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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 [NYTr] IAEA Head Insists Only Dialogue Can Solve Iran Dispute
2 Iaea Chief Says Efforts To Assess Iran's Nuclear Activities Are At A
3 Reuters: Nuclear watchdog head welcomes Iran-EU talks
4 Reuters: U.S. says nuclear double-standard on Iran justified
5 IRNA: ElBaradei: Solana, Larijani trying to reach agreement
6 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: PGCC not opposing Iranian N-work
7 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Larijani: Solana talks, constructive
8 AFP: Negotiation still best option to settle Iran nuclear crisis - I
9 AFP: Iran sets conditions on enrichment suspension - diplomat
10 AFP: UN nuclear watchdog to hear report on Iran
11 AFP: Iran optimistic after EU nuclear talks
12 AFP: US does not rule out accepting Iran's possible offer - Rice -
13 Guardian Unlimited: American Envoy Welcomes Progress on Iran
14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Doesn't Nix Bargaining With Iran
15 Guardian Unlimited: Iran offers to freeze uranium enrichment for eig
16 [NYTr] US warns N Korea on nuclear test
17 Hankyoreh: Seoul calls for Washington's flexibility on Pyongyang
18 Reuters: U.S. mulling nuclear talks without North Korea
19 BBC: US warns N Korea on nuclear test
20 IRNA: South Korea welcomes EU efforts to achieve a diplomatic soluti
21 Korea Times: Asia, Europe Leaders Urge Restart of Nuke Talks
22 Korea Times: US Agents Lend Nuclear Expertise
23 AFP: No further inducements for NKoreans - US envoy -
24 Guardian Unlimited: U.S.: Nations Should Meet on North Korea
25 IRNA: Russia should act upon commitments on Bushehr power plant
26 The Hindu: "Time ripe to clinch nuclear deal"
27 Xinhua: Japan, ROK to conduct joint survey in disputed waters
28 IAEA: Introductory Statement to the Board Of Governors
NUCLEAR REACTORS
29 [NukeNet] GNEP: Japan Nuclear Industry Expression of Interest
30 Times of India: Fresh hitch for N-deal
31 RIA Novosti: Power unit shut down at Ukrainian NPP
32 Independent: Putin promises Russia will not act like an 'energy supe
33 Aftenposten.no: Reactor scare blamed on pump leak -
34 US: Brattleboro Reformer: More people paying attention to Yankee sec
35 UBC: WANO examines Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant.
36 US: NRC: Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Company and Firstenergy Nucle
37 US: NRC: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for th
38 Kyiv Post: Safety system automatically shuts down nuclear reactor
39 english.eastday.com: Indonesia to build nuclear power plant in 2010
NUCLEAR SECURITY
40 US: Tri-City Herald: Ferries remain vulnerable to terrorist activity
NUCLEAR SAFETY
41 US: [NukeNet]Health comparison, 9/11 and nuclear power
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
42 US: [NukeNet] Feds Reject Plan to Create Utah Nuclear Waste
43 US: [shundahaialert] A victory for us all! PFS is all but dead.
44 US: Deseret News: The end to a long struggle
45 US: RIA Novosti: Russia set to raise Asian uranium market share by 2
46 US: Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: Setting a precedent
47 US: Daily Grist: Interior Department blocks interim nuke-waste site
PEACE
48 Central Asia's Nuclear-free Zone Treaty Marks 'another Step In Years
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
49 Knox News: Oak Ridge holds secrets closer
50 KnoxNews: ORNL, Y-12 alter missions to help address homeland-securit
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1 [NYTr] IAEA Head Insists Only Dialogue Can Solve Iran Dispute
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:59:28 -0500 (CDT)
X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu
X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com
IAEA Head Insists Only Dialogue can Solve Iran Nuclear Dispute
Vienna, Sep 11 (Prensa Latina) The general director of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed El Baradei, reiterated in Vienna it is
necessary to seek a diplomatic way out of the Iranian nuclear issue.
"I still think," the official said, "that negotiation is the best choice to
find a lasting solution," referring to the dispute artificially
created when the US accused Teheran of trying to make weapons of mass
destruction.
The Egyptian official was thus referring to mediation efforts by the top
representative of the European Union for foreign policy and common
security, Javier Solana, during a meeting last weekend with Ali Larijani,
in charge of Iran s nuclear issues.
Solana said that the talks at the federal Austrian chancellery resulted in
some progress, and he is willing to continue working on it next week.
sus/dig/to/mf
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2 Iaea Chief Says Efforts To Assess Iran's Nuclear Activities Are At An Impasse
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:00:32 -0400
IAEA CHIEF SAYS EFFORTS TO ASSESS IRAN’S NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES ARE AT AN IMPASSE
New York, Sep 11 2006 2:00PM
The Director-General of the United Nations International Atomic Energy
Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/index.html">IAEA) today <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Statements/2006/ebsp2006n013.html">expressed
“serious
concern” about Iran’s lack of cooperation in allowing
investigators to determine whether the country’s nuclear programme
is for peaceful or military aims.
A report two weeks ago by <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2006/iran_compliance.htmll">IAEA
chief Mohamed ElBaradei to the Security
Council found that Iran has neither suspended its nuclear
enrichment-related activities nor complied with all of its obligations
under international non-proliferation agreements.
<"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2006/dgbriefsboard.html">Briefing
the Agency’s Board of Governors at its headquarters in Vienna
today, Mr. ElBaradei said that while all the nuclear material
declared by Iran to the Agency has been accounted for and inspectors
have found little build-up of enrichment capacity at Natanz,
the Agency was not able to assess fully the country’s enrichment-related
research and development activities, including the possible
production of centrifuges and related equipment.
“Because of this, and the lack of readiness of Iran to resolve these
issues, the Agency is unable to make further progress in its
efforts to provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear
material and activities in Iran,” said Mr. ElBaradei. “This
continues to be a matter of serious concern.”
The Security Council has threatened sanctions if Iran does not suspend
uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, including research
and development, and take steps to assure the world that
its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.
Following a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/sc8792.doc.html">resolution
on 31 July, the IAEA was requested to report back
in a month on whether Iran had complied with those demands.
Mr. ElBaradei reported that Iran has supplied the IAEA with access
to nuclear material and facilities, as well as the required reports,
but that it continues to refuse access to some operating records
at an enrichment plant.
Iran has said repeatedly that its activities are aimed at the production
of energy only, but the United States and other countries
insist it is clandestinely seeking to produce nuclear weapons.
2006-09-11 00:00:00.000
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3 Reuters: Nuclear watchdog head welcomes Iran-EU talks
Monday September 11, 5:31 PM
VIENNA (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on
Monday welcomed progress in talks between the European Union and
Iran over Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment programme.
"I am ... encouraged that there is ongoing dialogue with the EU
and other partners to create the conditions for the parties to
go back into negotiations," Mohamed ElBaradei told journalists
in Vienna.
"I still believe that negotiations is the best option to find a
durable solution," the head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) said ahead a meeting of its governing board.
"However the window of opportunity is not very long."
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iranian
negotiator Ali Larijani said they made progress at the weekend
towards formal negotiations to end a stalemate over Tehran's
pursuit of technology that could yield atom bombs.
Washington's EU allies share its suspicions that Iran is engaged
in a camouflaged bid to assemble nuclear bombs. All have
condemned Iran's defiance of an Aug. 31 U.N. Security Council
deadline to stop enriching uranium to qualify for trade
benefits.
Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
4 Reuters: U.S. says nuclear double-standard on Iran justified
Monday September 11, 7:44 PM
BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States acknowledged on Monday it
was employing a double-standard in its divergent approaches to
India and Iran's nuclear programmes, but said its policies were
justified by the behaviour of the two countries.
"Is there a double-standard? Yeah. There should be," said U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, when asked whether
a civilian nuclear cooperation deal between Washington and New
Delhi might send the wrong message to Iran.
Boucher, who is in charge of central and south Asian affairs in
the State Department, was in Berlin for discussions with German
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on topics ranging from
Afghanistan to India and central Asia.
Back in March, when the U.S. nuclear deal with India was
unveiled, Steinmeier said the timing of the agreement was "not
helpful" given continuing talks with Iran over its nuclear
programme.
The deal would enable India, long treated as a nuclear pariah,
to receive American atomic technology and fuel, even though it
has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and
has already developed atomic bombs.
The United States, supported by Europe, is demanding that Iran,
which is a member of the NPT and does not have nuclear weapons,
halt key aspects of its nuclear programme because it suspects
the country plans to develop atomic bombs.
Iran, which says its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful
purposes, concealed its uranium enrichment programme from the
nuclear watchdog of the United Nations for 18 years before
declaring it in 2003.
"When you have a country that kicks out inspectors, violates its
commitments, goes back on its obligations, tears up agreements
... they should be treated differently than a country that has a
good record in non-proliferation ... and which wants to bring
itself more in alignment with the international community,"
Boucher said.
He added that he did not believe Iran decided its policies based
on how Washington dealt with India.
The U.S. House of Representatives gave its initial approval to
the India nuclear deal in late July and the Senate is due to
vote on it later this month.
Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
5 IRNA: ElBaradei: Solana, Larijani trying to reach agreement
Vienna, Sept 11, IRNA
Iran-IAEA-Nuclear
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General
Mohamed ElBaradei said Monday that European Union foreign policy
chief Javier Solana and Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani
were working hard to reach agreement over Iran's nuclear case.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the IAEA
Board of Governors at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna,
ElBaradei expressed hope further Larijani-Solana talks would end
up in an agreement for resumption of talks between Iran and
parties opposing its nuclear program.
The IAEA chief also urged all parties to return to the
negotiating table and discuss the 5+1 Group's package of nuclear
incentives for Iran as well as the latter's response to the
package.
Stressing the need for finding a sustainable solution to the
Iran nuclear issue, ElBaradei said the issue calls for one of
the most complicated negotiations due to its security, economic
and political implications.
The IAEA head moreover agreed to give today's meeting of the
35-member governing board his latest report on Iran's nuclear
activities.
ElBaradei said that closing Iran's nuclear case has been a
major responsibility of his in the past three years.
*****************************************************************
6 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: PGCC not opposing Iranian N-work
2006/09/11
Bahraini Interior Minister called for extensive efforts of the
Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) to avert any tension in
the region over Iran's nuclear program.
General Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdallah Bin Ahmad al-Khalifa told the
Kuwaiti As-Siyasa daily published on Sunday that PGCC member
states are concerned about any possible tension between the West
and Iran.
He said the PGCC does not have any objection to Iran's peaceful
nuclear technology.
Noting the PGCC member states are interested in keeping the
Middle East and Persian Gulf regions free of all nuclear
weapons, he welcomed the proposal for PGCC member states' access
to peaceful nuclear technology.
mk
Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center.
E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir
*****************************************************************
7 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Larijani: Solana talks, constructive
2006/09/11
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali
Larijani told reporters before leaving for Iran Sunday that his
talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on the nuclear
issue had been constructive, adding that the talks will continue
this weekend.
Larijani held two rounds of talks with Solana over the weekend
lasting for seven hours.
He said his talks with Solana were necessary because Iran's
response to the package of proposals offered by the six powers
needed to be explained to remove certain ambiguities.
He said that during his talks in Vienna with European officials
progress had been made and some ambiguities cleared and that
they also agreed with him on certain principles.
He said the process now underway shows there are points of
common understanding which can help solve the current problem.
He also said that if the parties are able to agree on certain
principles based on the NPT, any problem can be worked out.
The Iran nuclear issue is not a complicated one, but there are
some ambiguities and misunderstandings which should be
addressed, he added.
Larijani, who also held talks with IAEA chief Mohamed El-Baradei
in Vienna, said the talks were necessary, adding that Iran
should maintain constant contact with the agency as the main
source of reference on nuclear issues.
Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center.
E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir
*****************************************************************
8 AFP: Negotiation still best option to settle Iran nuclear crisis - IAEA -
by Michael Adler Mon Sep 11, 11:01 AM ET
VIENNA (AFP) - UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei has
said that negotiation remains the best option to settle the
Iranian nuclear crisis, but the United States warned it was still
seeking sanctions against Tehran.
Gregory Schulte, US ambassador to the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), said Washington welcomed "progress" made in
EU- Iran talks at the weekend but that as long as Iran has failed
to suspend uranium enrichment "we will be looking to move forward
in the ( United Nations Security Council with the sanctions
regime."
ElBaradei told reporters as a meeting began in Vienna of the
IAEA's 35-nation board of governors: "Negotiation is the best
option to find a durable solution."
He was speaking the day after top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali
Larijani and European Union " /> foreign policy chief Javier
Solana said they would hold another meeting this week after
reporting progress in the weekend's last-ditch talks to avert
Security Council sanctions over Tehran's enrichment activities.
The United States claims Iran is secretly developing nuclear
weapons but Tehran says it only has a peaceful program to
generate electricity.
The five permanent Security Council members -- Britain, China,
France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany have offered
Iran talks on a package of trade and other benefits if it
suspends uranium enrichment, which makes nuclear reactor fuel but
also atom bomb material. Iran faced the threat of UN sanctions if
it did not comply.
According to an EU diplomat, Larijani in his meeting with Solana
had offered a two-month suspension but did not say if this would
be done ahead of talks with the six world powers.
Diplomats said the search was on for a face-saving compromise to
get these talks started, with the formula revolving around
whether an enrichment suspension would start before, during or
after negotiations and how long it would last.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a newspaper
interview in Moscow that the United States was pursuing its own
interests by trying to force a confrontation with calls for
sanctions.
"It is irrational to talk to Iran in the language of ultimatums,"
he said.
Schulte told reporters Monday that if Iran did suspend enrichment
this would have to be "not for one or two months" but for "as
long as negotiations proceed."
"Suspension is not just some short-term expedient. It is
something serious that will allow for serious negotiations and
will allow us to start regaining confidence in the peaceful
nature of Iran's program," Schulte said.
"We hope progress will continue" in the Larijani-Solana talks,"
he added. "But what we need and what the Security Council has
mandated is not just talks, but is it the suspension of uranium
enrichment activities."
ElBaradei said he hoped that when Larijani and Solana meet again
-- probably later this week in Vienna -- that "we will be able to
see an agreement to go back to the negotiating table" with the
six powers.
"The window of opportunity however is not very long," ElBaradei
said.
The United States wants to see a draft UN resolution on sanctions
drawn up as early as this week, US Under-secretary of State
Nicholas Burns said in Berlin on Friday.
ElBaradei said he would present to the IAEA board his report
that Iran had failed to meet the enrichment suspension deadline
set at August 31 by the Security Council.
He also said Iran had to work with the agency to clarify
"important outstanding issues," as the IAEA has been unable to
determine after more than three years of investigation whether
the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.
It has also found the Islamic Republic in non-compliance with the
nuclear non-proliferation treaty for hiding sensitive atomic work
for almost two decades.
"The international community is concerned about Tehran's
non-compliance... and we would like to see progress... in getting
back all the parties to the negotiating table," ElBaradei said.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
9 AFP: Iran sets conditions on enrichment suspension - diplomat
by Michael Adler Mon Sep 11, 4:11 PM ET
VIENNA (AFP) - Iran " /> has set a list of conditions, including
no UN actions against Tehran, in offering to consider a two-month
suspension of uranium enrichment, a Western diplomat told AFP.
In giving details of a closed-door meeting between top Iranian
nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European foreign policy
chief Javier Solana last weekend in Vienna, the diplomat said
Iran "had a long list (of conditions) including (a) complete and
total halt in activity at the UN Security Council, an absolute
stepping down from going for sanctions and that Iran would have
the right to nuclear fuel technology on its soil."
