation fractions and contamiantion dynamics ... which 
virtually destroys the credibility and accuracy of hundreds of 
government, military, health, and pro-DU reprots from Secretary for 
GW Illness,the Environmetnal Exposure Reports, UNEP, WHO, Royal 
Society, Rand, and nine year of bullshit by Dan Fahey and his friends 
inthe form of papers, books, reprots and presenations.    

Now we have it again:

Isotopic ratios of the rounds at LCAAP:

83.1% 238U
15.0% 234U
1.9% 235U

A metallurgical mix at these fractions is not only enriched U it is 
highly enriched U(HEU) ... not because of the 235U levels (which are 
themselves enriched) by 2.5 X's normal .... but because of the 234U. 

These admissions are reflecting a blatant disregard for NRC and 
military safety standards. The use of the term "depleted uranium" is 
proved by these two reports (this one and the McAlester report) that 
DU is a catch all term to include any formation and ratio of isotopes 
and therefor not at all confined to metallurgical standard 137.5 
isotopic ratio of 238/235. 

Stay tuned ... there is more. 

J C-J, pay attention, you will learn something. Have you the balls to 
admit your mistake and choose the right side now? Enough forensic 
evidence has been laid out to prove who is pro DOD and who isn't. 

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 45 [DU-WATCH] Uranium Casualities and Other News
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:25:21 -0500 (CDT)

 
Here is a sampling of reading from around the web just today. I
wrote one of them. Guess which one? Well, they all do have one
itty-bitty thing in common They are about what happens when one
dominant country decides to use some of the most long lived and
deadly poisons in the Solar System for fun and profit in Iraq.
Enjoy. If you read one, you are knowledgeable and therefore responsible
for what the Bush criminals are doing in Iraq. Hint: it is spelled
"war crimes."

You own children or loved ones will say to you one day in utter
horror and disgust "But, but, you knew and you did not stop it!
What was wrong with you? Were you out of your mind!?! Duhh! I don't
ever want to see you again."

Regards,

Bob Nichols Project Censored Award Winner

URANIUM Casualties
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_12059.shtml Axis
of Logic - Boston,MA,United States
. His conclusion: four soldiers "almost certainly" inhaled radioactive
dust from exploded US shells manufactured with depleted uranium
(DU). ...

CAN I buy my son a gas mask? http://www.sfbayview.com/092204/gasmask092204
shtml San Francisco Bay View - San Francisco,CA,USA
. The highly respected Dr. Doug Rokke, Ph.D., a major in the Medical
Service Corps and former director of the US Army Depleted Uranium
Project, says, "Another ...

TROOPS returning from Iraq to be offered radiation checks
http://www.stuff co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3042896a11,00.html Stuff.co.nz
- New Zealand
. 61 New Zealand defence engineers and tradespeople who spent time in Iraq
will be offered medical checks if they think they were exposed to
depleted uranium. ...

WAR disease tests http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478
10859077% 255E663,00.html Melbourne Herald Sun -
Melbourne,Victoria,Australia BRITAIN will test thousands of 1991
Gulf War veterans who have suffered from unexplained ailments for
possible presence of depleted uranium in their bodies, a ...

ROBERTS: Citizen involvement needed at Starmet Superfund site
http://www2.townonline.com/concord/opinion/view.bg?articleid=90547 Concord
Journal - Concord,MA,United States
. in West Concord. In 1958, NMI began manufacture of depleted uranium
products, primarily as penetrators for armor piercing ammunition.
..

MORE dirt in the American elections http://english.pravda
ru/mailbox/22/101/399/14296_Elections.html Pravda - Moscow,Russia
. Depleted uranium that gives off 260-270 millirads per hour is lying
around and will keep giving its fatal gift for the next 4.5 billion
years. .

*****************************************************************
 46 [DU-WATCH] Oklahoma: 2000 Lb Bomb Makers Get Hemolytic Anemia
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 00:44:16 -0500 (CDT)

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Nichols, Jr.

Oklahoma City info-radiation-wars@cox.net

Oklahoma Base Has 22 Million Pounds of Uranium for Arms

Oklahoma 2000 Lb Bomb Makers Have Acute Hemolytic Anemia

by Bob Nichols Project Censored Award Winner

(Oklahoma City) Twenty three or more of the bomb makers at the
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, called simply "The Plant" locally,
have caught "acute hemolytic anemia." See the McAlester News
Capital-Democrat news stories here or link to the paper in McAlester.

All the sickened production employees worked on the 2000 Pound
Penetrator Bomb (Bunker Busters) line.

http://www.demookie.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11030

It is also possible that they have radiation poisoning from handling,
ingesting, swallowing, breathing, and being exposed to Uranium
oxide, uranium, and other forms of the deadly metal in the air.
There are  22,000 000 Pounds of Uranium stored on base  according
to the Plant's NRC license.

(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

Read it here:

http://www.osc.army.mil/dm/DMWWEB/Lic%20pdf%20etc/1-DU%20RENEWAL%20PACKAGE
pdf

It is possible the production employees have contacted acute hemolytic
anemia from the powerful bunker busting bombs.

In 60 years of making thousands or even millions of bombs at
McAlester, though, this is the first time people have caught acute
hemolytic anemia on the job, according to Mark Hughes, spokesman
for the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

Many experts who prefer to remain anonymous, believe it is also
possible the sometimes fatal disease is radiation induced acute
hemolytic anemia.

Radiation from the millions of pounds of uranium on the base for
weapons production. If so, straightforward US Army orders command
medical care for all affected citizens of McAlester and for
environmental cleanup.

Below is a list of some of the Pentagon's Uranium Munitions that
are assembled or disassembled at the rural McAlester, Oklahoma Bomb
Plant. The US Military is using uranium munitions in Iraq distributed
as radioactive and poisonous uranium bullets, shells, bombs, and
missiles. The US has acknowledged ever this since the 1991 Persian
Gulf War when 320 to 375 tons of uranium were used as weapons.

The uranium munitions explode and burn with an astonishing ferocity
when anything is hit. Uranium aerosols, gas, and dust have made
large portions of Iraq uninhabitable.

The use of radioactive and poisonous uranium as a weapon is commonly
acknowledged as a war crime. In this case, that would be President
George Bush and the Bush Administration in the United States. The
Nuremburg War Crimes Trials of Nazi Germany apply.

Almost all Americans know what uranium is and know it is used to
make nuclear weapons. Now the it is used for bullets, shells, and
bombs, too.

Karen Parker, noted humanatarian and war crimes lawyer says "In any
case, the four point legal test is completely intelligible to
everyone. It is:"

"1. You can't make it [uranium dust] stop moving in dust, wind,
etc.

2. You can't make it [uranium] stop being radioactive when the "war"
is over It keeps right on ticking.

3. Making children sick three years after the war is over is not
an acceptable military operation -- children are not the enemy and
when the war is over, the weapons have to stop.  Having soldiers
get sick after the war is over and all "bad stuff" is supposed to
stop is not OK.

4. Radioactive materials pollute."

The McAAP spokesman had not provided requested information by press
time.

More to follow.

