***************************************************************** 10/18/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.247 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Bush's Nuclear Apocalypse: Iran 2 Guardian Unlimited: Israel Wants Russian Help With Iran 3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Warns Against U.N. Nuke Sanctions 4 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: American government looks desperate 5 AFP: Iran issues stark warning over sanctions moves - 6 AFP: Iran nuclear crisis tops Israeli PM's Kremlin talks 7 AFP: Iran nuclear crisis tops Israeli PM's Kremlin talks 8 AFP: Iran must be intimidated, says Israeli leader 9 [NYTr] KOREA: US provokes nuclear crisis 10 [NYTr] KOREA: US provokes nuclear crisis 11 [NYTr] Life in nuclear DPRK beats to drum of leader Kim 12 [southnews] Was North Korea testing a mini-Nuke? 13 [du-list] 10/16 Nuke Watch Korea: US, China Head for Showdown 14 [NYTr] Seoul sees signs of second N Korea test 15 [NYTr] The Physics and Politics of DPRK's Test 16 Nuke Pu Helped Make N Korean N-Bomb 17 Life in nuclear N.Korea beats to drum of leader Kim 18 Guardian Unlimited: Japan Rules Out Nuclear Weapons 19 Korea Herald: Soros blames Bush for growing nuke tension 20 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: 2 critics blame Bush for the North's nuclear 21 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Testy official snaps back at U.S. sanctions p 22 WP: Union Takes Issue With Fitness Rules for Nuclear Plant Guards - 23 Korea Times: Europeans Concerned About Seoul's Response 24 Korea Times: Beijing Not Informed of 2nd Nuke Test 25 Korea Times: Think Tank's Forecast 26 Korea Times: Rice's Visit 27 Korea Times: Modern Times Koguryo and Silla 28 Korea Times: World Should Condemn Nuclear Test - Yunus 29 AFP: North Korea has informed China of future nuclear tests - report 30 AFP: Japan urges world to maintain dialogue with NKorea 31 AFP: On eve of US visit, Seoul defends NKorea policy 32 UPI: Commentary: Dr. Strangelove's nukes 33 UPI: Australia worried about North Korean nukes 34 UPI: Chinese official visits N. Korea 35 [NYTr] Follow the leader: Welcome to the nuclear club! 36 [NYTr] [southnews] Jorge Hirsch: Voting against nuclear war with 37 Pasadena Star-News: Wrong about hydrogen fuel 38 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Uzbekistan seeks trade ties with IRI 39 UPI: NATO and Israel enhance ties 40 UPI: Japan declares no nuclear intentions 41 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Says U.S. Ready to Defend Japan 42 Guardian Unlimited: Japan Calls for Nuke Policy Discussion NUCLEAR REACTORS 43 AU ABC: Opposition rejects far north Qld nuclear power plant idea 44 Irna: Hu may sign N-power accord with Musharraf 45 Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Point Beach plant reports incident 46 US: NRC: Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation; Notice of Receipt 47 Deutsche Welle: German Nuclear Power Plant Taken Offline for Repairs 48 Herald Sun: French want to be N-pals NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 49 US: washingtonpost.com: GAO Calls Radiation Monitors Unreliable - 50 US: STPNS: This Generation’s Agent Orange?, Socorro, New Mexico NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 51 US: Deseret News: Canadian drills for uranium 52 ENS: Report List World's 10 Worst Pollution Spots 53 US: Carlsbad Current-Argus: Credit where credit is due 54 US: Columbus Dispatch: PLANT Nuke-rod recycling proposed Idea scares 55 US: The Australian: Uranium find could extend Ranger's life PEACE 56 Scotsman.com News: Edinburgh - Teenager proud of nuclear blockade ac US DEPT. OF ENERGY 57 Hanford News: Hanford retirees will have to pay more for insurance 58 Hanford News: Public voice concerns at Hanford meeting 59 Knox News: Crackdown on nuke workers 60 KnoxNews: American now at helm of international project 61 lamonitor.com: Fines triple for airport clean-up delay ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Bush's Nuclear Apocalypse: Iran Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:13:56 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM Oct 9, 2006 http://www.truthdig.com/ Bush's Nuclear Apocalypse: Iran by Chris Hedges Editor's Note: The former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times and author of the bestseller "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning" reports on Bush's plan for Iran, and how a callous war, conceived by zealots, will lead to a disaster of biblical proportions. The aircraft carrier Eisenhower, accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio, guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage, guided-missile destroyer USS Mason and the fast-attack submarine USS Newport News, is, as I write, making its way to the Straits of Hormuz off Iran. The ships will be in place to strike Iran by the end of the month. It may be a bluff. It may be a feint. It may be a simple show of American power. But I doubt it. War with Iran-a war that would unleash an apocalyptic scenario in the Middle East-is probable by the end of the Bush administration. It could begin in as little as three weeks. This administration, claiming to be anointed by a Christian God to reshape the world, and especially the Middle East, defined three states at the start of its reign as "the Axis of Evil." They were Iraq, now occupied; North Korea, which, because it has nuclear weapons, is untouchable; and Iran. Those who do not take this apocalyptic rhetoric seriously have ignored the twisted pathology of men like Elliott Abrams, who helped orchestrate the disastrous and illegal contra war in Nicaragua, and who now handles the Middle East for the National Security Council. He knew nothing about Central America. He knows nothing about the Middle East. He sees the world through the childish, binary lens of good and evil, us and them, the forces of darkness and the forces of light. And it is this strange, twilight mentality that now grips most of the civilian planners who are barreling us towards a crisis of epic proportions. These men advocate a doctrine of permanent war, a doctrine which, as William R. Polk points out, is a slight corruption of Leon Trotsky's doctrine of permanent revolution. These two revolutionary doctrines serve the same function, to intimidate and destroy all those classified as foreign opponents, to create permanent instability and fear and to silence domestic critics who challenge leaders in a time of national crisis. It works. The citizens of the United States, slowly being stripped of their civil liberties, are being herded sheep-like, once again, over a cliff. __But this war will be different. It will be catastrophic. It will usher in the apocalyptic nightmares spun out in the dark, fantastic visions of the Christian right. And there are those around the president who see this vision as preordained by God; indeed, the president himself may hold such a vision. The hypocrisy of this vaunted moral crusade is not lost on those in the Middle East. Iran actually signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has violated a codicil of that treaty written by European foreign ministers, but this codicil was never ratified by the Iranian parliament. I do not dispute Iran's intentions to acquire nuclear weapons nor do I minimize the danger should it acquire them in the estimated five to 10 years. But contrast Iran with Pakistan, India and Israel. These three countries refused to sign the treaty and developed nuclear weapons programs in secret. Israel now has an estimated 400 to 600 nuclear weapons. The word "Dimona," the name of the city where the nuclear facilities are located in Israel, is shorthand in the Muslim world for the deadly Israeli threat to Muslims' existence. What lessons did the Iranians learn from our Israeli, Pakistani