"In return for this, Larijani said the Iranians would consider,
consider not actually carry out, a two-month halt in enrichment.
It was all very conditional," the diplomat said, in relating a
briefing from Solana.
The Iranian offer first revealed Sunday had raised hopes of a
breakthrough in the international standoff over Iran's nuclear
ambitions but the diplomat said that Larijani's conditions
dashed these hopes.
The conditions are "unacceptable" to the six world powers
offering Iran talks on a package of trade and other benefits
because they would guarantee Tehran the right to sensitive
nuclear fuel work and protect it from any punitive UN action,
said the diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous due to the
confidentiality of the information.
Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States
want a full and unconditional suspension of uranium enrichment
to start the negotiations, the diplomat said.
Enrichment is the strategic process which makes nuclear reactor
fuel but also atom bomb material.
"There was not any new offer on the table from the Iranians. It
was all incredibly conditional and all temporary," the diplomat
said, adding that the suspension would come before negotiations.
The details on the Larijani-Solana talks come with the United
States warning Monday at a meeting of the watchdog International
Atomic Energy Agency
" /> (IAEA) in Vienna that it is still seeking sanctions against
Tehran.
Gregory Schulte, US ambassador to the IAEA, said Washington
welcomed "progress" made in the Larijani-Solana talks at the
weekend in Vienna but that as long as Iran has failed to suspend
uranium enrichment "we will be looking to move forward in the (
United Nations
" /> ) Security Council with the sanctions regime."
Schulte told reporters Monday that if Iran did suspend
enrichment this would have to be "not for one or two months" but
for "as long as negotiations proceed" and without preconditions.
The six nations threaten UN sanctions if Tehran does not comply.
Iran refuses, however, to suspend enrichment and defied a UN
Security Council August 31 deadline for it to freeze the
strategic nuclear fuel work.
The diplomat said: "The condition laid out in 1696 (the Council
resolution setting the deadline) is really a simple one, a sign
of good faith to stop their enrichment."
An EU diplomat confirmed that Larijani had made the offer to
Solana on Sunday in Vienna.
"He offered a two-month suspension but there were no details and
it was not clear when it would start," the diplomat said.
But Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the Iranian ambassador to the UN
nuclear watchdog in Vienna, denied that Larijani had said this.
Schulte said that if Iran did suspend enrichment this would have
to be "not for one or two months" but that the "suspension needs
to be in place as long as negotiations proceed."
Solana and Larijani said Sunday they had made progress in
last-ditch talks to avert UN sanctions and would meet again this
week.
Solana and Larijani were believed to be trying to find a
face-saving deal.
Diplomats said the formula for a compromise revolved around
whether an enrichment suspension would start before, during or
after negotiations and how long it would last.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Monday that negotiation
remains the "best option to find a durable solution" to the
Iranian nuclear crisis.
But he said: "The window of opportunity however is not very
long."
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
10 AFP: UN nuclear watchdog to hear report on Iran
by Michael Adler Mon Sep 11, 3:12 AM ET
VIENNA (AFP) - The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of
governors will hear a report on Iran " /> 's nuclear program at a
meeting which starts Monday, but is not expected to take decisive
action.
"No one expects any fireworks," a diplomat close to the
Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency " /> (IAEA) told
AFP, as the political action over Iran's contested nuclear work
is taking place elsewhere.
The IAEA has been investigating Iran's nuclear program for over
three years on US charges that Tehran is hiding the development
of nuclear weapons.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei will present a report that documents
how Iran failed to heed an August 31 United Nations " /> Security
Council deadline to suspend uranium enrichment, which makes
nuclear power reactor fuel but can also produce atom bomb
material.
The board will also be considering items such as nuclear safety
and technical cooperation in its work in some 200 countries
worldwide, and in preparation for a general conference of all the
IAEA countries in the week following the board meeting, IAEA
spokesman Peter Rickwood said.
But while the IAEA board has in the past taken key steps on
Iran, such as in February finding it in violation of the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for hiding sensitive nuclear
work, the stage is now set for the Security Council to hear US
pleas for sanctions against Iran.
Six world powers have offered Iran negotiations on a package of
trade and other benefits if it suspends uranium enrichment.
Iran has resolutely refused to suspend this strategic nuclear
fuel work, saying it has a peaceful nuclear program and the
right to enrich under the NPT, and defied the Security Council
deadline.
Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana said Sunday in Vienna that they had cleared
up misunderstandings and made progress in last-ditch talks to
avert UN sanctions and would hold another meeting this week.
Solana had said Friday in Copenhagen that no UN sanctions would
be imposed on Iran "as long as meetings with Mr. Larijani
continue".
A European diplomat said that the Iranians could be stalling for
time.
"Every possibility which extends their time frame without
changing the substance (of their nuclear program) is a success
for them," the diplomat said.
Another European diplomat said: "The key is whether there really
is something serious happening at the talks" and that the
Iranians still had to suspend enrichment.
In light of all this maneuvering, said a diplomat close to the
IAEA, "any practical steps on Iran in Vienna may interfere with
the discussion in New York," even if the IAEA is desperate to
get Iran to re-instate the wide rights its inspectors had before
being taken away after the IAEA board's finding Tehran in
violation of the NPT in February.
"This board meeting could be over in three days," said another
diplomat, instead of the week-long marathons that have marked
board sessions when the Iran issue was tense, necessitating long
debates and even longer back-room consultations.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
11 AFP: Iran optimistic after EU nuclear talks
Mon Sep 11, 7:13 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran " /> 's chief nuclear negotiator has
expressed optimism after two days of talks with the European
Union " /> , saying he was hopeful of a positive result if
discussions continued in the same vein.
Ali Larijani told the IRNA agency before leaving Vienna late
Sunday, that his talks on Iran's nuclear programme with EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana in the Austrian capital were
"positive" and common ground between the two sides was
increasing.
"The talks were constructive both from my point of view and that
of Mr Solana for coming to agreement. This is why the talks must
continue to reach the fullest result," Larijani said.
"These talks were positive and if we continue on the same
principles, I hope that the results of the next meetings will be
just as positive.
"We had good discussions and ambiguities have been cleared up
and we have agreed certain principles. This shows that common
ground is increasing which can help resolve certain questions,"
he said.
Solana had reported "progress" after the talks and said
misunderstandings had been cleared up. But Iranian officials
denied reports Larijani had proposed suspending sensitive
uranium enrichment activities for up to two months.
Iran has repeatedly refused to suspend uranium enrichment, a
process that can be used both to make nuclear energy and a
nuclear bomb, and insists there can be no preconditions for
restarting full negotiations.
Larijani made no mention of any enrichment suspension and did
not disclose any details on exactly what issues were discussed
in the weekend talks.
"Different questions have been raised, both to realise the
rights of Iran, which must be clearly defined and in writing, as
well as our duties to open the path towards negotiations," he
said.
"During negotiations many questions can be raised but it is
neccessary to have a constructive climate," he said.
The United States has accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons
-- a charge vehemently denied by Iran -- and is leading a drive
to impose sanctions on the Islamic republic after it refused to
obey a deadline to suspend enrichment.
Solana and Larijani are to meet again this week although it is
unclear when and where the talks will be held.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
12 AFP: US does not rule out accepting Iran's possible offer - Rice -
Mon Sep 11, 6:02 PM ET
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice " /> Condoleezza Ricedid not rule out accepting a possible
offer from Iran " /> Iranto temporarily suspend its uranium
enrichment as a way to avoid threatened UN sanctions.
But she insisted the suspension be in place and be verifiable
before any negotiations on resolving the deadlock over Iran's
disputed nuclear program.
Rice's remarks indicated a willingness to let talks play out
between Iran and European Union " /> European Unionforeign policy
chief Javier Solana even as Washington pushes for UN Security
Council action against Tehran.
"From our point of view, we've got nothing to lose by, as we
work toward the sanctions resolution, having Javier Solana
explore with the Iranians whether there is a way to get to the
negotiations," she told reporters travelling with her to Canada.
Rice added: "I continue to hope that the Iranians will take the
opportunity put before them."
The top US diplomat said she had spoken to Solana about his
discussions last weekend with top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali
Larijani and was unaware of any formal offer from Tehran, but
called the atmosphere at the talks "good."
"I don't think there's an offer at this point. The issue is, are
the Iranians prepared to suspend so that negotiations can
begin?" she said.
"As far as I know, the Iranians have not yet said they would
suspend prior to negotiations, which is what the issue has been."
Rice, in Halifax to thank Canada for accepting some 220
passenger planes after the September 11, 2001 attacks,
sidestepped a question about whether the United States would
accept a temporary suspension of uranium enrichment work.
"As to time limitations, I haven't heard any Iranian offer so I
don't know what to make of that," she said.
"If the Iranians are in a state of suspension, then we would be
prepared not to have activity in the Security Council. But there
has to be suspension if there is going to be any negotiations."
The UN Security Council demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment
activities by August 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.
Tehran refused but in talks with the EU's Solana, Iran offered a
possible two-month suspension if a list of elaborate conditions
were met, a Western diplomat has told AFP in Vienna.
The US and European governments suspect Iran is pursuing a
clandestine project to build atomic weapons, but Tehran insists
its program is designed purely for the generation of electricity.
Rice said the United States will start pushing the UN for
"sanctions commensurate with Iranian behavior" and warned Iran
should not be allowed to stall UN action.
"The time is coming very soon when we're going to have to adopt
a Security Council resolution," Rice said.
While Russia and China have expressed reluctance to impose
sanctions against Iran, Rice said Washington may choose to
pursue sanctions outside the Security Council.
"The international community can bring a lot of isolation on
Iran, both formally and informally, both through the Security
Council and through like-minded states taking action even if the
Security Council does not," she said.
Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States
have offered a package of incentives to Tehran in a bid to
convince Iran to stop uranium enrichment work.
Iran insists it has a right as a signatory to the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation treaty to pursue uranium enrichment, a process
that produces nuclear reactor fuel but can also make material
for an atom bomb.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
13 Guardian Unlimited: American Envoy Welcomes Progress on Iran
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Monday September 11, 2006 12:31 PM
AP Photo VIE107
By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press Writer
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - A senior U.S. envoy on Monday welcomed
progress at talks meant to defuse a standoff over Iran's nuclear
defiance, but said the U.N. Security Council still intends to
move toward sanctions if Tehran refuses to freeze uranium
enrichment.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, meanwhile,
called for compromise, warning that the standoff was on the
brink of escalating.
Six world powers have offered rewards for Tehran if it freezes
uranium enrichment and punishments if it does not.
On Sunday, Iran said it was ready to consider complying - at
least temporarily - with a U.N. Security Council demand that it
freeze uranium enrichment.
Expanding on terms of such a possible Iranian compromise, a
diplomat familiar with the issue said Tehran was seeking
assurances it would not be attacked by the United States during
any negotiations with six world powers on enrichment and other
nuclear issues.
``They are essentially seeking assurances that they would not be
bombed while they are talking,'' said the diplomat, who spoke to
The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in exchange for
discussing confidential information.
Speaking just minutes before the start of his organization's
35-nation board meeting, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said that
``the window of opportunity is not very long'' - an implicit
warning that the standoff was on the brink of escalating, with
the U.N. Security Council close to considering sanctions.
Later in the week, the board will review an IAEA report received
late last month documenting dozens of cases in which Iran has
delayed or hampered attempts by his agency to probe Tehran's
nuclear activities. The report also formally establishes that
Iran ignored an Aug. 31 U.N. Security Council demand to suspend
enrichment or face possible sanctions.
Touching on that report, Elbaradei said he would tell the board
``that Iran has not come into full compliance with the (Security
Council) request ... to suspend its enrichment ... and also to
work with the agency to clarify important outstanding issues.''
He said Iranian cooperation was ``much overdue.''
In separate comments inside the meeting, he said his agency
could not ``provide assurances about the absence of undeclared
nuclear material and activities in Iran'' - essentially an
acknowledgment that he could not guarantee that Tehran did not
have a secret weapons program.
Gregory L. Schulte, the chief U.S. delegate to the IAEA, also
said time was running out for Tehran to suspend enrichment.
``It's encouraging that progress was made,'' he said, alluding
to Iran's readiness to at least consider an enrichment freeze.
``But ... we will be looking to move forward to the Security
Council with the sanctions regime unless Iran suspends.''
The board was responsible for moving Iran's nuclear file to the
U.N. Security Council early this year, and the United States and
its allies have regularly used its sessions to take Tehran to
task for what they say are secret attempts to build a nuclear
weapon.
But Iran's suggestion that it was ready to consider at least a
temporary freeze was likely to take some pressure off the
Islamic republic at the Vienna meeting.
Before Monday's opening session, a diplomat from a board member
country said the European Union - whose foreign policy chief,
Javier Solana, was instrumental in coaxing Iran to compromise -
has prepared a ``moderate'' statement on Iran and its nuclear
defiance. He also said the five Security Council nations and
Germany were considering a joint statement.
But that could be difficult, considering that Russia, China and
most recently France appear to be opposed to a push by the
United States and Britain for a quick move to U.N. sanctions.
Another diplomat said the tone of any six-nation statement would
be determined by what Solana tells those six countries later
Monday in a conference call on progress made at his weekend
Vienna talks with chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.
Surprise news that Iran was considering stopping enrichment
activities for up to two months was revealed to The Associated
Press shortly after those talks by diplomats familiar with the
discussions. one or two months, if presented ... in such a way
that it does it without pressure.''
The diplomats did not say when such a contemplated move was
planned.
Still, such a concession would be a major departure by Iran,
which insists it wants to develop an enrichment program to
generate power, and not to make nuclear weapons, as critics
assert.
Because it would defuse a confrontation that neither side wants,
it would also be welcomed Russia, China and France - the
majority of the five U.N. permanent members of the Security
Council who appear to oppose a quick move to sanctions. And for
the sake of unity, it could be accepted grudgingly by the U.S.
and Britain, which have been pushing for quick U.N. punishment.
The Security Council enrichment freeze demand is meant to back
calls from the six powers that Tehran freeze enrichment before
starting talks on its nuclear program geared at achieving a
long-term moratorium on such activities.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Doesn't Nix Bargaining With Iran
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Monday September 11, 2006 10:31 PM
AP Photo HAL103
By ANNE GEARAN
AP Diplomatic Writer
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
left the door open Monday for consideration of what may be a new
overture from Iran to bargain with the West over the Iranians'
disputed nuclear program.
Still, she predicted U.N. sanctions would follow ``if this does
not work out.''
Iran has told European diplomats it may be willing to shelve its
uranium enrichment program temporarily, perhaps for two months,
during negotiations with the United States and other world
powers over the future and scope of a nuclear program that Iran
insists is peaceful. The Bush administration accuses Iran of
hiding ambitions to build nuclear weapons.
Rice said Iran has not put a formal offer on the table, but she
did not reject the idea of beginning talks framed by a deadline.
``From our point of view, we have nothing to lose as we work
toward a sanctions resolution'' at the U.N. if Europeans
continue discussions with Iran that might let overall
negotiations begin, Rice said. Failing that, she said, ``The
time is coming very soon when we're going to have to vote'' on a
Security Council resolution sanctioning Iran.
``As to time limitations, I haven't heard any Iranian offer so I
don't know what to make of that,'' Rice said. ``But the question
is, `Are they prepared to suspend verifiably so that
negotiations can begin?'''
``Our clock would be running, too,'' she told reporters aboard
her plane.