___________________________________________________

McAlester's sick workers have more than TNT to worry about

U.S Ordnance That Contain Uranium DODIC Munition Nomenclature

A675 CARTRIDGE, 20 MM LINKED, DS, MK 159-1, A676 CARTRIDGE, 20 MM
LINKED, DS, MK 149-2 A986 CARTRIDGE, 25 MM , APFSDS-T, M919 A983
CARTRIDGE, 25 MM , API, PGU-20/U B103 CARTRIDGE, 30 MM , API-T/HEI,
PGU-14/B & PGU-13/B C523 CARTRIDGE, 105 MM APFSDS-T M774, W/M13
TRACER C524 CARTRIDGE, 105 MM , APFSDS-T, M833 C543 CARTRIDGE, 105
MM , APFSDS-T, M900 C786 CARTRIDGE, 120 MM , APFSDS-T, M829 C380
CARTRIDGE, 120 MM , APFSDS-T, M829A1 D501 PROJECTILE, 155 MM APERS,
M692, W/O FZ, W/M67 APERS MINES ADAM-L, D502 PROJECTILE, 155 MM
APERS, M692, W/O FZ, W/M67 APERS MINES ADAM-L, K152 MINE, AP, PDM
M86 [End]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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 47 Hindustan Times: IAEA to visit Jordan to probe suspected nuclear radiation

  Home [http://www.hindustantimes.com

   Reuters Vienna, September 25   
    
The UN nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA), is to send experts to Jordan to verify whether the ageing 
Dimona nuclear plant just across the border in Israel is emitting 
high levels of radiation, an IAEA spokesman said on Saturday.

"We have received a request from the Jordanian government to 
assist them in monitoring the radiological situation," said Mark 
Gwozdecky, spokesman for the IAEA. "We agreed to send a 
fact-finding mission in the coming weeks to help them determine 
whether there is any radiological incident."

The request came from Jordan's parliamentary health and 
environment committee after former Israeli nuclear scientist 
Mordechai Vanunu warned that the plant, built in the late 1950s 
with the help of France, in the southern Negev desert could 
become a "second Chernobyl".

Vanunu, a former technician, served an 18-year prison sentence in 
Israel for revealing secrets about the plant.

But a diplomat based in Vienna, where the IAEA is headquartered, 
said there was no proof of any contamination from the Dimona 
plant.   

*****************************************************************
 48 Idaho Statesman: Fallout from nuclear tests won't cause Idahoans to get cancer

09-26-2004                

[http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/]
      Reader's Opinion George Freund: 

I want to seriously challenge the recent series of articles in 
The Statesman dealing with fallout from the A-bomb tests.

In April 1998 I was diagnosed with an advanced case of thyroid 
cancer. In mid-September, after appropriate treatment, the doctor 
declared the cancer in remission. In 2004, after further 
treatment with radiation, my doctor considers me cured.

Within days of the 1998 good news, the possible link between 
thyroid cancer and iodine-131 in radioactive fallout made news 
for Idaho readers. That fallout followed each above-ground 
nuclear bomb test in Nevada during the 1950s and 1960s. Based on 
my experience and further study, I suggested that readers don't 
let these fallout reports cause them undue concern.

One story originated in the Post Register. Then the Associated 
Press carried it throughout the state. The headlines properly 
focused on its positive aspects. The state's leading health 
official said that Idahoans should not be screened for thyroid 
cancer.

His advice resulted from a report by the National Academy of 
Sciences . It was a review of a National Cancer Institute study 
issued in October 1997 amidst much publicity. On a 
county-by-county basis NCI identified four counties in central 
Idaho (Blaine, Custer, Gem and Lemhi) as among the five in the 
entire country "hardest hit" by the fallout.

Our children were raised in Idaho during the 1960s. This fact 
gave me an incentive to understand better the basis for the 
advice not to screen for thyroid cancer. I learned from the 
executive summary of the NAS report that the news articles had 
missed "the rest of the story." As background, reporters 
continued to tout the large numbers of excess thyroid cancers 
given in the earlier NCI study. The NAS review generally 
discredited these numbers.

The NAS stated the following: "... further ... studies will be 
necessary before it is possible to decide conclusively that the 
Nevada tests increased the incidence of thyroid cancer. ...The 
type of thyroid cancer, papillary carcinoma, usually linked to 
radiation exposure is uncommon and rarely life-threatening. Even 
among those with exposure to iodine-131, few will develop thyroid 
problems."

I already knew that the NCI study was on shaky statistical 
ground. At an earlier meeting of the INEEL Citizens Advisory 
Board for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental 
Laboratory, one member had pointed out that only three people die 
each year from thyroid cancer in Idaho. That member ought to 
know. He was a retired radiologist from Lewiston. Annual thyroid 
cancer cases in the entire United States number about 17,000. 
Idaho's nominal share is about 70 and Blaine County's about three 
or four. Those numbers are hardly statistically significant 
samples.

The NCI study had another statistical flaw. The NAS review 
addressed it as follows: "In attempting to fulfill its 
congressionally mandated tasks, the NCI undertook a very 
difficult task that depended on limited data of uncertain 
reliability and validity. ...For the most part direct measures of 
fallout for any particular weapons test were made for only about 
100 places nationwide. ...County specific estimates of Iodine-131 
thyroid doses are probably too uncertain to be used in estimating 
individual exposure."

Use common sense on any statistic. Newspapers reported that 90 
percent of those diagnosed with thyroid cancer are still alive 30 
years later.

Even with my cancer cure, don't count on me for 2028. I would 
turn 101 that year.

George Freund is vice-president of Coalition 21, an Idaho 
Falls-based group of volunteers supporting science and 
technology. He helped found Coalition 21 in 1996 and is a retired 
professional engineer with BS and MS degrees in chemical 
engineering from MIT.                                

*****************************************************************
 49 DenverPost.com - EDITORIALS: Cold War workers need aid now
 
Article Published: Sunday, September 26, 2004                   
		   	 	
 During the Cold War, tens of thousands of workers at federal 
defense sites handled some of the world's most dangerous 
materials, such as radioactive elements, heavy metals, asbestos, 
acids and solvents. 

As a result, thousands of workers later suffered cancer, organ 
damage and other diseases. The U.S. government promised to 
compensate them, but now, four years after that promise was made, 
almost none of the victims has gotten a dime. 

Congress funded the program to the tune of $95 million and 
assigned the Department of Energy to handle the claims. 

The DOE has almost nothing. As of the end of July, the department 
had made payments on just 31 claims out of 25,000 cases filed, 
The Associated Press reports. This point deserves emphasis: Four 
years and $95 million later, the DOE has paid just 31 of 25,000 
claims. 

At least 1,600 of the exposed workers are from Colorado, although 
the number may be much higher, said a spokesman for U.S. Rep. 
Mark Udall, whose district includes the former Rocky Flats 
nuclear bomb plant between Golden and Boulder. 

Clearly, the DOE's pace is unacceptably slow and indicates 
problems far deeper than bureaucratic lethargy. The department is 
ill-suited to managing the process, as it lacks expertise in 
compensation programs. 

And frankly, the DOE has no motivation to admit that its 
facilities or contractors made serious worker safety mistakes in 
the past. 

Several U.S. senators, mostly Republicans, want to move the 
nuclear worker compensation program out of DOE and give it to the 
U.S. Department of Labor. 

The senators reason that because Labor has experience running 
national compensation systems(such as the black lung program for 
coal miners), the agency could more quickly process claims for 
injured nuclear workers. The proposal also calls for the 
government to directly pay the claims, rather than route money 
through contractors. (Questions have been raised about how Energy 
has used contractors.) Supporters included Senate Majority Leader 
Bill Frist of Tennessee and Energy Committee Chair Pete Dominici 
of New Mexico. 