and Indian allies? Given that we are actively engaged in an effort to destabilize the Iranian regime by recruiting tribal groups and ethnic minorities inside Iran to rebel, given that we use apocalyptic rhetoric to describe what must be done to the Iranian regime, given that other countries in the Middle East such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia are making noises about developing a nuclear capacity, and given that, with the touch of a button Israel could obliterate Iran, what do we expect from the Iranians? On top of this, the Iranian regime grasps that the doctrine of permanent war entails making "preemptive" and unprovoked strikes. Those in Washington who advocate this war, knowing as little about the limitations and chaos of war as they do about the Middle East, believe they can hit about 1,000 sites inside Iran to wipe out nuclear production and cripple the 850,000-man Iranian army. The disaster in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli air campaign not only failed to break Hezbollah but united most Lebanese behind the militant group, is dismissed. These ideologues, after all, do not live in a reality-based universe. The massive Israeli bombing of Lebanon failed to pacify 4 million Lebanese. What will happen when we begin to pound a country of 70 million people? As retired General Wesley K. Clark and others have pointed out, once you begin an air campaign it is only a matter of time before you have to put troops on the ground or accept defeat, as the Israelis had to do in Lebanon. And if we begin dropping bunker busters, cruise missiles and iron fragmentation bombs on Iran this is the choice that must be faced-either sending American forces into Iran to fight a protracted and futile guerrilla war or walking away in humiliation. "As a people we are enormously forgetful," Dr. Polk, one of the country's leading scholars on the Middle East, told an Oct. 13 gathering of the Foreign Policy Association in New York. "We should have learned from history that foreign powers can't win guerrilla wars. The British learned this from our ancestors in the American Revolution and re-learned it in Ireland. Napoleon learned it in Spain. The Germans learned it in Yugoslavia. We should have learned it in Vietnam and the Russians learned it in Afghanistan and are learning it all over again in Chechnya and we are learning it, of course, in Iraq. Guerrilla wars are almost unwinnable. As a people we are also very vain. Our way of life is the only way. We should have learned that the rich and powerful can't always succeed against the poor and less powerful." An attack on Iran will ignite the Middle East. The loss of Iranian oil, coupled with Silkworm missile attacks by Iran on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, could send oil soaring to well over $110 a barrel. The effect on the domestic and world economy will be devastating, very possibly triggering a huge, global depression. The 2 million Shiites in Saudi Arabia, the Shiite majority in Iraq and the Shiite communities in Bahrain, Pakistan and Turkey will turn in rage on us and our dwindling allies. We will see a combination of increased terrorist attacks, including on American soil, and the widespread sabotage of oil production in the Gulf. Iraq, as bad as it looks now, will become a death pit for American troops as Shiites and Sunnis, for the first time, unite against their foreign occupiers. The country, however, that will pay the biggest price will be Israel. And the sad irony is that those planning this war think of themselves as allies of the Jewish state. A conflagration of this magnitude could see Israel drawn back in Lebanon and sucked into a regional war, one that would over time spell the final chapter in the Zionist experiment in the Middle East. The Israelis aptly call their nuclear program "the Samson option." The Biblical Samson ripped down the pillars of the temple and killed everyone around him, along with himself. If you are sure you will be raptured into heaven, your clothes left behind with the nonbelievers, then this news should cheer you up. If you are rational, however, these may be some of the last few weeks or months in which to enjoy what is left of our beleaguered, dying republic and way of life. ========= http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Chris%20_Hedges/BushNuclearApocalypse_Iran .html ========= ***************************************************************** 2 Guardian Unlimited: Israel Wants Russian Help With Iran From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday October 18, 2006 8:46 PM AP Photo JRL829 By AMY TEIBEL Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appealed to Russia on Wednesday to help block Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the visiting Israeli leader no public reassurances. Relations between Russia and Israel have warmed dramatically in recent years, but the countries are in deep disagreement over the Iranian nuclear issue. Israel, like the West, doesn't believe Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is for energy, and wants its capabilities nipped. But Russia says it has no proof Iran seeks a nuclear weapon and continues to build Iran's first, $800 million nuclear reactor. Russia, which wields veto power as a permanent Security Council member, has been a major impediment to imposing U.N. sanctions on Iran for refusing to scale back its nuclear ambitions. But Olmert said those ambitions need to be thwarted. ``We don't have the privilege to ignore the true intentions of Iran, whose leadership publicly calls for the destruction of the state of Israel,'' Olmert said at a joint news conference with Putin after their meeting. ``The entire international community must join ranks to block Iran's intention of arming itself with nuclear weapons.'' ``I leave this meeting with the sense that President Putin understands the danger that is lurking from Iran's direction, should it succeed in realizing its objectives of arming itself with nuclear weapons,'' he added. Putin remained stonily silent, appearing to brush off Olmert's request by saying nothing about Iran at the news conference. Fears about Russia's role in the Iranian standoff grew last month when Moscow, caving in to Iranian pressure, agreed to ship fuel to the atomic power plant it is building in Iran. The fear is that the fuel will be diverted and used to produce bombs. Despite the tensions, relations between Russia and Israel have improved dramatically since the days of the Cold War, when Moscow helped to arm Arab nations fighting Israel and barred Jews from leaving the Soviet Union. As the Soviet Union was collapsing in the early 1990s, both nations restored ties, and Moscow loosened the emigration restrictions, prompting more than 1 million Russian-speakers to immigrate to Israel. Now, Russia is a member of the Quartet of international Middle East peace negotiations, along with the United States, the United Nations and the European Union, which proposed the ``road map'' peace plan that foundered shortly after it was introduced in June 2003. Putin, who took office in 2000, called for a resumption of talks. ``The only way to get out of the vicious circle of violence is to stop making mutual accusations, free hostages and resume peaceful dialogue. Russia, as a member of the Middle East Quartet, intends to assist in a rapid stabilization of the situation and a resumption of the negotiating process,'' he said. Olmert said that Israel was committed to the resumption of peace talks and that he wants to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate who was elected last year separately from government members of Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel. Israel is boycotting the Islamic militant group. However, Olmert reiterated that the conditions laid down by the Quartet must be