Rice was in Canada to thank Canadians for helping thousands of
Americans stranded when their international flights were
diverted from U.S. airspace on Sept. 11 five years ago.
As for Iran, the United States has led a drive to ask the U.N.
Security Council to impose economic or other sanctions if the
Iranians fail to roll back their nuclear program. Iran missed an
Aug. 31 deadline to stop uranium enrichment.
Uranium enrichment can lead either to fuel for nuclear power
reactors or for weapons. International inspectors have been
unable to determine if Iran's program, begun in secret two
decades ago, is intended only to produce electricity.
Iran has said it will not give up its right to the full range of
nuclear technology and expertise, and has been wary of even a
temporary pause in its development program.
The West, and the United States in particular, says a pause is
essential to prevent Tehran from gaining ground toward a weapon
if that is its hidden aim. Iran did suspend its uranium
activities during two years of negotiations with European
nations that fell apart last year without a deal.
The latest Western offer, with the added inducement of
face-to-face talks with America, would give trade, aid and
political benefits to Iran if it scaled back its program and
answered the West's concerns. Iran would still be able to
develop civilian nuclear power.
``Nobody is going to become accustomed to a nuclear-armed Iran,
that's why we're on this course,'' Rice said.
She predicted, as other Bush administration figures have, that
the Security Council would gradually ratchet up economic or
political sanctions. The step-by-step approach is meant to offer
Iran a way out as the pressure increases.
``I'm quite certain that you're going to see, if this does not
work out, you're going to see sanctions and that those will be
commensurate with Iranian behavior,'' Rice said.
The United States has had no diplomatic and few commercial or
other ties with Iran since the 1979 storming of the U.S. Embassy
in Tehran.
The diplomatic coalition against Iran has appeared ragged at
times but has so far held together. The issue may finally be at
a turning point if the Security Council takes up sanctions, a
step that two of the council's veto-holding members have
publicly said they oppose.
In the meantime, there are signs that European allies are not
eager to begin the sanctions discussion either, and may be
seeking a way out. The European Union's foreign policy chief met
with Iran's top nuclear negotiator this week in what was widely
described as a last-ditch attempt to avert sanctions.
Surprise news that Iran was considering stopping enrichment
activities for up to two months was revealed to The Associated
Press shortly after those talks by diplomats familiar with the
discussions.
---
Associated Press Writer George Jahn in Vienna, Austria,
contributed to this report.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
15 Guardian Unlimited: Iran offers to freeze uranium enrichment for eight weeks
Ian Traynor
Monday September 11, 2006
The Guardian
Iran offered to freeze its uranium enrichment programme
yesterday for eight weeks in what looked like a successful
tactic aimed at delaying consideration of international
sanctions.
In talks at the weekend in Vienna between Iran's national
security chief, Ali Larijani, and the European Union's foreign
policy supremo, Javier Solana, Tehran appeared to concede enough
to prevent a quick move to sanctions by the UN security council.
Washington is pressing for a swift decision on sanctions after
Tehran failed to meet the terms of a security council resolution
requiring it to freeze its uranium enrichment activities in
order to resume negotiations with the west, Russia and China.
The weekend talks in Vienna were seen as a final chance to avert
a bigger confrontation. But EU officials said yesterday that
there would be further talks as a result of the weekend session.
Article continues
Both sides talked up the positive aspects, suggesting that the
Iranians had given way enough to avoid any prompt resort to
sanctions. Mr Larijani said the talks had resulted in "a common
point of view on many issues", and Mr Solana agreed that they had
been "worth it" and "positive". The upbeat talk contrasted with
meetings in recent weeks described by diplomats as a dialogue of
the deaf.
In telephone diplomacy starting today, Washington is hoping to
coax the EU, Russia and China towards supporting penalties
against Iran, but the chances of any quick decision look remote.
The offer of a two-month freeze on uranium enrichment is a
symbolic move, politically shrewd but of little significance to
Iran's nuclear programme.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme, based on the uranium
enrichment, is entirely peaceful. The US and Britain suspect
that the programme is a cover for developing an indigenous bomb
project.
The EU, Russia, China and the US have offered Iran a package of
economic, trade, political and nuclear incentives if it shelves
its enrichment activities, but Tehran says it is willing to
negotiate on the offer only without any preconditions.
Negotiations are to continue this week while the board of the
International Atomic Energy Agency meets in Vienna to discuss
Iran's nuclear activities.
[UP]
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
16 [NYTr] US warns N Korea on nuclear test
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:00:51 -0500 (CDT)
X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu
X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
BBC News - Sep 11, 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5333726.stm
US warns N Korea on nuclear test
A senior US diplomat has warned North Korea against a nuclear test,
saying that it would be a provocative act.
Nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill made the comments in Shanghai at the
end of a six-day visit to China.
He also said North Korea would receive no further incentives to return
to multilateral talks on its nuclear ambitions.
Mr Hill now flies to South Korea amid talks of a split between
Washington and Seoul on how to handle Pyongyang.
Last week, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeared to soften his
stance, calling Pyongyang's recent missile tests "too meagre" to reach
the US and "too big" to target North Korea.
Mr Roh is scheduled to fly to the US on Thursday for a meeting with
President George W Bush.
'No incentives'
Mr Hill arrived in the region last Monday acknowledging that there was
no indication Pyongyang was seeking a return to talks. Ties were in a
"very difficult period", he said.
On 5 July Pyongyang tested seven missiles, including a new long-range
weapon capable of hitting the US. There has also been speculation that
North Korea may be planning what is thought to be its first nuclear test.
Mr Hill warned again against such as step.
"With regards to a nuclear test, obviously this would be a very
provocative act," he said. "The international community will not in any
way support these provocative actions."
He urged North Korea to return to negotiations, saying there were no
further incentives on the table.
"There is no reason why the other five (nations) should be sitting
around looking for inducements to get the North Koreans to accept what
is on the table, which is clearly in their interest to accept," he said.
Mr Hill said North Korea had to keep to a deal agreed at the most recent
round of six-nation talks in September 2005.
The deal, which promised economic aid in return for Pyongyang scrapping
its nuclear ambitions, appears to have fallen apart over disagreements
on implementation.
"We're asking the North Koreans to come to the table and implement what
they already agreed to do," he said.
Divisions
Mr Hill now flies to Seoul for further talks ahead of a summit between
the US and South Korean presidents on Thursday.
According to South Korean media, the two sides are apart on how to
approach North Korea, with the US reported to be considering further
economic sanctions targeting Pyongyang.
Last week, a senior South Korean official held talks in Washington amid
media speculation of divisions.
South Korean Foreign Ministry officials confirmed there were no plans to
issue a joint statement after the summit, Yonhap news agency reported.
) BBC MMVI
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*****************************************************************
17 Hankyoreh: Seoul calls for Washington's flexibility on Pyongyang
http://img.hani.co.kr
Lee Jong-seok, South Korea's point man on North Korea, urged the
United States on Monday to show more flexibility in dealing with
the communist state, Lee's spokesman said, as a senior U.S. envoy
warned that Pyongyang will face more economic sanctions unless it
rejoins the six-way talks on its nuclear program.
During his 50-minute talks with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Christopher Hill, Unification Minister Lee stressed the need for
the U.S. and other concerned nations to have various forms of
dialogue with the North, according to the ministry's chief
spokesman Yang Chang-seok.
"Minister Lee said there should be no restrictions on the form of
dialogue for the resumption of the six-way talks," Yang told
reporters after the closed-door talks at the ministry's
headquarters in Seoul.
Analysts saw Lee's remarks as a request for Washington to have a
bilateral meeting with Pyongyang in order to help revive the
stalled disarmament negotiations.
The U.S. has insisted that North Korea first commit to returning
to the six-party talks.
"They (North Koreans) know that whenever they want to come back
to the talks, I will meet them bilaterally as many times as they
would like," Hill said. He arrived in Seoul earlier Monday for a
two-day stay as part of his Northeast Asian swing that also took
him to Japan and China.
Hill urged North Korea to have "a sense of realism," citing the
Sept. 19 joint statement which allows the isolated country to
gain economic aid and security guarantees if it abandons its
nuclear program.
"If they come back to the talks, what we ought to do as quickly
as possible is to implement the September agreement. That
September agreement, in those two and a half short pages, really
lays out a very bold path toward a whole different future for
the DPRK," he said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
But he warned that North Korea will have to bear the brunt of
additional economic sanctions if it continues to stay away from
the nuclear talks.
The U.S. crackdown on both the North's illegal activities and
its spreading of weapons of mass destruction received a boost
from a resolution by the United Nations Security Council
rebuking Pyongyang for its decision to test a barrage of
missiles in July.
"All countries are required to implement the Resolution 1695 to
show vigilance toward the problem of North Korea accumulating
technology and funding for these programs," he said.
Washington reportedly plans to announce a package of additional
economic sanctions on Pyongyang later this month to follow
through on the resolution.
Hill refused to give a timetable for the measure, however.
Regarding worries about the North's possible nuclear test, he
said it would be a "very provocative act, a very negative act
and one that would really be very harmful to the whole process,"
adding that he has no information as to whether a test is
imminent.
Global concern over a possible nuclear test by North Korea has
been rekindled in recent weeks after a U.S. television network
said U.S. officials detected some suspicious vehicle movement
around an alleged atomic bomb-testing site in the reclusive
nation.
There have also been recent media reports of a widening gap
between Seoul and Washington on how to handle North Korea.
South Korea is worried about the adverse effects of adopting
such pressure tactics on the North, calling instead for a
two-pronged approach as advocated by China.
Hill also met with South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan and the country's top nuclear negotiator, Chun
Yung-woo, on Monday.
Seoul, Sept. 11 (Yonhap News)
Posted at : Sep.11,2006 21:08 KST
© 2006 The Hankyoreh Media Company. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
18 Reuters: U.S. mulling nuclear talks without North Korea
Tuesday September 12, 1:11 AM
SEOUL (Reuters) - Countries involved in talks on ending North
Korea's nuclear weapons programme plan to hold discussions soon
excluding Pyongyang, the chief South Korean and U.S. envoys to
the stalled discussions said on Monday.
But U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said
separate meetings should not weaken the six-country talks and
called on the North to return to the table and implement a deal
reached in September 2005 under which Pyongyang agreed to scrap
its nuclear programme in return for aid and security assurances.
"The United States are considering the idea of holding the
meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, but I
don't believe all the countries have given their replies," South
Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Chun Yung-woo told reporters.
"We talked about the possibilities of having various talks. We
don't want a situation where the North Koreans, who are
boycotting the talks, can also veto anyone else from talking,"
Hill said after meeting Chun.
Hill said earlier upon arriving in Seoul from Shanghai that the
North had trapped itself diplomatically by defying international
warnings and going ahead with missile tests in July and should
find its own way out of the crisis.
"The DPRK (North Korea) launched some missiles for no apparent
reason," he said. "They put themselves in a difficult position
and I don't think they should look for others to get them out of
positions that they have put themselves in."
Hill is finishing a trip to Asia by meeting officials in Seoul
and returns to Washington on Tuesday. His trip comes amid U.S.
and Japanese news reports North Korea may be preparing to
conduct its first nuclear test.
South Korea has warned against moves that would back North Korea
into a corner.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun will meet President George
W. Bush in Washington on Thursday and North Korea will be high
on their agenda.
The last round of the six-party talks among the two Koreas,
China, Japan, Russia and the United States was held in November
2005. North Korea has stayed away since, calling for an end to a
U.S. crackdown on firms Washington suspects of aiding Pyongyang
in illicit activities.
"We are not looking to cause problems for them when they come
back. We are not looking to ask where they have been. We are
simply looking for them to come back," Hill said.
He said Washington has no intentions to let up on its financial
crackdown or soften its position to lure the North back to the
table.
But in an apparent move to address the North's demand for direct
talks on the crackdown, Hill said Washington is open to
discussions on the financial measures if Pyongyang returned to
the stalled talks.
"If the DPRK wants to come forward and implement the September
agreement, I have no doubt we can work out some of these
financial issues," Hill said after meeting Chun.
"We're prepared to deal with that within the six-party process,
we're prepared to deal with that in a separate way outside of
the process," Hill said.
Washington has previously said the crackdown is a law
enforcement issue and separate from the six-party process.
In Shanghai, Hill said North Korea had shown little interest in
incentives on offer to rein in its nuclear programmes, but that
it was keeping an eye out on what was being offered to Iran.
Iran and the European Union both said they had made progress in
weekend talks over Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment
programme.
But it was unclear if Iran would meet Western demands it suspend
enrichment before the start of any talks on trade incentives.
(Additional reporting by Jerker Hellstrom in Shanghai and Jack
Kim in Seoul)
Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
19 BBC: US warns N Korea on nuclear test
Last Updated: Monday, 11 September 2006
[Christopher Hill talks to journalists in Shanghai]
Mr Hill says ties with Pyongyang are in a "difficult period"
A senior US diplomat has warned North Korea against a nuclear
test, saying that it would be a provocative act.
Nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill made the comments in Shanghai
at the end of a six-day visit to China.
He also said North Korea would receive no further incentives to
return to multilateral talks on its nuclear ambitions.
Mr Hill now flies to South Korea amid talks of a split between
Washington and Seoul on how to handle Pyongyang.
Last week, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeared to
soften his stance, calling Pyongyang's recent missile tests "too
meagre" to reach the US and "too big" to target North Korea.
Mr Roh is scheduled to fly to the US on Thursday for a meeting
with President George W Bush.
'No incentives'
Mr Hill arrived in the region last Monday acknowledging that
there was no indication Pyongyang was seeking a return to talks.
Ties were in a "very difficult period", he said.
On 5 July Pyongyang tested seven missiles, including a new
long-range weapon capable of hitting the US. There has also been
speculation that North Korea may be planning what is thought to
be its first nuclear test.
Mr Hill warned again against such as step.
[South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun]
Mr Roh meets Mr Bush in Washington later this week
"With regards to a nuclear test, obviously this would be a very
provocative act," he said. "The international community will not
in any way support these provocative actions."
He urged North Korea to return to negotiations, saying there
were no further incentives on the table.
"There is no reason why the other five (nations) should be
sitting around looking for inducements to get the North Koreans
to accept what is on the table, which is clearly in their
interest to accept," he said.
Mr Hill said North Korea had to keep to a deal agreed at the
most recent round of six-nation talks in September 2005.
The deal, which promised economic aid in return for Pyongyang
scrapping its nuclear ambitions, appears to have fallen apart
over disagreements on implementation.
"We're asking the North Koreans to come to the table and
implement what they already agreed to do," he said.
Divisions
Mr Hill now flies to Seoul for further talks ahead of a summit
between the US and South Korean presidents on Thursday.
According to South Korean media, the two sides are apart on how
to approach North Korea, with the US reported to be considering
further economic sanctions targeting Pyongyang.
Last week, a senior South Korean official held talks in
Washington amid media speculation of divisions.
South Korean Foreign Ministry officials confirmed there were no
plans to issue a joint statement after the summit, Yonhap news
agency reported.
*****************************************************************
20 IRNA: South Korea welcomes EU efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution
to Iran's nuclear case
Brussels, Sept 11, IRNA
EU-South Korea-Iran
South Korea has welcomed European efforts to find a peaceful and
diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through
negotiation, and expressed hope for a substantial progress on
these efforts.
In a joint press statement issued following the EU-Republic of
Korea Summit held in Helsinki, Finland, on Saturday, the two
sides "called on Iran to implement UN Security Council
Resolution 1696 (2006) andall resolutions of the IAEA Board of
Governors.