The plan easily passed the Senate as an amendment to the defense 
authorization bill, but the House didn't include it in its 
version of that bill. The issue is headed to a conference 
committee. House opposition stems from the Bush administration's 
intransigence. The White House's stated reason is that the 
changes would cost too much. In fact, the amendment doesn't 
expand benefits, it only speeds the claims process. 

The real reasons involve bureaucratic bickering: Labor doesn't 
want the responsibility, and Energy doesn't want to surrender 
millions of dollars in funding that come with the program. 

Fortunately, Colorado's House delegation has shown unusual 
solidarity on the matter: Six of the seven signed a letter urging 
the conference committee to include the compensation amendment in 
the final defense bill. 

Colorado's seventh House member, Republican Joel Hefley of 
Colorado Springs, didn't sign the letter because he will be part 
of the conference committee, and committee members don't send 
letters to themselves. Hefley should heed the advice from his 
Colorado colleagues and push the committee to support the 
amendment. 

The compensation program is a mess, and everyone seems to know it 
except the DOE. The government should step up to its 
responsibility, and soon.                               
 		   			 
Editorials alone express The Denver Post's opinion. 
 All contents Copyright 2004 The Denver Post or other copyright
*****************************************************************
 50 [DU-WATCH] Starmet cleanup in Concord Mass - Public Involvement
 
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:22:48 -0500 (CDT)

 
Hi all,

Kindly distribute and forward

Cheers,
Robert

"There are two things that every Concord resident can do to monitor the 
investigation and cleanup. The first is to regularly check the official Web 
site set up by de maximus, which will be updated periodically as the 
investigation/ cleanup goes forward. The Web site address is 
http://www.nmisite.org."

    " The second thing you can do is to attend the public meetings held by 
the EPA, the next one of which is scheduled for Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the 
Concord Town House Hearing Room on Monument Square. The EPA will be 
discussing whether emergency removal actions are required to address the 
buried drums, holding basin, the waste landfill and/or the facility 
buildings without waiting for the completion of the entire remedial 
investigation/ feasibility study process that will take years. All residents 
of Concord are encouraged to attend to learn what is going to be going on 
over the next few months, what health and safety measures are going to 
implemented to ensure that the investigation does not release contaminants 
into the environment, and to demonstrate to the EPA that Concord takes the 
Starmet cleanup seriously and wants this Site cleanup as quickly and 
completely as possible. Hope to see you there."

      Mark Roberts is a resident of Concord, CREW Member and environmental 
attorney.

Roberts: Citizen involvement needed at Starmet Superfund site
By Mark Roberts
Thursday, September 23, 2004

http://www2.townonline.com/concord/opinion/view.bg?articleid=90547

It has not been in the paper much recently, so you may have forgotten that 
one of the nation's worst Superfund sites is located near Acton off Route 
62. The Nuclear Metals, Inc. Superfund Site, is located on a 46-acre parcel 
located at 2229 Main St. in West Concord. In 1958, NMI began manufacture of 
depleted uranium products, primarily as penetrators for armor piercing 
ammunition. They also manufactured metal powders for medical applications, 
photocopiers, and specialty metal products, such as beryllium tubing used in 
the aerospace industry. From 1958 to 1985, NMI discharged radioactive and 
other hazardous waste including depleted uranium, zirconium; magnesium; 
beryllium, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and other solvents into an unlined large 
pit in the ground. NMI's activities also resulted in burying drums of 
radioactive waste in at least two areas and creating a landfill with 
radioactive and other hazardous wastes.

     On Oct. 1, 1997, NMI was renamed Starmet Corporation. In May 2001, 
Starmet transported 1,700 drums containing depleted uranium from its South 
Carolina facility to the site, to facilitate its planned sale of that 
facility. Starmet also had approximately 2,000 drums and other containers of 
depleted uranium and beryllium wastes stored inside buildings at the site. 
Starmet was ordered to remove the 3,700 drums of waste material, but could 
not comply because of bankruptcy. After negotiations, the U.S. Army has 
agreed to fund the removal of the 3,700 drums under the supervision of the 
Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection.

     In June 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency also negotiated an 
agreement with five potentially responsible parties including: the U.S. 
Army, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Whittaker Corporation, MONY Life Insurance Co., 
and Textron, Incorporated, for the performance of an investigation and 
cleanup feasibility report costing an estimated $8 million. The site has 
been divided into 18 separate areas, each of which will be investigated and 
cleaned up. The Concord annual Town Meeting of 2003 passed a resolution that 
the site shall be cleaned up for all uses allowable under the current 
zoning, including residential. This remedial investigation is just the first 
step in a multi-year process which will be required before the NMI Superfund 
Site is finally cleaned up.

     EPA recognizes that the interests of the public are represented by a 
citizens' group, CREW (Citizens Research and Environmental Watch), and the 
town of Concord through its 2229 Main St. Advisory Committee. CREW is a 
volunteer citizens group, which has been involved actively since 1989 in 
seeking a cleanup of the toxic and radioactively contaminated property, 
working closely with oversight agencies. Grants from the government and 
private foundations have enabled CREW hire consultants to assist the 
oversight agencies with cleanup plans. The 2229 Main St. Advisory Committee 
was appointed in 2001 to advise the selectmen on issues concerning the 
Superfund process after the NMI Site was designated a Superfund Site. The 
Committee meets monthly at 141 Keyes Road, Concord.

     In December 2003, de maximis, the project coordinator for the 
non-government responsible parties, submitted a draft Work Plan, an 
eight-volume report which provided the complete detail of the proposed 
investigation and cleanup study. In a 70 page report, CREW member 
professionals and the environmental consultant, GeoInsight Inc., submitted 
hundreds of comments to improve the Plan. The comments involved historic 
information, the number, type and location of samples being taken, and 
provided information showing that the proposed model of the flow of ground 
water and radioactive and hazardous contaminants in ground water was flawed 
and needed to be revised. This advice, as well as that of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection and the 
2229 Main St. Committee, was used to amend the plan. There is no question 
that the plan to investigate and propose cleanup remedies is substantially 
better now thanks to the advice of all the above. EPA and de maximus have 
set up an expanded public involvement process with CREW and the 2229 Main 
St. Committee by having periodic meetings with them about the technical 
aspects of the remedial investigation, so the interests of, and the 
contributions from, the public and Concord are heard on a regular basis.

     It is only through continued public involvement and oversight that the 
Starmet Superfund Site will be cleaned up in a manner consistent with the 
goals of the residents of Concord, that the site be cleaned up once and for 
all and will not be a permanent blight in town. There are two things that 
every Concord resident can do to monitor the investigation and cleanup. The 
first is to regularly check the official Web site set up by de maximus, 
which will be updated periodically as the investigation/ cleanup goes 
forward. The Web site address is http://www.nmisite.org.

     The second thing you can do is to attend the public meetings held by 
the EPA, the next one of which is scheduled for Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the 
Concord Town House Hearing Room on Monument Square. The EPA will be 
discussing whether emergency removal actions are required to address the 
buried drums, holding basin, the waste landfill and/or the facility 
buildings without waiting for the completion of the entire remedial 
investigation/ feasibility study process that will take years. All residents 
of Concord are encouraged to attend to learn what is going to be going on 
over the next few months, what health and safety measures are going to 
implemented to ensure that the investigation does not release contaminants 
into the environment, and to demonstrate to the EPA that Concord takes the 
Starmet cleanup seriously and wants this Site cleanup as quickly and 
completely as possible. Hope to see you there.