respected, in particular the recognition of Israel and of all existing peace agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Abbas doesn't want to meet with Olmert without assurances he would have something to show for it - such as an Israeli promise to release some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners Israel holds. But Israel says it won't free prisoners until Hamas-linked militants free an Israeli soldier they captured nearly four months ago. Olmert alluded to Russia's supply of military technology to other Israeli enemies. Israel claims Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrillas used Russian missiles in a summer war with Israel. Israel does not accuse Russia of directly supplying Hezbollah, but maintains the arms were sold to Syria and Iran, which sent them on to their Hezbollah proxies. Russia denies its missiles reached Hezbollah, but Israeli media reported that Russia has issued directives to tighten arms export controls. The Russians have reported no tightening of controls and Olmert said weapons transfers were an issue in his meeting with Putin. ``We discussed the importance of implementing the arms embargo on countries that transfer weapons to Hezbollah,'' Olmert said. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Warns Against U.N. Nuke Sanctions From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday October 18, 2006 10:31 PM AP Photo JRL828 By NASSER KARIMI Associated Press Writer TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran warned on Wednesday that a likely U.N. Security Council resolution for imposing sanctions against Tehran would wreck any possibility for a compromise to resolve the standoff over the country's disputed nuclear program. France has said a sanctions resolution will likely be circulated at the council by the end of this week. Support for sanctions is growing among leading members after weeks of talks between the European Union and Iran failed to persuade Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment and start broader negotiations over its nuclear ambitions. Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, insisted Wednesday that continuing talks with EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana is ``still possible.'' But he warned that ``in the case that a new resolution is passed by the Security Council, we will not be in the current point to resume possible talks.'' ``Resorting to arm-twisting through the Security Council would be considered a security threat to Iran and will change (Iran's) behavior,'' he said in an interview with the semi-official news agency Mehr. Larijani said the West knows that their path would incite regional crisis, but he reiterated that Iran is ready for unconditional talks. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful, repeatedly has said it would continue enrichment and is not intimidated by the possibility of sanctions. ``Iran will pursue its legitimate right, applying legal and diplomatic means,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Hosseini said Wednesday, according to state television. ``Tehran has no doubt of its righteous way in insisting on its right to exploit nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.'' Enrichment is a key process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or the material for a warhead. The United States and some in Europe accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, while Iran says its program is aimed only at generating energy. Solana, who has led talks with Iran, said he spoke to Larijani on Monday but ``the situation hasn't changed,'' and Iran continues to refuse to suspend its nuclear enrichment program. Solana and Larinani launched the talks in a last bid to find a compromise after Iran ignored an Aug. 31 deadline set by the Security Council to stop uranium enrichment. European Union foreign ministers said after a meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday that they have no choice but to back diplomatic talks at the United Nations about sanctions on Iran. The ministers backed a decision by the U.N.'s five permanent Security Council members - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and Germany to pursue limited sanctions on Tehran while keeping the door open to future talks. The six countries offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on enrichment and commit to a freeze on uranium enrichment before talks to discuss details of their package. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 4 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: American government looks desperate 2006/10/18 Foreign Ministry spokesman Sayed Mohammad Ali Hosseini Tuesday said that the failure of America's policies accounts for its current approach. According to a report released by the Foreign Ministry Office, he made the remark in response to the claims of the country's President George W. Bush that I.R. of Iran interferes in Iraq's domestic affairs. He said that the difficulties associated with and the negative consequences of the foreign troops presence in Iraq are being uncovered daily, adding that the American government should be answerable. Criticizing the policy of the American administrators on the problems arising all over the world, he said that the impact of such wrong policies on various global developments is evident and that it attempts to lead the usual trend of solving various issues to the deadlocks featuring the country. "By denying realities in various places in the world, the White House intends to conceal its blunders. Obviously the simplest way is to attribute its failure and wrong policies to others and blame them for it," he added. Hosseini noted that through its questionable lingering in Iraq, the country is treading on its unsuccessful path in Vietnam. "Shirking its responsibility or attributing its failures to others will not even reduce slightly the costs imposed by the White House on the world community," he underlined. Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 5 AFP: Iran issues stark warning over sanctions moves - by Stuart Williams Wed Oct 18, 11:25 AM ET TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran " /> Iranhas warned the UN Security Council against imposing sanctions over its nuclear programme, saying such a move would "radicalise" the situation and affect its cooperation with the UN atomic agency. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said US-led efforts to put a draft resolution to the Security Council would make ending the standoff even harder and even have consequences for the wider Middle East region. His comments came after the European Union " /> European Union-- whose foreign policy chief Javier Solana held several rounds of talks with Larijani in search of a solution to the standoff -- declared the issue must now go the United Nations " /> United Nations. "If the Europeans give into US pressure, the situation will radicalise in such a way that Iran will suffer the least and the West will suffer the most," Larijani told the Mehr news agency in an interview. "Any new resolution would push further back the chance of an agreement. "If the other side tries to pass a resolution and exercise pressure and threats, then Iran will not stay indifferent," added Larijani, in his first public comments for several days on the nuclear issue. He reiterated warnings that Iran could suspend its policy of allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency " /> International Atomic Energy Agencyto carry out checks on its nuclear sites. Security Council moves "would also be perceived by Iran as a threat to our security and will have consequences for our attitude towards the agency," he said. "The path of sanctions and an illegal hardening is a path along which a reciprocal reaction from Iran can be expected." Larijani