The leaders also welcomed proposals put forward by China,
France, Germany, the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United
States of America and High Representative of the European Union
for a comprehensive arrangement with Iran based on mutual
respect and establishment of international confidence in the
exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, noted the
statement.
Finland holds the current EU Presidency.
*****************************************************************
21 Korea Times: Asia, Europe Leaders Urge Restart of Nuke Talks
Hankooki.com > The Korea Times
ASEM Leaders Call for Restart of 6-Way Talks
By Ryu Jin Korea Times Correspondent
President Roh Moo-hyun, fourth from left in the front row, and
Asian and European leaders pose during a photo session at the
Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday. They
include, in the front row, French President Jacques Chirac,
left; Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, second from left; Finnish
President Tarja Halonen, right; and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, second from left in the second row. /Yonhap
HELSINKI, Finland _ Asian and European leaders called for an
early resumption of the stalled six-party talks on North Korea's
nuclear program on Monday, reaffirming their hopes for a
peaceful resolution of the standoff.
Leaders from the 39 member states of the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM) that closed after a two-day run here reiterated the
importance of diplomacy in dealing with the nuclear issue,
cautioning against any action that might aggravate the
situation.
In the chairman's statement adopted at the closing session, the
leaders also renewed their determination to further cooperate in
dealing with global challenges, such as new security threats
including terrorism and the side-effects of globalization.
``They emphasized that the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula is essential in maintaining peace and stability in
Northeast Asia, and voiced support for the peaceful resolution
of the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue,'' it said.
The statement added that the leaders reaffirmed their support
for the Sept. 19, 2005 joint statement adopted in the six-party
talks in Beijing, while expressing ``serious concern'' over the
recent test-firing of missiles by North Korea.
``They also stressed that any action that might further
aggravate the situation should be refrained from, and urged
North Korea to return immediately to the six-party talks without
precondition,'' it said.
President Roh Moo-hyun, who held a joint press conference with
other leaders including the Finnish prime minister and
Indonesian president, thanked them for supporting Seoul's
efforts to end the nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.
``I offer my sincere gratitude to the Asian and European heads
of state for lending support in unison for South Korea's
endeavors for the improvement of inter-Korean relations and the
peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue,'' he said.
Roh is scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President George W.
Bush in Washington on Sept. 14, in which the North Korean issues
will be one of the top agenda items.
Seoul favors a peaceful resolution to the issue despite
Pyongyang's acts of raising tension, including missile tests in
early July. But Washington is said to be considering additional
sanctions, such as restrictions on trade and investments.
The Roh-Bush summit, the sixth of its kind since early 2003,
comes at a time when the Americans observe the fifth anniversary
of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Roh is scheduled to arrive in
Washington on Sept. 12.
Roh has been trying to take the initiative at the ASEM forum
ahead of talks with Bush, as the upcoming summit is expected to
be a watershed for the resumption of the six-way talks,
deadlocked for months.
As part of such efforts, he played down North Korea's missile
tests on July 4, describing them as an action motivated by
political purposes rather than a real threat, a comment that
could hint at his approach in his talks with Bush.
Beside the ASEM forum and the summit with Bush, Roh is also
scheduled to make a working visit to China for talks with
President Hu Jintao in mid-October, making this autumn a season
of diplomacy for the South Korean president.
Roh held a flurry of summits with European leaders last week
when he visited Greece, Romania and Finland. On the sidelines of
the ASEM forum, he also met with French, Danish and Slovakian
leaders.
``In his two-week European and American tour, the president has
been trying to strengthen ties with the countries he is visiting
while also focusing on the North Korean nuclear issue,'' a
presidential aide accompanying Roh said.
jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr 09-11-2006 23:02
*****************************************************************
22 Korea Times: US Agents Lend Nuclear Expertise
Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Nation
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter
A group of 11 U.S. defense experts arrived in Seoul Monday to
give inspection training on nuclear and conventional weapons to
South Korean officials, sources at the Defense Ministry said.
The six-day training program by officials from the U.S. Defense
Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) draws attention as it appears to
confront an imaginary scenario in which North Korea abandons its
nuclear weapons program, complying with its commitment last
November to scrap its nuclear programs.
In a joint statement issued at the end of the latest six-party
talks in Beijing, Pyongyang said it is ``committed to abandoning
all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs¡¯¡¯ in return
for security guarantees and economic benefits. The talks
involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and
Russia have been stalled since then.
The DTRA is a combat support agency of the U.S. Department of
Defense. Founded in 1998, the agency provides the United States
and its allies with the capabilities to reduce, eliminate and
counter threats posed by nuclear, chemical and biological
weapons.
``The training program is being conducted in order to master the
process related to inspecting nuclear and conventional weapons,
because that training has been suspended for some 10 years,¡¯¡¯
a ministry official said.
``Suggestions have been raised inside the defense ministry late
last year that there was a need for educating on
inspections,¡¯¡¯ he said, asking to remain anonymous.
The U.S. agents now in Korea include those who carried out
inspections in the early 1990s on the nuclear facilities and
conventional weapons operated by the former Soviet Union, the
official said.
The training will be given to some 20 South Korea officials at
the Defense Ministry in Seoul over two days, he said. The
training will then continue in Army units in Kwangju and
Yangpyong, Kyonggi Province, until Saturday.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr 09-11-2006 17:50
*****************************************************************
23 AFP: No further inducements for NKoreans - US envoy -
by Benjamin Morgan Mon Sep 11, 2:46 AM ET
SHANGHAI (AFP) - North Korea " /> will receive no further
incentives to return to stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear
program, Christopher Hill, the top US envoy on the issue, has
said.
"There is no reason why the other five (nations) should be
sitting around looking for inducements to get the North Koreans
to accept what is on the table, which is clearly in their
interest to accept," Hill said.
"We're asking the North Koreans to come to the table and
implement what they already agreed to do," he told reporters in
Shanghai.
Hill was speaking on the last day of a six-day tour of China
before boarding a plane to Seoul, where he will meet his South
Korean counterpart, and then return to Washington.
Hill's remarks reiterated US views that no further concessions
should be made to North Korea to induce the nation to return to
the talks which also involve China, the United States, South
Korea " /> , Japan and Russia.
In talks hosted by China last September, North Korea agreed in
principle to give up its nuclear weapons program in exchange for
aid and security guarantees.
But Pyongyang boycotted the talks two months later to protest US
sanctions on a Macau-based bank accused of laundering and
counterfeiting money on behalf of the impoverished regime.
Hill said he was worried that the hard-line Stalinist state was
not seriously interested in returning to the talks.
The United States has said it is discussing with several
countries new sanctions against North Korea to ratchet up the
pressure on Pyongyang after the isolated state defiantly
test-fired missiles two months ago.
The North fired seven ballistic missiles on July 5 including its
long-range Taepodong-2 believed to be capable of striking
America's western coast, sparking international condemnation and
a strong rebuke from the UN Security Council.
The missiles splashed down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) while
the Taepodong flew just two kilometers, according to a Japanese
report.
The 15-member Security Council, including the North's only major
ally China, unanimously adopted a resolution condemning its
actions and imposing missile-related sanctions.
Hill called on the international community to follow through on
UN resolution 1695, warning that not doing so would weaken the
effectiveness of such diplomatic actions.
But last week South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeared to
have further tripped up US diplomatic efforts when he softened
his stance on the tests.
Roh, who has pursued a policy of engagement with the North, said
the missile tests were likely politically motivated and "too
meager" to reach the United States but "too big" to be directed
at South Korea.
His comments came ahead of a meeting Thursday with US President
George W. Bush " /> who is pushing for enforcement of the
missile-related sanctions and working to curb the North's missile
exports.
North Korea declared itself a nuclear-armed power in February
2005 but is not known to have conducted any atomic weapon tests.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
24 Guardian Unlimited: U.S.: Nations Should Meet on North Korea
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Monday September 11, 2006 3:46 PM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The United States has proposed a
meeting of North Korea's neighbors and other regional powers on
the sidelines of the upcoming meeting of U.N. General Assembly,
South Korea's top nuclear envoy said Monday.
Such a meeting could put more pressure on North Korea as the
communist state refuses to rejoin the six-party talks aimed at
ending its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The move comes amid concerns the North may be preparing to test
a nuclear bomb to further heighten tensions created by its
test-firing of a series of missiles in July.
Chun Yung-woo, the chief South Korea nuclear negotiator, said
the U.S.-proposed session would be like one that 10 countries
held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the sidelines of an annual
security forum in July to discuss North Korea's missile and
nuclear programs.
The 10 countries consisted of all parties to the six-nation
nuclear talks except North Korea - China, Japan, South Korea,
Russia and the U.S. - plus Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Canada and New Zealand.
``For now, the U.S. is thinking of holding a meeting similar to
the one held in Kuala Lumpur,'' Chun said after talks with his
U.S. counterpart, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill.
``But not all of the related countries have responded.''
North Korea has refused to attend the six-party talks since last
year in anger at U.S. efforts to choke off the North's access to
international banking over its alleged currency counterfeiting
and other wrongdoing.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
25 IRNA: Russia should act upon commitments on Bushehr power plant
Asefi
, Sept 10, IRNA
--
Russia should act upon its commitments on making Bushehr nuclear
power plant in southern Iran operational, said Foreign Ministry
spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi on Sunday.
Speaking to domestic and foreign reporters in his last
appearance as Foreign Ministry spokesman, Asefi said regretfully
the Russian party has not yet acted properly upon its
commitments on completing the construction of the 1,000-MW power
plant.
"They (Russians) should act in more practical manner," the
spokesman stressed.
Commenting on possible sanctions against Iran by the United
Nations Security Council, Asefi said "It's to soon to talk about
sanctions."
Stressing that Tehran has chalked out necessary plan of action
to deal with any possible sanction, the spokesman said in view
of its great potentials, Iran has the power to deal with the
situation (if it arises).
*****************************************************************
26 The Hindu: "Time ripe to clinch nuclear deal"
Tamil Nadu / Chennai News :
Monday, Sep 11, 2006
Special Correspondent
Indo-US relations will not be destroyed even if it fails, says
defence expert Stephen Cohen Indo-US relations will not be
destroyed even if it fails: Stephen Cohen
CHENNAI: India now stands the best chance of going through with
the deal for civilian nuclear co-operation with the United
States as no other President is likely to show the same degree
of enthusiasm towards India as George Bush, according to Stephen
Cohen, senior fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Division, Brookings
Institute.
Though perceptions differed on both sides on the deal, the
Indo-US relations will not be destroyed if it fails, Mr. Cohen,
an internationally recognised expert on defence and strategic
issues, said at a round table on `Politics of the Nuclear Deal
and US-India Relations' organised by the Centre for Security
Analysis on Saturday.
While India's critics in the U.S. "projected the past on to the
future" and argued that India would be an unreliable partner,
the view on the other side was that the country "would be pushed
around by the U.S." Also, the perception that India had not only
kept out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but also
thrashed it had aroused American anger.
President Bush was decidedly pro-India, though there was still a
long way to go for the deal to become a reality. It stood a
60:40 chance of getting through the Senate. If it succeeded, it
would shape India's nuclear policy towards the U.S. "If the deal
does not go through, it will be an opportunity lost for India,"
Mr. Cohen said.
One aspect that had to be factored in, as far as American
perception of India's role in the deal was concerned, was that
India's new found confidence was being interpreted as a degree
of aggressiveness, especially as one of the characteristics of
the Indian strategic elite had hitherto been a "tremendous lack
of self-confidence."
Nuclear weapons would alter the rules of the game among major
powers. While the Bush administration was obsessed with China
before 9/11, the focus had shifted to countering terrorism since
then, Mr. Cohen said in response to a question whether India and
US getting together on the deal would contain China's
`expansionist' tendencies. It was important for the U.S., India,
Japan and Vietnam to have a working relationship.
China was "suspicious but curious" about the deal, but was more
concerned about American interference in Taiwan. Also, though it
was not a strategic problem, there was a competition between the
U.S., China, India, Japan and Europe in achieving energy
security. The U.S. was showing no interest in signing a similar
nuclear deal with Pakistan.
"Just by getting into a position of attempting to acquire the
technology for civil nuclear co-operation from the U.S., India
has already notched up a victory. If the deal falls through,
there will be no big repercussions on India. There is also no
great rush in the U.S. to help Pakistan with its nuclear
programme, especially at a time when the latter is entering into
a period of great political uncertainty," Mr. Cohen said.
K. Srinivasan, establishment director, CSA, and Gopalji Malaviya,
professor, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies,
University of Madras, participated in the discussion.
Copyright © 2006, The Hindu.
*****************************************************************
27 Xinhua: Japan, ROK to conduct joint survey in disputed waters
www.chinaview.cn 2006-09-11 19:31:07
TOKYO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo and Seoul agreed to
conduct a joint radioactivity survey in the Sea of Japan
including waters around a set of disputed islets, Kyodo News
reported Monday.
Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi was quoted by
Kyodo as saying that the joint survey will be conducted in six
locations including the disputed waters next month.
The decision was made following intensive discussions in
Seoul last week, he said.
Japan and South Korea have been at odds over the territorial
row involving the set of islets, known in South Korea as Dokdo,
and Takeshima in Japan.
In April, Tokyo and Seoul closely averted a confrontation
over the disputed islands when Japan announced the intention to
survey the ocean bed around them, leading South Korea to
threaten to block its neighbor by force.
The two countries compromised eventually, with Seoul
dropping a proposal to submit Korean names for the area to an
international oceanographic meeting and Japan calling off the
maritime survey.
Last week, the two countries had a two-day regular
"Strategic Dialogue" in Seoul, in which they discussed Japan's
plan to conduct a survey on radioactive waste materials dumped
by the former Soviet Union in the Sea of Japan, according to
reports reaching here. Enditem
Editor: Wang Yan
*****************************************************************
28 IAEA: Introductory Statement to the Board Of Governors
+ [IAEA.ORG :: Atoms for Peace]
Statements of the Director General
11 September 2006 | Vienna, Austria
IAEA Board of Governors
by IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei
Our agenda for this meeting includes topics related to all areas
of Agency activity - technology, safety and security, and
verification.
Nuclear Technology
INPRO
The Agency´s International Project on Innovative Nuclear
Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) has grown to include 27
members. The INPRO objective is to support innovation to develop
nuclear reactors and fuel cycles with, inter alia, inherent
safety, proliferation resistance and minimal waste production.
INPRO addresses issues faced by all countries that choose
nuclear power, including challenges facing new users such as
high up-front investment costs and extensive infrastructure
needs. In Phase One of INPRO, a methodology for evaluation of
innovative nuclear systems was developed. Six assessments are
ongoing that apply this methodology to innovative nuclear
designs, and five new assessments are starting.
The INPRO Steering Committee recently decided to begin Phase
Two, which will, inter alia, focus on innovative approaches to
infrastructure and institutional development for countries
beginning nuclear power programmes, as well as on the
development of collaborative projects.
PACT
For many years, radiotherapy has been used to cure or mitigate
the effects of cancer. Under the Agency´s Programme of Action
for Cancer Therapy (PACT), we have been working to integrate
radiotherapy into the broader framework of cancer prevention and
control. Over the past year, PACT has successfully built or
strengthened relationships with the World Health Organization
(WHO), the International Agency for Research in Cancer, the
International Union Against Cancer, and other national and
international bodies and professional societies. The objective
is to assist Member States more comprehensively and more
efficiently with their cancer control programmes.
The General Conference last year designated PACT as a priority
activity. However, as discussed in previous Board meetings, PACT
needs funding to support its activities until it achieves the
level of extrabudgetary funding needed to be self-sufficient.