      Mark Roberts is a resident of Concord, CREW Member and environmental 
attorney.

 

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 51 [shundahaialerts] Skull Valley Gov't Nuke Waste Meetings
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 00:45:22 -0500 (CDT)

 
From: shundahai@shundahai.org
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 18:37:01 -0700 (PDT)
List-Id: <shundahaialerts.lists.riseup.net>
List-Subscribe: 
<mailto:sympa@lists.riseup.net?subject=subscribe%20shundahaialerts>
List-Archive: http://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/shundahaialerts
Subject: [shundahaialerts] Fall Gathering and Gov't Nuke Waste Meetings

************Action Alert. Please Forward and Distribute Widely************

U.S. Government Nuke Waste Panel Follows Skull Valley Environmental 
Justice Gathering
October 2004

A Panel representing the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board 
(NWTRB) will be in Salt Lake City, Utah, for two days of meetings- 
Tuesday, October 13th, and Wednesday, October 14th, 2004.

The NWTRB is an independent agency of the U.S. Government. Its sole 
purpose is to provide independent scientific and technical oversight 
of the U.S. program for management and disposal of high-level 
radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from civilian nuclear power 
plants.

The purpose of these meetings is to discuss issues related to 
planning for the potential transportation of spent nuclear fuel and 
high-level radioactive waste to a proposed repository at Yucca 
Mountain in Nevada, and to the proposed temporary storage facility on 
the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation in Utah.

Opportunity for public comment will be available.

These panel meetings come on the heals of the three-day Nuclear-Free 
Great Basin fall gathering scheduled for the prior weekend on the 
Skull Valley Goshute reservation. The Skull Valley gathering will be 
hosted October 8th-10th, 2004, by Margene Bullcreek on her family's 
reservation land. It is organized with the cooperation of the 
Shundahai Network.

The purpose of the Skull Valley gathering is to provide opportunity 
for Goshute opponents of the Private Fuel Storage nuclear waste 
project to share their experiences and information, for related 
concerns to be shared and discussed by allied indigenous activists, 
and for other concerned interests to share experiences and to 
demonstrate solidarity in support of environmental justice.

These events are organized independently of each other by seperate 
entities. As such, this announcement should not be costrued as 
endorsement of each other's events by either organizing party. 
However, Shundahai Network invites our friends and supporters to 
participate in both the weekend gathering in Skull Valley and the 
Technical Review Board discussions two days later in Salt Lake City.

*****************************************************************************
Event Information:
******************

1. Nuclear Free Great Basin Fall Gathering- October 8-10th, 2004.

Location:
Skull Valley Goshute Reservation- near the home of Margene Bullcreek.

Directions to Gathering Site:
>From Salt Lake City, UT
Take I-80 West Toward Wendover, NV- Drive 43 miles
Take Exit # 77 (Rowley/Dugway Exit)
Turn Left on the Skull Valley Road- Drive 26 miles
Follow Signs to Gathering Location

Gathering Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 8th-
Sunrise Ceremony led by Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone Spiritual Leader
Breakfast
Greeting- Event protocols discussion
Issues Orientation-Update
Lunch
Formal Orientation/Protocols Review-
Issue Update/Discussion Of Weekend Itinerary.
Dinner
Talent Show (Bring your instruments, poetry and voice!)
Camping

Saturday, Oct. 9th:
Sunrise Ceremony led by Corbin Harney
Breakfast
Work/Infoshops/Prepare for Hearing
Lunch and Traditional Native Dancers
Press Conference
People's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Hearing
Men's and Women's Sweat Lodges
Dinner
Concert- David Rovics
Camping

Sunday, Oct. 10th:
Sunrise Ceremony led by Corbin Harney
Men's and Women's Sweat Lodges
Breakfast
Indigenous Presentations
Lunch
Goshute-led Spirit Run from Camp to proposed PFS Site-
Rally and March from Camp to Skull Valley Road (tentative)
Camp Break-Down
Dinner For Remaining Participants/Event Staff

Be prepared for high desert camping, where the weather can be either 
hot or cold, dry or wet.
A $10.00 per day registration donation is requested.
Meals and all events are included with Registration.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
NO Alcohol, Drugs, or Weapons.

This event is hosted by Ohngo Gaudedeh Devia Awareness
and organized by The Shundahai Network.
For more information about the Nuclear Free Great Basin fall 
gathering, please call 801-533-0128 or email shundahai@shundahai.org

**************************************************************************

2. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) Panel Discussions-
October 13-14th, 2004.

Location:
Sheraton City Center Hotel
150 West 500 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
(tel.) 801-401-2000
(fax) 801-534-3450

Public Panel/Hearing Schedule:
Wednesday, October 13th 2004
8:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the DOE<s transportation 
planning and the experience of regional groups involved in 
transporting spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

October 14th 2004
8:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon

The purpose of this meeting is to review the experiences of Private 
Fuel Storage, LLC, in planning for transportation of spent nuclear 
fuel to its proposed facility in Utah. The panel also will review 
issues of risk perception in the transportation planning process.

Agenda details will be confirmed approximately one week before the 
meeting dates. Copies of the agendas can be requested by telephone or 
obtained from the Board<s Web site at www.nwtrb.gov.

Transcripts of the meetings will be available on the Board<s Web 
site, by e-mail, on computer disk, and on a library-loan basis in 
paper format from Davonya Barnes of the Board<s staff, beginning on 
November 29, 2004.

This event is organized by the US Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
For more information about these NWTRB Meetings, contact the NWTRB: 
Karyn Severson, External Affairs; 2300 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 
1300; Arlington, VA 22201-3367; (tel.) 703-235-4473; (fax) 
703-235-4495.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHUNDAHAI NETWORK--Dedicated to Breaking the Nuclear Chain

Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning  "Peace and 
Harmony with all Creation"

Shundahai Network
PO Box 1115
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
Office: 801.533.0128
Fax: 801.533.0129

mailto:Shundahai@shundahai.org
http://www.Shundahai.org

========================================================
It's in our back yard... it's in our front yard. This nuclear 
contamination is shortening all life. We are going to have to unite 
as a people and say no more! We, the people, are going to have to put 
our thoughts together to save our planet here. We only have One 
Water...One Air...One Mother Earth."

Corbin Harney -Newe (Western Shoshone) Spiritual leader, Founder & 
Chairman of the Board of The Shundahai Network

|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<
Shundahai Network Action Alerts
You have received this e-mail because you either signed up on the 
Shundahai Network list, or are considered someone who is interested 
in these types of issues.
If you would like to be removed from this list, please send an e-mail 
to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with the word "Remove" in the 
subject line.
IF you were forwarded this email by a friend and would like to sign 
up to this list to receive monthly updates please reply to 
nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with "Subscribe Action Alerts" in the 
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*****************************************************************
 52 AFP: Greenpeace ship arrives in Cherbourg ahead of plutonium delivery

 ENVIRONMENT NEWS [http://www.terradaily.com/] 

CHERBOURG, France (AFP) Sep 26, 2004

b A ship carrying Greenpeace activists arrived in the northern 
French port of Cherbourg Sunday to protest the arrival next month 
of two ships carrying 140 kilogrammes (308 pounds) of 
weapons-grade plutonium from the United States, the environment 
protection group said. 

The 72-metre (240-foot) Esperanza was authorised to berth in an 
area of the port under supervision, a local official told AFP. 

Greenpeace and other ecology groups are organising nationwide 
protests against the arrival of the plutonium which is to be 
recycled at a nuclear reprocessing facility at Cadarache, in 
southeastern France. 

