***************************************************************** 02/20/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.43 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 [NYTr] Iran, Cuba Sign anti-Nuclear Weapons Agreements 2 Secretary-general Welcomes Moscow Talks On Iran's Uranium Enrichment 3 The Dangers of a Middle East Nuclear War 4 IRNA: Rise in budget allocated to Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant 5 IRNA: Iran's FM arrives in Brussels for nuclear talks 6 IRNA: Mottaki optimist over solution to nuclear issue - 7 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Toughens Stance in Russian Nuke Talks 8 Guardian Unlimited: Russia, Iran Start Enrichment Talks 9 Guardian Unlimited: Russia Cautious on Nuke Talks With Iran 10 Guardian Unlimited: Russia, Iran to Hold More Nuke Talks 11 BBC: Russia urges nuclear deal on 12 IRNA: Vaeidi: Guarantees do not imply suspension of uranium enrichme 13 IRIB News: Elham rules out halting nuclear plan 14 AFP: Iran will not cut back nuclear activity 15 IRNA: Iran reaffirms commitment to NPT, IAEA Safeguards 16 IRNA: Iran not to cease cooperation with IAEA - Mottaki 17 IRNA: Norway supports Iran's right for peaceful use of nuclear energ 18 IRNA: Envoy says country's nuclear knowhow acquired through self-rel 19 IRNA: Mottaki: Iran to decide on nuclear program independently, with 20 Korea Herald: Seoul names new point man on N.K. 21 Xinhua: S. Korean ex-president to delay trip to DPRK: report 22 Korea Times: Seoul Names New Nuke Negotiator 23 US: [du-list] Bush can't pronounce the word "nuclear,"... 24 US: Las Vegas SUN: Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough 25 US: UPI: High costs remain, but sun shines on solar 26 [NYTr] Vanunu on Israel's Bomb and Apartheid Policy 27 Guardian Unlimited: Nuclear Plant Declares, Lifts Emergency 28 BBC: France and India in nuclear deal 29 IRNA: India, France sign 9 agreements including nuclear declaration NUCLEAR REACTORS 30 US: Nuclear Plant Declares, Lifts Emergency 31 US: NRC: NRC Begins Special Inspection at LaSalle Nuclear Plant Foll 32 Rediff: US 90% close to N-deal - Washington 33 MDM: Nuclear reactor to close for repair after water leak - 34 US: APP.COM: "What if" A-plant was built elsewhere? | 35 US: APP.COM: Why the reactor should be shut | 36 US: AFP: Operators Declare, Exit Site Area Emergency at LaSalle Stat 37 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Utah lawmakers explore nuke-plant possibiliti 38 AFP: India and France seek to unlock nuclear energy and trade deals 39 US: AFP: Bush calls for nuclear construction by 2010 - NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 40 DU--radiation jump in UK 41 [DU List] UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells - details to 42 [du-list] DU in the news 19.02.06 - UK radiation jump blamed 43 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells 44 [du-list] [TP] New Depleted Uranium report 45 BBC: Radioactive lorry leak firm fined 46 US: Morris Daily Herald: Tritium focus of meeting 47 US: UPI: ATK bags $38 million tank ammo order NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 48 Las Vegas SUN: Flashpoint for Feb. 20, 2006 49 US: The Dispatch: Study Says No Health Problems From Perchlorate PEACE 50 [NYTr] Iran Counting on EU Support for Peaceful Nuke Program US DEPT. OF ENERGY 51 Knox News: Engineering, construction firm CH2M Hill finds room to gr ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 [NYTr] Iran, Cuba Sign anti-Nuclear Weapons Agreements Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 17:27:32 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by mart Iran and Cuba sign anti-nuclear weapons agreements 1) (Xinhuanet) "Iran, Cuba sign agreements on anti-nuclear weapons." 2) (AIN) "Fidel Castro Reiterates Support of Iran's Right to Use Nuclear Energy" 3) (AIN) "Bush Threatens Iran while He Announces Nuclear Program" 4) (AIN) "Iran Prepared for US Military Attack" *** (Xinhuanet) - Feb 20, 2006 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/20/content_4202449.htm Iran, Cuba sign agreements on anti-nuclear weapons HAVANA, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Cuba and Iran had signed agreements calling for the destruction of all weapons of mass destruction and an end to the U.S blockade against Cuba during a visit here by Iran's Majlis (parliament) Speaker, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, local media reported on Sunday. Haddad-Adel left Cuba on Sunday after meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez, Vice-President Carlos Lage and his counterpart Ricardo Alarcon. At a farewell ceremony for the Iranian delegation, Alarcon saidthat Haddad-Addel's visit was an "excellent" contribution to the bilateral political and commercial relations. He added that Iran and Cuba were together in their struggle against "imperialism and aggression." The Iranian parliament recently ratified a resolution supporting Cuba in its fight against the four-decade U.S. economic blockade and Cuba has been a vocal supporter of Iran's right to have a peaceful nuclear energy program. Haddad-Adel and his delegation arrived in Cuba last Wednesday from Venezuela and will go on to visit Uruguay. *** AIN (Cuba) - Feb. 20, 2006 http://www.ain.cubaweb.cu/idioma/ingles/2006/feb20fidel-reitera.htm Fidel Castro Reiterates Support of Iran's Right to Use Nuclear Energy Havana, Feb 20 (AIN) President Fidel Castro reiterated Cuba's firm support of Iran's right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful means during his talks in Havana, on Sunday, with Dr. Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Iranian Parliament president. During the meeting, the Cuban president and the Iranian Parliament president reviewed the state of bilateral relations and stressed common viewpoints in regard to the world state-of-affairs, as well as both countries4 potentials to further expand bilateral economic ties. The Iranian government official expressed his deep satisfaction with his visit to Cuba and reiterated his country's friendship, respect and solidarity with the island and its position against Washington's hostile policy against Cuba and its more than four decade long economic blockade of the island. Dr. Gholam Ali Haddad Adel and his delegation came to Cuba after a stop in Venezuela as part of a Latin American tour. The Iranian delegation is now on its way to Uruguay. *** AIN (Cuba) - Feb. 20, 2006 http://www.ain.cubaweb.cu/idioma/ingles/2006/feb20bush-iran.htm Bush Threatens Iran while He Announces Nuclear Program Havana, Feb 20 (AIN) While threatening Iran with a military aggression because it has started to enrich uranium for a peaceful nuclear energy program, US President George W. Bush has just proclaimed an expansion of nuclear energy at home. The president described nuclear energy as "clean and safe" and aimed at reducing that nation's "oil addiction." The Spanish EFE News Agency reported on Sunday that the Bush administration's strategy is aimed at providing the US with abundant and reliable energy sources. However, EFE notes that the president doesn't concede that right to other nations, even though according to him, "nuclear energy generates large amounts of electricity at a low cost and without gas emissions" that pollute the environment and contribute to the greenhouse effect, an issue that just a short time ago was of little concern to him. Bush recalled that last year he had signed a law that provides incentives to transnational corporations to build new nuclear power plants with the goal of beginning to install them at the end of this decade, Granma daily reported on Monday. Nevertheless, he continued to emphasize his opposition to other nations having such technological advances and, bringing the ghost of terrorism into play, he said the US would impede nuclear materials "falling into the hands of terrorist networks and states." *** AIN (Cuba) - Feb. 17, 2006 http://www.ain.cubaweb.cu/idioma/ingles/2006/feb17iran-listo.htm Iran Prepared for US Military Attack Havana, Feb. 17 (AIN) Iranian Parliament President Gholam Ali Haddad Adel said that his country is ready to stave off any possible attack against his country by US military forces. Speaking at the University of Havana on Thursday, the Iranian official insisted that there is no reason for armed intervention against his country by the US or to refer the dispute over Iran's nuclear program to the UN Security Council. In the presence of the Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon, students and professors, the head of the Iranian Parliament reiterated that Teheran is only interested in the peaceful harnessing of the atom within the framework of international law and is opposed to the production of nuclear weapons. After highlighting progress achieved by Iran in the field, the Iranian parliamentarian stressed that Washington wants to block his country's development, while the US refuses to look at the hundreds of nuclear warheads in the hands of Israel. Haddad Adel added today's world is filled with injustice and double standards and gave as an example the misunderstanding of Iran's nuclear program. The Iranian legislator said his country is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a signatory of the Non Proliferation Treaty; as well, the country has complied with additional international protocol of that treaty over the past two and one half years, he said. He added that Teheran has welcomed a number of IAEA inspections and that that institution has not found a single detour off the path of peaceful energy generation by its nuclear program. Gholam Ali Haddad Adel blasted the West's manipulation of concepts of democracy and human rights in an attempt to dominate the Third World; he added that humanity has been a witness to brutal torture employed by the US in the illegally-occupied naval base in Guantanamo and at the Iraqi prison of Abu Ghraib. The distinguished visitor went on to provide a panorama of important scientific developments occurring in Iran. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 2 Secretary-general Welcomes Moscow Talks On Iran's Uranium Enrichment Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:00:22 -0500 SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES MOSCOW TALKS ON IRAN’S URANIUM ENRICHMENT New York, Feb 17 2006 7:00PM Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed reports confirming that Iran will hold talks in Moscow on 20 February on a Russian proposal on uranium enrichment, according to a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10352.doc.htm">statement released by his spokesman today. “As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia’s contribution to bringing all sides back to the negotiating table is vital,” said the spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. Mr. Dujarric said that the Secretary-General trusts that Iran will use the talks in Moscow and the period between now and early March to take the necessary steps to rebuild confidence that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes. “He hopes that Iran will respond positively to the resolutions adopted by the <"http://www.iaea.org/index.html">IAEA Board of Governors on the implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said. “It is time for all those Governments who support and rely on this regime for their own and our collective security to help resolve this crisis in a way that maintains the regime’s integrity and effectiveness,” concluded Mr. Dujarric’s statement. 2006-02-17 00:00:00.000 ________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml ***************************************************************** 3 The Dangers of a Middle East Nuclear War Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 15:26:50 -0600 (CST) The Dangers of a Middle East Nuclear War New Pentagon Doctrine: Mini-Nukes are "Safe for the Surrounding Civilian Population" By Michel Chossudovsky February 17, 2006 This article elaborates on two earlier texts by the author: Nuclear War against Iran , January 2006 Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran , May 2005 "Current US nuclear weapons policy is immoral, illegal, militarily unnecessary, and dreadfully dangerous. The risk of an accidental or inadvertent nuclear launch is unacceptably high. Far from reducing these risks, the Bush administration has signaled that it is committed to keeping the US nuclear arsenal as a mainstay of its military power - a commitment that is simultaneously eroding the international norms that have limited the spread of nuclear weapons and fissile materials for 50 years. Much of the current US nuclear policy has been in place since before I was secretary of defense, and it has only grown more dangerous and diplomatically destructive in the intervening years." (Robert S. McNamara, US Secretary of Defense under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations) The Bush administration's new nuclear doctrine contains specific "guidelines" which allow for "preemptive" nuclear strikes against "rogue enemies" which "possess" or are "developing" weapons of mass destruction (WMD). (2001 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations (DJNO) ). The preemptive nuclear doctrine (DJNO), which applies to Iran and North Korea calls for "offensive and defensive integration". It explicitly allows the preemptive use of thermonuclear weapons in conventional war theaters. In the showdown with Tehran over its alleged nuclear weapons program, these Pentagon "guidelines" would allow, subject to presidential approval, for the launching of punitive bombings using "mini-nukes" or tactical thermonuclear weapons. While the "guidelines" do not exclude other (more deadly) categories of nukes in the US and/or Israeli nuclear arsenal, Pentagon "scenarios" in the Middle East are currently limited to the use of tactical nuclear weapons including the B61-11 bunker buster bomb. This particular version of the bunker buster is a thermonuclear bomb, a so-called Nuclear Earth Penetrator or NEP. It is a Weapon of Mass Destruction in the real sense of the word. Its utilization by the US or Israel in the Middle East war theater would trigger a nuclear holocaust. B61-11 NEP Thermonuclear Bomb History of the B61 Thermonuclear Bomb The B-61 thermonuclear bomb, first produced in 1966, is described as a light weight nuclear device. Its construction essentially extends the technology of the older version of tactical nuclear warheads. (for further details see, http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B61.html . The B61-11 earth-penetrating version of the B61 was developed in the immediate wake of the Cold War under the Clinton administration. It was configured initially to have a "low" 10 kiloton yield, 66.6 percent of a Hiroshima bomb, for (post-Cold War) battlefield operations: "In October 1993, Harold Smith, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Atomic Energy, sought approval to develop an alternative to the B53 high-yield nuclear bomb, which was the principal "bunker buster" weapon in the U.S. arsenal. The B53 was also the heaviest payload nuke in use, weighing 8,900 pounds, and only deployable from the B-52 bombers. Under the guise of "weapons modernization," Smith was pushing the development of the B61-Mod 11. .. The B61-11 was developed and put into the stockpile without full-scale nuclear tests. Some critics have maintained that the B61-11 is a new nuclear weapon, but the US has said all along that the B61-11 is not new, but a modification of older B61s to give the weapon an earth-penetrating capability to destroy buried targets...." http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b61.htm ) The B61-11 was intended for the Middle East. The Clinton administration had in fact threatened to use it against Libya, suggesting that Libya's alleged underground chemical weapons facility at Tarhunah "might be a target of the then-newly deployed B61-11 earth-penetrating nuclear weapon." ( The Record (Bergen County, NJ) February 23, 2003) Military documents distinguish between the NEP and the "mini-nuke" which are nuclear weapons with a yield of less than 10 kilotons (two thirds of a Hiroshima bomb). The NEP can have a yield of up to a 1000 kilotons, or seventy times a Hiroshima bomb. This distinction between mini-nukes and NEPs is in many regard misleading. In practice there is no dividing line. We are broadly dealing with the same type of weaponry: the B61-11 has several "available yields", ranging from "low yields" of less than one kiloton, to mid-range and up to the 1000 kiloton bomb. In all cases, the radioactive fallout is devastating. Moreover, the B61 series of thermonuclear weapons includes several models with distinct specifications: the B61-11, the B61-3, B61- 4, B61-7 and B61-10. Each of these bombs has several "available yields". What is contemplated for theater use is the "low yield" 10 kt bomb, two thirds of a Hiroshima bomb. Mini-Nukes in Conventional War Theaters There are indications that the Bush administration does not exclude using thermonuclear bunker buster bombs in the Middle East war theater. These weapons were specifically developed for use in post Cold War "conventional conflicts with third world nations". In October 2001, in the immediate wake of 9/11, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld envisaged the use of the B61-11 in Afghanistan. The targets were Al Qaeda cave bunkers in the Tora Bora mountains. Rumsfeld stated at the time that while the "conventional" bunker buster bombs "' are going to be able to do the job', ... he did not rule out the eventual use of nuclear weapons." (Quoted in the Houston Chronicle, 20 October 2001). The use of the B61-11 was also contemplated during the 2003 bombing and invasion of Iraq. In this regard, the B61-11 was described as "a precise, earth-penetrating low-yield nuclear weapon against high-value underground targets", which included Saddam Hussein's underground bunkers: "If Saddam was arguably the highest value target in Iraq, then a good case could be made for using a nuclear weapon like the B61-11 to assure killing him and decapitating the regime" (.Defense News, December 8, 2003). There is no documentary evidence, however, that the B61-11 was used against Iraq. A B-2A bomber releases a test version of the new B61-11 gravity bomb over the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, November 20, 1996 "Safe for Civilians" The B61-11 is categorized as a "deep earth penetrating bomb" capable of "destroying the deepest and most hardened of underground bunkers, which the conventional warheads are not capable of doing". The B61-11s can be delivered in much same way as the conventional bunker buster bomb, from a B-2. a 5B-2 stealth bomber or from an F-16 aircraft. "military officials and leaders of America's nuclear weapon laboratories are urging the US to develop a new generation of precision low-yield nuclear weapons... which could be used in conventional conflicts with third-world nations. Critics argue that adding low-yield warheads to the world's nuclear inventory simply makes their eventual use more likely. In fact, a 1994 law currently prohibits the nuclear laboratories from undertaking research and development that could lead to a precision nuclear weapon of less than 5 kilotons (KT), because "low-yield nuclear weapons blur the distinction between nuclear and conventional war." .. Senate Republicans John Warner (R-VA) and Wayne Allard (R-CO) buried a small provision in the 2001 Defense Authorization Bill that would have overturned these earlier restrictions... Senators Warner and Allard imagine these nuclear weapons could be used in small-scale conventional conflicts against rogue dictators, while leaving most of the civilian population untouched. As one anonymous former Pentagon official put it to the Washington Post last spring, "What's needed now is something that can threaten a bunker tunneled under 300 meters of granite without killing the surrounding civilian population." Statements like these promote the illusion that nuclear weapons could be used in ways which minimize their "collateral damage," making them acceptable tools to be used like conventional weapons." (See http://www.fas.org/faspir/2001 / click v54nl, italics added) In an utterly twisted logic, the nuclear bunker buster bomb is presented as an instrument of peace-making and regime change, which will enhance global security. It is intended to curb the dangers of WMD proliferation by "nonstate organizations (terrorist, criminal)" and "rogue states". Pentagon propaganda has carefully distorted the nature of this bomb. The B61-11 is casually described as causing an underground explosion without threatening "the surrounding civilian population". The Pentagon has blurred the distinction between conventional battlefield weapons and nuclear bombs. Already during the Clinton Administration, the Pentagon was calling for the use of the "nuclear" B61-11 bunker buster bomb, suggesting that because it was "underground", there was no toxic radioactive fallout which could affect civilians. The Bush administration has gone one step further in defining the use of tactical nuclear weapons, which are now part of America's preemptive arsenal. Essentially they are described defensive weapons. Under the preemptive nuclear doctrine, they are specifically identified for use in conventional war theaters. The Pentagon claims that the use of the B61-11 minimizes the risks of "collateral damage". According to US. military planners, "potential adversaries" are hiding their WMDs in "fortified bunkers" below more than 100 feet of concrete. Yet test results indicate that the low yield B61-11 has never penetrated more than 20 feet below the ground (See also The Independent. 