referred to a bill proposed by parliament and already adopted by its security commission that would automatically suspend inspections if sanctions were imposed. He said he did not "favour" such a move but also warned that parliament was right to "defend the natural interests of Iran". Hamid Reza Hadji Babaie, a member of the security commission, said parliament would vote on the law immediately after any sanctions resolution was agreed by the Security Council. "The government would be obliged to expel the inspectors and this law would be applied as long the sanctions were in force," he said, according to Mehr. Larijani also said that if sanctions are pursued, this "will accentuate the regional crisis" in the Middle East. "The adventurist actions of the United States (against Iran at the Security Council) would have consequences on a regional scale," he added, without elaborating. The sanctions action against Iran is looming after Tehran failed to heed repeated deadlines to suspend uranium enrichment, a process which the West fears could be diverted to make nuclear weapons. However Iran insists its atomic programme is aimed solely at generating energy and that it has every right to enrich uranium under the Non-Proliferation Treaty as part of its drive to master the full nuclear fuel cycle. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier predicted Western powers would not be able halt Iran's drive to master the nuclear cycle. It has so far succeed in enriching uranium to almost five percent on an experimental scale. "Some oppressive countries intend to create discord in order to dissuade the Iranian nation from reaching the summits of dignity and glory, including using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes," said Ahmadinejad. "But with God's kindness they will be defeated in this arena too," he added, according to the IRNA agency. The United States is seeking a step-by-step sanctions regime, to be implemented through multiple UN resolutions that would ramp up pressure on Iran if it persists with its nuclear work. The first set of measures is expected to focus on preventing the supply of material and funding for Iran's ballistic missile programme or its nuclear drive. Other steps could include asset freezes and travel bans on officials. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 6 AFP: Iran nuclear crisis tops Israeli PM's Kremlin talks by Ron Bousso Wed Oct 18, 10:56 AM ET MOSCOW (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has sought President Vladimir Putin " /> Vladimir Putin's support for a tougher stance against Iran " /> Iran's nuclear programme, in which Russian engineers are building the country's first reactor. "We are at a critical juncture and the entire international community must join ranks to block Iran's true intention of arming itself with nuclear weapons," Olmert told journalists after talks with Putin in the Kremlin. "I leave this meeting with the sense that President Putin understands that danger." Olmert described Iran's atomic project -- which Tehran insists is restricted to a civilian power programme -- as "a threat to Israel " /> Israelwhich we cannot reconcile ourselves to." The Israeli leader was due to meet with Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later Wednesday. Russia is constructing Iran's first civilian nuclear power station at Bushehr and has resisted a push for UN sanctions, arguing these could provoke a regional crisis. Moscow also supplies the Islamic republic with sophisticated conventional weapons. Backed by its US ally, Israel says sanctions are necessary following Tehran's failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a process Israel, the United States and several European powers say hides a secret nuclear weapons programme. Israel -- widely considered the Middle East's sole, if undeclared nuclear weapons power -- considers Iran its chief foe, pointing to calls from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe the Jewish state off the map and alleged Iranian backing for the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Palestinian militant groups. Olmert's trip marked the 15th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic ties between Russia and Israel, following the Soviet collapse. Although tensions over Moscow's ties with Iran and Syria " /> Syriatopped the agenda, both leaders stressed their countries' close relationship. Putin said after talks that the struggles against "terror, extremism and nationalist disputes" united the two countries. Olmert hailed Russia as a "dominant and crucial factor in the world" and recalled that Putin had promised during his visit to Israel last year that "Russia's relations in the Middle East will no longer be one-sided." In return, Putin praised relations between the two countries, saying they had been "completely transformed" and were now based on "mutal trust." He noted that their cooperation extended to the sensitive military-technical sphere. Iran is not the only sticking point, however. Israel also claims that Russian weaponry sold to Syria has been passed on to Hezbollah guerrillas, who allegedly used the latest Russian-made anti-tank rockets to deadly effect during fighting with the Israeli army in July and August. Moscow has also raised eyebrows in Israel and the United States by maintaining contacts with the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The Vremya Novostei daily reported Wednesday that Putin was furious over reports that Syria had supplied Hezbollah with weapons sold by Russia. "However, this does not mean that Russia will completely stop selling weapons to Iran and Syria, as the Israelis want," the daily predicted. "Cooperation with Tehran and Damascus, including in the oil and gas and atomic (energy) spheres, bring Moscow dividends -- and not only material. Russia plays a unique middleman role." Russia, along with the European Union " /> European Union, the United Nations " /> United Nationsand the United States, is part of the so-called quartet that sponsors the floundering Middle East peace process but an Israeli government official has made it clear that efforts to revive it were off the agenda of this week's talks. "At the moment, the peace process is not an issue on the agenda," the official said. Olmert reiterated at the Kremlin that he was ready to meet with Palestinian Authority " /> Palestinian Authoritychairman, Mahmoud Abbas. However, he said peace with the Palestinians was impossible without recognition of Israel's right to exist and an end to militant attacks. Olmert was also due to see leaders of Russia's Jewish community during his stay in Moscow. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 7 AFP: Iran nuclear crisis tops Israeli PM's Kremlin talks by Ron Bousso Wed Oct 18, 1:55 PM ET MOSCOW (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sought President Vladimir Putin " /> 's support at talks for a tougher stance against Iran " /> 's nuclear program, in which Russian engineers are building the country's first reactor. "We are at a critical juncture and the entire international community must join ranks to block Iran's true intention of arming itself with nuclear weapons," Olmert told journalists after talks with Putin in the Kremlin. "I leave this meeting with the sense that President Putin understands that danger." Olmert described Iran's atomic project -- which Tehran insists is restricted to a civilian power program -- as "a threat to Israel " /> which we cannot reconcile ourselves to." The Israeli leader was due to hold talks with Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov later Wednesday and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, as well as meeting Jewish community leaders. Russia is constructing Iran's first civilian nuclear power station at Bushehr and has resisted a push for UN