The ships, nicknamed "floating fortresses," left Charleston, 
South Carolina, earlier this month and are expected to arrive in 
Cherbourg around the end of the week. 

A Greenpeace organiser said the Esperanza's objective was "to 
inform the public of the risks of this transfer (of plutonium) 
and of the development of this plutonium industry." 

All rights reserved. © 2004 Agence France-Presse 
[http://www.afp.com/] . Sections of the information displayed on 
*****************************************************************
 53 Las Vegas SUN:Not without a fight
              
September 24, 2004 

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Not without a fight
 
Brian Greenspun is editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

 WEEKEND EDITION

 September 25 - 26, 2004

 The inevitability of the pessimist.

 Las Vegas is not a city for pessimists. For sure, we have had 
our share. From the early days when Hoover Dam was just a 
technological dream, there were plenty of people who stood on the 
sidelines and bet against the reality of one of the great 
man-made wonders of the world. Today that dam is who we are or, 
at least, what provides us sustenance in the desert.

 A few years later, Bugsy Siegel, a man with the kind of 
credentials for citizenship that would scare most people into 
moving, came out to this tiny desert town and put bricks and 
mortar in the place where there stood only his dreams of a city 
lighted with the promise of better tomorrows. Even then the 
naysayers cried out that it couldn't and wouldn't be done. And 
even if he did manage to build a multimillion-dollar 
extravaganza, no one would show. It took his untimely and rather 
dramatic death to make it a hit, but the Flamingo flourished and 
so did Las Vegas.

 Each decade of Las Vegas' history has brought its own set of 
dreamers and builders, optimists all, who risked what they had to 
create a new reality in this most unique of all cities on the 
planet.

 Whether it was Wilbur Clark and his groundbreaking Desert Inn 
and Milton Prell and the Sahara Hotel in the early '50s and '60s, 
Jay Sarno in the late '60s with Caesars Palace, Kirk Kerkorian 
with the mold-breaking MGM in the '70s and Steve Wynn in the late 
'80s with his own Mirage of a dream, Las Vegas has had more than 
its share of the kind of people who put their money and their 
mouths into building a better future for all who would take the 
chance on this growing desert oasis.

 And each and every time there was even a hint of making this 
town into the Entertainment Capital of the World by building more 
and better, the chorus of negativity sprang to life and reminded 
each of us of the inevitability of failure. And, fortunately, 
they have been wrong each and every time.

 I am reminded of this part of the history of Las Vegas because 
the forces of "no" are at it again. And this time it is over an 
issue that is as vital to the future of Las Vegas as all the 
dreams of our builders and all the water that flows our way from 
Hoover Dam. I am talking about the federal government's single 
and simple-minded effort to bury the nation's high-level nuclear 
waste in Yucca Mountain. Just 90 miles from this place where 
dreams are made on a daily basis.

 Recent polls -- skewed as they may be -- have tried to convince 
Nevadans of the inevitability of the dump site in an effort to 
get us to concede the fight, roll over and not only play dead 
but, in all probability, be dead once those trucks and trains 
start rolling our way.

 Every Nevadan knows that this stuff is dangerous. That's why 
every other state in the union wants to send it out here. And 
every parent knows that their responsibility is to do what they 
can to make sure we don't become the nation's radioactive dumping 
ground because that would jeopardize our children, their children 
and theirs.

 To give up to the "inevitability" of it all is playing into the 
hands of the people who want to send it here, because anything 
that weakens the incredible resolve Nevadans have shown against 
the dump makes our enemies stronger.

 It is no secret that President George W. Bush and Congress want 
to bury us under 77,000 tons of radioactive waste that will 
remain deadly for more than 100,000 years. The president put the 
target on Nevada's back in 2001, and Congress has made it stick. 
If you want to talk inevitable, that would have been a good time.

 But Nevadans did not give in or give up. We asked the courts to 
tell the president and his Department of Energy that "their" 
science was wrong. This summer, the court said that the federal 
government ignored the law and the science. Now the Yucca program 
is up in the air, for the first time in decades.

 If ever there were a reason for optimism, this is it. Instead, 
the nuclear power industry and the White House would have us 
continue to believe that the dump is coming no matter what. And 
to make sure that happens, the administration is doing what it 
can to make sure it inevitably happens.

 For one, Nevada doesn't have the money needed to provide 
oversight to the entire process. Bush's federal government just 
turned down our request for the money. Without it, the DOE can 
act with impunity. Just as it always has in Nevada.

 For another, the DOE will soon ask Congress to change the rules 
so that the "science" is made to fit the reality of the 
government's inability to make the dump safe. President Bush will 
sign that bill. That's inevitable.

 But the dump isn't.

 We have it in our power to make sure we put the stake in the 
heart of this awful plan. But it takes courage on our part and a 
little bit of that faith those who came before us had in 
abundance.

 Believe whatever else you want about the two candidates running 
for the White House this year, but when it comes to the 
radioactive waste dump at Yucca Mountain, this much is clear and 
beyond doubt.

 With George Bush as president, he will do what he can to make 
sure Nevada gets the dump. With John Kerry in the White House, 
the dump should be dead.

 The dump inevitable? Not hardly.

 This November, the future will be in our hands.

*****************************************************************
 54 Morgan Hill Times: Olin, city at odds over perchlorate
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saturday, September 25, 2004

By Carol Holzgrafe [carolh@morganhilltimes.com] 

Olin Corp. consultants Thursday defended the company’s contention 
that perchlorate from its former Tennant Avenue site could not 
flow north and contaminate city wells.

City Manager Ed Tewes, in a much shorter statement, disagreed and 
said the Olin report is based on selective analysis and 
questionable conclusions that left out telling facts and figures 
that prove that it could.

Mike Turaszki, a hydrogeologist from Olin consultant MACTEC, said 
he saw no need for Olin to investigate the northern flow further. 
Tewes disagreed.

George Cook, Santa Clara Valley Water District’s representative 
to Perchlorate Community Advisory Group, agreed with Tewes.

“Water district engineers) have similar problems with the 
technical part,” Cook said at the meeting.

Whether Olin will be required to perform further studies north of 
its site will be decided by the state Regional Water Quality 
Control Board.

The city and the water district are preparing their response to 
the report and ask for public comment.

Sylvia Hamilton, PCAG chair will collect comments -by Friday, 
Oct. 1.

Getting a favorable decision from the board - requiring Olin to 
study further the northeast flow by drilling monitoring wells - 
is important to the city because, if the city wells are polluted 
with Olin’s perchlorate, Olin could be ordered to reimburse the 
city for its costs. 

Morgan Hill costs for dealing with perchlorate in city wells are 
reaching $4 million; Olin will soon have reimbursed the city $1.3 
million to replace the one well it accepts responsibility for.

Olin shows no sign of being willing to consider paying for 
anything else but, by January, city residents will be paying a 10 
percent perchlorate surcharge on their monthly water bills.

Turaszki explained that MACTEC had studied decades of groundwater 
flow reports and determined that water always flowed south, 
southeast from the site,. And water always flows from high to low 
elevations.

Tewes said the city found that, yes, water generally flowed south 
but even Olin showed instances in which it flowed north in this 
area.

Given the geologic irregularities that allow flow in different 
directions and underground streams, the city contends that it is 
quite possible for Olin perchlorate to end up in Nordstrom well. 

And, Tewes said, the Olin site has an elevation of 280 feet; the 
contaminated Condit well an elevation of 271.