The Board has before it for approval a proposal to suspend a
Financial Regulation of the Agency, on an exceptional basis, so
that Member States may voluntarily contribute their portions of
the cash surplus from 2004 to PACT. I should note that similar
exceptions have been made in the past to use the cash surplus to
meet an emergent need.
Nuclear Safety and Security
Safety Standards
With the submission of the Safety Fundamentals for your
approval at this Board session, we are completing all actions
established by the March 2004 Action Plan on IAEA Safety
Standards. The transition to a new safety standard structure has
progressed in all areas. The quality of the standards has
notably improved, and identified gaps in coverage are being
addressed by new standards. Recent reports by many countries and
by organizations such as the Western European Nuclear
Regulators´ Association confirm the wider use of IAEA Safety
Standards, both as a benchmark for harmonization and as a basis
for national regulations.
Safety Review Services
The Agency´s safety review services use the IAEA Safety
Standards as a reference point, and play an important part in
evaluating their effectiveness. This year we began offering, for
the first time, an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS).
The IRRS combines a number of previous services, on topics
ranging from radiation safety and transport safety to emergency
preparedness and nuclear security. The IRRS concept includes a
self-assessment aspect, and permits a more comprehensive,
participatory approach to evaluating a country´s safety
performance across the full range of its nuclear activities.
A reduced scope IRRS was conducted for the United Kingdom
Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in March of this year. A full
scope IRRS will be conducted in France in November. The Agency
has also received requests for IRRS missions from Australia,
Canada and Spain, and other Member States have expressed
interest in having IRRS missions in the near future. I would ask
all countries to take advantage of this service. I remain
convinced that transparency and introspection are essential
ingredients of an effective nuclear safety culture.
Radiological Protection of Patients
In the past three years, the number of Member States involved
in Agency projects related to the radiological protection of
patients has increased more than threefold, from 21 to a current
total of 78. The Agency is continuing its efforts to promote
better safety performance in this area, including through
improving access to related training.
Emergency Response
Effective national and global response capabilities are
essential to minimize the impacts from nuclear incidents and
radiological emergencies and to build public trust in the safety
and security of nuclear energy. The increased use of nuclear
energy and more acute security concerns require a proportionate
increase in national, regional, and international capabilities
to respond to an accident or incident. In this context, the
Agency has undertaken to strengthen its Incident and Emergency
Centre to better support Member States in dealing with both
accidents and security incidents.
Nuclear Security and Protection Against Nuclear Terrorism
The Agency´s nuclear security programme continues to progress
at a rapid pace. To assist Member States in implementing the
variety of international instruments relevant to nuclear
security, guidance is being developed and published as part of a
new IAEA Nuclear Security Series.
Over the past year, more than 30 evaluation missions related to
nuclear and radiological security have been carried out - in
some cases including a combined emphasis on relevant safety
aspects. The results of these missions have provided valuable
inputs for the development of Integrated Nuclear Security
Support Plans (INSSPs) for individual countries. To date, dozens
of INSSPs have been drafted and are in various stages of
implementation.
Other activities in the past year have included: nuclear
security training courses, with participation from 88 States;
the procurement of detection and monitoring equipment; the
procurement of physical protection equipment to improve the
security of nuclear power plants and other installations; and
assistance in protecting locations containing high activity
radioactive sources. These activities and upgrades have had a
clear impact on nuclear security.
The Agency has worked with the Russian Federation and the United
States of America on a tripartite initiative to secure and
manage radioactive sources in countries of the former Soviet
Union. A significant amount of radioactive material has been
secured, and the effort has resulted in much greater regional
awareness of this problem. The Agency also has arranged the
recovery of over 100 high activity and neutron sources in Africa
and Latin America.
The IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database now has 91 States
participating. Analysis of this database is providing insight
into trends, risks, and trafficking methods and routes. The
number of incidents - more than 100 per year - demonstrates a
persistent problem with trafficking, thefts, losses and other
unauthorized activities involving nuclear or radioactive
material. The number of incidents involving detection of
materials at borders has increased substantially in recent
years. This is clearly due, in part, to the increased deployment
by States of detection and monitoring equipment.
I should note, however, that over 90 per cent of the funding for
implementation of the Nuclear Security Plan, continues to be
provided through extrabudgetary contributions to the Nuclear
Security Fund, and sustained adequate funding for the 2006–2009
Nuclear Security Plan is not yet assured.
Verification of Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Status of Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols
Since the last meeting of the Board in June, comprehensive
safeguards agreements have entered into force for Botswana and
Oman, and additional protocols have entered into force for
Botswana, Fiji and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
This brings to 78 the total number of States with additional
protocols in force or provisionally applied. However, over 100
States - including 25 with significant nuclear activities - have
yet to bring additional protocols into force.
Implementation of Safeguards in the Democratic People´s Republic
of Korea
Since 31 December 2002, when Agency verification activities
were terminated at the request of the Democratic People´s
Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Agency has been unable to draw any
conclusions regarding the DPRK´s nuclear activities. I continue
to believe in the importance and urgency of finding a negotiated
solution to the current situation. The Agency stands ready to
work with the DPRK - and with all others - towards a solution
that addresses the needs of the international community to
ensure that all nuclear activities in the DPRK are exclusively
for peaceful purposes, while addressing the security and other
needs of the DPRK.
Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Islamic
Republic of Iran
Regarding the implementation of safeguards in the Islamic
Republic of Iran: on 31 July 2006, the Security Council adopted
resolution 1696, in which it called upon Iran to take the steps
required by the Board in its resolution of 4 February 2006.
These steps included the necessity of the Agency continuing its
work to clarify all outstanding issues relating to Iran’s
nuclear programme, and the re-establishment by Iran of full and
sustained suspension of all its enrichment related and
repossessing activities. As requested by resolution 1696, you
have before you the report that I submitted to the Board and in
parallel to the Security Council, on 31 August, regarding Iran´s
fulfillment of the requirements of that resolution.
As you can see from the report, Iran had not suspended its
enrichment related activities. I should note that - although the
inspectors´ findings indicated that there had been little
qualitative or quantitative buildup of Iran´s enrichment
capacity at Natanz - due to the absence of the implementation of
the additional protocol, the Agency is not able to assess fully
Iran´s enrichment related research and development activities,
including the possible production of centrifuges and related
equipment.
As I have indicated in the past, all the nuclear material
declared by Iran to the Agency has been accounted for - and,
apart from the small quantities previously reported to the
Board, there have been no further findings of undeclared nuclear
material in Iran.
But as I have also stated before, gaps remain in the Agency´s
knowledge with respect to the scope and nature of Iran´s current
and past centrifuge enrichment programme. Because of this, and
the lack of readiness of Iran to resolve these issues, the
Agency is unable to make further progress in its efforts to
provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear
material and activities in Iran. This continues to be a matter
of serious concern.
I should also reiterate that it is counterproductive for Iran to
link its cooperation with the Agency to its ongoing dialogue
with its European and other partners. Increased cooperation and
transparency are indispensable to resolve these gaps in
knowledge regarding Iran´s past nuclear programme, and would
assist greatly in overcoming concerns regarding Iran´s nuclear
programme.
Application of IAEA Safeguards in the Middle East
Pursuant to the mandate given to me by the General Conference,
I have continued my consultations with the States of the Middle
East region on the application of full scope safeguards to all
nuclear activities in the Middle East, and on the development of
model agreements as a necessary step towards the establishment
of a Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. However, I regret to
say that no progress has been made on either front.
The General Conference has also asked me to organize a forum on
the relevance of the experience of other regions with existing
nuclear-weapon-free zones - including confidence building and
verification measures - for establishing such a zone in the
region of the Middle East. To date, however, consultations with
concerned States of the region have failed to produce an
agreement on the agenda for such a forum. I remain ready to
convene this forum, if and when the concerned States are able to
reach agreement on how to move forward.
New Framework for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
As you are aware, I have been calling since 2004 for the
development of a new, multilateral approach to the nuclear fuel
cycle, as a key measure to strengthen non-proliferation and cope
with the expected expansion of nuclear power. The establishment
of a framework that is equitable and accessible to all users of
nuclear energy acting in accordance with agreed nuclear
non-proliferation norms, will certainly be a complex endeavour,
and therefore in my view will be best addressed through a series
of progressive phases, beginning with mechanisms for assurances
of supply of fuel for nuclear power plants. A broad range of
ideas and proposals have been put forward.
At a Special Event at the General Conference next week, these
ideas and proposals will be discussed. My hope is that these
discussions will enable us to develop a roadmap for moving
forward, with a clear outline that will guide the Secretariat in
its work.
Technical Cooperation
TC Programme Funding
After considerable effort, the open-ended working group on the
target for the Technical Cooperation Fund (TCF) has submitted a
proposal for your consideration. This proposal reflects
acceptance of the agreement reached in 2004, and proposes a
modest increase to the TCF target for the years 2007 and 2008.
During the General Conference next week, the Secretariat will be
consulting with Member States to finalize the 2007–2008 TC
programme within this target figure. The use of the Programme
Cycle Management Framework (PCMF) for the first time in this
process marks a turning point in programme definition,
evaluation and design. As a web-based platform, the PCMF has
made the planning process more participatory and more
transparent. We will continue to refine this application as
projects move into the implementation phase.
Management Issues
Programme Performance Report
The Agency was one of the pioneer international organizations
to adopt a results based approach to programme budgeting,
including performance assessment. The Programme Performance
Report for the 2004–2005 biennium is now before you. The report,
the second of its kind, has undergone changes in both format and
content following comments made by Board members on the
2002–2003 report. It provides information on the degree to which
"outcomes" requested by Member States have been achieved - that
is, the positive impacts in Member States brought about by the
Agency´s activities - along with the lessons learned and the
utilization of resources. An analysis of the overall performance
has enabled us to learn lessons of value for the formulation of
the programme and budget for the 2008–2009 biennium.
Medium Term Strategy
Looking back over a slightly longer period, the Secretariat has
also produced, at the request of Member States, a report on the
implementation of the 2001–2005 Medium Term Strategy (MTS). This
report describes the contribution of each major programme to the
different goals of the MTS. It also considers the evolution of
these goals in the light of regional and global developments
that took place.
Conclusion
The Agency continues to assume growing responsibilities in all
areas of its work. Your support remains key to our success and I
hope it will continue to be forthcoming.
More DG Statements »
Copyright ©, International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100,
Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone (+431) 2600-0; Facsimilie (+431) 2600-7; E-mail:
Official.Mail@iaea.org
*****************************************************************
29 [NukeNet] GNEP: Japan Nuclear Industry Expression of Interest
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:14:20 -0700
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NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
Media Release
9 September 2006
Japan's Nuclear Industry Clutching at Straws
On Friday September 8th Japan's ailing nuclear industry made a
collective lunge at a lifeline from George Bush. Eleven nuclear
industry players submitted a joint response to the US Department of
Energy's (DOE) request for expressions of interest (EOI) in its Global
Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). They hope that GNEP will be just the
lifeline that Japan's troubled nuclear fuel cycle and fast breeder
reactor programs desperately need. More likely, however, time will show
that they were clutching at straws.
The EOI relates to two GNEP programs, the "Consolidated Fuel Treatment
Center" (CFTC) and the Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR). Joint bidders
include Japan's leading nuclear research agency, Japan Atomic Energy
Agency (JAEA), uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing facility
owner, Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd (JNFL), and Japanese nuclear plant makers
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba and Hitachi.
It is difficult to imagine how Japan could play a constructive role in
GNEP, given that the reprocessing technology it uses is French
technology and that this technology is recognized to be a major
proliferation risk. Furthermore, its fast breeder technology has been
plagued by accidents and delays and is a major proliferation risk in
its own right.
DOE has been chopping and changing its GNEP plan. Clearly it doesn't
know what it wants. It has opened this EOI up for all comers to offer
whatever they like. This shows that GNEP is really just a public
relations ploy for an industry suffering from major credibility
problems. GNEP will not solve the problem of nuclear proliferation. Nor
will it solve the problem of what to do with nuclear waste. However, by
lulling the public into a false sense that these problems can be
solved, GNEP's promoters hope to gain funding and buy breathing space,
before the industry collapses under the weight of its own
contradictions.
Japan's involvement in GNEP, far from solving the problems of nuclear
energy, is more likely to further undermine any spurious claims that
might be made for GNEP. Rather than participating in GNEP, Japan should
address the problems nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle have
created at home, and invest in non-nuclear alternatives---energy
conservation, efficiency, and sustainable, renewable energy.
See also the following previous press releases:
http://cnic.jp/english/news/newsflash/2006/gnep14Jul06.html
http://cnic.jp/english/news/newsflash/2006/gnep11Jul06.html
Contact: Philip White, International Liaison Officer 81-3-5330-9520
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
3F Kotobuki Bdg, 1-58-15, Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003
Phone: 81-3-5330-9520
Fax: 81-3-5330-9530
http://cnic.jp/english/
cnic@nifty.com
_______________________________________________________________________
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30 Times of India: Fresh hitch for N-deal
12 Sep, 2006| Updated at 0252hrs IST
Indrani Bagchi
NEW DELHI: As government anxiously waits for an early green
signal from the US lawmakers for the bilateral nuclear deal, a
procedural wrangle in the US Senate is slowing down action on
the India-related nuclear legislation at a time when legislative
days in the present Congress are shrinking rapidly.
This is Title II of the Senate Bill, S 2489, which is a law
implementing the IAEA additional protocol for US nuclear
facilities.
The procedural snag arises from a departure from the normal
legislative practice on the Capitol Hill. While normally such
legislation is tagged on to "omnibus" Bills, the one at stake
has been tagged on to a single issue legislation.
The argument put forward by some officials that the deviation is
the India Bill was deemed a "sure shot" unlike the additional
protocol sounds ironic when you think of the earlier opposition
to the nuclear deal.
Many senators like Arizona Republican Jon Kyl and others have
expressed reservations about signing on to S 2489 because of the
protocol tag.
They have national security concerns about which sites will come
under the protocol though as a nuclear weapons power, US defence
related facilities are naturally out of the IAEA loop. This
might reduce the supporting numbers for the Bill.
US administration officials are trying to work out some
complicated way of de-tagging the Title II from the India Bill,
and sound optimistic. They have been helped by conservative
thinktanks like the Heritage Foundation which recommend the
Bills be separated so that the Indian deal does not get hurt.
Tagging being the reason for the delay is quite an irony,
considering the US has asked India to implement the additional
protocol on its civilian nuclear facilities.
With the Senate indicating a vote in the next couple of weeks,
the central importance now is to get the legislation through
before Congress disbands for elections on October 6.
When Congress reconvenes after the November 7 elections, the
Bill only goes for an "up-down" vote, before the President signs
it into law. In the run-up to the Senate vote, foreign secretary
Shyam Saran is burning up the conference lines with his
counterpart Nick Burns.
Meanwhile, India has also speeded up its multilateral diplomacy
on getting countries to support an India-exemption at the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which has scheduled a meeting in
October.
After his visits to Sweden and Norway, two of the staunchest
flag bearers of the non-proliferation regime, Saran, soon to be
redesignated PM's special envoy on the nuclear deal, will be
travelling to Ireland, New Zealand and Japan to reassure these
NSG members and secure their support.
After the PM's spirited speech to Parliament, India's
reservations are pretty clear India wants reprocessing rights on
the imported fuel for civilian purposes, no annual certification
by the US president and no reference to a cessation of nuclear
cooperation in the bilateral agreement though it's part of US
domestic law.