23 October 2003) : "The earth-penetrating capability of the B61-11 is fairly limited. ... Tests show it penetrates only 20 feet or so into dry earth when dropped from an altitude of 40,000 feet. ... Any attempt to use it in an urban environment would result in massive civilian casualties. Even at the low end of its 0.3-300 kiloton yield range, the nuclear blast will simply blow out a huge crater of radioactive material, creating a lethal gamma-radiation field over a large area " (Low-Yield Earth-Penetrating Nuclear Weapons by Robert W. Nelson,Federation of American Scientists, 2001 ). Nuclear Holocaust According to GlobalSecurity.org , the use of the B61-11 against North Korea would result in extensive radioactive fallout over nearby countries, thereby triggering a nuclear holocaust. "... In tests the bomb penetrates only 20 feet into dry earth,... But even this shallow penetration before detonation allows a much higher proportion of the explosion to be transferred into ground shock relative to a surface burst. It is not able to counter targets deeply buried under granite rock. Moreover, it has a high yield, in the hundreds of kilotons. If used in North Korea, the radioactive fallout could drift over nearby countries such as Japan" (http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b61.htm ) If it were to be launched against Iran, it would result in radioactive contamination over a large part of the Middle East - Central Asian region, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, including US troops stationed in Iraq: "The use of any nuclear weapon capable of destroying a buried target that is otherwise immune to conventional attack will necessarily produce enormous numbers of civilian casualties. No earth-burrowing missile can penetrate deep enough into the earth to contain an explosion with a nuclear yield [of a low yield B61-11] even as small as 1 percent of the 15 kiloton Hiroshima weapon. The explosion simply blows out a massive crater of radioactive dirt, which rains down on the local region with an especially intense and deadly fallout."(Low-Yield Earth-Penetrating Nuclear Weapons, by Robert W. Nelson, op cit ) At present, the B61-11 is slated for use in war theaters together with conventional weapons. (Congressional Report Bunker Busters: Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator Issues , Congressional Research Service March 2005). Other versions of the B61, namely mod 3, 4 and 7, which are part of the US arsenal, involve nuclear bunker buster bombs with a lower yield to that of B61-11). (For further details see http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B61.html ) While the US Congress has blocked further research funding in fiscal 2005 on new more robust tactical nuclear weapons, this decision does not affect the existing arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons including the B61-11, developed during the Clinton administration. The B61-11 bunker busters are fully operational, The B61-11 has apparently been tested "resulting in its acceptance as a standard stockpile item". It has been cleared for battlefield use. Part II of this article is forthcoming on Global Research Readers are welcome to cross-post this articlke with a vbiew to spreading the word and warning people of the dangers of nuclear war. Michel Chossudovsky is the author of the international best seller "The Globalization of Poverty " published in eleven languages. He is Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Center for Research on Globalization, at www.globalresearch.ca . He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His most recent book is entitled: Americas "War on Terrorism", Global Research, 2005. To order Chossudovsky's book America's "War on Terrorism", click here. Related Articles by the Author Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran, by Michel Chossudovsky Nuclear War against Iran, by Michel Chossudovsky Michel Chossudovsky's Presentation on The Dangers of a US Sponsored Nuclear War at the Perdana Peace Forum, l Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. To become a Member of Global Research The Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) at www.globalresearch.ca grants permission to cross-post original Global Research articles in their entirety, or any portions thereof, on community internet sites, as long as the text & title are not modified. The source must be acknowledged and an active URL hyperlink address to the original CRG article must be indicated. The author's copyright note must be displayed. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: crgeditor@yahoo.com www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner. To express your opinion on this article, join the discussion at Global Research's News and Discussion Forum For media inquiries: crgeditor@yahoo.com ) Copyright Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 2006 The url address of this article is: www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=1988 ***************************************************************** 4 IRNA: Rise in budget allocated to Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Tehran, Feb 20, IRNA Iran-Nuclear-Majlis The Rapporteur for Majlis Commission on Budget Allocation, Mohammad-Mehdi Mofatteh, here Monday said that the budget earmarked for finalizing the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant project in the New Fiscal Year (starting March 21) was raised by 1,940 billion rials. Speaking to reporters, Mofatteh said that the indicated amount will be added to the relevant budget in addition to the current expenses included in the budget bill. Concerning the financial relationship between the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the government with respect to the services and works accomplished by the NIOC, he said that last year's mechanism was approved, according to which six percent of the value of the produced crude oil is paid to NIOC as the contractor. "Besides, five percent of the crude oil value is considered as tax and 4.5 percent is taken as the interest of government's share. "NIOC should finance its current affairs and investment by using the six percent paid as its commission," added the rapporteur. ***************************************************************** 5 IRNA: Iran's FM arrives in Brussels for nuclear talks Tehran, Feb 20, IRNA Iran-Mottaki-Belgium Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Monday morning to hold talks with the European side on the Iran nuclear issue. The deputy head of the Supreme National Security Council for International Affairs, Javad Vaeidi, is in the minister's delegation. During his stay in Brussels, Mottaki is scheduled to deliver a speech at the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. The Iranian delegation will also hold talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. ***************************************************************** 6 IRNA: Mottaki optimist over solution to nuclear issue - Brussels, Feb 20, IRNA Belgium-Mottaki-Press Conference Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Monday voiced optimism that Iran's nuclear issue could be resolved before the next meeting of the IAEA on March 6. "We are diplomats. We would like to be optimistic definitely," he told a press conference in Brussels. Mottaki said there will be a "very important meeting" on March 6 in Vienna where the UN nuclear watchdog is based. "There are two options. The first option is leaving the case without any management and something will happen. The second option is to mange the situation in a common understanding and compromise way. We believe there are possibilities for the second option and we are working on that," he said. Mottaki earlier met with Belgian foreign minister Karel de Gucht and the EU Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero Waldner, and discussed the nuclear issue, human rights, Middle East and terrorism. Mottaki said he will discuss the issues in details with EU High Representative Javier Solana later in the afternoon. "These are issue for cooperation, exchanging views to reach a common understanding and avoid unilateral approach." On the nuclear issue, Mottaki said they discussed confidence building measures. "Trust should be for both sides," he stressed adding that for three years Iran has been cooperating and discussing "seriously and sincerely" with the EU. He pointed out that IAEA chief Mr. Elbaradei's reports make no indication of any diversion of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities. "We have committed ourselves not to move for nuclear weapons based on our religious belief. Nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's defense doctrine," he stressed. "We would like to enjoy our rights to have nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We cannot accept any discriminatory approach." "The language of threat is over. It is time for negotiations. It is time for peaceful solution," Mottaki said. The Iranian foreign minister said some powers were using the UN Security Council as a tool. Iran will continue its nuclear research activities, he underlined. "We are ready for any negotiations. We are ready for any compromise," he said. On the Russian proposal, he said some main elements should be considered. "Two most important elements are time and place for enrichment along with the right of Iran to have nuclear technology for peaceful purposes." Negotiations are taking place in Moscow Monday. In his talks in Brussels, Mottaki also raised the issue of the cartoon controversy and condemned the Danish cartoons as "violation of human rights." He said Denmark should take the initiative to cool down the situation. Mottaki arrived in Brussels Monday morning following an invitation by the foreign relations committee of the European Parliament. He is to address the EP this evening. News sent: 16:15 Monday February 20, 2006 Print ***************************************************************** 7 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Toughens Stance in Russian Nuke Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Monday February 20, 2006 10:16 PM AP Photo MOSB101 By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Iran took a tough stance in high-profile talks Monday on the Kremlin's offer to enrich uranium in Russia, seen as a last chance for Tehran to stave off international sanctions. Iran's top negotiator dismissed Russia's call for his country to freeze its domestic enrichment program, and the two delegations ended the day of nuclear talks without any apparent breakthrough. The Russian offer, backed by the United States and Europe, was widely seen as the final opportunity for Iran to address the West's concerns before a March 6 meeting of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, which could start a process leading to U.N. Security Council sanctions. Iran defends its right to maintain a domestic enrichment program, which the United States and other Western nations suspect is a cover-up for a weapons program. Iran insists its nuclear activity is solely geared toward generating energy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the talks that Iran should resume the moratorium on uranium enrichment that it broke last month and assuage international concerns about its nuclear activities to avoid Security Council intervention. ``To achieve that, it's important for Iran to resume a moratorium on uranium enrichment on its territory and continue contacts between all interested parties to achieve mutually acceptable agreements,'' Lavrov said. Enrichment is a process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead. The head of the Iranian delegation in Moscow, Ali Hosseinitash, rejected any link between the Russian plan and demands for Iran to restore a freeze on uranium enrichment. According to Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency, he said Iran did not intend to renounce its right to produce nuclear fuel domestically. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, speaking in Brussels where he met with European Union officials, also reaffirmed Tehran will continue nuclear research even if it accepts Russia's enrichment offer. ``If we reach some compromise ... we can continue our cooperation from where we are now,'' Mottaki said. ``It means the research department continues its activity and Russia's proposal is for major nuclear fuel production.'' But he told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that ``nuclear weapons are not in Iran's interest.'' EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the talks with Mottaki had failed to resolve Iran's nuclear standoff with the West. In Moscow, the office of Igor Ivanov, the head of Russia's presidential Security Council, issued a terse statement after the closed meeting between Russia and Iran, saying that negotiators had ``agreed to continue talks.'' The Foreign Ministry said the talks will continue Tuesday. Analysts had warned against expecting a decisive outcome Monday, saying that any breakthrough would more likely emerge during Russian atomic energy chief Sergei Kiriyenko's visit to Iran on Thursday. Lavrov said he hopes that the meeting will register ``Iran's fulfillment of the IAEA's requests,'' referring to the nuclear watchdog's efforts to determine whether Tehran has tried to develop atomic weapons. Tensions escalated earlier this month when the IAEA reported Iran to the Security Council. Iran responded by suspending certain aspects of its co-operation with the IAEA - including allowing surprise inspections of its nuclear facilities - and confirmed that it had resumed small-scale uranium enrichment Experts have said Iran would like its scientists to have access to the Russian enrichment facility and hope to retain the right to conduct some part of the enrichment process at home. IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei recently suggested that the international community might have no choice but to accept small-scale enrichment in Iran as a condition for Tehran's agreement to move its full program abroad, a diplomat familiar with ElBaradei's thinking said Sunday. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 8 Guardian Unlimited: Russia, Iran Start Enrichment Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Monday February 20, 2006 12:01 PM MOSCOW (AP) - Russian and Iranian officials started talks Monday on Russia's offer to enrich uranium for Iran, a proposal aimed at defusing the international crisis over concerns that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. Before the meeting, Russia's foreign minister conceded that Moscow had limited hopes for the talks. ``Honestly speaking, we have modest expectations, but we will make every effort to avoid an escalation of the situation and the use of force,'' Sergey Lavrov told a government meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin in televised comments. The top Iranian negotiator, Ali Hosseinitash, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said beforehand he believed an agreement was possible. He cautioned, however, against linking the Russian plan to demands for Iran to restore a freeze on uranium enrichment, Russian news agencies reported. ``The negotiations with Russia do not foresee any preconditions,'' Hosseinitash said, according to ITAR-Tass. He added that there was no link ``between the moratorium on uranium enrichment and talks on the Russian plan.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 9 Guardian Unlimited: Russia Cautious on Nuke Talks With Iran From the Associated Press [UP] Monday February 20, 2006 12:46 PM AP Photo VM104 By HENRY MEYER Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Russia expressed limited hope Monday as Russian and Iranian officials started talks on an offer by Moscow to enrich uranium for Tehran, seen as a final opportunity for the Islamic regime to avoid the threat of international sanctions over its nuclear program. ``Honestly speaking, we have modest expectations, but we will make every effort to avoid an escalation of the situation and the use of force,'' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a government meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin in televised comments shortly before the talks began. The top Iranian negotiator, Ali Hosseinitash, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said he believed an agreement was possible. He cautioned, however, against linking the Russian plan to demands for Iran to restore a freeze on uranium enrichment, Russian news agencies reported. ``The negotiations with Russia do not foresee any preconditions,'' Hosseinitash said, according to ITAR-Tass. He added that there was no link ``between the moratorium on uranium enrichment and talks on the Russian plan.'' In a sign of possible compromise, Iran's foreign minister said Tehran was looking for a ``peaceful solution'' to the impasse and was ready to listen to ``new ideas.'' ``We express our readiness for negotiations based on justice and a comprehensive compromise. We want to peacefully solve the problem,'' Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said after talks with Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht in Brussels. ``We believe that the time of threats is over. The (U.N.) Security Council should not be considered as a tool of some countries ... We are here to hear any new plans, any new proposal, any new ideas.'' But the Iranians have blown hot and cold over Moscow's initiative, under which Iran's enrichment activities would take place on Russian soil to ensure no uranium is diverted for nuclear weapons. Enrichment is a process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead. Iran maintains its nuclear program is purely for energy needs but Western nations accuse it of pursuing a secret atomic weapons drive that would upset the balance of power in the Middle East. The U.N nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is to hold a meeting on March 6 which could start a process leading to U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran. The Russian foreign minister said Iran could conduct all nuclear activities on its own soil once the IAEA had resolved its concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. Lavrov said last week the Russian proposal is conditional on Iran giving up all enrichment activity, including small-scale efforts it started last week. The European Union and the United States also insist that Tehran reimpose a freeze on all enrichment. Analysts warned against expecting a decisive outcome Monday, saying a concrete result would more likely emerge from further talks when the head of Russia's atomic energy agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, visits Iran on Thursday. Experts have said Iran would like its scientists to have access to the Russian enrichment facility and hope to retain the right to conduct part of the enrichment process at home. But Former Russian Atomic Energy Minister Viktor Mikhailov told the Vremya Novostei daily in comments published on Monday that the entire facility would be off-limits to the Iranians. IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei recently suggested that the international community might have no choice but to accept small-scale enrichment on Iranian soil as a condition for Tehran to agree to move its full program abroad, a diplomat familiar with ElBaradei's position said Sunday. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Iranian presidential spokesman Gholamhossein Elham, speaking in a news conference Monday, welcomed the IAEA proposal on small-scale enrichment inside Iran as a ``positive step'' toward resolving the nuclear dispute but said that any restrictions on Tehran's right to access nuclear energy were unacceptable. For Russia, this week's talks are an opportunity to stave off the threat of action against a country where it has strong interests - it is building Iran's first nuclear power station - and win prestige by helping find a solution to a conflict in which it was long seen as part of the problem. But the price would be high for Iran, at least in terms of pride: Giving up enrichment efforts at home, even temporarily, goes against its leaders' adamant insistence on their right to conduct the process as part of their energy program. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 10 Guardian Unlimited: Russia, Iran to Hold More Nuke Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Monday February 20, 2006 4:46 PM AP Photo MOSB101 MOSCOW (AP) - Russian and Iranian negotiators concluded a day of talks Monday on Moscow's offer to enrich uranium for Iran and agreed to continue discussions, but did not say when, Russian news reports said. The office of Russia's presidential Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, who hosted the Iranian delegation, issued a terse statement that the Russian and Iranian negotiators had agreed to continue talks, Interfax, ITAR-Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies reported. The statement did not say when, where or on what level the talks would be continued. ITAR-Tass said the Iranian delegation was expected to leave Moscow on Tuesday. Talks to the Iranian Embassy in Moscow went unanswered on Monday evening. The Russian offer, backed by the United States and Europe, was widely seen as the last chance for Iran to address the West's concerns before a March 6 meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which could start a process leading to punishment before the U.N. Security Council. But Iran has adamantly defended its right to maintain a domestic enrichment program, seen by the United States and other Western nations as a cover-up for a suspected weapons program. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sought to lower expectations before Moscow talks. Analysts warned against expecting a decisive outcome Monday, saying a concrete result would more likely emerge from further talks when the head of Russia's atomic energy agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, visits Iran on Thursday. Experts have said Iran would like its scientists to have access to the Russian enrichment facility and hope to retain the right to conduct some part of the enrichment process at home. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 11 BBC: Russia urges nuclear deal on Last Updated: Monday, 20 February 2006 [Iranian technicians] Western powers suspect Iran's nuclear ambitions are not peaceful Russia has urged Iran to stop enriching uranium and to accept a Russian compromise aimed at defusing nuclear tensions with the West. Under the plan, Tehran could receive uranium enriched on Russian soil. But as talks began on Monday, Iran insisted again that it reserved the right to pursue nuclear research even if it accepted the Russian deal. Western powers are concerned Iran aims to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its programme is not military. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the call for Tehran to compromise as the first of two days of talks on the issue ended in Moscow. Iran resumed small-scale uranium enrichment earlier this month, after the UN nuclear watchdog reported Tehran to the UN Security Council. Enrichment can produce fuel for either for civilian nuclear reactors or for nuclear bombs. No statement was issued on the content of the Moscow talks. But Mr Lavrov said: "The moratorium on uranium enrichment on Iranian territory should be resumed and contacts with the participation of all interested sides should continue." Earlier, he said Moscow had only "modest expectations" from the talks. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, in Brussels to meet European Union officials, said nuclear research would continue. "We continue our preparation from where we are now. That is, the research department will continue its activity," Mr Mottaki told reporters. He said the Western threat of UN sanctions against Iran was wrong. "We believe the time of threats is over. The Security Council should not be considered as a tool in the hands of some countries," he said. 'Hot and cold' Russia has suggested it enrich uranium in its reactors and then ship the fuel to Iran, in a bid to alleviate the standoff. Correspondents say Russia hopes the plan will enable Tehran to run a nuclear power programme, while allaying Western fears. The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says an agreement would mean more prestige for Moscow, while helping to protect its economic interests in Iran - which could be hit if the international community imposes sanctions. However, our correspondent says Iranian officials have run hot and cold on Moscow's idea in recent weeks, and there is growing suspicion in the West that the Iranians are just stalling for time. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution could lead to eventual sanctions, although any action has been put off until a report by the head of the agency on 6 March. The nuclear crisis has intensified since Iran resumed nuclear activity last summer after a two-and-a-half year freeze. ***************************************************************** 12 IRNA: Vaeidi: Guarantees do not imply suspension of uranium enrichment Tehran, Feb 19, IRNA Iran-Nuclear-Vaeidi Deputy head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for international affairs, Javad Vaeidi said here Sunday that the European have always called for halting Iran's enrichment process under the guise of 'guarantee' which is regarded as an historical blunder of the Europeans. He added that the Iranian nation, intellectuals and public opinion have come to realize their intentions and believe that the issue shall not be interpreted as guarantee. On a question about why the Europeans do not ask IAEA to obtain guarantees from Iran, he said if the IAEA is to solve the issue through legal means, they should take action on the basis of international protocols which will entail Iran's extensive cooperation. "In talks in New York and on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the European side called for Iran to be deprived of fuel cycle but we are to achieve our legitimate right step by step," he underlined. Article 8 of the IAEA Board of Governor's resolution issued on February 4 stipulates that the IAEA director general should provide a comprehensive report to the UN Security Council along with the resolution to be issued by the IAEA in March, in which it should stipulate that Iran has taken required measures to remove shortcomings to this end. "We have discussed and solved various issues with the IAEA which should all be mentioned in the upcoming report by (IAEA Director General Mohammad) ElBaradei and in case the resolution is prepared on the basis of this and avoids taking a politicized stance, the issue would merely be referred to the UN Security Council and there is no room for the body to take any action against us," he said. Another prediction is that if they wish to create crisis, they would exert pressure on IAEA's director general to issue fabricated and ambiguous information on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities to create a much more tense atmosphere against Iran, he said. It is not unpredictable that they would try to create a much more tense circumstances to report Iran's dossier to the UN Security Council, he pointed out. On Russian proposal, he said "We have made some amendments in line with our national rights and interests which will be announced in the upcoming meeting with Russian side," he concluded. ***************************************************************** 13 IRIB News: Elham rules out halting nuclear plan IRIB PERSIAN NEWS 03:09:04 È.Ù Tehran, Feb 20 - Enjoying peaceful nuclear technology is a national, legal and natural right of Iran, said Government Spokesman Gholamhossein Elham Monday. In his weekly press conference, Elham told foreign and domestic reporters that this right is Tehran's red line. He further said Tehran pursues all its rights and would not be satisfied with minimals. He stressed on using peaceful nuclear technology based on international regulations, NPT and other agreements Iran is adhered to is Tehran's definite right. Iran invites all countries to recognize its rights in peaceful nuclear technology issue and step forward in the direction, Elham said. mk Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting ***************************************************************** 14 AFP: Iran will not cut back nuclear activity Mon Feb 20, 5:20 AM ET TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran " /> Iraninsisted that it will not restrict its nuclear activities "to the minimum" ahead of talks with Russia aimed at working out a compromise over Tehran's controversial atomic plans. "There is no way that we will limit our (nuclear) activities to the minimum," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters. Iran is due to hold talks Monday in Moscow on a Russian proposal that would provide Tehran fuel for nuclear reactors on the condition the uranium is enriched in Russia. The package is seen as Tehran's last chance to pull back from the brink in its escalating confrontation with the West over its nuclear activities which are suspected of being aimed at developing an atomic bomb. Tehran insists it wants enriched uranium for the specific purpose of feeding its power plants, but the international community is skeptical of the oil powerhouse's need for extra energy sources. Enrichment is a process that involves feeding uranium gas through cascades of centrifuges. When purified to low levels, the result is reactor fuel, but the process can be extended to make the fissile core of a nuclear bomb. "We invite everyone to accept the totality of our right in the nuclear field, to stop on this path means a red line for us," Elham added. Despite holding talks, Tehran's tone has been defiant. "The Islamic republic is not being stubborn or adventurist, but it will not accept the supression of its nuclear fuel activities," Javad Vaidi, a member of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told reporters Sunday. "A supression of our enrichment activities, as demanded by the West, would be synonymous with humiliation and national dependence ... and we will not accept it," he said. Vaidi is also travelling to Brussels with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki for talks on Monday with European Union " /> European Unionforeign policy chief Javier Solana. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 15 IRNA: Iran reaffirms commitment to NPT, IAEA Safeguards New York, Feb 19, IRNA Iran-Larijani-Interview Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani said in an interview with French radio that the Islamic Republic of Iran wants to use the peaceful nuclear energy within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). "The Islamic Republic of Iran has been and continues be committed to its international non-proliferation commitments. Unfortunately certain western countries, contrary to their public statements, have been insisting in the negotiations that Iran should not have any nuclear technology and know-how. This is a double-standard behavior in international system and cannot be acceptable," he added. The Islamic Republic of Iran, like other nations such as Brazil, Japan and many European countries, would like to exercise its inalienable rights to peaceful use of nuclear technology and play its role in this category of countries in international arena, he said. Larijani said that the best guarantee for peacefulness of the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran could include the following measures: "Accepting the current IAEA monitoring and verification systems, Use of modern centrifuges, proposed by some American and British scientists, which permit only limited enrichment, participation of interested countries in Iran's peaceful nuclear activities in the form of a consortium." Accordingly, there are various ways to ensure that Iran is not pursuing Military nuclear programs, he added. "Should these guarantees be acceptable, the Islamic Republic of Iran would accept to send the Additional Protocol to the Parliament for ratification." It has been the consistent policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to employ peaceful nuclear technology for country's economic development, Larijani pointed out. It would be much more appropriate that rather than simply repeating the positions of the United States, the EU would act independently and propose new ways on the basis of the inalienable rights enshrined in the NPT, he added. "The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to cooperate with the EU in this regard and it is appropriate to avoid the language of threat and imposition in this process. Therefore, should the EU change its discourse and stand ready to clearly recognize Iran's rights in the framework of the NPT, there will be a complete readiness on Iran's side to cooperate with Europe." The Islamic Republic of Iran, he added, is ready to negotiate and with all other countries (except the Zionist regime) on the issue. The main problem with the European's proposal in August 2005 was its negligence of Iran's inalienable right to peaceful nuclear technology, in contradiction to the provisions of the NPT, recalled Larijani. "We are of the view that the potentials and capacities of the European Union can be employed to resolve this issue and we stand ready to cooperate with the EU for the longer term as well. In the past, we had the same position, but we have not witnessed appropriate behaviors from the European side. "The cancellation of the construction of the Bushehr power plant by the Siemens of Germany, the refusal of France's EURODIEF to deliver Uranium and failure of the United State's to honor its commitment to deliver the Uranium for Tehran's research reactor, which had been paid for, are but a few examples of behaviors that are not comprehensible. "These are some of the reasons which have caused our mistrust towards the West and have encouraged us to go for the completion of our own peaceful nuclear program. "Should a credible international system for providing nuclear fuel be in place, the Islamic Republic of Iran would be ready to procure its nuclear fuel from that system. However, such a system does not exist at present." ***************************************************************** 16 IRNA: Iran not to cease cooperation with IAEA - Mottaki , Feb 20, IRNA -- Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki said at an address to the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels Monday night that Iran is determined to keep on close cooperation with the IAEA in pursuing its peaceful nuclear program. Stressing that the Iranian nation favors holding polite, and logical, dialogue with the entire world, and that President Ahmadinejad's government, too, pursues that policy as the nation's representative, Mottaki stressed, "The Iranian nation meanwhile insists on its right to have access to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes." In response to those EP representatives who had suggested that Iran, too, had better pursue the path formerly paved by Libya regarding its nuclear program, Mottaki said, "The Libyans might have been pursuing military objectives in their nuclear activities, and at any rate, their decision has been based on their national interests." He agreed with the EP Speaker on the point that it would serve everyone's interests not to let chaotic conditions prevail in the world. Mottaki advised his counterparts in EU, "As representatives of our nations at diplomatic field we are obliged to eliminate obstacles on the way of peaceful solution to international crises." Mottaki added, "I have talked to my Belgian counterpart, and before him with the Russian and many other countries' foreign ministers on the guarantees Iran is ready to give to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear program." He said that the confidence-building process is a two-way issue, and Iran is in need of making sure about the truthfulness of the European's intentions in their meddling in our country's nuclear program. On anti-Islamic cartoons published in a less famous Danish daily, Mottaki said, "I told my Danish counterpart Mr. De Gutch that keeping in mind our bilateral friendly ties we expected the Danish government to adopt a more logical stand in that respect." Mottaki said, "The issue has noting to do with safeguarding the freedom of expression, but is rather totally an anti-cultural move that should not be hidden behind the banner of freedom." Turning to the victory of Hamas in Palestinian elections the Iranian foreign minister said, "The Palestinian elections were held based on a democratic process, based on which the PA Parliament has taken shape and Hamas would also soon establish its government." He added, "Hamas leaders have travelled to many countries after their party's political victory, including to Russia, Egypt, and quite naturally to Iran. I believe the Middle East analysts should study the process of developments in occupied territories painstakingly and meanwhile everyone has to learn to respect the decision of the Palestinian nation." Focussing on the political and social freedoms in Iran, Mottaki said that freedom of expression is observed in Iran and we have free press, that did not exist during the past regime. On execution of criminals in Iran, our country's foreign minister said, "The toughest decision adopted in Iran's judiciary system is on execution of a criminal, and there are various phases for overseeing such verdicts." He added, "All the same, a death penalty might be annulled in Iran right before execution of the decree upon a mutual agreement between the families of the victim and the criminal. ***************************************************************** 17 IRNA: Norway supports Iran's right for peaceful use of nuclear energy Tehran, Feb 20, IRNA Iran-Norway-Nuclear Visiting Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister for the Middle East and Africa Raymond Johansen said on Monday that his country officially recognizes Iran's legitimate right for peaceful application of nuclear technology. Speaking to reporters after his two-hour meeting with his Iranian counterpart, he said the meeting focused on Iran's nuclear dossier. He said Norway has always underlined that the issue should be resolved through diplomatic means based on IAEA rules and regulations. "The Islamic Republic of Iran should in return meet the demands of the International community and we as Iran's important partner are willing to help restore security to the region," he said. Other issues discussed at the meeting were international terrorism and nuclear disarmament, he said, adding that Iran has always played a key role in restoration of regional security. On Afghan refugees, he said Iran has generously hosted the fghan refugees for many years which deserves to be appreciated. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Euro-American Affairs Saeed Jalili said Iran and Norway are considered as two important countries the Middle East and Europe, describing the current level of political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries as 'significant'. The two sides held very fruitful talks on further expansion of mutual cooperation, he said, adding that they also discussed issues of mutual interests such as Iran's nuclear dossier, mutual relations as well as regional developments. According to Jalili, the Norwegian deputy foreign minister underlined the significant role of Iran in restoration of regional security, and said the country has played a constructive role in Iraq and Afghanistan. Highlighting the need for expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries, Jalili said Norway has invested more than dlrs one billion in oil sector and has voiced readiness to further increase its investment. On the prospects for resumption of Iran's nuclear negotiations in Brussels and Moscow, he said the country's policy is to welcome any talks or plans to reserve its legitimate rights enshrined in NPT. ***************************************************************** 18 IRNA: Envoy says country's nuclear knowhow acquired through self-reliance - Kuala Lumpur, Feb 20, IRNA Iran-Thailand-Nuclear Iranian Ambassador to Thailand Mohsen Pak-Ayeen said in Bangkok on Monday that the country's nuclear knowhow has been acquired through self-reliance. Speaking to Thai national TV, he added that Western states' opposition to Iranian scientific progress can be traced to their spirit of arrogance and expansionism. "Despite all these years of sanctions, the Iranian nation has succeeded in acquiring nuclear knowhow through self-reliance and the pioneering spirit of its science-minded people. This is something worth emulating by other developing countries which are in a similar pursuit for scientific and technical progress," he said. "European states worry when developing states gain self-reliance because this will mean the end of their monopoly on the world's energies," Pak-Ayeen said. He expressed regret over the influence exerted by certain powers over certain international organizations, saying, "The world should know that Iran has not violated the nuclear safeguards regime and that the country's nuclear knowhow is for peaceful purposes." He reiterated that Iran's decision to resume peaceful nuclear activities was not in violation of previous agreements signed between Tehran and the European troika (Germany, France and Britain). "It was just an exercise of the right which every member of the international community has to have access to peaceful nuclear technology," he added. "We are committed to implement the rules and regulations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran's nuclear activities are conducted within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency," the ambassador stressed. With regard to the current nuclear dispute, he said: "We always give priority to diplomacy over hostility, but we are right in demanding concessions to materialize our goal of accessing peaceful nuclear energy just as we give concessions to the European side." Pointing out that mutual confidence was necessary in order to negotiate successfully, he said "the Iranian government will continue to cooperate with other states toward resolving the nuclear issue and within the framework of its cooperation with the IAEA." ***************************************************************** 19 IRNA: Mottaki: Iran to decide on nuclear program independently, within int'l laws - Brussels, Feb 21, IRNA Mottaki-De Gucht-Meet Iran's visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki in a meeting here Monday with his Belgian counterpart Carl De Gucht stressed that Iran would adopt independent stands on continuation of its nuclear activities based on international laws. Further elaborating on the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities, Mottaki said, "No deviation from the international laws and the NPT treaty has taken place and if the EU wishes to have a constructive presence at this scene it must keep in mind two significant points. On the one hand they should work on trust-building that is very important for Iran today, since we too, need to have trust in Europeans, and on the other hand, the Europeans need to cooperate with Iran to achieve its right in having the full cycle of the nuclear fuel technology." Mottaki and De Gutch during the meeting surveyed the two countries' ties, international developments, and the latest status of Iran's nuclear program, adding, "Iran would continue its cooperation with the IAEA within that framework." He added, "Therefore, any other assumption based on Iran's intention to cease cooperation with the agency is baseless." The Iranian top diplomat elaborating on current status of Iran-Belgium relations, emphasized, "There are lots of unused potentials and huge room for broadening ties." On the Russian proposal, he said, "Keeping in mind the good relations between the two countries, the two sides are surveying the various aspects of the proposal." Mottaki referred to the enthusiasm of the three European countries in the past to pursue dialogue with Iran on its nuclear program in the past and expressed hope that the same process would be pursed under the current conditions, as well. Referring to the publication of anti-Islamic caricatures in certain European press, Mottaki said, "The hidden hands behind that plot are after fueling the flames of war between civilizations." He added, "Based on the internal laws of some European countries those that have insulted the Exalted Prophet of Islam (PBUH) must be summoned to courts of justice and be put to trial." The Iranian Foreign Minister said, "Denmark must apologize to the Islamic World to extinguish the anger and incited sensations within the Muslim nations." Referring to the different reactions of the European officials to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks, he said, "Europe is very impatient. They talk about respecting the freedom of expression, but they act quite selectively instead." He reiterated, "Bilateral ties are defined based on mutual interests, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, too, naturally pursues its own national interests, although we believe in pursuing them based on political realism. ***************************************************************** 20 Korea Herald: Seoul names new point man on N.K. 2006.02.21 Deputy Foreign Minister Chun Young-woo was yesterday named the new chief nuclear negotiator to the stalled six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear standoff. Chun replaces Song Min-soon, who is now the president's chief secretary for unification, foreign and security policy. Chun will also serve as the head of the ministry's new department specializing in policies for permanent peace on the Korean peninsula. The Foreign Ministry, along