“Models are based on a concept,” Tewes said. “If the concept is 
poor, the results will be poor.”

Turaszki presented possible alternative sources of perchlorate 
including local July Fourth fireworks.

Olin manufactured safety flares using perchlorate almost daily at 
its site for more than 40 years.

There may be another way of proving where the chemical came from. 
David Athey, a regional board project manager, said he had heard 
that a strontium nitrate isotope is being used to “fingerprint” 
perchlorate. 

Copies of all reports from Olin Corp. and agency responses are 
available at the Morgan Hill Library. Reports are online at 
www.valleywater.org/ Sylvia , sylvaLRS@hotmail.com or 683-2667.

*****************************************************************
 55 Guardian Unlimited: Keep power and sewage plants secret, media told
 
Richard Norton-Taylor
Saturday September 25, 2004
The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk]  		
 		
Newspaper editors and television producers are to be asked to 
avoid referring to such visible installations as sewage works and 
power stations on the grounds they are potential targets for 
terrorists. 

The request has been prompted by growing anxiety in parts of 
Whitehall, notably the Home Office, concerned not least by a 
spate of drama documentaries about terrorist attacks. 

After intense argument about whether the media should disclose 
the whereabouts of conspicuous locations - and their 
vulnerability - new media guidelines are being drawn up by the 
defence, press and broadcasting advisory committee which operates 
a system of voluntary self-censorship. 

The committee will soon extend the reach of D notice number 4 
which now concentrates on nuclear weapons and intelligence 
facilities, according to emergency planning officers. 

It will be amended to cover a much wider range of "sensitive 
sites", including what Whitehall calls Britain's "critical 
national infrastructure", or CNI. It covers telecommunications, 
energy, transport and water. 

Two years ago MI5 drew up a list of more than 300 possible 
terrorist targets, including oil refineries, the country's 15 
nuclear power stations, the main National Grid sites, 
petrochemical facilities, and the atomic weapons establishment at 
Aldermaston in Berkshire as well as such obvious high-profile 
targets as the House of Commons. 

This summer MI5 warned businesses that terrorists were 
increasingly looking at "soft" targets such as social and retail 
venues, tourist sites and transport networks. 

It offered sensible practical advice about precautions that 
public authorities and private companies should take in light of 
an increased terrorist threat. 

Telling the media what to report - or rather not report - about 
buildings and locations whose functions are visible to the naked 
eye or described on maps is quite another matter, some senior 
officials concede. 

One issue raised behind the scenes in Whitehall was whether the 
media should be dissuaded, not only from describing the locations 
of sensitive sites but from reporting any vulnerability in their 
defences. 

The Home Office suggested that the media should not be allowed to 
report security lapses as a series of programmes and articles 
have recently done. 

The argument appears to be that this would only help terrorists. 
The contrary argu ment is that such stories alert the authorities 
to gaps in security precisely so that they can make locations 
less vulnerable. 

Those in the latter camp seem to have won the battle, on the 
grounds that if the media are going to pay any attention to D 
notice guidelines, then they may as well be as reasonable as 
possible. 

It begs the question whether the D notice system is viable in the 
first place. 

Few would want to put lives at risk, whether or not this was the 
subject of one of the committee's guidelines. 

However, even the existing D notice No 4 refers to the need to 
seek official advice before disclosing, for example, "sites 
associated with the nuclear weapons programme", or "high security 
MoD and military sites associated with intelligence and other 
sensitive activities". 

Such sites are well known and many have been photographed, 
frequently. 

Recently the D notice committee - which consists of senior 
Whitehall figures and media representatives - agreed that the 
government would say more about the activities of Britain's 
special forces. The agreement has been ignored by the MoD.
 	
 	
        Special report Terrorism threat to UK

Interactive guide
How Britain is tightening security
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,848249,00.html] 

Full list of terror suspects
UK assets of suspected terrorist groups and individuals (pdf)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2001/11
/08/sanctionsconlist.pdf] 

Anti-terror legislation
Download the full text of the crime and security bill (534k)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2001/11
/20/Full_text.pdf] 
Summary of the crime and security bill (47k)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2001/11
/20/Antiterrorism_bill.pdf] 

Useful links
Metropolitan police [http://www.met.police.uk/] 
Home Office: emergency planning review
[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/epd/emplanreview.htm] 
Ministry of Defence [http://news.mod.uk/] 
UK resilience [http://www.ukresilience.info/] 
Red Cross [http://www.redcross.org.uk/] 
Terrorism Act 2000 [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism/] 
Crime and security bill (pdf)
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2001/11
/20/Full_text.pdf] 

[UP] 

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 56 L.A. Daily News: Growth dampened or not? Officia water ruling

[http://www.dailynews.com

Article Published: Thursday, September 23, 2004 -

By Susan Abram Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- City and county officials said Thursday they 
plan to analyze how an invalidated water plan for the Santa 
Clarita Valley will affect future development in the fast-growing 
area.

 "We don't know what it means yet," said Paul Novak, policy 
deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. 

"Our attorneys are still poring all over it to see what impact it 
will have," Novak said. "But our belief is a court has never 
invalidated an urban water management plan in the past."

 On Wednesday, the 5th District appellate court invalidated the 
2000 Urban Water Management Plan approved by the Castaic Lake 
Water Agency, which manages state water in Santa Clarita, and 
local water retailers because it did not adequately address 
perchlorate contamination in local groundwater supplies. 

An accurate plan is necessary for developers who must ensure 
there is enough water supply before obtaining construction 
permits. The plan is updated every five years.

 Wednesday's ruling favored Friends of the Santa Clara River and 
the Sierra Club, who had sued, saying the water plan included 
Santa Clarita's tainted groundwater supply as backup in case 
state supplies were limited by drought. A plume of perchlorate, a 
byproduct of rocket fuel that has been linked to thyroid 
disorders, has been identified in the local groundwater, 
prompting officials to cap four municipal wells.

 The two groups also said the plan failed to assess the 
reliability of the supply in Santa Clarita's two groundwater 
pools, shallow alluvial aquifer and the deep Saugus Formation.

 Ron Bottorff, chairman of the Friends of the Santa Clara River, 
said Thursday the ruling was a victory for all those who have 
questioned water agencies about supply.

 "We just tried to point out to the court, that (the water 
agencies) are just taking a rose-colored glass look at the 
world," Bottorff said. "It's definitely a victory. You have the 
feeling that nobody is listening when it comes to issues of water 
supply. Since the court has looked at this plan and found it 
inefficient, it could have an affect outside the region on the 
way people look at water plans."

 Bottorff believes the invalidation of the water plan by the 
state Court of Appeal could affect future development.

 "I think it could force some delays in some projects, because 
some projects cannot show if the plan is reliable."

 Others believe it will not have an impact.

 "I don't think it means anything," said Marlee Lauffer, 
spokeswoman for Newhall Land &Farming Company. "It's not a supply 
issue. It's a court issue. Since then, there's been research and 
analysis and progress on understanding the perchlorate issue, and 
putting in place the technology to have it cleaned up."

 Newhall Land projects planned in the region include the 
1,100-home Riverpark and 21,000-home Newhall Ranch.

 The Castaic Lake Water Agency has acknowledged that some of the 
groundwater supply is contaminated and that a plan is being 
developed to pump water from just those areas without risking the 
further spread of perchlorate.

 The case now faces a new review in Superior Court.