Copyright ©2006Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved. For
reprint rights:
*****************************************************************
31 RIA Novosti: Power unit shut down at Ukrainian NPP
11/ 09/ 2006
KIEV, September 11 (RIA Novosti) - Power has been cut off to a
generating unit at a nuclear plant in Ukraine, the national
energy company Energoatom said Monday.
Situated in Central Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest
plant in Europe, generating about half of the country's
nuclear-derived electricity, and more than a fifth of the total
electricity produced in Ukraine.
"On September 11, at 13:40 [10:40 GMT], an emergency system shut
down the sixth power unit at the Zaporizhzhia NPP," the
company's press service said. "The cause of the shutdown is
being investigated."
Four power units are currently operating at the plant, and the
fifth has been taken offline until October for scheduled
repairs. The sixth power unit was put into operation in 1995 and
is the newest at the plant.
The company said no security regulations were broken and no
radiation was released.
Out of a total of 15 power units at Ukraine's four NPPs, 11 are
currently operational.
© 2005 RIA Novosti
*****************************************************************
32 Independent: Putin promises Russia will not act like an 'energy superpower'
By Mary Dejevsky in Moscow
Published: 11 September 2006
President Vladimir Putin says Russia will be a reliable and
stable supplier of energy to foreign customers and has dismissed
talk of Russia as an "energy superpower" which would throw its
weight around and hold other countries to ransom.
"The world," he said, "has an interest in stability of supplies
and in the development of a stable Russia. That's our goal, too,
and reflects our own interests as well."
Mr Putin was answering questions from an international group of
Russia-watchers, mostly academics, over an elaborate lunch at
his official residence near Moscow. This was the third year the
Russian-organised Valdai Club has been received by the President
and was the most relaxed of the events. Security was
unobtrusive, and, between the questions and answers on
microphone, Mr Putin conversed cheerfully with those seated
around him, sometimes in English.
These meetings, the first of which took place two years ago in
the sombre aftermath of the Beslan killings, have been
increasingly seen by the Kremlin as a chance for Russia to
present its case to the outside world and "correct" what it sees
as misapprehensions about its policies.
Foreign concerns about Russia's reliability as an energy
supplier, following the stand-off with Ukraine last winter, were
uppermost in Mr Putin's mind. While reassuring the West of
Russia's good faith, however, he dismissed the idea of Russia as
an "energy superpower" as a "cold war" term.
"We're not behaving like an energy superpower," he said. "We
just want negotiations that are fair. We don't need superpower
status." Yes, he said, "we have huge energy potential that is
still underestimated ... but we have always behaved responsibly
and intend to continue doing so."
Russia wants long-term contracts, he said. Just as suppliers had
to pledge continuity for the long term, "so customers should not
be able to turn around and say 'We don't need it now'. Security
works both ways. We need assurances, too."
Mr Putin also criticised European plans to deregulate the
transit pipelines, saying that only the middle-men would profit,
not consumers, and attacked the US for failing, as he saw it, to
honour a promise to share high technology in the energy sector.
"We still don't get access. There is still a long list of banned
exports."
Warming to his theme, he lambasted foreign media for using the
"energy superpower" term to revive the spectre of the "evil
empire."
On energy, as on a wide range of other subjects, Mr Putin
addressed head-on criticisms often voiced in the West about
Russia's policies. Russia was not, he said, intent on living off
its oil and gas for as long as it lasted. It was already working
on diversifying power sources, to the point where 30 per cent of
electricity would be supplied by nuclear power within 20 years.
Mr Putin paid an unexpected compliment to President Viktor
Yushchenko of Ukraine, whose election Russia had so opposed. Mr
Yushchenko, he said, had shown himself to be "wise, reliable and
stable" in agreeing to conclude separate contracts for transit
arrangements to third countries and for its own gas imports.
This was, he said, "a huge step" towards energy security for all
concerned.
On security more generally, Mr Putin took pains to stress that
the new Asian security group, called the Shanghai Co-operation
Council, consisting of Russia, China and central Asian
countries, had grown up in response to a need to regular
post-Soviet borders and other issues. He said he knew it was
being seen in some quarters as a threat.
"Some people, including Western secret services, "suspect that
Russia and China may be cooking up something between
themselves", but there was no intention of turning it into "a
military-political bloc". As a concept, it had taken off pretty
much by itself: "Frankly, we didn't anticipate that".
Of his achievements, Mr Putin - who has been in power for six
years - said the stability of the state was one, and the halving
of the number of people below the poverty line - from 40 million
to 20 million - was another. But, he said, that was still
nothing like good enough.
He cited the demographic position as a major concern, restating
plans for enhanced maternity and child benefits, housing grants
and other measures to raise the birth rate.
He held out the prospect of more legal immigration into Russia
of people from the former Soviet republics, especially central
Asia, to help make up the labour shortage. But he stressed that
the numbers had to be limited to how many could be assimilated
well.
Even so, the arrival of workers from the regions and countries
to the south of Russia is already causing problems. A full-scale
riot a week ago, in the north-western city of Konoplog, was
followed by attacks on Chechen and other southern workers and
the full-scale flight of the town's non-Russian population.
After days of criticism in the liberal press, Mr Putin made an
unannounced visit to the city yesterday.
As for his own longer-term plans, Mr Putin declined to look
further ahead than the completion of his second term in 2008 -
beyond reiterating that he had no intention of trying to change
the law so he could stand again. He accepted that all the polls
showed a large majority of Russians wanting him to stay.
Yes, he said, people would like stability and don't want things
to change. But, he insisted: "Stability is not guaranteed by one
person. It is guaranteed by the state of society and the
population."
And, he went on, no one can be above the law. "If I say that
everyone must abide by the law, I have no right to break it. To
do so would be a destabilising move in itself."
© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited
*****************************************************************
33 Aftenposten.no: Reactor scare blamed on pump leak -
[Aftenposten Nettutgaven]
First published: 11 Sep 2006, 16:47
Norwegian authorities now think they know why the level of
radioactivity rose at a local nuclear reactor over the weekend.
Officials will continue to investigate an "incident" at a nuclear
reactor at Kjeller, northeast of Oslo. PHOTO: Thomas Bjørnflaten
/ SCANPIX
Norway's Institute for Energy Technology has linked the trouble
to a leak in a pump used in connection with a cooling tank,
reports Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
Institute officials said they have inspected the reactor at
Kjeller, but won't have a final conclusion until researchers go
into the reactor.
That won't occur until the level of radioactivity at the site is
reduced.
Neighbors of the reactor remain concerned. It was first time
that alarms went off at the Kjeller facility after abnormally
high levels of radiation were registered in the building housing
the reactor, but not outside.
Institute officials are downplaying what they called "the
incident at the Jeep II reactor," saying it "led to a minor
increase in the emission of airborne radioactivity to the
environment."
The institute claimed that "the emissions were below the
discharge limits specified by the Norwegian Radiation Protection
Authority and had no impact on the surroundings."
The reactor was immediately shut down when the radiation levels
increased, and the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority was
notified.
The Jeep II-reactor is described as "a 2MW research reactor
mainly used for neutron activation analyses, production of
isotopes for medical purposes, irradiation of semiconductor
materials and basic research in physics."
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Publisher: Aftenposten Multimedia A/S, Oslo, Norway.Telephone:
+47 - 22 86 30 00. All rights, including copyright and database
right, are owned by or licensed to Aftenposten Multimedia.©
Aftenposten Multimedia.
*****************************************************************
34 Brattleboro Reformer: More people paying attention to Yankee security
By KRISTI CECCAROSSI, Reformer Staff
Monday, September 11 VERNON
Two days after jetliners collapsed the World Trade Center, the
switchboard at the Vernon Police Department lit up like a
pinball machine.
Panicked local people were calling to say they'd seen, and
heard, low-flying jets -- maybe military -- headed north near
Vermont Yankee.
The federal government had closed the nation's airspace for days
after the terrorist attacks. Nothing should have been in the sky
that night. Still, dozens of residents from Vermont, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts spotted planes twice on Sept. 13,
2001: once around 7 p.m., and later at 10:30. The noise, they
said, was not a typical high-altitude plane.
The Vernon Police contacted the Federal Aviation Administration,
which reportedly sent fighter jets scrambling in response. Story
was, by the time the fighter jets arrived, no planes were in
sight.
The official word later was that it was a commercial aircraft,
perhaps a United Parcel Service transport plane on its way to
Bennington. But that was quickly denied by the Bennington
airport and by UPS.
Then the federal government went into lockdown, and so did
Vermont Yankee. Then there was no official word at all.
Five years later, it's still a mystery who or what was in the
air above the Connecticut River Valley that night. It's no
doubt, though, that the event was a pivotal moment in the public
perception of the Vermont Yankee.
Since construction began on the reactor almost 40 years ago,
it's been subject to unflagging criticism as a dubious source of
power. But Sept. 11 changed those politics. It's no longer just
environmentalists and peace activists asking what to do with
nuclear waste, or how to prevent a meltdown. Now, there's a
broad cross-section of residents wondering if they are safe from
attack on what's been identified as the No. 1 terrorist target
in Vermont.
"A lot of people started to see it as a possibility more real
than they'd ever imagined," says Ed Anthes, a Dummerston
resident who leads the grassroots group Nuclear Free Vermont.
"Every level of government realized this was a target, and got
involved."
Fast forward to now, when activism around the plant has surged;
local people are turning out en masse for public meetings to
voice their concerns about security. The state and federal
government have dramatically changed safety standards around the
reactor and the notion of Vermont Yankee as a terror threat is
common vernacular now.
Internal change
For almost 30 years, Vermont Yankee was a relatively open
campus. It hosted hundreds of visits each year from school
groups and local organizations. Delivery vehicles frequently
traveled in and out with ease. Employees came and went about
their business.
All of that, among many other facets of daily operation, was
halted after Sept. 11. These days few outsiders, if any, are
granted tours, and only after a high level of authorization. And
any cars or trucks approaching the campus are run through a
rigorous process at the plant's entrance, which is now defended
by an armed guard. Even employees are reviewed by security on
entrance and exit, from the site.
"Security is 1,000 times better," said Rob Williams, a spokesman
for Entergy Nuclear, the company that purchased the plant in
2002.
In August 2001, Vermont Yankee failed a drill in which three
mock terrorists gained access to the plant. The plant received
the lowest security rating of nuclear reactors in the country
that year. Plant officials have worked to turn that around, and
the plant's rating has been satisfactory since.
As of this year, Williams said, Entergy has spent "in excess of
$14 million" on security upgrades since 2001. That's gone toward
new training, weapons, response tactics, barriers and fences.
Wackenhut Corp., the country's largest private security outfit,
provides the lion's share of guards at the plant.
The Reformer was recently granted a tour of Vermont Yankee.
Wackenhut's presence was ostensible. Guards were seen in various
levels of the plant, fully armed; they were also visible in
towers -- with artillery -- on all sides of the campus.
After Sept. 11, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued new
design standards to all plant operators. However, the details,
which were constructed with help from Homeland Security, are not
public.
"Nuclear power plant security has always been robust," said Neil
Sheehan, a spokesman for the NRC. "But there was an awareness
that we needed to go farther after 9/11."
Many state and federal lawmakers have chided the NRC for not
taking security measures seriously enough, post-9/11. Likewise,
local activists are critical: they know the NRC has tightened
regulations, but not knowing precisely what the NRC safety
standards are, they question whether the agency, or the
industry, is doing all it should.
A few years ago, Congress launched initiatives to federalize
security at nuclear power plants, but in a morass of other
post-9/11 changes, that plan fell by the wayside.
Instead, Wackenhut security dominates the industry. About 12
percent of the company's profits come from guarding nuclear
power plants, and not without controversy. Wackenhut's services
have been scorned by citizens groups and some of the nation's
labor unions as being inadequate and too focused with profit
margin. And Congress continues to question the government's role
in plant protection.
Altered activists
Deb Katz is director of the Citizens Awareness Network, a
watchdog group, and has for decades played a vital role in New
England's anti-nuclear movement. Until Sept. 11, activist groups
didn't spend much time studying accident scenarios. Sept. 11 was
a wake-up call for them.
"We were dealing with standard operation and radioactive waste,"
she said. "We're looking at VY in a very different way now. We
realized we're living in a community now with a predeployed
weapon of mass destruction."
Sept. 11 stirred activists out of what Katz described as a "kind
of despair." It forced people to get involved again -- a lot
more people than grassroots groups had seen in some time.
Although protesters have embraced issues of nuclear safety and
terrorism, Katz said Sept. 11 wasn't viewed as an unofficial
membership drive. In fact, she says, it's created some conflict
within the anti-nuclear movement.
"There's a lot of resistance," she said, "to being seduced by a
high level of paranoia about terrorism. There's a lot of
conflict about actions our government has taken since 9/11 and
it feels like we could fall into that, or be manipulated by that
fear."
"At the same time, though, there is a real and present danger,"
Katz added.
One way, at least locally, that activists have taken advantage
of the post-Sept. 11 tenor, is in a broad push for better
emergency planning.
It's up to selectboards in Vermont, Massachusetts and New
Hampshire to approve and execute emergency plans, in the event
of any kind of disaster at Vermont Yankee.
Before the terrorist attacks, those plans would be OK'd by
officials year after year, rarely with any scrutiny, almost
never with any actual testing.
But each year since 2001, when the plans have been presented in
Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Halifax -- towns in
Vermont's so-called emergency planning zone -- Selectboards have
rejected them. Only the Vernon Selectboard has signed off on the
plan. Officials have said they're holding on for a plan that's
truly workable, and addresses all the gaps that have been
frantically identified over the last five years.
In recent years, local officials have also insisted on upgrades
to alert systems, with some success, and on changes to state law
to how emergency funding is set up. A referendum this year on
Town Meeting Day confirmed a wide margin of Windham County
people want to see more improvements made. Voters passed the
measure in March calling on lawmakers to "address significant
gaps in the current emergency plan." In Brattleboro, 84 percent
of voters endorsed it.
If there was anything good born of Sept. 11, it's that, said
Anthes, of Nuclear Free Vermont: People are paying attention.
"We would have never seen that before," he said. "There's a
common interest now in having the best plan possible. Before
9/11, people didn't think about the plan much at all. Town
officials, and all people, realize these plans need a lot of
work."
New England Newspapers, Inc.
» (802) 254-2311
» 62 Black Mountain Road
» Brattleboro, VT 05301-9242
*****************************************************************
35 UBC: WANO examines Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant.
11.09.2006. UralBusinessConsulting
WANO examines Beloyarskaya nuclear power plantWorld Association
of Nuclear Operators will be examining Beloyarskaya nuclear
power plant from September 3 to September 15, 2006; the expert
team consists of 18 people, including the citizens of the U.S.,
France, India, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria,
and the Ukraine.
The team has to assess the state of events at
the plant in terms of quality and reliability of the plant
operation and of the equipment maintenance, the condition of the
engineering support and radiation protection, the extent to
which the plant staff use the experience of their colleagues,
the chemical sustainability of the plant, the personnel
training, and the fire safety. The conclusions following this
examination and assessment will have been made by November 2006,
reports the spokesperson for Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant.
Phone: + 7 343 2575578
© Informational-analitical agency
«UralBusinessConsulting», 2000-2006
*****************************************************************
36 NRC: Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Company and Firstenergy Nuclear
FR Doc E6-14936
[Federal Register: September 11, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 175)]
[Notices] [Page 53482-53483] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11se06-121]
Generation Corp.; Notice of Withdrawal of Application for
Amendment to Facility Operating License The U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) has granted the
request of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company and FirstEnergy
Nuclear Generation Corp. (the licensee) to withdraw its July 27,
2005, application for proposed amendment to Facility Operating
License No. NPF-3 for the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Unit
1, located in Ottawa County.