sanctions, arguing these could provoke a regional crisis. Moscow also supplies the Islamic republic with sophisticated conventional weapons. Backed by its US ally, Israel says sanctions are necessary following Tehran's failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a process Israel, the United States and several European powers say hides a secret nuclear weapons program. Israel -- widely considered the Middle East's sole, if undeclared nuclear weapons power -- considers Iran its chief foe, pointing to calls from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe the Jewish state off the map and alleged Iranian backing for the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Palestinian militant groups. Olmert's trip marked the 15th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic ties between Russia and Israel, following the Soviet collapse. Although tensions over Moscow's ties with Iran and Syria " /> topped the agenda, both leaders stressed their countries' close relationship. Putin said after talks that the struggles against "terror, extremism and nationalist disputes" united the two countries. The Russian foreign ministry issued a statement praising joint efforts "against modern challenges and threats, including the fight against international terrorism." Olmert hailed Russia as a "dominant and crucial factor in the world" and recalled that Putin had promised during his visit to Israel last year that "Russia's relations in the Middle East will no longer be one-sided." Iran is not the only sticking point, however. Israel also claims that Russian weaponry sold to Syria has been passed on to Hezbollah guerrillas, who allegedly used the latest Russian-made anti-tank rockets to deadly effect during fighting with the Israeli army in July and August. Moscow has also raised eyebrows in Israel and the United States by maintaining contacts with the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The Vremya Novostei daily reported Wednesday that Putin was furious over reports that Syria had supplied Hezbollah with weapons sold by Russia. "However, this does not mean that Russia will completely stop selling weapons to Iran and Syria, as the Israelis want," the daily predicted. "Cooperation with Tehran and Damascus, including in the oil and gas and atomic (energy) spheres, bring Moscow dividends -- and not only material. Russia plays a unique middleman role." Russia, along with the European Union " /> , the United Nations " /> and the United States, is part of the so-called quartet that sponsors the floundering Middle East peace process but an Israeli government official has made it clear that efforts to revive it were off the agenda of this week's talks. "At the moment, the peace process is not an issue on the agenda," the official said. Olmert reiterated at the Kremlin that he was ready to meet with Palestinian Authority " /> chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. However, he said peace with the Palestinians was impossible without recognition of Israel's right to exist and an end to militant attacks. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 8 AFP: Iran must be intimidated, says Israeli leader by Ron Bousso Wed Oct 18, 4:22 PM ET MOSCOW (AFP) - Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stepped up rhetoric against Iran " /> , saying the its controversial nuclear program could be prevented through intimidation. Speaking to reporters following meetings with President Vladimir Putin " /> at the Kremlin, Olmert said he had told Putin that "there was no chance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear arms if Iran is not afraid. "The Iranians should be afraid that something they don't want to happen will occur," he said. Olmert went on to say that "I made it clear why in my opinion it is important that the Iranians are afraid," but he fell short of mentioning what measures that be taken against the Islamic state. He nevertheless sought a tougher Russian stance against Iran, where Russian engineers are building the country's first reactor. "We are at a critical juncture and the entire international community must join ranks to block Iran's true intention of arming itself with nuclear weapons," Olmert told journalists after talks with Putin in the Kremlin. "I leave this meeting with the sense that President Putin understands that danger." Olmert described Iran's atomic project -- which Tehran insists is restricted to a civilian power program -- as "a threat to Israel " /> which we cannot reconcile ourselves to." The Israeli leader later held talks with Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov later Wednesday and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, as well as meeting Jewish community leaders. Russia is constructing Iran's first civilian nuclear power station at Bushehr and has resisted a push for UN sanctions, arguing these could provoke a regional crisis. Moscow also supplies the Islamic republic with sophisticated conventional weapons. Backed by its US ally, Israel says sanctions are necessary following Tehran's failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a process Israel, the United States and several European powers say hides a secret nuclear weapons program. Israel -- widely considered the Middle East's sole, if undeclared nuclear weapons power -- considers Iran its chief foe, pointing to calls from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe the Jewish state off the map and alleged Iranian backing for the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Palestinian militant groups. Olmert's trip marked the 15th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic ties between Russia and Israel, following the Soviet collapse. Although tensions over Moscow's ties with Iran and Syria " /> topped the agenda, both leaders stressed their countries' close relationship. Putin said after talks that the struggles against "terror, extremism and nationalist disputes" united the two countries. The Russian foreign ministry issued a statement praising joint efforts "against modern challenges and threats, including the fight against international terrorism." Olmert hailed Russia as a "dominant and crucial factor in the world" and recalled that Putin had promised during his visit to Israel last year that "Russia's relations in the Middle East will no longer be one-sided." Iran is not the only sticking point, however. Israel also claims that Russian weaponry sold to Syria has been passed on to Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, who allegedly used the latest Russian-made anti-tank rockets to deadly effect during fighting with the Israeli army in July and August. Moscow has also raised eyebrows in both Israel and the United States by maintaining contacts with the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The Vremya Novostei daily reported Wednesday that Putin was furious over reports that Syria had supplied Hezbollah with weapons sold by Russia. "However, this does not mean that Russia will completely stop selling weapons to Iran and Syria, as the Israelis want," the daily predicted. "Cooperation with Tehran and Damascus, including in the oil and gas and atomic (energy) spheres, bring Moscow dividends -- and not only material. Russia plays a unique middleman role." Olmert reiterated at the Kremlin that he was ready to meet with Palestinian Authority " /> chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. However, he said peace with the Palestinians was impossible without recognition of Israel's right to exist and an end to militant attacks. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 9 [NYTr] KOREA: US provokes nuclear crisis Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:28:24 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: olm.blythe-systems.com X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Green Left Weekly - Oct 18, 2006 issue http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/687/687p12.htm KOREA: US provokes nuclear crisis by Iggy Kim On October 9, North Korea announced it had successfully carried out its first nuclear-weapons test, six days after announcing it intended to conduct such a test. The test was the culmination of nearly two years of hostility and provocation by the United States. The February 13, 2005 New York Times revealed the existence of a US National Security Council "toolkit" for destabilising North Korea. It was based on the financial interdiction techniques developed in the "war on terror". Then, on September 19, 2005, Washington signed off on an agreement reached through the six-party talks involving China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US. Under the deal, Washington agreed work to normalise its relations with North Korea, with which it has been officially at war since 1950 (a ceasefire was agreed in 1953). In exchange, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program and return to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it had left in 2003 in the face of a campaign of mounting hostility from Washington. As part of his regime's preparations for invading oil-rich Iraq in March 2003, in his January 2002 State of Union address US President George Bush branded North Korea, Iraq and Iran "an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world" with "weapons of mass destruction". In October 2002, Washington demanded that North Korea end its uranium enrichment program as a condition for any future dialogue between the two governments. Under the NPT, North Korea was legally entitled to enrich uranium to provide fuel rods for its two small nuclear power plants at its Yongbyon nuclear research centre. Two months later, the US suspended shipments of heavy oil fuel to North Korea, shipments that Washington had agreed in 1994 to supply in exchange for Pyongyang's agreement to shut down its Yongbyon reactors. North Korea responded in January 2003 by announcing plans to reactivate the dormant Yongbyon reactors, to withdraw from the NPT and to extract plutonium from spent nuclear fuel rods to create a "workable nuclear deterrent". Washington entered into the six-party talks in August 2003 hoping to rally Beijing and Moscow against Pyongyang, but over the course of the following two years Washington was pressed by Beijing, Moscow and Seoul into the September 2005 agreement. Four days after its signing however Washington struck back, activating the National Security Council "toolkit" against North Korea. The US accused North Korea of producing counterfeit US$100 notes and moved to pressure banks around the world to stop dealing with North Korea. By November 2005, the six-party talks lay in ruins. When Seoul asked Washington for evidence of its accusations against North Korea, it was not until the following January that a junior US Treasury department official was dispatched to convince the South Koreans. Seoul was not convinced by the case presented. Nor was the European Business Association which, in April, called on the US to end its financial sanctions against North Korea unless the counterfeiting allegations could be proven in court. Such dubious accusations of criminality are the latest in a long series of campaigns by the US and its allies to demonise North Korea. In 2003, for example, Australia's corporate media ran a frenzied scare campaign against alleged attempts by North Korea to smuggle heroin -- after the drug was found in a grounded North Korean cargo ship off the Victorian coast. However, after a seven-month trial and 10 days' deliberation, a Victorian Supreme Court jury in March found the ship's crew innocent of charges of drug trafficking. In late June, the US conducted its largest military exercises in the western Pacific since the end of its war against Vietnam in 1975, mobilising 22,000 troops, 280 warplanes and 28 warships. These exercises involved stationing two guided missile cruisers off the North Korean coast. On July 5, Pyongyang responded -- conducting multiple missile launch tests. Several short-range missiles and a long-range Taepodong-2 rocket were test fired. A flurry of diplomatic manoeuvres and pressure followed, including condemnation by the UN Security Council and criticism by Pyongyang's allies, China and Russia. Japan's right-wing government responded by asserting Tokyo's right to pre-emptive strikes against North Korea, a position spearheaded by Shinzo Abe, who was then cabinet secretary and who became Japan's new PM on September 26. Pyongyang is playing the nuclear card to try to force Washington to engage in bilateral talks as a prelude to the resumption of the six-party talks. With Beijing and Moscow backing this call following its October 3 announcement of its plan to conduct a nuclear test, Pyongyang undoubtedly felt it had nothing to lose and perhaps much to gain by demonstrating that it has some nuclear chips to bargain with. For that is all Pyongyang's Stalinist regime has ever wanted since the US first stoked up the confrontation over North Korea's nuclear program back in November 1991. At that time, while then US war secretary Dick Cheney was visiting Seoul, Colin Powell, at that time Washington's top military officer, told reporters that if Pyongyang had "missed Desert Storm, this is a chance to catch a rerun". But desperation is not limited to North Korea. Washington needs to continually stir up crises in northeast Asia for reasons that go to the heart of US military and geopolitical strategy. Essentially, Washington must continue to legitimise a large military presence in this strategically vital area of the world. Northeast Asia is where the US imperialist rulers' only nuclear-armed rival military powers -- China and Russia, which now regard each other as "strategic partners" -- share a border. It is also the homeland of a major rival imperialist economic superpower, Japan. A US military foothold on the Korean peninsula, which lies at the heart of this region, is also vital as a bridgehead into the eastern side of the vast Eurasian landmass. However, recent geopolitical and economic developments in the region have put pressure on the US presence. China's booming capitalist economy threatens to create a new economic axis for regional industrial growth, including for South Korea which has traditionally been dependent on access to the US market. The liberal wing of South Korea's capitalist ruling class has transformed domestic and inter-Korean politics in the last decade, consolidating a stable parliamentary democracy with power firmly entrenched in a civilian state bureaucracy rather than, as previously, in a military bureaucracy closely tied to the US occupation forces. Over the past five years, this has deepened into a liberal makeover of politics and culture. Kim Dae-jung's "Sunshine Policy" towards North Korea was stubbed into the dust by Bush junior, but Kim's successor, current President Roh Moo-hyun, has persisted with a policy of dialogue and economic relations. Last year, trade between the two Korean states topped the US$1 billion mark for the first time. Seoul and Washington are currently wrangling over the terms of the US military presence in South Korea. Seoul is pushing for eventual command over its own forces in any war on the peninsula. This is a further sign of the desire of the now-dominant wing of the South Korean capitalist class to free itself from Washington's heavy-handed tutelage. It is also reflected at the popular level. A February survey of 1000 South Koreans aged between 18 and 23 found nearly half believed Seoul should side with Pyongyang in the event of any US military attack on North Korea's nuclear facilities. Another 40% advocated neutrality. US provocation in the region is most obviously directed