 "After we had adopted the plan in 2000, it was the same month 
that we filed a lawsuit against the Whittaker Corp. and we knew 
we had to fix it," said Mary Lou Cotton, spokeswoman for the 
CLWA. "It's all going to be in the 2005 plan. We may choose to 
amend the 2000 plan, but it's all a matter of just assessing what 
the courts want. We're about ready to choose the treatment 
methodology, and get it on line."

 The chemical is believed to have seeped into the groundwater 
from the defunct Whittaker-Bermite munitions plant in Saugus. The 
water agencies also said in a joint statement that they were 
making progress on a plan for a process to remove the perchlorate 
from the water.

 The water plan projects a 20-year supply for the Santa Clarita 
Valley from a variety of sources, including entitlements from the 
state Water Project, the Saugus and alluvial aquifers, recycling 
and stored groundwater.

 Last year, a Kern County Superior Court judge ruled that there 
was enough water to supply about 2,000 new homes in the Santa 
Clarita Valley each year for the next 20 years, upholding the 
findings of the water plan.

 The ruling had removed the uncertainty swirling around several 
large development projects that are counting on the CLWA to 
provide water for the new homes, including Newhall Land's 
21,600-home Newhall Ranch. The Newhall County Water District, 
which chose to withdraw from the litigation, will not be fined, 
said Lynne Plambeck, Newhall board president.

 Plambeck said she voted against the 2000 water plan.

 "I hope (the ruling) will help planning agencies see that the 
water agencies have been giving them the wrong information," 
Plambeck said. "The city and the county have to rely on what the 
water agencies tell them. (The ruling) is a warning to all other 
water agencies to tell the truth. If the water plan isn't 
accurate, it hurts everybody. You don't solve a problem by 
pretending it doesn't exist."

 Susan Abram, (661) 257-5257 susan.abram@dailynews.com 
[susan.abram@dailynews.com] 

Copyright © 2004 Los Angeles Daily News
*****************************************************************
 57 PE.com: Perchlorate bill clears panel 

   Inland Southern California

02:34 AM PDT on Saturday, September 25, 2004 

The Press-Enterprise 

WASHINGTON - Inland communities stand to receive more than $1 
million in much-needed money to clean up perchlorate 
contamination thanks to a spending bill that passed a Senate 
committee this week. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Veterans 
Affairs/Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill for the 
2005 Fiscal Year on Tuesday. The legislation includes $700,000 
for Rialto's pilot demonstration on perchlorate treatment; 
$300,000 to treat contaminated wells in the Inland area and 
$200,000 for wellhead treatment in Ontario. 

"It is imperative that we reduce the perchlorate in our drinking 
water and protect Californians, especially pregnant women, the 
unborn, infants and young children from this threat to their 
health," Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. 

The spending bill must still pass the full Senate and be 
reconciled with a House version. Then it heads to President 
Bush's desk for his signature. 

Perchlorate is a salt used as a propellant for fireworks and 
munitions. Some scientists say it impairs function of the 
thyroid. Others say it has no such effect. 

The rocket-fuel chemical has polluted 22 drinking-water wells 
that serve Rialto, Fontana and Colton and jeopardized water 
supplies to $500,000 residents in west San Bernardino County. 

[http://www.pe.com/about/aboutus.html] 

&copy; 2004 Belo Interactive Inc.
*****************************************************************
 58 CBC Montreal - Shannon still frets over contaminated water
 
montreal.cbc.ca

c/o Tracey Madigan [tracey_madigan@cbc.ca] Online 
News Journalist CBC Montreal Web Posted | Sep 23 2004 06:36 PM 
EDT 
  
QUEBEC CITY - The mayor of Shannon, Que. says he wonders what
the town is going to have to face next. 

Clive Kiley says an aqueduct funded by Ottawa must be built
soon. Residents of Shannon, which is near the Valcartier
military base, discussed the latest case of chemical pollutants
found in the area's water supply at a meeting with military and
environmental officials Wednesday night. Perchlorate is a
chemical that was used in military vehicle fuel in the 1950s,
60s and 70s. 				 				 				 Military officials say there is

little risk to the area population, and Mayor Clive Kiley says he 
has been told it has not made its way into his town's supply. But 
given the recent discovery of trichloroethylene, the mayor says 
the uncertainty has to stop. History                                                                                                
In April, Shannon and the Department of National Defence agreed 
to fix the town's tainted water. The plan means Ottawa will spend 
$19 million for a new aqueduct system. 

  + FROM DEC. 18, 2003 - Town suing feds over bad water 

In turn, the town agreed to drop its $56-million lawsuit against 
the government. The town launched the suit after a chemical 
called trichloroethylene from the Valcartier military base turned 
up in Shannon's water supply. That new aqueduct won't provide 
clean water to everyone in Shannon, but will cover the area where 
traces of the chemical were found. System needed now "If 
[perchlorate] is just the latest flavour of the month, I think 
this justifies what we've been saying for a couple of years: that 
we need an aqueduct system in all of Shannon," he insists. "As 
time goes on, are they just going to realize that things they 
have used in the past are in our water?" Kiley also says norms 
for testing whether the perchlorate levels are dangerous must 
quickly be established before his residents can feel safe.                               

  Copyright © CBC 2004   
*****************************************************************
 59 [progchat_action] FOCUS: Gorbachev Launches Global Campaign
 
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 12:28:19 -0500 (CDT)

 
FOCUS: Gorbachev Launches Global Campaign Against WMD
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/092704Y.shtml

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 60 Las Vegas SUN: Tunisia Ratifies Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Tunisia has ratified the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, bringing to 117 the number of nations
that have endorsed the pact, the Vienna-based treaty
organization said Friday. 

The endorsement by Tunisian lawmakers makes the North African
nation the 24th country in Africa to ratify the treaty, the
Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization said in a statement.
It said Tunisia has two monitoring stations that check for
evidence of nuclear test blasts in the region. 

The treaty outlaws all nuclear weapons test explosions. It was
drafted at an international conference in Geneva and adopted by
the U.N. General Assembly in 1996. 

The accord still has not come into effect, however, because all
44 nations with nuclear power or research facilities listed in
an annex must sign and ratify it. So far, only 32 of them have
done so. 

The United States is among the holdouts, along with China,
Colombia, Congo, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North
Korea, Pakistan and Vietnam. 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 61 Seattle Times: Editorials & Opinion: I-297 is bad law
 	
Sunday, September 26, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
 			 			 			 			
Initiative 297 falsely appeals to the average citizen's 
sensibility that the state should not be a dumping ground for the 
nation's nuclear waste. 

But the initiative is a false promise fraught with risk for 
cleanup of the Hanford nuclear reservation. Chances are it won't 
stand up in federal court, because judges typically favor the 
federal government when states try to regulate interstate 
commerce. Washington lost a similar case in the 1980s; Kentucky 
in 2001. If the federal government prevails, the state could lose 
any political clout it has to prevent wholesale import of waste 
from other states. 

Much better for the state to pick its legal battles. Case in 
point: State regulators this summer celebrated the removal of 
pumpable liquid waste from all of Hanford's single-shell tanks — 
an achievement linked directly to the state flexing its muscle in 
court to negotiate a settlement that established legally 
enforceable deadlines. 

Backers say I-297 will force the federal government to clean up 
Hanford first — before more nuclear waste is shipped from other 
states. But that can't be done without shipping Hanford waste 
elsewhere. More than 90 percent of Hanford's waste is intended 
for permanent disposal in Nevada, New Mexico and South Carolina. 