with other relevant organizations, is establishing the unit to take charge of discussions of a peace treaty to replace the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953. The discussions are part of the agreement on denuclearization made at the six party talks last September. Chun, who is the deputy minister in charge of the ministry's policy planning and international organizations, has previously taken part in North Korea-related negotiations by joining a delegation to the light-water reactor project between 1999 and 2001. He was also deputy ambassador to the United Nations between 2003 and 2004. With Chun's appointment, South Korea's delegation to the six-party talks has completed its makeover. Lee Yong-joon, the new director-general of the ministry's task force on the North's nuclear talks, has been assigned as the No. 2 negotiator on the delegation. The six-party talks are currently stalled over the North's protest against sanctions imposed by the United States for Pyongyang's alleged currency counterfeiting and money laundering activities. The last round of talks was held for three days in November. (angiely@heraldm.com) By Lee Joo-hee ***************************************************************** 21 Xinhua: S. Korean ex-president to delay trip to DPRK: report www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-20 12:38:25 SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has decided to postpone his planned trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to June, South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported Monday. Kim's decision came after South Korean main opposition the Grand National Party said he is trying to help the ruling camp win the May local elections by visiting the DPRK. Kim, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, originally planned to visit the DPRK in April. He already delivered his intention to visit Pyongyang by train to the DPRK side, but has not received endorsement from the DPRK yet. His first trip to the DPRK was in 2000 for the historical inter-Korean summit with the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il. The visit opened a new era of inter-Korean reconciliation and rapprochement. Yonhap said Kim's aide, Choi Kyung-hwan, confirmed the postponement. Moreover, South Korean government is also planning to notify the DPRK of Kim's wish to put off the visit to June, said Yonhap. The former president, 81, said earlier this year that he hoped to visit the DPRK again to help further improvement of inter-Korean relations and the resolving of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. China, the DPRK, the United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan have held five rounds of six-party nuclear talks in Beijing since 2003. The first phase of the fifth round six-party talks concluded in November 2005. However, concerning parties have not decided on the date of reopening the talks yet. Enditem Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 Korea Times: Seoul Names New Nuke Negotiator Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Nation By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter Chun Young-woo, chief delegate to the six-way talks The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Monday appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Chun Young-woo as South Korea's chief delegate to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program. ``I received an undeserved honor,'' he told reporters. ``I will do my best to move forward the nuclear talks and try to render my service to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.'' Since Song Min-soon was promoted on Jan. 25 as chief secretary to the president for unification, foreign and security policy, Seoul has tried to find the right person to fill the post. Chun is well known for his expertise in the fields of disarmament and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and multilateral diplomacy in the United Nations, the ministry said. The 54-year-old diplomat will temporarily hold his current post _ the deputy foreign minister for policy planning _ until the ministry finds his successor. He will also head a task force, which will soon be established by the ministry to assume full charge of addressing the North Korean nuclear issue and building permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, a ministry official said. Since becoming a diplomat in 1977, he has honed his specialties in the fields of nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation. From February 1999 to January 2001, he worked at the Office of Planning for the Light-Water Reactor Project, which was created in 1995 to assist an international consortium's construction of two reactors for civilian purposes in Sinpo, North Korea. He also served as South Korea's deputy envoy to the United Nations from June 2003 to January 2005. Chun's advance as Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator completed the ministry's lineup for the six-party process. On Feb. 9, the ministry named Lee Yong-joon, presidential advisor on the country's Northeast Asia strategies, as Seoul's deputy chief delegate to the six-party talks, replacing Cho Tae-yong, who was promoted as director of the ministry's North American affairs bureau. As a member of the South Korean embassy in the United States, Lee participated in negotiations for the establishment of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) in 1990s and worked at its secretariat from 2003 to 2004. The six-party talks _ participated in by the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan _ reached a cornerstone in September by announcing a joint principle statement on how to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. But the multilateral negotiations encountered a deadlock in November when the North declared a boycott, calling Washington's financial sanctions an attempt to topple the Pyongyang regime. Last September, the United States imposed financial restrictions on a bank in Macau for its suspicious financial services to North Korea for more than 20 years. Consequently, the bank severed its ties with Pyongyang. im@koreatimes.co.kr 02-20-2006 19:27 ***************************************************************** 23 [du-list] Bush can't pronounce the word "nuclear,"... Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:09:19 -0800 Headline from www.buzzflash.com Bush can't pronounce the word "nuclear," but regaled Americans over the weekend with his ideas about expanding use of plutonium reprocessing 2/19 Bush Presses for Nuclear Energy Expansion Email this Story Feb 18, 10:10 AM (ET) By H. JOSEF HEBERT WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Saturday renewed his push for expansion of nuclear energy and sought support for plans to revive nuclear fuel reprocessing to deal with radioactive waste from commercial power plants. "As America and other nations build more nuclear power plants we must work together to address two challenges," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "We must dispose of nuclear waste safely, and we must keep nuclear technology and material out of the hands of terrorist networks and terrorist states." The administration has asked Congress for $250 million next fiscal year to accelerate a decade-long research program into reprocessing nuclear fuel, reducing the amount of reactor waste that eventually would have to be buried. The United States abandoned nuclear fuel reprocessing in the 1970s because of nuclear proliferation concerns. Conventional fuel reprocessing requires the separation of pure plutonium, which can be easily transported and could be used in a weapon if obtained by terrorists. Bush's plan envisions a new approach to reprocessing - one not yet fully demonstrated outside the laboratory - that would not result in the separation of pure plutonium and, therefore, its advocates maintain, poses less of a proliferation risk. Nuclear power must play a growing role in meeting future energy needs not only in the United States, but globally, the president said. He said he envisions a system where the United States and other countries such as Russia, Britain and France would provide reactors and lend nuclear fuel to developing nations. Used fuel would be returned and recycled. "This will allow us to produce more energy while dramatically reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating the nuclear byproducts that unstable regimes and terrorists could use to make weapon," Bush said. The reprocessing initiatives has been met with skepticism by some members of Congress and nuclear nonproliferation advocacy groups. "We are taking enormous risks going down this path," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., told Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman earlier this week at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. While calling it "a well-intentioned program," Clinton questioned its cost and said its potential proliferation risks "seem to raise more dangers and questions than answers." The Energy Department acknowledges that the $250 million sought by the administration is only a small down payment for the program. The department envisions spending $1.8 billion over the following three years and about $13 billion over 10 years to develop a demonstration project for reprocessing, including a new-generation "fast" reactor needed to burn up more of the fuel. Clinton said some studies have put the cost of developing a nuclear reprocessing technology at $100 billion. The new nuclear strategy is but one energy initiative that Bush plans to highlight in the coming week as he visits Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado to talk up programs and technologies aimed at developing alternative motor fuels and other renewable energy programs. "The best way to meet our energy needs is through advanced technology," he said as the administration searches for ways to defuse growing public concerns about high energy prices. http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060218/D8FRJHPG0.html ---------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.11/264 - Release Date: 2/17/06 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 24 Las Vegas SUN: Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough Today: February 20, 2006 at 17:56:2 PST By DEB RIECHMANN ASSOCIATED PRESS MILWAUKEE (AP) - 0220dv-bush-energy Saying the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would "startle" most Americans, President Bush on Monday outlined his energy proposals to help wean the country off foreign oil. Less than half the crude oil used by refineries is produced in the United States, while 60 percent comes from foreign nations, Bush said during the first stop on a two-day trip to talk about energy. Some of these foreign suppliers have "unstable" governments that have fundamental differences with America, he said. "It creates a national security issue and we're held hostage for energy by foreign nations that may not like us," Bush said. Bush is focusing on energy at a time when Americans are paying high power bills to heat their homes this winter and have only recently seen a decrease in gasoline prices. One of Bush's proposals would expand research into smaller, longer-lasting batteries for electric-gas hybrid cars, including plug-ins. He highlighted that initiative with a visit Monday to the battery center at Milwaukee-based auto-parts supplier Johnson Controls Inc. During his trip, Bush is also focusing on a proposal to increase investment in development of clean electric power sources, and proposals to speed the development of biofuels such as "cellulosic" ethanol made from wood chips or sawgrass. Energy conservation groups and environmentalists say they're pleased that the president, a former oil man in Texas, is stressing alternative sources of energy, but they contend his proposals don't go far enough. They say the administration must consider greater fuel-efficiency standards for cars, and some economists believe it's best to increase the gas tax to force consumers to change their driving habits. During his visit to Johnson Controls' new hybrid battery laboratory, Bush checked out two Ford Escapes - one with a nickel-metal-hybrid battery, the kind that powers most hybrid-electric vehicles, and one with a lithium-ion battery, which Johnson Controls believes are the wave of the future. The lithium-ion battery was about half the size of the older-model battery. In 2004, Johnson Controls received a government contract to develop the lithium-ion batteries. On Tuesday, Bush plans to visit the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., to talk about speeding the development of biofuels. The lab, with a looming $28 million budget shortfall, had announced it was cutting its staff by 32 people, including eight researchers. But in advance of Bush's visit, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman over the weekend directed the transfer of $5 million to the private contractor that runs the lab, so the jobs can be saved. The department "has been informed that the NREL lab director will use these funds to immediately restore all of the jobs that were cut earlier this month due to budget shortfalls," the department said in a statement Monday. "Our nation is on the threshold of new energy technology that I think will startle the American people," Bush said. "We're on the edge of some amazing breakthroughs - breakthroughs all aimed at enhancing our national security and our economic security and the quality of life of the folks who live here in the United States." Later Monday, Bush visited the United Solar Ovonics Plant, which makes solar panels, in Auburn Hills, Mich., outside Detroit. "This technology right here is going to help us change the way we live in our homes," Bush told reporters. Bush said he was impressed with the growing commercial uses of solar energy. "Roof makers will one day be able to make a solar roof that protects you from the elements and at the same time, powers your house," Bush said. "The vision is this - that technology will become so efficient that you'll become a little power generator in your home, and if you don't use the energy you generate you'll be able to feed it back into the electricity grid." Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., questioned Bush's energy policies Monday, saying the administration also supports subsidies for luxury SUVs. "This single tax subsidy dwarfs anything being done for hybrid batteries," Markey said in a news release. As a complement to Bush's travels, six Cabinet officials are crisscrossing the nation this week, appearing at more than two dozen energy events in more than a dozen states. --- On the Net: White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 25 UPI: High costs remain, but sun shines on solar United Press International - Energy - 2/20/2006 10:00:00 AM -0500 By BRANDON THURNER WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Solar industry officials are looking to have a banner year with the advent of President Bush's Solar America Initiative, but more work needs to be done to make solar power a competitive alternative. "We're investing in technologies like solar and wind power and clean coal to power our homes and businesses," Bush said Saturday in his radio address to the nation in which he also pushed nuclear power. "...Transforming our energy supply will demand creativity and determination, and America has these qualities in abundance." As part of the federal push, the administration has more than doubled its request for photovoltaic energy for fiscal year 2007. It requested just below $140 million for solar power, up from $60 million appropriated in FY2006. "We believe energy diversity strengthens energy security," Department of Energy Spokesman Craig Stevens told United Press International. In contrast, the department cut funding for fossil fuels by $192.8 million to $650 million, a 23 percent decrease from the FY2006 appropriation. Although the new numbers still dwarf the funds sought for photovoltaic energy, they make clear a shift toward funding cleaner technologies. Mark Farber, vice president of strategic planning for Evergreen Solar Inc., said the solar industry is less than a decade away from making the technology affordable for middle class families and called the administration's Solar America Initiative a step in the right direction. "A typical American home can be largely powered by solar energy for approximately $20,000," Farber told United Press International. This is a one-time start up cost associated with buying and installing the solar panels, adding there is little maintenance during the usual 25-year life cycle of the panels. These costs increase for homes with central air conditioning or heat that require larger solar panels. These high costs are the major impediment keeping down the number of solar panel users across the nation, Farber said. "The biggest hurdle is to make it (solar power) market competitive," Stevens, the Energy Department spokesman, said. "There must come a time when corporate America takes what we've learned and implements it in a business model." Solar's high start-up costs require many users to purchase panels only when offered subsidies, Farber said. The states offering the best subsidy packages are California and New Jersey and subsequently these have the highest rates of solar power use. "The Solar America Initiative is meant to help drive costs down and serve America without subsidies," he said. Noah Kaye, spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries Initiative, a trade group, told UPI California was making significant strides in reducing start-up costs for solar power. The California Solar Initiative, passed last month, provides $3.2 billion of funding over the next 11 years to produce 3,000 megawatts of electricity, Kaye said. This is the largest solar power investment ever in the nation and will provide rebates for consumers whether they are residential, commercial or industrial. Another $400 million is to come from the California Energy Commission in the form of incentives for new homes. Kaye said these two initiatives in California should break the "stop-start incentive cycle" which had plagued the solar industry nationwide. This will give security to those wishing to make long-term investments in solar and drive down the costs industry-wide. The 3,000 MW will also relieve capacity during the peak power demand times of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Kaye noted. This will reduce the production strains on utilities, thus helping to lessen the chances of another series of rolling blackouts. They will contribute about 10 percent of California's peak demand for electricity during these hours, when central air conditioners are running strongest due to the highest temperatures of the day, he added. Besides reducing the strain on public utilities during peak demand hours, solar power users also lessen the burden on their wallets. Farber told UPI users of solar panels operate on a use-as-you-go system and have the ability to sell unused power back to the local public utilities provider. Despite financing hurdles, experts predict a good year for solar power in 2006. Evergreen's Farber called 2005 "an excellent year where we roughly doubled sales" and looks for more of the same in 2006. Evergreen's 2005 annual report is due out in a few weeks and, though Farber would not confirm specifics, looks to paint an equally successful sales front for 2006. Stevens' concurred with Farber and asserts continued growth for the solar power industry, along with other renewable energy sources. "We're optimistic that the solar industry will continue to grow and could create up to 30,000 new jobs," he said. -- (Comments to energy@upi.com) © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 26 [NYTr] Vanunu on Israel's Bomb and Apartheid Policy Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:19:28 -0600 (CST) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------------=_43FA4070.1D997D87 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Spam detection software, running on the system "pencil.math.missouri.edu", has identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label similar future email. If you have any questions, see the administrator of that system for details. Content preview: Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by Walter Lippmann (cubanews) Voltairenet via Rebelde - Oct 19, 2005 http://www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu/2006/enero-marzo/feb-19/mundo_israel.html http://www.voltairenet.org/article129838.html [...] Content analysis details: (5.2 points, 5.0 required) pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 0.6 NO_REAL_NAME From: does not include a real name 3.1 HEADER_SPAM Bulk email fingerprint (header-based) found -1.4 ALL_TRUSTED Passed through trusted hosts only via SMTP 0.2 MISSING_HEADERS Missing To: header 2.6 URIBL_OB_SURBL Contains an URL listed in the OB SURBL blocklist [URIs: voltairenet.org] 0.1 TO_CC_NONE No To: or Cc: header ------------=_43FA4070.1D997D87 Content-Type: message/rfc822; x-spam-type=original Content-Description: original message before SpamAssassin Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Envelope-From: X-Envelope-To: Received: from pencil.math.missouri.edu (mailnull@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pencil.math.missouri.edu; Received: (from mailnull@localhost) by pencil.math.missouri.edu (8.13.1/8.13.1/Submit) id k1KMJS1P089842 for imaprcv@chumbly; Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:19:28 -0600 (CST) (envelope-from mailnull) Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:19:28 -0600 (CST) Message-Id: <200602202219.k1KMJS1P089842@pencil.math.missouri.edu> From: nytr@olm.blythe-systems.com Subject: [NYTr] Vanunu on Israel's Bomb and Apartheid Policy Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive Followup-To: alt.activism.d Organization: ? Approved: map@pencil.math.missouri.edu Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by Walter Lippmann (cubanews) Voltairenet via Rebelde - Oct 19, 2005 http://www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu/2006/enero-marzo/feb-19/mundo_israel.html http://www.voltairenet.org/article129838.html [In 1986, Mordechai Vanunu, an engineer at the Dimona nuclear centre, revealed to the Sunday Times the existence of the secret Israeli nuclear program. He was Kidnapped in Italy by the Israeli secret services following his contacts with the British reporters and before the publication