against Pyongyang, but it also seeks to dampen Seoul's power of initiative in peninsular geopolitics and, in the process, revive the political fortunes of the anti-Pyongyang, pro-US wing of the South Korean ruling class in preparation for South Korea's December 2007 presidential election. However, it is a gambit that may backfire on the US rulers, as those living in the region better appreciate the relationship of forces each faces. In such a delicate geopolitical confluence, no single power can prevail untrammelled. Northeast Asia is not a gigantic US petrol bowser, like the Middle East; nor is it economically powerless. Indeed, it remains to be seen whether Beijing and Seoul can devise a counter-diplomacy that reduces the US role. Ultimately, if Washington's influence in the region's diplomacy can be removed or at least neutralised, the other powers stand to gain from a peaceful reunification of Korea. Pyongyang would like nothing more than to engage in the kind of controlled restoration of capitalism seen in neighbouring China. According to the October 9 Australian, a report recently prepared by the US Citigroup, the world's biggest bank, argues that North Korea's "progress" in preparing for China-style "economic reforms has been way beyond our expectations". However, Korean reunification could also unleash a significant advance in the level of social struggle in Korea. A dramatic rise in social expectations in the north could combine with the decades-long accumulation of mass democratic and worker struggle experiences and victories in the south to produce peninsula-wide movements that reverberate around northeast Asia and the world. In the wake of North Korea's nuclear test, Washington, with Tokyo's support, began trying to laying the basis for another, even more reckless, provocation against North Korea. The UN Security Council's July resolution bans international trade in ballistic missiles and nuclear technology with North Korea. However, it lacks any enforcement provision. On October 10 Washington began pressing the Security Council to adopt a resolution authorising US-led "inspections" of ships entering and leaving North Korea's ports. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 10 [NYTr] KOREA: US provokes nuclear crisis Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:32:18 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Green Left Weekly - Oct 18, 2006 issue http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/687/687p12.htm KOREA: US provokes nuclear crisis by Iggy Kim On October 9, North Korea announced it had successfully carried out its first nuclear-weapons test, six days after announcing it intended to conduct such a test. The test was the culmination of nearly two years of hostility and provocation by the United States. The February 13, 2005 New York Times revealed the existence of a US National Security Council "toolkit" for destabilising North Korea. It was based on the financial interdiction techniques developed in the "war on terror". Then, on September 19, 2005, Washington signed off on an agreement reached through the six-party talks involving China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US. Under the deal, Washington agreed work to normalise its relations with North Korea, with which it has been officially at war since 1950 (a ceasefire was agreed in 1953). In exchange, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program and return to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it had left in 2003 in the face of a campaign of mounting hostility from Washington. As part of his regime's preparations for invading oil-rich Iraq in March 2003, in his January 2002 State of Union address US President George Bush branded North Korea, Iraq and Iran "an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world" with "weapons of mass destruction". In October 2002, Washington demanded that North Korea end its uranium enrichment program as a condition for any future dialogue between the two governments. Under the NPT, North Korea was legally entitled to enrich uranium to provide fuel rods for its two small nuclear power plants at its Yongbyon nuclear research centre. Two months later, the US suspended shipments of heavy oil fuel to North Korea, shipments that Washington had agreed in 1994 to supply in exchange for Pyongyang's agreement to shut down its Yongbyon reactors. North Korea responded in January 2003 by announcing plans to reactivate the dormant Yongbyon reactors, to withdraw from the NPT and to extract plutonium from spent nuclear fuel rods to create a "workable nuclear deterrent". Washington entered into the six-party talks in August 2003 hoping to rally Beijing and Moscow against Pyongyang, but over the course of the following two years Washington was pressed by Beijing, Moscow and Seoul into the September 2005 agreement. Four days after its signing however Washington struck back, activating the National Security Council "toolkit" against North Korea. The US accused North Korea of producing counterfeit US$100 notes and moved to pressure banks around the world to stop dealing with North Korea. By November 2005, the six-party talks lay in ruins. When Seoul asked Washington for evidence of its accusations against North Korea, it was not until the following January that a junior US Treasury department official was dispatched to convince the South Koreans. Seoul was not convinced by the case presented. Nor was the European Business Association which, in April, called on the US to end its financial sanctions against North Korea unless the counterfeiting allegations could be proven in court. Such dubious accusations of criminality are the latest in a long series of campaigns by the US and its allies to demonise North Korea. In 2003, for example, Australia's corporate media ran a frenzied scare campaign against alleged attempts by North Korea to smuggle heroin -- after the drug was found in a grounded North Korean cargo ship off the Victorian coast. However, after a seven-month trial and 10 days' deliberation, a Victorian Supreme Court jury in March found the ship's crew innocent of charges of drug trafficking. In late June, the US conducted its largest military exercises in the western Pacific since the end of its war against Vietnam in 1975, mobilising 22,000 troops, 280 warplanes and 28 warships. These exercises involved stationing two guided missile cruisers off the North Korean coast. On July 5, Pyongyang responded -- conducting multiple missile launch tests. Several short-range missiles and a long-range Taepodong-2 rocket were test fired. A flurry of diplomatic manoeuvres and pressure followed, including condemnation by the UN Security Council and criticism by Pyongyang's allies, China and Russia. Japan's right-wing government responded by asserting Tokyo's right to pre-emptive strikes against North Korea, a position spearheaded by Shinzo Abe, who was then cabinet secretary and who became Japan's new PM on September 26. Pyongyang is playing the nuclear card to try to force Washington to engage in bilateral talks as a prelude to the resumption of the six-party talks. With Beijing and Moscow backing this call following its October 3 announcement of its plan to conduct a nuclear test, Pyongyang undoubtedly felt it had nothing to lose and perhaps much to gain by demonstrating that it has some nuclear chips to bargain with. For that is all Pyongyang's Stalinist regime has ever wanted since the US first stoked up the confrontation over North Korea's nuclear program back in November 1991. At that time, while then US war secretary Dick Cheney was visiting Seoul, Colin Powell, at that time Washington's top military officer, told reporters that if Pyongyang had "missed Desert Storm, this is a chance to catch a rerun". But desperation is not limited to North Korea. Washington needs to