The tactic has consequences. Imagine those states taking the same 
stand — and Hanford would be left with the waste long-term. 

Which leads to another important point. One special-interest 
group, Heart of America Northwest, has contributed about $874,000 
for signature-gathering and the campaign. The group opposes the 
Yucca Mountain, Nev., site, where much of Hanford's waste is 
bound. 

The measure also would establish an oversight board that would 
tilt more to groups like Heart of America than to other Hanford 
cleanup stakeholders, altering the current, balanced mix of the 
existing and effective Hanford Advisory Board. It would support 
the effort by taxing federal cleanup activities, taking more 
money away from actual cleanup. 

I-297 litigation would almost certainly cause the Energy 
Department to stall cleanup and give Congress reason to cut 
funding. 

Initiatives, with a few exceptions, can make bad law, but 
especially so on a topic as technically complicated and 
politically nuanced as nuclear cleanup. 

Reject I-297. 

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
*****************************************************************
 62 Tri-City Herald: Shutdown contract for FFTF awarded 

This story was published Saturday, September 25th, 2004 

By Annette Cary Herald staff writer 

The Department of Energy has awarded the contract to finish 
shutting down, then dismantling Hanford's Fast Flux Test Facility 
to SEC Closure Alliance, which includes Tennessee and New Mexico 
businesses. 

The contract is valued at $235 million, DOE announced Friday 
afternoon. 

The winning team includes SEC Federal Services of Safety and 
Ecology Corp. of Knoxville, Tenn.; Los Alamos Technical 
Associates of Los Alamos, N.M.; Parallax of Germantown, Md., and 
Hart Crowser of Seattle. Areva and Resource Consultants, which 
has opened an office in Richland, also is included in the 
alliance, . 

"This small-business-led alliance offers the best value to the 
taxpayer to complete the closure of the reactor," said Secretary 
of Energy Spencer Abraham in a prepared statement. 

DOE plans called for the work taking until 2018 and costing more 
than $600 million. SEC Closure Alliance will complete the work by 
2011 at less than half that cost, according to DOE. 

The contract was restricted to teams of small businesses to 
support President Bush's Small Business Agenda. At least 51 
percent of the work is required to be done by businesses with 500 
or fewer employees. 

DOE had been considering three finalists for the project. They 
included a team headed by Federal Engineering and Constructors 
and Nuvotec, both of Richland, and a team headed by Environmental 
Chemical Corp., based in Burlingame, Calif. 

FFTF, a research reactor, operated from 1982 to 1992. It's being 
permanently shut down after Democratic and Republican 
administrations concluded the nation did not have a financially 
viable use for the reactor. 

Safety and Ecology Corp. is the 40th largest environmental firm 
in the United States, according to information supplied by the 
company. Founded in 1991, it has a staff of more than 450 and 
conducts more than $45 million of business annually. 

Los Alamos Technical Associates has had a Hanford presence for 
more than 25 years and is an industry leader in nuclear 
operations and engineering, according to information from SEC 
Closure Alliance documents. 

Hart Crowser is a national expert in environmental law and has 30 
years of experience in Washington state regulations, according to 
the alliance. Parallax has nuclear safety and health expertise 
for DOE and commercial nuclear reactors. 

Subcontractor Resource Consultants is an asset recovery firm and 
has worked as a consultant to the Port of Benton and the Tri-City 
Industrial Development Council. 

Areva has more than 500 employees in Richland and has performed 
more than $300 million in nuclear facility decommissioning work 
in the United States. 

"The team has experience maintaining work force stability in 
closure projects and has proposed employee programs for 
post-project opportunities and fee sharing that should ensure 
outstanding project performance," Paul Golan, acting assistant 
secretary of environmental management for DOE, said in a prepared 
statement. 

SEC Closure Alliance will take over shutting down FFTF from DOE 
contractor Fluor Hanford. Fluor Hanford employees are working on 
draining the sodium from the reactor's primary cooling loops. 

DOE is preparing to begin work on an environmental study that 
will determine how the reactor will be decommissioned. DOE is 
considering entombing the reactor, which would include removing 
the dome of the reactor above ground and then grouting and 
leaving in place radioactively contaminated components below 
ground, including the reactor vessel. 

A second option would be removing the dome and the underground 
components to leave a cleaner site. 

Information was not available late Friday afternoon on what plan 
the $235 million figure was based. A record of decision on what 
FFTF will look like when it is completed should be issued in late 
2005. 

© 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
 63 The Australian: Tensions simmer in world fusion project
                      

[September 27, 2004]
 	 	
[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au

AFP

BRUSSELS: The European Union has reaffirmed its desire to get 
broad international backing for a revolutionary nuclear energy 
project, the subject of rival bids from France and Japan.

But sources said the EU was also growing anxious about delays to 
choosing a site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental 
Reactor (ITER), and might in the last resort go ahead at its own 
location. 

"Because of the global importance of fusion research, there is a 
consensus that international cooperation should be on the 
broadest possible basis and involve as many partners as 
possible," EU research ministers said in a statement after 
regular talks. 

The statement left open the question of which partners the EU was 
seeking to build ITER, the world's first prototype reactor for 
nuclear fusion, which is billed as a clean, safe, inexhaustible 
energy source of the future. 

A diplomat with the EU's Dutch presidency said the bloc was still 
keen to work within the six-party ITER framework, which also 
embraces China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. 

But French junior research minister Francois d'Aubert came away 
from the EU talks with a different interpretation. 

"The member states have backed an international approach that is 
as broad as possible... with as many countries as possible," he 
told reporters. 

"But if we don't get there, we won't get there," d'Aubert said, 
while also rejecting any talk of "shutting the door on Japan or 
the United States". 

The United States and South Korea support the Japanese site, in 
the northern village of Rokkasho-mura, to host ITER. 

But the European bloc wants to build the reactor in the southern 
French town of Cadarache, near Marseille, and has won support 
from China and Russia. 

The Dutch presidency is seeking to settle the long-running 
disagreement over ITER's location by the end of November. 

The EU's long-time chief negotiator on the project, Philippe 
Busquin, turned up the pressure at the start of this month by 
recommending that the EU should study the possibility of 
launching its own project, diplomats said. 

Before standing down as EU research commissioner, Busquin said in 
a letter to the Dutch presidency that "several partners have a 
very strong preference" for Cadarache, and "would support an 
initiative by the EU to unblock the situation". 

According to one EU source, China and Russia could join the 
European project, and other interested countries such as Canada 
and India would also be welcome. 

The project could be launched without digging further into EU 
funds, he added. 

That is a key demand of Germany and Britain, as well as the 
Dutch, and was spelt out again in the research ministers' 
statement. 

Forty percent of the estimated 4.7 billion euros it will cost to 
build the first ITER reactor would come out of the EU budget. 

France has proposed to double its own contribution to some 914 
million euros, or about 20 per cent of the total. 

D'Aubert argued the project could be launched with Russia paying 
10 per cent of the costs and China a further 10 per cent. Other 
partners could be invited to contribute to costs too, he said. 

Wrangling over the decision is expected to focus on a meeting of 
the six ITER partners in Vienna in mid-October, hosted by the 
International Atomic Energy Agency. 

D'Aubert said a subsequent meeting of the EU ministers on 
November 25 would be "decisive". 

Busquin's successor at the European Commission, Louis Michel, 
vowed that EU governments would refuse to "leave this impasse to 
fester" and would stay united behind the French bid. 

AFP 
		 			 
    
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