of the article with his revelations, he was judged behind doors and jailed for 18 years. Although he is still banned from contacting reporters, Mordechai Vanunu answers Silvia Cattori's questions in an exclusive interview for Voltaire Network.] Exclusive Interview Mordechai Vanunu: "Having the atomic bomb is what has allowed Israel to fearlessly carry out its apartheid policy" by Silvia Cattori Mordechai Vanunu. In the back, a satellite image of the production centre of military grade plutonium of Dimona, Israel. Silvia Cattori: What was your job in Israel before the Mossad agents kidnapped you in Rome, in October 1986? Mordechai Vanunu: I had been working for 19 years in the Dimona weapons research centre in the province of Beer Sheva. Just before I quit that job, in 1986, I took photos of the interior of the factory to show the world that Israel was hiding a nuclear secret. I was in charge of producing radioactive elements for the manufacture of atomic bombs. I knew exactly the amount of fissile material produced, the elements used and the kind of bombs that were being manufactured. Silvia Cattori: Wasn't it a big risk for you to reveal to the world that your own country had nuclear weapons? Mordechai Vanunu: If I decided to do it, it was because Israeli authorities were lying. They constantly said that Israel's political leaders had no intentions of acquiring nuclear weapons. However, they were producing amounts of radioactive substances that could only serve that goal: manufacturing nuclear weapons. They were significant amounts. I calculated that at that time, in 1986, they already had 200 atomic bombs. They had also started to manufacture hydrogen bombs, very powerful ones. So I decided to reveal what they were secretly doing. I also wanted to prevent the Israelis from using atomic bombs and to avoid a nuclear war in the Middle East. I wanted to contribute to peace in the region. Israel, having such extremely powerful weapons, could work for peace. It had no reason to fear a Palestinian or even an Arab threat as it had the necessary weapons to survive. Silvia Cattori: Were you worried about security in the region? Mordechai Vanunu: Yes, that is right. Of course, I did not do it for the Israeli people. Israelis had elected that government and that government had decided to produce nuclear weapons. All Israelis follow very closely the policy of the Israeli government. But, as far as I am concerned, I was acting by taking into account the point of view of humankind, of a human being, of all human beings of the Middle East and also of the world. Because many other countries could do what Israel had done Front page of the British daily "The Sunday Times", October 5, 1986: "Revelation: the secrets of Israel's nuclear arsenal". .So I decided, in the interest of humanity, to reveal the danger that Israel's secret nuclear weapons represented. We were in the middle of the Cold War and nuclear weapons proliferated. They were extending to some countries like South Africa. The danger posed by nuclear weapons was real. Now that danger has decreased. Silvia Cattori: Did you know what you were exposing yourself to? Why did it have to be you and not anyone else who took such a big risk? Mordechai Vanunu: Of course I knew the risks. No one could have done what I did. I knew I was messing around with the Israeli government. It was not like I was attacking private interests. I knew I was directly messing around with the Israeli government and the Israeli Jewish state. Thus, I knew they could punish me, kill me or do whatever they wanted. But I had the responsibility of telling the truth to the world. I was the only one who could do it, so I had to do it no matter what the risks might have been. Silvia Cattori: Did you have the support of your family? Mordechai Vanunu: The members of my family were unable to understand my decision. What most disturbed them was the fact that I had become a Christian. For them that was more painful than the fact that I had revealed Israel's nuclear secrets... I respect them and they respect my life. We have maintained good relations but we do not see each other anymore. Silvia Cattori: Do you feel alone? Mordechai Vanunu: Yes, I am alone here, in St. George Cathedral. But I have a lot of friends who support me. Silvia Cattori: In what conditions were you judged and incarcerated? Mordechai Vanunu: The trial was kept in the most absolute secrecy. I was alone with my lawyer. I was condemned for espionage and high treason. Authorities took revenge by keeping me isolated during the entire trial process. They would not authorize anyone to talk to me and I was banned from speaking to the press, which published a lot of distorted information about me. The Israeli government used all its media influence to brainwash public opinion and the judges, who were finally convinced that I had to be sent to jail. Therefore the trial took place secretly and the press had no access to the truth, they could not hear me. The people were convinced that I was a traitor, a spy, a criminal. There was not an atom of justice in that trial. But it was not only the trial. The cruellest thing was the isolation inside the prison. They did not only punish me by putting me into jail but also by keeping me completely isolated, by constantly spying on me and by applying vicious and cruel treatments. They tried to make me feel in despair and make me regret what I had done. I was held incommunicado for 18 years and I was in complete isolation for 11 years and a half. The first year, they put cameras in my cell and they kept the light on for three consecutive years! Their spies constantly hit me and they would not let me sleep. I was subjected to a very cruel treatment. They tried to break me into submission. My goal was to survive and I made it! Silvia Cattori: You were very lucky that they did not hang you as then Justice Minister Tommy Lapid wanted. You resisted and you were finally released on April 21, 2004. You were 50 years old! Mordechai Vanunu: They released me because I had served my 18-year imprisonment. They wanted to kill me. But the Israeli government finally decided not to do it. Silvia Cattori: In April 2004, television channels aired your release from prison. It was then that the world knew what had happened. You looked happy, spirited and determined, looking nothing like a broken man. Mordechai Vanunu: Leaving prison, talking to the world, to celebrate, after 18 years in prison and under complete prohibition, it was a great moment. Silvia Cattori: Then, they could not break you mentally? Mordechai Vanunu: Absolutely not. My goal was to get out of there and to speak to the world, letting Israeli authorities know that they had failed. My goal was to survive and that was my biggest victory over all those espionage organizations. They managed to kidnap me, to drag me to their court, to keep me isolated for 18 years. and I survived all that. Of course, I suffered. But I survived. In spite of all their crimes I am still alive. Even my health is excellent! I am strong. Certainly, that is why I went through the test. Silvia Cattori:What helped you resist? Mordechai Vanunu: My strength. The fact that I was convinced that what I had done was right. My determination to make them understand that, in spite of everything they could do to punish me, I was going to stay alive. Silvia Cattori: What is the biggest obstacle that you are facing now? Mordechai Vanunu: They do not allow me to leave Israel. They released me from prison but now I am in a bigger cell: Israel. I would like to leave this country and enjoy freedom. I am sick and tired of the Israeli power. The army can come to arrest me and punish me anytime. I feel like I am at their mercy. I would like to live far away from here. Silvia Cattori: Will Israel let you leave the country? Mordechai Vanunu: I don't know. They said that I could not leave Israel for a year. Then, when a year passed by, they renewed the ban for another year that ends next April. But they can do it as many times as they wish. Silvia Cattori: What is your opinion about the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty knowing that, in the case of Israel, "nuclear ambiguity" is tolerated while Iran is kept under pressure, even when the latter is submitted to inspections? Mordechai Vanunu: All countries should be open to international inspections and to tell the truth about what they are secretly doing in their nuclear facilities. Israel has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Almost 180 countries have done it, including all Arab countries. Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan. all Israeli neighbours have opened their borders to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Israel is the worst example. It is the only country that has refused to sign the treaty. The United States and Europe should start to pay attention to the Israeli case. Israel must be treated like any other country. We have to put an end to hypocrisy and to make Israel sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel has to accept the IAEA inspectors in Dimona. Silvia Cattori: Iran, which complies with its obligations and accepts the UN inspections, is threatened to be sanctioned however. But, nothing is done in the case of Israel that has nuclear weapons and rejects the IAEA inspections. Why are the United States and Europe conducting this "double standard" policy? Mordecha Vanunu: Yes, and it is even worse than what you are saying. Not only they are not taking any measures but they are also secretly helping Israel. There is a secret cooperation between Israel and the United States, Great Britain and France. These countries have decided to support Israel's nuclear might because they want Israel to be at their service as a colonial country that guarantees their control of the Middle East, to gain access to oil reserves in the region and to keep the Arabs living in underdevelopment and amid fratricidal conflicts. That is the main reason of that cooperation. Silvia Cattori: Isn't Iran a threat, as Israel and the United States claim? Mordechai Vanunu: Under the control of the IAEA, Iran does not pose any threat. Western experts perfectly know the nature of the Iranian nuclear program, contrary to Israel, which does not let anyone enter its nuclear facilities. That is why Iran decided to take a step forward and to tell the world: "You can not demand more transparency from us while closing your eyes to what is happening in Israel!" The Arabs have known for 40 years that Israel has atomic bombs and nobody does anything about it. As long as the world continues to ignore Israel's atomic weapons, they will not have the moral authority to say anything about Iran. If the world is really concerned, if they want to put an end to nuclear proliferation, then they have to start from the beginning, that is, Israel! Silvia Cattori: It must be very annoying for you to hear Israel, a violator of regulations, say that it is ready to bomb Iran, a country that has not broken any rules thus far! Mordechai Vanunu: Yes, that drives me crazy. We have no reason to criticize Iran. Before we do anything against any country we have to take care of the Israeli case. If anyone wants to do anything against Iran, first he has to deal with Israel. The world cannot ignore what Israel has been doing over the past 40 years. The United States should make Israel sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is about time that Europe acknowledges that Israel has nuclear weapons. The Arab world should be very concerned about the fact that the entire world is criticizing Iran, which does not have nuclear weapons, while ignoring Israel. >From a car of the Israeli police, Mordechai Vanunu gives the journalists details about his kidnapping by the Mossad, in Roma, while he was being transfered after his incarceration in 1986. Silvia Cattori: What states cooperated with Israel? Mordechai Vanunu: Israel helped France and Great Britain in their campaign against Egypt in 1956. After the operation of Suez, France and Great Britain began cooperating with the Israeli nuclear program as a way to reciprocate the support that Israel had given them during that war. Silvia Cattori: Didn't South Africa help Israel until 1991? Mordechai Vanunu: It was precisely in South Africa, in the desert, that Israel carried out its nuclear tests. Silvia Cattori: It seems that in the 1960s, President Kennedy asked that inspections be carried out in Dimona, Israel. Do you see any links between that request and his assassination? Mordechai Vanunu: I believe that, at that time, the United States opposed the Israeli nuclear program. Kennedy tried to stop Israel but he was assassinated before he could do it. For me, his assassination had to do with the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Israel and in other countries. Those who killed him were in favour of nuclear proliferation. Thanks to his death, proliferation continued. In fact, presidents Johnson and Nixon, who succeeded Kennedy, saw no inconvenience with that. They let Israel act. We can simply see that there was a change in that direction after Kennedy's assassination. Silvia Cattori: Your denunciation did not make Israel change its secrecy around the matter. Israel managed to have all the big power not to act against it. Was Israel's strategy, contrary to transparency, effective? Mordechai Vanunu: Yes, we have to admit it. Israel is a case that has to be studied. How can a small country defy the whole world and continue with an aggressive policy, and not worry about anyone else? Yes, Israelis were able to do it then. But, today the world has changed. The Cold War is over. Communism was defeated. The world marches toward peace. We can now see that nuclear weapons will not help Israel. Now that Israel has to show that it wants peace and how to attain it, what is the use of nuclear weapons? Israel's nuclear policy was possible in the context of the Cold War. Today we have to make Israel to adopt a new policy, showing the world that it wants peace and that it recognizes that it does not need nuclear weapons. Silvia Cattori: In the 1950s, Israel already had significant armaments. What reason did it have then to acquire the nuclear weapon? Mordechai Vanunu: A small country such as Israel does not have any valid reason to have such an enormous amount of atomic weapons. It is as though Israel had gone into a frenzy over its nuclear weapons program. It is impossible to use a nuclear weapon in the region! If a nuclear weapon were used against Syria, Egypt or Jordan, the radioactive effects would also hurt Israel. To this day, Israelis have not been able to discuss the issue among them. However, it is a problem that worries everyone in the world. We are waiting for Israel's answer. Silvia Cattori: For Israel, isn't it rather a weapon that allows it to maintain its status quo, as an instrument for political blackmail, to be able to discuss in equal terms with the big powers - starting with the United States - and not to concede anything to the Arabs, that Israel has plundered and who are weak in the military field? Mordechai Vanunu: That is right. Israel uses the power of its weapons to impose its policies. Israel has a lot of power; it crushes with arrogance all its neighbours. Not even the United States can tell Israel what to do! Europe is now seeing the magnitude of Israel's power. Without using the atomic bomb and not even threatening to use the nuclear weapon, Israelis can impose their power, they can do as they please. They can build a wall; they can build colonies in Palestine. No one can tell them they cannot do it because they are extremely powerful Picture clandestinely taken by Mordechai Vanunu inside the Dimona center This is the result of their political blackmail. They can use their nuclear weapons against any country that tries to stop their aggressive policy against the Palestinians. That is the current situation. The whole world knows it. And there is another reason why the United States and Europe do not do anything. They know the magnitude of Israel's power. Thus, the best way to oppose Israel is making the world aware of the truth and to study what is happening in that country with regard to atomic weapons until they give it up. Silvia Cattori: Did Israel consider the possibility of using the nuclear weapon against its Arab neighbours in 1973? Mordechai Vanunu: Yes. In 1973 Israel was ready to use atomic bombs against Syria. and Egypt. Silvia Cattori: You suffered a lot for having revealed a secret of state. Finally. what was the result? Mordechai Vanunu: First, the world now has evidence that Israel has atomic weapons. From now on, no one can ignore the truth as to the Israeli nuclear program. After that, Israel was prevented from resorting to that kind of weapons. Another result is that the world became aware of what this small Jewish state was secretly doing. And the world also knew about the lies and misinformation upon which this state lies. Knowing that a small country like Israel was able to manufacture 200 atomic bombs made the world aware of its behaviour. The fear that another small country could do the same made the world think about ways to stop nuclear proliferation and to prevent Israel from helping other countries to use those weapons in the future. When the world became aware of what Israel was secretly doing, the fear of nuclear proliferation increased. The world became aware of Israel's power and began to pressure this country to reach peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world. Israel no longer had a reason to affirm that it feared its Arab neighbours as it had, since the 1950s, plenty of weapons to guarantee its own security. Silvia Cattori: Why does Israel still chase you? Mordechai Vanunu: What I did was very harmful for all of Israel's political moves! They were forced to change their plans. Israel's secret nuclear policy was created by Shimon Peres. And that policy of secretly manufacturing nuclear weapons was destroyed! After that denunciation, Israel had to change its direction and to make new plans. What we see today is a consequence of what I did. They had to invent other types of weapons. Now, they are building their wall, check points, settlements and they managed to make the Jewish society a more religious one, more nationalist and more racist instead of taking another path, instead of understanding that the only possible solution is peace, instead of recognizing that the Palestinians have the same rights and instead of putting an end to the conflict. What Israel wants is to continue building its wall and its settlements! Silvia Cattori: So, what you did was a great deed! Mordecha Vanunu: As a human being, I did something for the security and respect of humankind. All countries have to respect us, everyone of us!, as human beings, no matter what our religion might be, whether we are Jews, Christians, Muslims or Buddhists. Israel has a big problem: it is a country that does not respect human beings. The result is devastating for Israel's image. The state of Israel is far from being a democracy. The Jewish state is racist. The whole world should know that Israel practices a policy of apartheid. If you are a Jew, you can do whatever you want and go wherever you want. If you are not a Jew, you have no rights. That racism is the real problem that Israel faces. Israel is completely unable to prove that it is a democracy. No one can accept that racist state, neither the United States nor Europe. In any case, they could accept Israel's nuclear weapons but. how can they justify this state of fascist apartheid? Silvia Cattori: It looks like you refuse to recognize the legitimacy of that State Mordechai Vanunu: Of course. That is what I said when I was released from jail: we cannot accept this Jewish state. The Israeli Jewish state is the opposite of a democracy. We need a state for all its citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs. The solution is a sole state for all citizens of all religions, as it is in democracies like France or Switzerland, and not only a state for Jews. A Jewish state has absolutely no reason to exist. Jews do not need a fundamentalist regime like that of Iran. People need a real democracy that respects human beings. Today we have two fundamentalist regimes in the Middle East: Iran and Israel. But, Israel is far more fundamentalist than Iran! Silvia Cattori: Then for you, Israel is a bigger threat than Iran? Mordechai Vanunu: Of course it is. We all know how much the Israelis have been making the Palestinian people suffer for more than 50 years! It is about time that the world pays attention to the Palestinian Holocaust. The Palestinians have suffered a lot, for a long time, because of that oppression! The Jews do not respect them and not even consider them as human beings. They do not recognize any of their rights and still chase them, putting their lives in danger and, consequently, their future too. Silvia Cattori: What would you say to my country, Switzerland, the repository of the Geneva Conventions? Mordechai Vanunu: Switzerland should clearly and loudly condemn the racist policy of Israel, that is, all the violations of the Palestinians' rights, let them be Muslims or Christians. All countries must demand that Israel respect non-Jewish people as human beings. In fact, I do not have the right to speak with you; I am not authorized to speak to foreigners. Doing it in spite of the ban is a risk that I am taking. Israel used the compensations for the holocaust to build weapons, to destroy houses and Palestinian assets. I wish your country could grant me a passport and help me out of Israel. Life is very tough here. If you are a Jew, there is no problem. If not, or if you cease to be one, you are treated with no respect. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ------------=_43FA4070.1D997D87-- ***************************************************************** 27 Guardian Unlimited: Nuclear Plant Declares, Lifts Emergency From the Associated Press [UP] Monday February 20, 2006 5:31 PM SENECA, Ill. (AP) - Operators at a nuclear plant declared an emergency for several hours early Monday when instruments indicated a problem during a planned shutdown, but no damage was done, officials said. There were no injuries, no radiation released and no equipment damaged at the LaSalle Generating Station in LaSalle County, officials said. The plant, which is owned by Chicago-based Exelon Corp., is about 55 miles southwest of Chicago. The nature of the incident - a control rod not going into the reactor - automatically triggered the declaration of a ``site area emergency,'' but ``it never really progressed into being a danger,'' said Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. A site area emergency is the second-highest of the four categories in the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission's emergency response system. Emergency operations centers were activated in LaSalle and Grundy counties, Thompson said. The plant was scheduled to shut down early Monday for a refueling outage, but it did not shut down properly, officials said. Company officials said instruments showed three of the 185 control rods failed to insert fully into the reactor core and operators declared a ``site area emergency'' at 12:28 a.m. Operators reset the control rod position indication system and then found one rod was out of position, company officials said. The investigation by Exelon Nuclear officials and NRC officials was continuing. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 28 BBC: France and India in nuclear deal Last Updated: Monday, 20 February 2006 [Indian PM Manmohan Singh welcomes Jacques Chirac at the presidential palace] Both sides are keen to do business India and France have signed an agreement to pursue civilian nuclear co-operation "for peaceful purposes". The declaration was signed following talks in Delhi between visiting French President Jacques Chirac and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The BBC's Nick Bryant says the visit comes at a particularly delicate time. Last week France recalled a decommissioned warship heading for a ship-breaking yard in India, following environmental concerns. The French president has also become involved in a row over a hostile bid by Indian-born billionaire Lakshmi Mittal to take over Luxembourg-based steel-maker Arcelor. India's access civilian-nuclear technology ... is indeed necessary in order to drive and fuel India's economic development President Chirac Mr Chirac said on Monday that in principle France had absolutely "nothing against a non-European taking over a European company". "The concerns that have been expressed are entirely legitimate. I do not understand what the fuss is about," he said. The Indian prime minister raised the issue with Mr Chirac in their talks, he said. Nuclear deal India and France signed nine agreements, including ones on defence, trade and tourism. The nuclear agreement means that France will support India's attempts to gain access to nuclear fuel and civilian technology to fuel its growing energy needs. "India's access to civilian-nuclear technology... is indeed necessary in order to drive and fuel India's economic development," President Chirac said. [French President Jacques Chirac, fourth right, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, third left, attend a meeting with ministers and officials at Hyderabad House in Delhi] Nine agreements were signed by the two sides "We appreciate France's support for the ongoing effort to enable full civilian nuclear energy co-operation between India and the international community," Mr Singh said at a joint news conference with Mr Chirac. Our correspondent says a firmer and more detailed nuclear energy agreement between the two countries will have to await the outcome of talks between India and the United States over a landmark deal to supply Delhi with much needed nuclear technology. Talks with Washington have been deadlocked over a plan to separate India's civilian and military nuclear facilities - essential for the agreement to be sealed by the US Congress. Both sides hope to sort out their differences before US President George W Bush visits India next month. Cementing ties France is also hoping to strike key defence deals with India which is in the market for 126 new warplanes, a purchase worth billions of dollars. The French-made Mirage fighter-jet is hoping to win over its rivals from the US, Russia and Sweden. A deal for the supply of 43 Airbus commercial aircraft to state-run Indian airlines was also signed during the visit in a deal estimated at $2.5bn. Trade between the two countries is limited to $2.99bn according to the Confederation of Indian Industry and both sides are hoping to extend it further. ***************************************************************** 29 IRNA: India, France sign 9 agreements including nuclear declaration - New Delhi, Feb 20, IRNA India-France-Agreements India and France on Monday signed nine agreements, including a declaration on nuclear energy and a pact on defence cooperation, after the conclusion of talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting French President Jacques Chirac. The Declaration on Development of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes was signed by Indian Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar and French Foreign Minister Phillipe Douste Blazy in the presence of Singh and Chirac. The two countries noted that the declaration was an important step forward in the realization of their objective of concluding a bilateral civil and nuclear cooperation agreement and of bringing forward the longstanding Indo-France cooperation in the sector. The two countries "agreed to continue to work together towards fulfillment of that objective," a joint statement issued after the talks said. Both sides recalled their joint statement of September 12, 2005 in which they agreed to work towards conclusion of a bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. The agreement on defence cooperation was signed by Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his French counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie. The joint statement described the defence agreement as an important statement of the strategic partnership between the two nations building upon and expanding cooperation in the defence and military fields. Indo-French bilateral trade rose by around 80 percent between 1995 and 2004, with Indian exports to France growing by about 97 percent over the same period. Two-way trade between the two countries touched an all-time high of 3.64 billion euros during September 2004 to August 2005. An analysis of the foreign collaborations and foreign direct investment (FDI) approved by the French government after the announcement of its new industrial policy in August 1991 shows that foreign collaboration (FC) approvals and investment from France has risen substantially. From August 1991 to March 2005, the government approved 26,631 foreign collaboration (technical and financial) proposals with a corresponding foreign direct investment of USD 67.65 billion. Out of that figure, the total number of approvals with France had been of the order of 885 (3.32 percent of total approvals) with an equity participation of USD 1.74 billion (2.57 percent of total investment). ***************************************************************** 30 Nuclear Plant Declares, Lifts Emergency Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:28:13 -0500 Mothersalert: http://www.mothersalert.org http://www.mothersalert.org/moreinfo.html CRAC-2 Report: http://www.mothersalert.org/crac.html http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Nuclear-Plant-Emergency.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Nuclear Plant Declares, Lifts Emergency a.. E-Mail This b.. Printer-Friendly c.. Save Article By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: February 20, 2006 Filed at 12:20 p.m. ET SENECA, Ill. (AP) -- Operators at a nuclear plant declared an emergency for several hours early Monday when instruments indicated a problem during a planned shutdown, but no damage was done, officials said. There were no injuries, no radiation released and no equipment damaged at the LaSalle Generating Station in LaSalle County, officials said. The plant, which is owned by Chicago-based Exelon Corp., is about 55 miles southwest of Chicago. The nature of the incident -- a control rod not going into the reactor -- automatically triggered the declaration of a ''site area emergency,'' but ''it never really progressed into being a danger,'' said Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. A site area emergency is the second-highest of the four categories in the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission's emergency response system. Emergency operations centers were activated in LaSalle and Grundy counties, Thompson said. The plant was scheduled to shut down early Monday for a refueling outage, but it did not shut down properly, officials said. Company officials said instruments showed three of the 185 control rods failed to insert fully into the reactor core and operators declared a ''site area emergency'' at 12:28 a.m. Operators reset the control rod position indication system and then found one rod was out of position, company officials said. The investigation by Exelon Nuclear officials and NRC officials was continuing. ***************************************************************** 31 NRC: NRC Begins Special Inspection at LaSalle Nuclear Plant Following Control Rod Problem During Automatic Reactor Shutdown News Release - Region III - 2006-00 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region III No. III-06-005 February 20, 2006 CONTACT: Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663 Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a special inspection at the LaSalle Nuclear Power Station at Seneca, Illinois, following a problem with control rod instrumentation during an automatic shutdown of the Unit 1 reactor. The LaSalle plant near Seneca, Ill, is operated by Exelon Generation Co. and has two 1,197-megawatt reactors. The utility declared a Site Area Emergency at the plant early Monday when reactor instrumentation showed that three control rods failed to insert fully into the reactor core during an automatic reactor shutdown. The plant was at 6 percent power when the automatic shutdown occurred. Subsequently, the reactor instrumentation showed the plant was fully shut down. The plant staff verified that all control rods were fully inserted except for one for which the position indication remained indeterminate. The reactor has 185 control rods which control power and insert into the reactor core to shut down the reactor. All plant safety systems functioned normally with the exception of the control rod position indications, and there was no release of radioactivity associated with the event. The reactor remained in a stable condition. After verifying plant conditions, the utility terminated the Site Area Emergency Classification at 4:27 a.m. CST. A Site Area Emergency is the second highest of the four emergency categories in the NRCs emergency response system. The emergency was declared because of the uncertainty caused by the instrumentation problems for the three control rods. The NRCs two resident inspectors responded to the plant and the agency staffed its emergency response facilities in its Region III office in Lisle, Ill., and its Headquarters in Rockville, Md., to monitor the situation at the LaSalle plant. At the time of the incident, the plant was shutting down for a refueling outage. Preliminary information showed that the automatic reactor shutdown was caused by a malfunction of the plants turbine control system. The NRC inspectors will review the circumstances surrounding the shutdown, including the control rod indication problems. A written report of the special inspection will be issued about 30 days following the completion of the inspection. It will be available on the NRCs web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/listofrpts_body.html#lasa Last revised Monday, February 20, 2006 ***************************************************************** 32 Rediff: US 90% close to N-deal - Washington > PTI February 20, 2006 18:16 IST Days ahead of President George W Bush's visit to India, a senior administration official has said the US was "90 per cent of the way there" on formally working out a Indo-US civilian nuclear arragement. "We're 90 per cent of the way there," Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nucholas Burns told Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek magazine, adding, "We've just got 10 per cent to go." Burns, the point man for US administration on the civilian nuclear arrangement signed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Bush on July 18, 2005, is heading to India this week for what is seen as a round of critical negotiations. "This has been a uniquely complicated negotiation between two equal parties. But we are committed to it. And as long as both of us show flexibility in the details, I'm confident that we will come to an agreement," he said. Also Read: The Indo-US Nuclear Tango Burns also rejected any linkage between the civilian nuclear agreement and India's stand on Iran nuclear issue. "We're well beyond all that. India joined with the majority of the board of the Atomic Energy Agency, including a majority of nonaligned countries like Brazil, Egypt and Sri Lanka to vote as it did. And we are all now focused on a diplomatic path to address Iran's violations of its treaty obligations," he told the magazine. Burns's proposed India trip has been on the cards for some time now and only last week the subject came up during the confirmation hearings of Richard Boucher, the Assistant Secretary of State designate for South and Central Asia. Boucher told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Burns was "willing" to go to New Delhi if this could be the basis for concluding a separation plan. © Copyright 2006 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or Copyright © 2006 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 33 MDM: Nuclear reactor to close for repair after water leak - MSN-Mainichi Daily News February 21, 2006 National A nuclear reactor at a power plant in Fukushima Prefecture will be shut down for repairs after the discovery of an increase in the amount of irradiated water leaking from a pump there, the plant's operator said Monday. But Masaaki Kobayashi, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co., said no radiation has escaped outside the compound, and there was no risk of it doing so. The No. 3 rector at No. 1 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture, will be closed Tuesday, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said in a statement. Officials found that since January there has been an above average amount of water leaking from a pump that controls the water entering the reactor, Kobayashi said. The reactor will be closed so the pump can be fixed, he said, adding that it was not yet clear how long the repairs would take. (AP) Saga Prefecture declares local utility's plan to use plutonium-based nuclear fuel safe February 21, 2006 Have your say in the MSN-Mainichi Daily News Readers' Forum Copyright 2004-2005 THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. All ***************************************************************** 34 APP.COM: "What if" A-plant was built elsewhere? | Asbury Park Press Online :Monday, February 20, 2006 Others sought power station BY KIRK MOORE STAFF WRITER Today's controversy over relicensing the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station might have played out in other Shore communities like Union Beach and Brick had history worked out a little differently. Abundant access to cooling water and a burgeoning population attracted utility companies to potential power plant sites at the Shore as early as 1953. Some towns decisively rejected power company overtures, while others like Lacey avidly courted an industry that brought good-paying industrial jobs and lowered property taxes. In October 1953, Jersey Central Power &Light Co. proposed a coal-fired plant on Gull Island in the Manasquan River. But within days municipal officials in the river towns organized in opposition, and civic activists in Point Pleasant Beach forced a special referendum vote against letting the borough grant zoning variances to the power company. Frustrated for six more years, JCP officials finally announced in 1960 that they would abandon the Gull Island project, and look for another site farther south on Barnegat Bay. In all the power company considered about 20 sites, including 10 acres in South Toms River, close to the Central Railroad of New Jersey tracks where trainloads of coal would be hauled in. JCP finally settled on a tract in Lacey owned by Norman C. Finninger, who raised cattle on a bayside farm located between the south branch of the Forked River and Oyster Creek. Soon the coal plant idea was dropped in favor of nuclear fuel. After the starting up of the nation's first commercial reactor, JCP officials spoke of siting a second plant next door. Dubbed the Forked River station, the reactor would have used a next-generation pressurized water design to make more power than the Oyster Creek boiling water design. Engineers proposed building an ocean outfall line to carry heated cooling water several miles to the east, in a bid to address the concerns of fishermen and environmentalists over the plant's thermal effects in Barnegat Bay. Meanwhile in Union Beach, JCP had early plans for a 900-megawatt nuclear station on Raritan Bay. Chastened by delays with the Oyster Creek project and stricter federal regulations for new reactors, JCP changed its mind, but in the early 1970s municipal officials still held out hope for a more modest oil-fired power plant. In 1972 then Brick Township Council President John N. Harvey floated the idea of inviting JCP to build a nuclear plant there. Brick's property taxes were going up, Harvey said, and some people were actually moving to Lacey to take advantage of lower property taxes made possible by Oyster Creek's financial boon. "The Brick town council president talked about asking JCP to consider building a plant there," said William deCamp Jr., president of the environmental group Save Barnegat Bay. "I'm pretty sure the place they were talking about was Reedy Creek." Save Barnegat Bay got its start in the 1980s by saving Reedy Creek on the south side of Mantoloking Road; it's now part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Recently deCamp came into possession of an old scrapbook compiled by the local Izaak Walton League chapter, chronicling the end of the 20th-century wave of nuclear power development. The Forked River project never progressed — instead, JCP's corporate parent built the Three Mile Island facility near Harrisburg, Pa., deCamp notes. A joint venture between the Westinghouse Corp. and New Port News Shipbuilding was ready to assemble floating nuclear plants — a new standardized Westinghouse reactor design that could be built on shore and towed to offshore locations. Public Service Electric and Gas became the first buyer, and proposed to emplace a pair of reactors east of Brigantine Island, with the power cables to run through Little Egg Inlet and come ashore near Tuckerton. The reactors would be protected from storm waves and hurricanes by an encircling breakwater built of dolos, cast concrete devices in the shape of children's jacks that were used to build the Manasquan Inlet jetties. Environmental activists and Ocean County officials mounted a campaign against the floating power plant, and PSE's own financial picture faded in the 1970s — largely because of the 1973 oil embargo and an ensuing economic downturn in New Jersey. Power demand was not growing as fast as projected earlier, and in 1975 PSE asked the partners to delay delivery. The Westinghouse project was finished by the end of the 1970s without having built a floating reactor. But the concept still has life. Russian nuclear regulators have approved plans for two floating reactors to be built in the far north city of Severodvinsk on the White Sea coastline, with the first to be operational in 2008. Kirk Moore: (732) 557-5728 Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 35 APP.COM: Why the reactor should be shut | Asbury Park Press Online February 20, 2006 Trying to spell out all of our reasons for wanting the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reject the request for a 20-year license renewal for the Oyster Creek nuclear reactor in Lacey would require far more space than the physical limits of this page allow. But it begins with the NRC's rigged renewal process, which is calculated to close off serious public discussion of legitimate safety concerns posed by nuclear reactors. Relicensing rules and regulations have been drawn to smooth an applicant's path to NRC approval. Regulators have yet to deny a license renewal request. Since 2000, the NRC has granted renewals for 39 reactors. All attempts to get fair, independent assessments of the many issues facing Oyster Creek that the NRC does not consider germane to the relicensing process have been thwarted. The Press' five-part news series examined many of these issues last week. Among the most worrisome: If there were a nuclear core meltdown, the containment vessel designed to prevent the release of radioactive particles would likely fail. The state's top nuclear engineer says New Jersey's chief concern is that a terrorist attack on the plant could rupture a water-filled pool used to cool nearly 400 tons of highly radioactive spent fuel, leading to a radiation release. Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 36 AFP: Operators Declare, Exit Site Area Emergency at LaSalle Station Monday February 20, 8:44 am ET WARRENVILLE, Ill., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Operators at the LaSalle Generating Station declared a "site area emergency" at 12:28 a.m. (CST) Monday during shutdown of the Unit 1 reactor for a scheduled refueling outage and exited the emergency condition at 4:27 a.m. Monday. The emergency was declared after plant personnel were unable to confirm the position of 3 of the 185 control rods following a shutdown of the reactor. There were no injuries, no radiological releases from the plant and no equipment damage. The Unit 1 reactor was safely shut down and remains in that condition. After operators reset the rod position indication system, only one rod of the 185 control rods indicated out of position. The plant is designed to remain safely shutdown in this condition. As a result, the station exited the emergency condition according to procedures at 4:27 a.m. Exelon Nuclear personnel are working to determine why the control rod indications showed that rods were not inserted properly. A site area emergency is the second highest level of federal emergency classification established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The shutdown of LaSalle Unit 1 will not affect Exelon Nuclear's ability to meet power supply commitments. LaSalle Generating Station is in Brookfield Township in LaSalle County, Ill., about 55 miles southwest of Chicago. Unit 1 began commercial service in 1982 and Unit 2 in 1984. Each of the LaSalle's two boiling water reactors produces about 1,197 megawatts. Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC- News) is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.2 million customers and more than $15 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.2 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and gas to more than 460,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC. Source: Exelon Nuclear Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy src=] Copyright © 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. Republication ***************************************************************** 37 Salt Lake Tribune: Utah lawmakers explore nuke-plant possibilities Article Last Updated: 02/20/2006 12:07 AM MST In the House: A vote is scheduled for today on a bill calling for the study of nuclear power generation By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune Lawmakers are on the verge of declaring that Utah may be the right place for nuclear power. House lawmakers plan to vote today on HB46, Energy Policy Act Amendments, including a hot-potato provision that "Utah will promote the study of nuclear power generation." At least one lawmaker sees state school lands near Lake Powell as the perfect location for the nation's first new nuclear plant in three decades. Rep. Mike Noel's colleagues may not be as far out on the issue as he is, but they're at least backing the concept that Utah should be part of the next nuclear age. The "nuclear" wording has bounced around as wildly as crashing atoms since the bill was introduced by sponsoring Rep. Roger Barrus. The Centerville Republican made no mention of "nuclear" when he introduced the bill this session. A leader of the multifaceted task force that crafted the statewide energy policy through the summer, he urged fellow House members to leave out the "nuclear" language. earlier this month. But House members put it back in Feb. 1, the day after President Bush proposed incentives for states that came forward with plans to site the nation's next nuclear plant. Noel, R-Kanab, not only backed the idea but suggested putting a plant on state school trust lands located around the town of Big Water, near Lake Powell and electric transmission lines. "We have a great potential in the state of Utah to capitalize on nuclear power," he said on the House floor. "A nuclear power plant today costs $2 billion," he added. "We put that on state trust lands. We tax that. We ship that power for use in the state of Utah. We ship it out of the state of Utah, and we have developed a great resource for the children of this state." Utah does not have a commercial reactor. Part of the state's distaste for things nuclear is that thousands of residents blame their cancers and other illnesses on fallout that drifted through Utah during more than two decades of atomic-weapons testing in Nevada. Another part of the suspicion is the legacy of uranium mining and milling that has left more than $2 billion in cleanups around the state, as well as thousands of abandoned mines. Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, warned "not now, not today." She said working on nuclear power might undermine the state's decade-long fight to prevent a private group of nuclear utilities from building a reactor waste storage site on the Skull Valley Goshutes Reservation, about 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently issued a license for the site. But her colleagues shrugged off her admonition - "Beware of unintended consequences with this amendment" - and included the nuclear study provision in the version of HB46 sent to the Senate. The provision has been in and out of the bill several times, but Friday, senators stuck it back in. "I'm a believer in this," said Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, "and I believe that's our future." Lawmakers who supported the pro-nuclear wording suggested that a lot has happened since the Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine and the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania. Nuclear energy is more efficient, safer and "non-polluting," several said. Dave Hebertson of the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration said his agency has not heard of any specific plans for a nuclear plant on the 52,000-acre parcel Noel mentioned. And Laura Nelson, energy adviser to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., noted nuclear energy is "definitely not on our priority list." They're looking hardest instead at efficiency, oil shale, tar sands and other ways to update Utah's energy supply. "We can study it," she said of nuclear power. "It doesn't imply the outcome will be for or against." Mark Clemens of the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club called the plans for nuclear power "highly speculative." He pointed to flip-flopping legislative votes as a sign that lawmakers are not convinced either. "Even for the Republican majority," he said, "nuclear power is a very controversial issue." fahys@sltrib.com © Copyright 2006, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 38 AFP: India and France seek to unlock nuclear energy and trade deals - Mon Feb 20, 1:28 AM ET NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indian Premier Manmohan Singh and French President Jacques Chirac were to focus on the detail of plans to expand trade ties and allow India access to civilian nuclear energy, officials said. The two leaders, who met for a private dinner Sunday night, were to hold talks after a ceremonial welcome in the Indian capital for Chirac. During their meeting they will ink a simple "Declaration on Civil Nuclear Energy development for peaceful purposes," officials said on Monday. After arriving in the Indian capital Sunday at the head of a posse of ministers and French business chiefs, Chirac said he was optimistic France could compete with the United States in supplying nuclear power capability to energy-starved India. New Delhi, however, would first have to reach agreement with the international nuclear community on its civilian nuclear energy programme, he added. "You can never be too sure, we could hit a stumbling block," Chirac cautioned during an informal meeting with 30 French business leaders accompanying him on his two-day visit. Before arriving in India, the president had said that "more work is required on both sides" before a nuclear cooperation agreement, which India is seeking to boost nuclear technology transfers, can be struck. Chirac told India Today magazine India must first win the support of the 44-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for civilian nuclear technology transfers. Under NSG rules, countries importing nuclear technology must provide assurances proposed deals will not lead to the creation of nuclear weapons. India is also negotiating a landmark deal with Washington to give Delhi access to previously forbidden nuclear civilian technology. But talks are deadlocked over India's separation of military and civilian nuclear facilities. US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, chief negotiator for the deal, said at the weekend Washington remains optimistic that it will clinch the deal. "We're 90 percent of the way there," Burns told Newsweek magazine ahead of a trip to India later this week. The senior diplomat's comments come before a scheduled visit to India by President George W. Bush " /> in March amid hopes for a final agreement on the civilian nuclear cooperation initiative. French companies could be big winners if the landmark Indo-US deal is approved by the US Congress. The head of French nuclear giant Areva, Anne Lauvergeon, said the Indian market had "considerable" potential as the country needs 25 to 30 nuclear power stations to fuel its rapidly growing economy and cater to its billion-plus population. The other item on the agenda is bilateral trade, which remained limited at 2.99 billion dollars in 2004-05, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry. France bought 2.05 percent of Indian exports, while France's share of India's imports was just 1.3 percent. Chirac removed a major obstacle to a fruitful visit ahead of his arrival when he ordered home the asbestos-laden warship Clemenceau, which had been slated for dismantling in an Indian shipbreaking yard. India's Supreme Court had demanded to know exactly what was aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier, which activists said posed a threat to human health and the environment. But Chirac's salesmanship could yet be overshadowed by another thorny issue -- concern in India over the frosty reaction by France and other European nations to Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal's bid for European steel giant Arcelor. Last week, Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath warned European nations opposing the bid not to consider the colour of a person's skin. France insists Mittal's nationality is not a factor, with Chirac saying the takeover would not be in Arcelor's "best interest," citing potential corporate cultural differences. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 39 AFP: Bush calls for nuclear construction by 2010 - Mon Feb 20, 4:28 PM ET MILWAUKEE, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush " /> President George W. Bushwarned that US dependency on oil left the country "hostage" to countries that may be hostile and urged new nuclear plant construction by 2010. "Some of the nations we rely on for oil have unstable governments, or fundamental differences with the United States," he said during a trip here, without naming the countries to which he was referring. "These countries know we need their oil and that reduces influence. It creates a national security issue when we're held hostage for energy by foreign nations that may not like us," said Bush. Drawing on the examples of France, China, and India, the president pushed a 1.1 billion dollar program to promote the construction of new nuclear power plants, something the United States has not done since the 1970s. "We ought to start building nuclear power plants again. I think it makes sense to do so. Technology is such that we can do so and say to the American people, these are safe -- and they're important," he said. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 40 DU--radiation jump in UK Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 20:24:46 -0600 (CST) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ article/0,,2087-2047373,00.html --------------------------------------- UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells --------------------------------------- by Mark Gould and Jon Ungoed-Thomas The Sunday Times, February 19, 2006 RADIATION detectors in Britain recorded a fourfold increase in uranium levels in the atmosphere after the shock-and-awe bombing campaign against Iraq, according to a report. Environmental scientists who uncovered the figures through freedom of information laws say it is evidence that depleted uranium from the shells was carried by wind currents to Britain. Government officials, however, say the sharp rise in uranium detected by radiation monitors in Berkshire was a coincidence and probably came from local sources. The results from testing stations at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston and four other stations within a 10-mile radius were obtained by Chris Busby, of Liverpool University's department of human anatomy and cell biology. Each detector recorded a significant rise in uranium levels during the Gulf war bombing campaign in March 2003. The reading from a park in Reading was high enough for the Environment Agency to be alerted. Busby, who has advised the government on radiation and is a founder of Green Audit, the environmental consultancy, believes uranium aerosols from Iraq were widely dispersed in the atmosphere and blown across Europe. This research shows that rather than remaining near the target as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away, he said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) countered that it was unfeasible depleted uranium could have travelled so far. Radiation experts also said that other environmental sources were more likely to blame. The shock-and-awe campaign was one of the most devastating assaults in modern warfare. In the first 24-hour period more than 1,500 bombs and missiles were dropped on Baghdad. During the conflict A10 tankbuster planes, which use munitions containing depleted uranium, fired 300,000 rounds. The substance--dubbed a silver bullet because of its ability to pierce heavy tank armour--is controversial because of its potential effect on human health. Critics say it is chemically toxic and can cause cancer, and Iraqi doctors reported a marked rise in cancer cases after it was used in the first Gulf conflict. The American and British governments say depleted uranium is relatively harmless, however. The Royal Society, the UK's academy of science, has also said the risk from depleted uranium is very low for soldiers and people in a conflict zone. Busby's report shows that within nine days of the start of the Iraq war on March 19, 2003, higher levels of uranium were picked up on five sites in Berkshire. On two occasions, levels exceeded the threshold at which the Environment Agency must be informed, though within safety limits. The report says weather conditions over the war period showed a consistent flow of air from Iraq northwards. Brian Spratt, who chaired the Royal Society's report, cast doubt on depleted uranium as a source but said it could have come from natural uranium in the massive amounts of soil kicked up by shock-and-awe. Other experts said local environmental sources, such as a power station, were more likely at fault. The Environment Agency said detectors at other sites did not record a similar increase, which suggested a local source. A MoD spokesman said the uranium was of a natural origin and there was no evidence that depleted uranium had reached Britain from Iraq. -- ***************************************************************** 41 [DU List] UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells - details to Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:09:08 -0800 This has just come from the low level radiation campaign, plus its article in the sunday times and is worth reading. Please circulate davey garland pandora du research project A new Green Audit report, featured in UK's Sunday Times 19th February 2006, shows that depleted uranium from Gulf War 2 "Shock and Awe" bombing in 2003 spread across Europe, reaching Britain within 9 days. This is fresh evidence of the indiscriminate effects of uranium armour piercing weaponry which make it illegal under international law (which also means Bush and Blair are war criminals.) There are persistent reports of adverse health effects associated with exposure to inhalation of DU aerosols despite official beliefs that resulting radiation doses are too low to cause any observable impact. Recent publications from a number of radiation risk agencies indicate, however, that the concept of "dose" is not valid for many types of exposure; a typical example is internal exposure to insoluble Uranium Oxide particles in the sub-micron range (i.e. smaller than 1 millionth of a meter in diameter). The risk agencies referred to here are: the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the European Committee on Radiation Risk, the French Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, and the UK's Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters. The full report from Green Audit is at www.llrc.org/aldermastrept.pdf (558 Kb). Or go to www.llrc.org and follow links to the Depleted Uranium pages of the site. Low Level Radiation Campaign UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells Mark Gould and Jon Ungoed-Thomas 799ed.jpg RADIATION detectors in Britain recorded a fourfold increase in uranium levels in the atmosphere after the “shock and awe” bombing campaign against Iraq, according to a report. Environmental scientists who uncovered the figures through freedom of information laws say it is evidence that depleted uranium from the shells was carried by wind currents to Britain. Government officials, however, say the sharp rise in uranium detected by radiation monitors in Berkshire was a coincidence and probably came from local sources. The results from testing stations at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston and four other stations within a 10-mile radius were obtained by Chris Busby, of Liverpool University’s department of human anatomy and cell biology. Each detector recorded a significant rise in uranium levels during the Gulf war bombing campaign in March 2003. The reading from a park in Reading was high enough for the Environment Agency to be alerted. Busby, who has advised the government on radiation and is a founder of Green Audit, the environmental consultancy, believes “uranium aerosols” from Iraq were widely dispersed in the atmosphere and blown across Europe. “This research shows that rather than remaining near the target as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away,” he said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) countered that it was “unfeasible” depleted uranium could have travelled so far. Radiation experts also said that other environmental sources were more likely to blame. The “shock and awe” campaign was one of the most devastating assaults in modern warfare. In the first 24-hour period more than 1,500 bombs and missiles were dropped on Baghdad. During the conflict A10 “tankbuster” planes — which use munitions containing depleted uranium — fired 300,000 rounds. The substance — dubbed a “silver bullet” because of its ability to pierce heavy tank armour — is controversial because of its potential effect on human health. Critics say it is chemically toxic and can cause cancer, and Iraqi doctors reported a marked rise in cancer cases after it was used in the first Gulf conflict. The American and British governments say depleted uranium is relatively harmless, however. The Royal Society, the UK’s academy of science, has also said the risk from depleted uranium is “very low” for soldiers and people in a conflict zone. Busby’s report shows that within nine days of the start of the Iraq war on March 19, 2003, higher levels of uranium were picked up on five sites in Berkshire. On two occasions, levels exceeded the threshold at which the Environment Agency must be informed, though within safety limits. The report says weather conditions over the war period showed a consistent flow of air from Iraq northwards. Brian Spratt, who chaired the Royal Society’s report, cast doubt on depleted uranium as a source but said it could have come from natural uranium in the massive amounts of soil kicked up by shock and awe. Other experts said local environmental sources, such as a power station, were more likely at fault. The Environment Agency said detectors at other sites did not record a similar increase, which suggested a local source. A MoD spokesman said the uranium was of a “natural origin” and there was no evidence that depleted uranium had reached Britain from Iraq. ---------- Attachment Converted: 799ed.jpg: 00000001,18b174c2,00000000,00000000 ***************************************************************** 42 [du-list] DU in the news 19.02.06 - UK radiation jump blamed Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:08:43 -0800 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2047373,00.html Also at http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m20767&l=i&size=1&hd=0 with facility for comment. Begins.. RADIATION detectors in Britain recorded a fourfold increase in uranium levels in the atmosphere after the "shock and awe" bombing campaign against Iraq, according to a report. Environmental scientists who ... ---------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.11/264 - Release Date: 2/17/06 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 43 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 11:16:15 -0600 (CST) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2047373,00.html The Sunday Times February 19, 2006 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells Mark Gould and Jon Ungoed-Thomas RADIATION detectors in Britain recorded a fourfold increase in uranium levels in the atmosphere after the shock and awe bombing campaign against Iraq, according to a report. Environmental scientists who uncovered the figures through freedom of information laws say it is evidence that depleted uranium from the shells was carried by wind currents to Britain. Government officials, however, say the sharp rise in uranium detected by radiation monitors in Berkshire was a coincidence and probably came from local sources. The results from testing stations at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston and four other stations within a 10-mile radius were obtained by Chris Busby, of Liverpool Universitys department of human anatomy and cell biology. Each detector recorded a significant rise in uranium levels during the Gulf war bombing campaign in March 2003. The reading from a park in Reading was high enough for the Environment Agency to be alerted. Busby, who has advised the government on radiation and is a founder of Green Audit, the environmental consultancy, believes uranium aerosols from Iraq were widely dispersed in the atmosphere and blown across Europe. This research shows that rather than remaining near the target as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away, he said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) countered that it was unfeasible depleted uranium could have travelled so far. Radiation experts also said that other environmental sources were more likely to blame. The shock and awe campaign was one of the most devastating assaults in modern warfare. In the first 24-hour period more than 1,500 bombs and missiles were dropped on Baghdad. During the conflict A10 tankbuster planes which use munitions containing depleted uranium fired 300,000 rounds. The substance dubbed a silver bullet because of its ability to pierce heavy tank armour is controversial because of its potential effect on human health. Critics say it is chemically toxic and can cause cancer, and Iraqi doctors reported a