The proposed amendment would have revised Technical Specification
(TS) 3/4.8.1.1, ``A.C. Sources--Operating,'' to adopt a more
recent standard for diesel fuel oil testing, and allow TS
Surveillance Requirements (SRs) 4.8.1.1.2.d.1 and 4.8.1.1.2.d.3
to be performed on- line.
The Commission had previously issued a Notice of Consideration of
Issuance of Amendment published in the Federal Register on
September 27, 2005 (70 FR 56501). However, by letter dated August
9, 2006, the licensee withdrew the proposed change.
For further details with respect to this action, see the
application for amendment dated July 27, 2005, and the licensee's
letters dated May 30 and August 9, 2006, which withdrew the
application for license amendment. Documents may be examined,
and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR),
located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly
available
[[Page 53483]] records will be accessible electronically from the
Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public
Electronic Reading Room on the internet at the NRC Web site,
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html. Persons who do not have
access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference
staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737 or by
e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day
of September 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen J. Campbell, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch
III-2, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-14936 Filed 9-8-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
37 NRC: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the
FR Doc E6-14937
[Federal Register: September 11, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 175)]
[Notices] [Page 53482] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11se06-120]
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of the OMB review of information collection and
solicitation of public comment.
SUMMARY: The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the
following proposal for the collection of information under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an
agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: Extension.
2. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 531
``Request for Taxpayer Identification Number''.
3. The form number if applicable: NRC Form 531. 4. How often the
collection is required: One time from each applicant or
individual to enable the Department of the Treasury to process
electronic payments or collect debts owed to the Government.
5. Who will be required or asked to report: All individuals doing
business with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including
contractors and recipients of credit, licenses, permits, and
benefits.
6. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 300. 7. The
estimated number of annual respondents: 300. 8. An estimate of
the total number of hours needed annually to complete the
requirement or request: 25 hours (5 minutes per respondent).
9. An indication of whether Section 3507(d), Pub. L. 104-13
applies: N/A.
10. Abstract: The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996
requires that agencies collect taxpayer identification numbers
(TINs) from individuals who do business with the Government,
including contractors and recipients of credit, licenses,
permits, and benefits. The TIN will be used to process all
electronic payments (refunds) made to licensees by electronic
funds transfer by the Department of the Treasury.
The Department of the Treasury will use the TIN to determine
whether the refund can be used to administratively offset any
delinquent debts reported to the Treasury by other government
agencies. In addition, the TIN will be used to collect and report
to the Department of the Treasury any delinquent indebtedness
arising out of the licensee's or applicant's relationship with
the NRC.
A copy of the final supporting statement may be viewed free of
charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North,
11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB
clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site:
http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/index.html. The
document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days
after the signature date of this notice.
Comments and questions should be directed to the OMB reviewer
listed below by October 11, 2006. Comments received after this
date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but
assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received
after this date.
John A. Asalone, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(3150-0188), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20503.
Comments can also be e-mailed to John_A._Asalone@omb.eop.gov or
submitted by telephone at (202) 395-4650.
The NRC Clearance Officer is Brenda Jo. Shelton, 301-415-7233.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of September, 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brenda Jo. Shelton, NRC Clearance Officer, Office of Information
Services.
[FR Doc. E6-14937 Filed 9-8-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
38 Kyiv Post: Safety system automatically shuts down nuclear reactor
in eastern Ukraine
Sep 11 2006, 18:20
KYIV (AP) - A safety system automatically shut down a nuclear
reactor in eastern Ukraine on Monday, and there was no increase
in radiation levels, officials said.
The cause of the shutdown of the reactor No. 6 at the
Zaporizhsky nuclear power plant was not immediately clear, the
state-run nuclear operator Energoatom said in a statement. Four
other reactors at the plant are in operation now, and another is
undergoing planned repairs, it said.
Ukraine was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, when
a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded and caught
fire in April 1986, spewing radiation over the western part of
the Soviet Union and northern Europe. Chernobyl was closed down
in 2000.
Ukraine has 15 working nuclear reactors; officials said 11 are
in operation now.
Kyiv Post
*****************************************************************
39 english.eastday.com: Indonesia to build nuclear power plant in 2010
11/9/2006 17:17
The Indonesian government will begin the construction of a
nuclear power plant in 2010 or 2011 as part of the country's
energy diversification program, a senior official said today.
"Accordingly, the tender for the nuclear power plant
construction should take place in 2008," Minister of Research
and Technology Koesmayanto Kadiman was quoted by the country's
leading news website Detikcom as saying.
"To materialize this project, the government has established
cooperation with countries that own nuclear reactors, such as
the United States, South Korea, Japan and Germany."
The nuclear power plant is expected to begin operations in 2016-
17, he said in a hearing with legislators in Jakarta .
xinhua
*****************************************************************
40 Tri-City Herald: Ferries remain vulnerable to terrorist activity
Published Monday, September 11th, 2006
By Les Blumenthal Herald Washington D.C. bureau
WASHINGTON -- It could be a bomb stuffed in a car or truck or
strapped around the waist of a suicide bomber.
Or terrorists might simply hijack one of Washington's jumbo
ferries with 2,500 people on board and aim it at the Puget Sound
Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, which overhauls nuclear aircraft
carriers and Trident nuclear submarines.
Although security has improved dramatically since the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the ferries plying the waters of
Puget Sound remain vulnerable, and intelligence suggests that
terrorists are conducting surveillance and the ferries could be
a target.
FBI and homeland security officials said no terrorist plots had
been uncovered, but in the years since 9/11, the FBI reviewed
157 "suspicious incidents" involving the Washington ferry
system, the nation's largest. Of those, seven were classified as
having an "extremely" high likelihood of being pre-operational
planning, 11 were classified as a "high" likelihood and 49 as
"medium," according to briefing documents provided in late
August to members of the House Homeland Security Committee.
"Intelligence suggests that WSF (the Washington state ferry
system) is being monitored and may be a potential terrorist
target," according to the documents, which were marked as
sensitive but not classified. "Attacks on mass transit systems
are increasingly terrorists' choice."
As for who's conducting the surveillance, the documents said,
"The subjects involved in suspicious activities were associated
with FBI terrorism investigations."
Some of these figures were reported previously by the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer and the Seattle Times, but documents obtained
by McClatchy Newspapers provided additional details on the
number of incidents that involved possible terrorist planning
and potential ties to other FBI terrorism investigations
From spring 2004 to fall 2005, there were 247 suspicious
incidents, said Ted Turner, a supervisory intelligence analyst
at the FBI office in Seattle. The FBI thinks the increase is due
to better reporting by ferry system personnel, the Washington
State Patrol -- which handles ferry security along with the
Coast Guard -- and from the general public riding the ferries.
Suspicious activity sometimes may involve a tourist taking
pictures or asking out-of-the-ordinary questions, but the
incidents that attracted attention from the FBI and other
investigators "involved behavior out of the mainstream for
either tourists or commuters," Turner said. He wouldn't
elaborate.
"There is ongoing suspicious activity continuing to this date,"
said Coast Guard Lt. Mark Kneeland, who's involved in the Coast
Guard's effort to protect the ferries.
However, Turner said, "We have not, after four years, been able
to link a suspicious incident to a plan or terrorist group."
"We do not possess any specific or credible information
indicating any threat to the Washington state ferry system,"
said Kirk Whitworth, of the Homeland Security Department.
The state's 28 ferries carry 26 million passengers and 11
million vehicles a year. The ferries make 500 trips a day on 20
different routes carrying commuters across Puget Sound and
passengers to islands, such as Vashon or the San Juans, that are
accessible only by boat. Alaska and New York also operate ferry
systems, but Washington's is the biggest.
Before 9/11, the Washington ferry system's most pressing
security issues focused on petty crime. Now they're all about
terrorism.
"The worst-case scenario is a large truck bomb," Washington
State Patrol Lt. Travis Matheson said. But he said attacks could
come from the air, the sea or a passenger with a homemade bomb.
"The ferries are considered very high risk and they are
difficult to protect."
As with subways or other mass-transit systems, it would be
impractical to search every passenger or vehicle coming aboard.
The Washington State Patrol uses bomb-sniffing dogs to check
vehicles that are waiting to board, and undercover troopers
randomly ride the ferries.
Access to a ferry's pilot house, which once involved little more
than a chain across a ladder with a sign saying "Authorized
personnel," has been restricted.
Members of a highly trained Coast Guard Marine Safety and
Security Team stationed in Seattle escort ferries in 25-foot
boats to enforce a 500-yard security zone. The escorts are
random, though on days when there's a big event such as a
football game in downtown Seattle, the number of escorts is
increased.
"We can't escort every ferry," said Coast Guard Cmdr. Leonard
Tumbarello in Seattle. "We try to be random to keep whoever is
watching in the dark."
Ferry system personnel have received training in spotting
potential security problems, and each ferry is supposed to have
a security plan.
© 2006 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
41 [NukeNet]Health comparison, 9/11 and nuclear power
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:14:39 -0700
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NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
Please forward!
Jeannine
From: odiejoe@aol.com
To: no-new-nukes-yall@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [no-new-nukes-yall] Health comparison, 9/11 and nuclear power
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 09:56:51 EDT
Dear Friends: Two days ago, Mount Sinai Medical Center released a large
study of over 9,000 workers near the World Trade Center after 9/11. The
results were staggering, with 70% of workers still suffering from
respiratory problems two years after the attacks.
The New York Times of September 6 quoted NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg as
questioning the conclusiveness of the study, saying that statistics could
suggest a connection between events, but not prove a direct
link. Bloomberg said "I don't believe that you can say specifically a
particular problem came from this particular event."
This statement is amazing considering the overwhelming evidence that harm
was caused.
Please note that we face the same dilemma with exposure to radioactivity
from nuclear reactor emissions. Our current research tools make it
virtually impossible to conclusively prove a link between radiation and
cancer --- but this is true with all pollutants, even obvious ones like
9/11 debris and cigarette smoking.
What this means is that given these limits, we must recognize that this is
not an epidemiology class, but real life involving real people. We must
have the courage to present the best available information on ACTUAL
emissions, environmental levels, in body levels, and disease rates related
to nuclear reactors. Otherwise, we've ignored the suffering of thousands of
persons who were potentially harmed by these poisons. And we give credence
to naysayers like Mayor Bloomberg (the 9/11 equivalent of the NRC and NEI)
when they make these incredible denials.
Thanks for your support.
Joe Mangano
Radiation and Public Health Project
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42 [NukeNet] Feds Reject Plan to Create Utah Nuclear Waste
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:14:18 -0700
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http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11215
Feds Reject Plan to Create Utah Nuclear Waste Stockpile
September 08, 2006 — By Paul Foy, Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday
rejected a bitterly contested plan to create a nuclear waste
stockpile at an American Indian reservation in Utah's west desert.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the decision kills a proposal to store
44,000 tons of spent fuel rods on the Goshute Indians' Skull Valley
reservation, about 50 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
Private Fuel Storage, a group of nuclear-power utilities known as
PFS, won a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in
February. Lawsuits, regulatory opposition and other hurdles have
delayed the plan for years.
"PFS is dead," Hatch said. "To me, it's a great day for Utah."
The Interior Department used its power to veto a lease tribal leaders
approved for the stockpile. The agency also refused to yield federal
land for a transfer station where fuel rods would be moved from rail
cars to tractor-trailers.
A spokeswoman for the utility consortium that won a license for the
storage site suggested it was premature to call it dead.
"We have not seen the decisions or figured out what our options may
be," PFS spokeswoman Sue Martin said.
A public-health group also was cautious.
"We're a little hesitant to declare full victory on this because PFS
has a license. It's like having a license but no car, and they've
been told to stay off the road," said Vanessa Pierce, executive
director of Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah.
Private Fuel Storage billed the Goshute stockpile as temporary until
the federal government can open a national repository at Nevada's
Yucca Mountain. But some worried Utah could have become a "de facto"
home for nuclear waste if the Yucca facility, which is behind
schedule, doesn't open.
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43 [shundahaialert] A victory for us all! PFS is all but dead.
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:29:41 -0700
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Dear friends,
We are delighted to announce an exciting development in the long struggle
to stop the Private Fuel Storage (PFS) high-level nuclear waste project
proposed for the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah.
After a 9-year fight, the U.S. Interior Department on Thursday rejected the
lease for the nuclear facility. This came in the form of a "one-two punch"
that may have finally put an end to a plan to store 40,000 tons of
high-level nuclear waste on this unique reservation- about an hour's drive
from Salt Lake City, Utah.
At the outset, we want to sincerely thank everyone who has participated in
this struggle with us. Countless Native and non-Native individuals and
organizations have assisted with everything from contacting legislators, to
participating in licensing and technical hearings, to sponsoring and
hosting Goshutes and Shundahai Network personnel at related educational
events around the country, to supporting and attending events on the
Reservation in support of Goshutes who have been fighting endlessly to stop
this nuclear dump.
This is a victory for all of us!
SUMMARY:
On Thursday, September 7th, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) each delivered a Record of Decision, opting
to take "no action" on the plan to store 40,000 tons of high-level nuclear
waste on the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah. There is a link on
our main web page, (http://www.shundahai.org/index.html ) that allows you
to read the entire document.
The BIA Record Of Decision focused on the irregularity of their preliminary
approval of the PFS lease in 1997, noting that the BIA regional office that
originally agreed to a conditional lease for the PFS dump did not have the
purview to make the approval. It cites bureau policy at the time that
specifically disallowed such approvals. It also notes the unenforceability
of the lease because if there are violations, how can you evict such an
expensive and dangerous tenant? It also discussed security issues such as
difficulties with law enforcement, including lack of jurisdiction of Tooele
County and the long distance from other BIA police services.
The BLM Record Of Decision focused on the fact that the Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) made no mention of the possible impacts of removing
the tens of thousands of tons of used nuclear fuel from "temporary" storage
in Skull Valley in northern Utah, to permanent storage at Yucca Mountain in
southern Nevada. Specific concerns included possible impacts on the state
road through Skull Valley and on its other uses. It also notes the
essential violation of the Pony Express Resource Management Plan (RMP),
where waste could sit at the proposed Inter-modal Transfer Facility for a
period of time, thereby constituting unauthorized nuclear storage-
expressly forbidden under the RMP.
Both decisions mentioned the recent San Luis Obispo court decision
regarding nuclear storage at a site in southern California. This decision
required that the threat of terrorism must be weighed in the EIS, which it
wasn't. This impacted the validity of the EIS, and thus the decision to
store waste in Skull Valley. Both decisions cited misgivings about the
loss of nuclear storage as an economic development opportunity for the
Goshute Band, but noted that the land is eligible for other uses.
Both the BIA and BLM decisions used formulaic language in assessing four
options that allowed for variations in the siting of a high-level nuclear
storage facility, including transportation methods, and considered an
alternate site in Wyoming. Ultimately the Interior Department chose option
4, the "no action" option, which rejects all other options.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
However, this decision does not prohibit further action by PFS. It could
decide to amend the EIS, and resubmit. There may also be appeal options.
Further, this decision does not preclude further action by pro-nuclear
Goshutes Leon Bear, Mary Allen, and other supporters of the PFS plan as
offering a venue for similar types of economic development.