marked rise in cancer cases after it was used in the first Gulf conflict. The American and British governments say depleted uranium is relatively harmless, however. The Royal Society, the UKs academy of science, has also said the risk from depleted uranium is very low for soldiers and people in a conflict zone. Busbys report shows that within nine days of the start of the Iraq war on March 19, 2003, higher levels of uranium were picked up on five sites in Berkshire. On two occasions, levels exceeded the threshold at which the Environment Agency must be informed, though within safety limits. The report says weather conditions over the war period showed a consistent flow of air from Iraq northwards. Brian Spratt, who chaired the Royal Societys report, cast doubt on depleted uranium as a source but said it could have come from natural uranium in the massive amounts of soil kicked up by shock and awe. Other experts said local environmental sources, such as a power station, were more likely at fault. The Environment Agency said detectors at other sites did not record a similar increase, which suggested a local source. A MoD spokesman said the uranium was of a natural origin and there was no evidence that depleted uranium had reached Britain from Iraq. ***************************************************************** 44 [du-list] [TP] New Depleted Uranium report Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:09:26 -0800 Fwd: [TP] New Depleted Uranium report ----- Original Message ----- From: Stephen Kobasa To: Mitzi Bowman Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 9:25 AM Subject: Fwd: [TP] New Depleted Uranium report Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 16:39:02 -0000 A new Green Audit report, featured in UK's Sunday Times 19th February 2006, shows that depleted uranium from Gulf War 2 "Shock and Awe" bombing in 2003 spread across Europe, reaching Britain within 9 days. This is fresh evidence of the indiscriminate effects of uranium armour piercing weaponry which make it illegal under international law (which also means Bush and Blair are war criminals.) There are persistent reports of adverse health effects associated with exposure to inhalation of DU aerosols despite official beliefs that resulting radiation doses are too low to cause any observable impact. Recent publications from a number of radiation risk agencies indicate, however, that the concept of "dose" is not valid for many types of exposure; a typical example is internal exposure to insoluble Uranium Oxide particles in the sub-micron range (i.e. smaller than 1 millionth of a meter in diameter). The risk agencies referred to here are: the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the European Committee on Radiation Risk, the French Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, and the UK's Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters. The full report from Green Audit is at www.llrc.org/aldermastrept.pdf (558 Kb). Or go to www.llrc.org and follow links to the Depleted Uranium pages of the site. Also see " http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2047373,00.html " (copy everything between " " and paste it into the address box of your web browser). Low Level Radiation Campaign [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 45 BBC: Radioactive lorry leak firm fined Last Updated: Monday, 20 February 2006 [Sellafield] The cargo was being transported to Sellafield in Cumbria An atomic energy firm responsible for a radioactive leak from a lorry has been fined £250,000. The vehicle, which travelled from Yorkshire to the Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria, leaked radiation for 130 miles, a court heard. Leeds Crown Court was told it was "pure good fortune" no one was dangerously exposed to the radiation in March 2002. AEA Technology admitted health and safety breaches and was ordered to pay £151,000 costs. The Oxfordshire-based company was transporting part of a piece of cancer treatment equipment, which had been decommissioned at Cookridge Hospital in Leeds, to the Sellafield complex. But a "plug" was left off a specially-built 2.5 tonne container. High dose Mark Harris, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Through pure good fortune no-one involved in the removal, containment and transfer of the source may have been directly exposed to the radiation beam. "The risk of such exposure was undoubtedly present - at Cookridge, during the journey and at Sellafield." He said detected radiation at Sellafield was between 100 to 1,000 times above what would normally be considered a very high dose rate. He added that the radiation leak took the form of a narrow "beam", which was fortunately directed vertically into the ground. Mr Harris said the result would have been much worse if the beam had escaped horizontally. ***************************************************************** 46 Morris Daily Herald: Tritium focus of meeting Greater Grundy County 2/20/2006 4:06:00 PM Weller hosting officials to get NRC's update Herald Writer JOLIET — Congressman Jerry Weller was meeting with various area officials today on the tritium-laced water leaks at Braidwood, Dresden and Byron generating stations. They include State Senator Gary Dahl, R-Granville; State Representa-tive Careen Gordon, D-Morris; city engineer Warren Olson of Morris; Grundy County Board Chairman Paul “Barry” Nelson, also of Morris; Will County Executive Larry Walsh; Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis; Godley Village President Michael Valeriano; and Godley Park District Director Joe Cosgrove. Weller said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is to give the status of, and field questions on, the radioactive leaks at Braidwood Station at Braceville and Dresden Station east of Morris. The incident at Braidwood occur-red in 1998, when the valve on an underground discharge pipe leaked about three million gallons of tritium-laced water into the groundwater at the plant site. The Dresden leakage was in early December 2004, when a pipe failed that carried water from the station’s purification system to a storage tank on-site. David Kraft, director of Nuclear Energy Information Service in Evanston, a non-government agency, said in part in a letter to the editor of the Morris Daily Herald, that Illinois cannot tolerate “the continued bumbling of ‘good neighbors’ like Exelon, which aspires to build new reactors and extend operating lifetimes for its 11 old ones.” “Nor can it tolerate a regulator (NRC) with an allergy toward assertive regulation,” he wrote. “If reactors can’t be emissions free, as the industry boasts, they should be closed, and not allowed to further pollute the air, water, and land. “If the NRC won’t regulate assertively, it should be abolished, saving ratepayers $700 million plus per year.” Gordon introduced a bill Friday to the General Assembly to change the way the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency monitors plants. “Currently, if there is an accident or a problem in one of the state’s nuclear facilities, it is incumbent upon the facility to tell the IEPA,” Gordon said. “Those living near these facilities deserve better protections from the state. This new legislation will help to protect the safety of local residents.” Exelon will host a public Community Information Night from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The event will be a Exelon’s Services and Training Center on Essex Road, about three miles south of Illinois 113 in Wilmington. Exelon representatives, technical experts and officials from state agencies will provide information, review tritium location maps, and answer questions on a one-on-one basis. “This (tritium) issue does not present a health or safety threat to our neighbors, and we are committed to keeping the public informed, Braidwood Vice President Keith Polson said in a prepared news brief. “The information night is just one of many ways of doing this.” Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott said Friday the agency was disappointed to learn about the old incidents only recently. The IEPA is asking Exelon investigate further Braidwood and the rest of its generating stations throughout Illinois. “To report how many releases have occurred and the extent of any resulting contamination of the groundwater,” the brief noted. “In addition, the IEPA will request that Exelon sample all private drinking water wells that would potentially be affected by any of the releases.” The IEPA said it first became aware of the tritium incidents after being notified by the public in late 2004 of a spill at Dresden Station near Morris. Since then, the agency has become aware of numerous releases of water containing tritium at several of Exelon’s nuclear facilities throughout Illinois. Morris Daily Herald • 1804 N. Division St. • Morris, Illinois 60450 (815) 942-3221 • (800) 215-9778 Software © 1998-2006 , All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 47 UPI: ATK bags $38 million tank ammo order United Press International - Security &Terrorism - 2/20/2006 11:32:00 AM -0500 MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The Army has placed a $38 million order with Alliant Techsystems (ATK) for 120-mm ammunition for its main battle tank. The follow-on contract announced by ATK Monday extends the original contract for M829A3 tank rounds and brings the total value of the rounds ordered in fiscal year 2006 up to $77 million. Once the new pact is completed, ATK will have delivered 35,000 M829A3 rounds to the military. ATK says the price is worth it because it gives the U.S. M1A1 and A2 Abrams tanks unmatched punch "designed to ensure that U.S. armored forces maintain battlefield supremacy." Based on a depleted-uranium penetrator, the West Virginia-produced round is billed as the most advanced armor-piercing kinetic-energy ordnance available. "Its state-of-the-art composite sabot, propellant, and penetrator technologies give it outstanding accuracy and lethality," ATK said. The M829A3 specs show that the 22.3-kilogram round uses 8 kilograms of solid propellent to attain a muzzle velocity of 1,555 meters per second. While the velocity isn't as fast as other U.S. 120-mm rounds, the 10-kg projectile is heavier than the others. The projectile's use of depleted uranium shows continued confidence in the slightly radioactive but increasingly controversial depleted uranium. Critics see the radiation of depleted uranium as a potential health hazard to tank crews and to people exposed to the material after it has been fired. Armor experts, however, maintain that the extremely heavy composition of depleted uranium makes it not only a top-notch armor-piercer but a vital hardener of the Abrams' own armor. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 48 Las Vegas SUN: Flashpoint for Feb. 20, 2006 Las Vegas SUN Today: February 20, 2006 at 9:11:20 PST Flashpoint for Feb. 20, 2006 By Jon Ralston Las Vegas Sun If Pavlov wanted an affirmation of his theories, all he'd need to listen for is the salivating of the Nevada hounds after an Energy Department news release. First to yap about the latest "all's well at Yucca" report was Rep. Jon Porter using pretty mild adjectives such as "unfortunate" and "haphazard." Next up was Rep. Jim Gibbons, who barked about "an insult to the people of Nevada." Then came a snarling Rep. Shelley Berkley, who lamented the DOE's attempt to "paint a happy face on the sad state of affairs." Last but not least, Sens. John Ensign and Harry Reid with a joint woofer using words such as "laughable" and "absurd." Oh, when they call the DOE's name, they salivate like a Pavlovian dog. All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 49 The Dispatch: Study Says No Health Problems From Perchlorate Monday, February 20, 2006 By Matt King Gilroy - A new perchlorate study has found that high doses of the contaminant seemingly have no effect on the health of pregnant women or fetuses. The study was performed in Chile, where there are large amounts of naturally-occurring perchlorate. Subjects were taken from three cities: Taltal, where perchlorate is in the drinking water at levels above 100 parts per billion; Cha'aral, with levels of 6 ppb; and Antofagasta, with less than 1 ppb. Researchers tracked the pregnancies of 60 women and found no difference in the women's thyroid function or neonatal birth weight, length or head circumference. "This implies that the perchlorate dose is not large enough to affect the thyroid," said Dr. John Gibbs, the study's lead author. Perchlorate is a salt that has been shown in some studies to inhibit the body's ability to process iodine. Pregnant women and infants are believed to be at the greatest risk because women with low iodine levels are more likely to deliver babies with neurological defects. Perchlorate was discovered in South County in 2000, but most of the region's drinking water is contaminated at levels far below 100 ppb. In recent testing, only 34 of 850 wells had levels higher than 6 ppb, the state's public health goal for perchlorate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a federal a cleanup level of 24.5 ppb that does not apply to California. The Olin Corp., which operated a Morgan Hill road-flare factory that polluted South County's groundwater, has proposed a cleanup goal of 11 ppb, though that goal is not likely to be approved. Robert Dowd, a chief toxicologist with the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, which set the state's health goal, said the study is sound, but was too limited to have an effect on the health goal. "I think this is an excellent study but it doesn't answer some important questions," Dowd said. "It doesn't address the question of whether there are developmental effects on infants of mothers who are exposed to relatively high levels of perchlorate during pregnancy and infants later exposed to relatively high levels as they're growing up." Dowd said the study is not easily applied to the U.S. because Chileans consume significantly more iodine, which counteracts the thyroids effects of perchlorate. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world that doesn't mandate iodination of salt. The study has been criticized by some environmental groups because it was funded by the Kerr-McGee Corp., an energy company responsible for contamination in the U.S. Renee Sharp, senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group, said studies currently underway by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be much more useful. "Knowing that the CDC is doing a very large-scale study and has no direct financial interest in the outcome of the study, I think the results of that study are going to be much more influential than a study funded by a polluter group done in a different country." The CDC and the U.S. Department of Defense participated in the Chilean study. "Science is science," Gibbs said. "We had many different researchers along the line. The data is open to everybody." Matt King covers Santa Clara County for The Dispatch. He can be reached at 847-7240 or mking@gilroydispatch.com. Gilroy Dispatch? ***************************************************************** 50 [NYTr] Iran Counting on EU Support for Peaceful Nuke Program Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:18:51 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com Iran Counting on EU Support for Peaceful Nuke Program Brussels, Feb 20 (Prensa Latina) Iran's Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki was fully convinced Monday he would get a commitment from Europe over his nation's peaceful nuke energy program. "The time of threats is over and we are expecting new constructive proposals," Mottaki said upon his arrival in Brussels where he immediately met with his Belgian counterpart Karel De Gucht. Another Iranian delegation is in Moscow to discuss the Russian proposal to enrich uranium for the Teheran nuclear program. The foreign minister is scheduled to meet with Javier Solana, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, before appearing in the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs. "Iran wants to show it is ready for negotiations based on justice and commitment to finally resolve the conflict," the high ranking official stated. mh/ymr/hav/mf * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 51 Knox News: Engineering, construction firm CH2M Hill finds room to grow in ET area Positive energy February 20, 2006 CH2M Hill, a local engineering and construction firm, hopes to answer President Bush's call to develop more ethanol plants. The firm plans to design and manage the construction of three such plants to burn solid waste in three East Tennessee counties. "The counties are going to be the owners of the sites," said John Wharton, vice president of Lockwood Greene, an engineering firm that was acquired by CH2M Hill in 2003. "A private company will come in and build the ethanol plant and take the solid waste. I think we can produce enough ethanol. It doesn't have to come from corn. It can be done in East Tennessee." No date has been set yet for construction of the plants. The firm is in the early stages of exploring alternative energy sources in East Tennessee, said Ken Hill, CH2M Hill vice president and Tennessee area manager. "There's a bunch of regulatory hurdles we have to go through," Wharton said. Wharton declined to identify the counties where the plants would be located because of the controversy that could arise from such an announcement. He said there likely would be a "not in my neighborhood" attitude about the burning of solid waste. If they come to fruition, the plants will be another step in the growth of CH2M Hill in the Knoxville area. The company is growing by leaps and bounds in part because of its acquisition of Lockwood Greene, but also because of the opportunities for the company here. Hill said the Knoxville area is ripe for expansion because it includes three Department of Energy sites in Oak Ridge, plus TVA and the University of Tennessee. Also, he said, "It's a very desirable place to live. We don't have a lot of trouble recruiting specialists." Wharton also attributes the company's growth to its ability to "provide a one-stop shop for engineering, procurement and construction services." Revenues for the company's Knoxville and Oak Ridge offices were $38 million in 2004 and almost doubled to $66 million in 2005. The Knoxville offices are in the renovated Miller's building downtown and off Northshore Drive, and the Oak Ridge office is on Lafayette Drive. CH2M Hill was founded in Carvallis, Ore., in 1946, and the company's name represents the four people who started the company — Holly Cornell, James Howland, T. Burke Hayes and Fred Merryfield. Only Howland and Hayes are still living. Lockwood Greene has had offices here since 1981, and H2M Hill first opened an office here in 1987, both in Oak Ridge. CH2M Hill's downtown office was opened in 2004 when it was awarded a contract for KUB's 10-year sewer improvement project. The employee-owned company includes civil, structural, chemical, mechanical, environmental, electrical and nuclear engineers, architects, computer scientists, graphic artists, editorial writers, estimators, schedulers, electricians, welders, construction managers, utility system operators and laborers. It designs and constructs a multitude of projects from designing industrial parks to operating utilities at the former K-25 facility (East Tennessee Technology Park) at Oak Ridge to handling a large part of the Knoxville Utilities Board's 10-year sewer project. "What we've been trying to do at CH2M Hill is have a diverse set of businesses," Hill said. "We've been bringing additional services into the community, into this area. We never had this expertise before. It gives us more to offer." The acquisition of Lockwood Greene "helped us diversify," Hill said. The company had about 100 employees before the addition of Lockwood Greene, which added about 90 more. Today, employment totals 266 and represents growth in the company outside of the acquisition. Seven of the company's 10 business groups are located in the three East Tennessee offices. The company's headquarters is in Denver, and CH2M Hill has offices in most continents in the world. + The 16 employees in Nuclear Business do work for Y-12 and Oak Ridge National Lab and work on environmental services in the nuclear area and decommissioning of DOE facilities at Rocky Flats, Colo. + The 15 employees in Environmental Services help clients like Rohm and Haas and Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma identify and clean up environmental hazards and comply with state and federal regulations. + The 10 employees in Energy and Industrial Services help companies comply with state and federal air regulations. This is the division that would oversee projects such as the ethanol plants design, which will have to comply with air regulations. This group also teaches companies "lean manufacturing," or how to be more efficient in manufacturing. + The 20 employees in the Water Business Group are handling the KUB wastewater project, replacing lateral pipes from the street to homes and helping the system come into compliance with Clean Water regulations. + The 15 employees in Communications and Information Services handle computer systems and are helping Knoxville, Knox County and KUB's geographic information system upgrade their information system. The division also handles homeland security issues including emergency preparedness for Knox County, first responders and area hospitals, and a National Safe Skies plan to keep intruders away from the airport. + The 60 employees at Operations Management International oversee the operation of utilities for K-25. + The 130 employees at Lockwood Greene handle engineering and construction for government and industrial clients. An example is the new facility designed for Bush Brothers in Jefferson County. CH2M Hill also has handled projects over the years for Alcoa, including the modernization of automating the making of aluminum coils and the design of a rolling mill in China. "We've designed industrial parks in East Tennessee in Loudon County, Oak Ridge, Blount County and Sevier County," Wharton said. Also, for the second year in a row, CH2M Hill has made the "Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For" list. CH2M Hill came in at No. 80. Companies make the list based on their policies and culture and the opinions of their employees. Business writer Rebecca Ferrar may be reached at 865-342-6357. © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************