With the current upheaval in tribal government, (see articles posted at
http://www.shundahai.org/skull_valley_info.htm ) the Skull Valley Goshute
Band could be an even more inviting target for unscrupulous developers,
lobbyists, and lawyers looking to cash-in on potentially dangerous nuclear
projects. It may, in fact, open up the possibility of Skull Valley being
selected as one of the proposed pilot nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities,
and of getting federal funding to do so.
We'll have to continue to watch this possibility closely. Reprocessing of
nuclear fuel is potentially much worse than storage.
Another potential threat to watch closely is that a federal bill now moving
through congress, which specifically excludes Utah as a regional interim
storage facility has not passed both houses of the US legislature. There
could be changes to proposed legislation in committee, and this Interior
department decision could influence those changes.
THIS IS A VICTORY FOR ALL OF US!
We thank those of you who submitted comments to the BLM urging them to
reject the request submitted by PFS for the required 30+ mile right-of-way,
which would have shipped 40,000 tons of used nuclear fuel south from the
Union Pacific trans-continental rail-line to the Goshute Reservation.
We also sincerely appreciate all the support Shundahai Network has received
throughout this process. It has been a long and difficult road, and
Thursday's decision is a victory for all of us!
We will continue to keep you posted with further developments, and ask that
you continue to keep the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes in your thoughts and
prayers.
Sincerely,
The Board and Staff of Shundahai Network
Shundahai Network
www.shundahai.org
P.O. Box 1115
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
Phone- 801.533.0128
Fax- 801.533.0129
shundahai@shundahai.org
Online Fundraising Store- www.cafepress.com/shundahainet
If you are a Myspace user, you can now add us! www.Myspace.com/shundahai
Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning "Peace and Harmony with
all Creation"
*****************************************************************
44 Deseret News: The end to a long struggle
[deseretnews.com]
Monday, September 11, 2006
Deseret Morning News editorial
The governor calls it the "period at the end of the sentence."
Rep. Rob Bishop calls it all but the last nail in the coffin.
Indeed, two decisions last week — one by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs and the other by the Bureau of Land Management —
seem to put an end, at long last, to the notion that high-level
nuclear waste will be stored indefinitely in Utah's west desert.
We will feel better, however, when Private Fuel Storage, the
consortium seeking to put the waste there, surrenders fully and
unconditionally. That may not happen until it gives up its
license to store waste.
At the moment, however, PFS has no lease to use Goshute
tribal lands, and it has no viable way to transport the waste to
those lands. That would seem to make the waste site impossible.
A lot of people deserve credit for this victory, which
once seemed hopelessly out of grasp. Former Govs. Mike Leavitt
and Olene Walker, as well as current Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., all
were relentless in their opposition. So, too, has been the
state's congressional delegation, both Republican and Democrat.
A lot of creative thinking went into the fight. Areas near the
site were declared protected wilderness. Special taxes on
nuclear waste transport were considered. At one time,
conservative Utahns even swallowed hard and welcomed the idea
that Ralph Nader and his supporters would block the site with
spirited protests.
None of these would have been as decisive or clean as the
bureaucratic edicts handed down last week. The Bureau of Indian
Affairs voided PFS's lease, noting correctly that the waste
site, once established, might never relinquish its load to a
permanent repository. The Bureau of Land Management said the
wilderness designation voided any possible rail lines and that
transfer stations for nuclear waste would not be in harmony with
good federal lands management.
Utahns may indeed breathe a sigh of relief. They can't
let up their guard, however. Too many people in other parts of
the nation still would like to use Utah's fragile deserts to
store hazardous wastes, and the federal government has yet to
abandon its plans for a permanent repository in Nevada, which
would require constant shipments through Utah.
They also should recognize that the Goshutes pursued this
path in part because there are few other available options for
making the tribe financially sound. The state would do well to
explore ways to help its native cultures prosper.
© 2006 Deseret News Publishing Company
*****************************************************************
45 RIA Novosti: Russia set to raise Asian uranium market share by 2010
11/ 09/ 2006
MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is planning an
expansion on the Asian-Pacific uranium market by 2010, a Russian
uranium trader said Monday.
The producer of around 8% of the world's uranium ore, Russia is
reaching out to the rapidly emerging powerhouse in the
Asian-Pacific, where demand for nuclear material is high.
"The Asian-Pacific is a key market for us. We are supplying
Japan with uranium fuel and have increased our presence in the
country to 16-18% of demand recently," Vladimir Smirnov, head of
the state-owned company Techsnabexport said. "Uranium supply
contracts have also been signed for the coming years, and the
figure [for market share] will approach 20% by 2010."
He said the company's plans include energy-hungry China, which
has worked out a large-scale program for nuclear power
development.
Smirnov called for intergovernmental agreements at a new level
to be signed to correspond to nuclear non-proliferation
developments. This would ensure that nuclear fuel will not be
diverted to weapons programs.
© 2005 RIA Novosti
*****************************************************************
46 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: Setting a precedent
Today: September 11, 2006 at 7:29:6 PDT
Agencies reject nuclear waste dump in Utah for reasons that
sound familiar
The U.S. Interior Department rejected a proposed plan to build a
temporary nuclear waste storage facility in Utah, citing
concerns that included transportation safety and the possible
radiation exposure of workers transferring the waste.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, lauded the rejection and told the Salt
Lake Tribune that Utahns "wanted to put a spike right through
the heart of this project, and this does it."
The proposed lease - a joint venture between Private Fuel
Storage and the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes - called for
building a temporary storage facility for high-level nuclear
waste on the Goshute reservation, about 50 miles west of Salt
Lake City.
The proposal drew stiff opposition from Utah's congressional
delegation, which has recently supported Nevada's opposition to
a proposed permanent nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain,
90 miles from Las Vegas.
The Interior Department rejected the Utah lease because the
Bureau of Indian Affairs raised concerns about the site's
vulnerability to a terrorist attack and the Bureau of Land
Management raised concerns about transportation.
BLM officials said they could not approve a rail line into the
facility because it would cross a designated wilderness area.
They also rejected a plan to truck the waste onto the
reservation because workers transferring the casks from trains
to trucks would risk radiation exposure.
The Interior Department's 47-page decision includes
correspondence in which Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says that
the Goshute site was never part of his department's overall plan
to open the Yucca Mountain repository, and that the fate of the
temporary dump had no bearing on his intentions to open Yucca
Mountain.
Bodman's declarations are puff and bluster, as federal officials
have yet to produce any credible scientific evidence that
burying high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is safe. In
fact, scientific study over the years has revealed multiple
reasons as to why it is not safe.
And the Interior Department's rejection of the Utah facility
bolsters arguments against opening Yucca Mountain. The
department determined that it is not safe to transport such
waste over sensitive lands by train, and that transport workers
would risk radiation exposure.
The nation needs a safe plan for disposing of high-level nuclear
waste. But gathering it all up and dumping it into one state's
open lands is not it. It wasn't safe for Utah. And it is not
safe for Nevada.
All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
47 Daily Grist: Interior Department blocks interim nuke-waste site in Utah |
Grist | Daily Grist | 11 Sep 2006
Goshute in the Foot
The Interior Department has blocked an interim nuclear-waste
storage plant on a Native reservation in appropriately named
Skull Valley, Utah. The department denied a lease and
transportation plan for the site, which was to hold 44,000 tons
of nuclear waste in above-ground casks about an hour's drive
from Salt Lake City. The department's main concern was just how
interim the interim site would be, as the planned permanent
waste dump in Yucca Mountain, Nev., has been plagued with delays
and may not be completed for decades, if ever. The rejection was
cheered by Utah's governor, congressional delegation, and
thousands of letter-writing citizens, as well as some members of
the Goshute tribe, which owns the land. Others in the 125-member
tribe lamented the loss of a profit-making venture. The decision
may be appealed by Private Fuel Storage, the eight-utility
consortium backing the waste site.
tm)] ©2006. Grist Magazine, Inc. All
*****************************************************************
48 Central Asia's Nuclear-free Zone Treaty Marks 'another Step In Years Of Effort': Annan
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 15:00:24 -0400
CENTRAL ASIA’S NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE TREATY MARKS ‘ANOTHER STEP IN YEARS OF EFFORT’: ANNAN
New York, Sep 8 2006 3:00PM
Welcoming today’s signing ceremony in Kazakhstan of the Central Asia
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan said it marks “another step in years of effort” toward
such an agreement, adding he hoped it would also move the world
further toward global and regional peace and security.
“Individually and collectively, nuclear-weapon-free zones strengthen
the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, reinforce global
efforts to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world, and greatly enhance
global and regional peace and security. May the efforts of the
Central Asian States help move us further in that direction,” Mr.
Annan said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10622.doc.htm">statement
read out by Yuriko Shoji, UN Resident Coordinator
in Kazakhstan.
“This signing ceremony of the Central Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
Treaty marks another step in years of effort by the five Central
Asian States to agree on a Treaty establishing a nuclear-weapon-free
zone in Central Asia.”
But he also acknowledged that some states had expressed concerns
about today’s agreement and called on the five Central Asian nations
to work to make sure it was effective.
“The General Assembly and the United Nations Disarmament Commission
have provided clear guidelines which recommend that nuclear-weapon-free
zones be worked out in close consultation with the nuclear-weapon
States, so as to ensure that such agreements are effective
and meaningful.”
Representatives from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Turkmenistan signed the Treaty in the northern Kazakh town
of Semipalatinsk, near the now-defunct testing ranges where the
then Soviet Union exploded more than 400 atom bombs.
2006-09-08 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:
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*****************************************************************
49 Knox News: Oak Ridge holds secrets closer
In wake of attacks, nuke installations made more secure
By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com September 11, 2006
OAK RIDGE - Security was always a fixture at the government's
nuclear installations. After 9/11, it became a fixation. Oak
Ridge National Laboratory set up guard portals a couple of miles
from the research complex, restricting vehicle access in a manner
reminiscent of the World War II Manhattan Project.
The Y-12 nuclear weapons plant added a couple of
hundred security police - bringing the total force to about 525
- and changed techniques and technology to better protect the
nation's supply of bomb-grade uranium.
"What 9/11 told us as a country was we had underestimated the
commitment and the capabilities of our adversary," said Butch
Clements, manager of safeguards and security at Y-12.
Keeping the uranium secure is the Oak Ridge plant's top
priority, followed by protection of classified information and
government property, Clements said.
Over the past couple of years, Y-12 has consolidated the uranium
stocks and reduced the storage locations by 30 percent, which
means fewer sites that require maximum protection, he said.
The plant has taken other short-term measures to enhance
security, adding more explosives detectors and vehicle barriers
to prevent car bombings.
Y-12 has reduced the number of vehicles allowed in the most
sensitive part of the plant by 60 percent and updated techniques
for identifying workers cleared for access - including
biometrics, Clements said.
Federal contractors purchased new weapons for security police -
including some that are remotely operated - and re-evaluated key
sites inside the plant, the security exec said. Exterior
lighting was improved, and obstacles were removed between the
protective force and their response position, he said.
Clements said Y-12's long-term plan includes hardened facilities
with built-in security features: a $500 million uranium storage
center, which is under construction, and a $1 billion uranium
manufacturing complex that's still in the planning stages.
At ORNL, restricting vehicle traffic on Bethel Valley Road was
the most obvious change following Sept. 11, 2001. Security
checkpoints were installed a couple of miles from the main lab
complex, with features such as pop-up vehicle barriers to deter
intruders.
Jeff Smith, ORNL's deputy director of operations, said the lab
was able to bolster security by controlling access at the
perimeter while still giving the main research complex more of
an open campus-like atmosphere.
The laboratory's security presence is less obvious than Y-12's
and visitors rarely see the police, but Smith said that should
not be mistaken for a lax attitude.
"They're still out there - trust me," he said.
Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329.
© 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel
*****************************************************************
50 KnoxNews: ORNL, Y-12 alter missions to help address homeland-security needs
By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com
September 11, 2006
OAK RIDGE - Oak Ridge history is about serving the nation in
time of need, starting with World War II and the development of
the first atomic bombs.
The response after 9/11 was more of the same, as the federal
facilities altered their missions to address concerns about
homeland security.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory now spends about $300 million a
year - roughly a third of its budget - on programs related to
national security, with much of the effort on nuclear
nonproliferation.
Nuclear specialists from the lab have traveled the globe in
recent years to help rescue vulnerable inventories of enriched
uranium that, if diverted, could be used by terrorists to make
an atomic bomb.
Frank Akers, a retired Army brigadier general who directs the
national security work, said ORNL's research agenda really
hasn't changed that much since Sept. 11, 2001. It's just grown.
"We were already working on the broad spectrum of
national-security technologies," Akers said. "The fact of the
matter is, we now have more emphasis."
A priority has been development of better detection systems for
radiological materials, explosives, chemical and biological
agents, and other items of concern, he said.
ORNL also initiated SensorNet, a detection-and-communications
network that, in the event of a terrorist attack, gets early
threat assessments in the hands of first responders. Several
variations have been installed and tested, including one at Fort
Bragg, an Army base in North Carolina.
Another specialty is "knowledge management and knowledge
discovery." The lab has developed computer software that
exploits information that's accessible to security analysts but
hasn't been put into a useful context.
The Oak Ridge lab is a national leader in some research areas,
but it also collaborates with other institutions, including the
nearby Y-12 National Security Complex, Akers said. "We are
cooperating in great fashion with Y-12," he said, including a
program that shares "best practices" with law-enforcement
agencies in the Southeast.
Y-12's primary mission involves manufacturing and recycling of
nuclear warhead parts and storage of nuclear materials, but the
plant has applied its expertise to homeland-security projects.
Bridget Correll, a marketing manager, said Y-12 personnel have
performed "vulnerability assessments" for schools and nuclear
power plants - helping identify potential flaws or weaknesses in
their security plans.
The weapons plant also has shared cyber-security expertise with
the Department of Homeland Security and various law-enforcement
groups, Correll said.
Earlier this year, BWXT, the managing contractor at Y-12, signed
a memorandum of understanding with TVA. The partnership will
allow security experts to use TVA facilities as a test-bed for
new technologies or possibly as a stage for certain security
exercises.
Y-12 was built during World War II for work on the first atomic
bombs, and security has been a huge priority from the beginning.
"We've been doing this for over 60 years," Correll said. "We're
trying to take everything we've learned over 60 years and make
it available to DHS and other agencies."
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education manages a
scholarship and fellows program for the Department of Homeland
Security. About 100 students receive awards each year as part of
the program, now in its fourth year. It is designed to ensure
that the United States develops the technical skills and
expertise that will be needed in the future.
ORISE, which is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities,
includes a number of specialty units that could prove critical
in case of a radiological disaster.
The Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site, or
REACTS, is a world leader in responding to radiation accidents
and has training many of the nation's physicians and hospital
personnel in how to deal with severe radiation exposures.
The Oak Ridge institute also recently reopened its Cytogenetics
Biodosimetry Laboratory, which analyzes blood samples to
determine how much radiation has been absorbed in the body. In
the case of a "dirty bomb" and broad population exposure, the
lab could prove important to medical response and crisis
management.
ORISE personnel train Customs agents in detection of
radiological materials at U.S. borders and ports. The institute
also refurbishes older nuclear-detection equipment for reuse in
communities around the country.
Ron Townsend, director of the institute and president of Oak
Ridge Associated Universities, said ORAU traditionally performed
critical missions for DOE, but that role has broadened.
"Since Sept. 11, Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease
Control, Customs, the Bureau of Reclamation - even the state of
California - have called upon ORAU's expertise to meet their
expanding needs for emergency preparedness, science education
and research," Townsend said.
Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329.
© 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel
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