continually stir up crises in northeast Asia for reasons that go to the heart of US military and geopolitical strategy. Essentially, Washington must continue to legitimise a large military presence in this strategically vital area of the world. Northeast Asia is where the US imperialist rulers' only nuclear-armed rival military powers -- China and Russia, which now regard each other as "strategic partners" -- share a border. It is also the homeland of a major rival imperialist economic superpower, Japan. A US military foothold on the Korean peninsula, which lies at the heart of this region, is also vital as a bridgehead into the eastern side of the vast Eurasian landmass. However, recent geopolitical and economic developments in the region have put pressure on the US presence. China's booming capitalist economy threatens to create a new economic axis for regional industrial growth, including for South Korea which has traditionally been dependent on access to the US market. The liberal wing of South Korea's capitalist ruling class has transformed domestic and inter-Korean politics in the last decade, consolidating a stable parliamentary democracy with power firmly entrenched in a civilian state bureaucracy rather than, as previously, in a military bureaucracy closely tied to the US occupation forces. Over the past five years, this has deepened into a liberal makeover of politics and culture. Kim Dae-jung's "Sunshine Policy" towards North Korea was stubbed into the dust by Bush junior, but Kim's successor, current President Roh Moo-hyun, has persisted with a policy of dialogue and economic relations. Last year, trade between the two Korean states topped the US$1 billion mark for the first time. Seoul and Washington are currently wrangling over the terms of the US military presence in South Korea. Seoul is pushing for eventual command over its own forces in any war on the peninsula. This is a further sign of the desire of the now-dominant wing of the South Korean capitalist class to free itself from Washington's heavy-handed tutelage. It is also reflected at the popular level. A February survey of 1000 South Koreans aged between 18 and 23 found nearly half believed Seoul should side with Pyongyang in the event of any US military attack on North Korea's nuclear facilities. Another 40% advocated neutrality. US provocation in the region is most obviously directed against Pyongyang, but it also seeks to dampen Seoul's power of initiative in peninsular geopolitics and, in the process, revive the political fortunes of the anti-Pyongyang, pro-US wing of the South Korean ruling class in preparation for South Korea's December 2007 presidential election. However, it is a gambit that may backfire on the US rulers, as those living in the region better appreciate the relationship of forces each faces. In such a delicate geopolitical confluence, no single power can prevail untrammelled. Northeast Asia is not a gigantic US petrol bowser, like the Middle East; nor is it economically powerless. Indeed, it remains to be seen whether Beijing and Seoul can devise a counter-diplomacy that reduces the US role. Ultimately, if Washington's influence in the region's diplomacy can be removed or at least neutralised, the other powers stand to gain from a peaceful reunification of Korea. Pyongyang would like nothing more than to engage in the kind of controlled restoration of capitalism seen in neighbouring China. According to the October 9 Australian, a report recently prepared by the US Citigroup, the world's biggest bank, argues that North Korea's "progress" in preparing for China-style "economic reforms has been way beyond our expectations". However, Korean reunification could also unleash a significant advance in the level of social struggle in Korea. A dramatic rise in social expectations in the north could combine with the decades-long accumulation of mass democratic and worker struggle experiences and victories in the south to produce peninsula-wide movements that reverberate around northeast Asia and the world. In the wake of North Korea's nuclear test, Washington, with Tokyo's support, began trying to laying the basis for another, even more reckless, provocation against North Korea. The UN Security Council's July resolution bans international trade in ballistic missiles and nuclear technology with North Korea. However, it lacks any enforcement provision. On October 10 Washington began pressing the Security Council to adopt a resolution authorising US-led "inspections" of ships entering and leaving North Korea's ports. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 11 [NYTr] Life in nuclear DPRK beats to drum of leader Kim Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:53:40 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: olm.blythe-systems.com X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [Even the Western media such as the BBC and the PBS News Hour gave a fair amount of video exposure yesterday to the spectacular celebrations staged by the DPRK. The voice-over commentaries were absurd, but the spectacle was very photogenic. -NY Transfer] Reuters - Oct 12, 2006 http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyID=206-10-12T134120Z_01_PEK18478_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA-NORTH-LIFE.xml Life in nuclear N.Korea beats to drum of leader Kim BEIJING (Reuters) - Few cars ply the roads, mobile phones are banned and the main fashion accessories are buttons of "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il -- life in nuclear North Korea is anything but normal. The country, famously branded by President Bush as part of an "axis of evil" alongside Iran and pre-war Iraq, has been making banner headlines since it announced on Monday it had conducted a nuclear test. But diplomatically isolated and politically repressive, the state dubbed the Hermit Kingdom remains an enigma. Even the few visitors allowed in are treated only to tightly guided tours, invariably beginning with a trip to pay homage to the state's late founder, Kim Il-sung, at a giant bronze Kim statue that towers over the capital, Pyongyang. His son, current leader Kim Jong-il, has been mocked in the West for his permed hair and khaki jumpsuits, but he has continued his father's iron rule and cult of personality. And with his persistence in developing the country's nuclear program in defiance of international pleads and threats, he has served notice that, despite his rumored penchant for cognac and Hollywood films, he is anything but a joke. "People are aware of the climate in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, and they feel that the only way to stay secure is to be strong," said one foreign businessman who travels often to North Korea. The only adornment on the drab clothes of its citizenry are badges of Kim father and son -- known as the Great Leader and the Dear Leader -- whose faces also peer over Pyongyang in giant posters proclaiming the country's happiness and prosperity. PERMS AND PROPAGANDA In reality, decades of isolation and economic mismanagement have left the country of 23 million so poor it is reliant on international food aid and so short of fuel that observers gauge the state of the economy by how dark the capital is at night. In villages visible from neighboring China, farmers in ragged clothes fish or tend cattle. Their houses appear small and shabby, many with tiles missing from their roofs. Some small-scale private trade has sprung up and street kiosks in the wide boulevards of Pyongyang sell snacks and cigarettes, but in the centrally planned economy, most residents still owe their jobs, homes and food rations to the state. The government's fears for its grip on power have left the entire North Korean press under the direct control of Kim Jong-il, the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders says, ranking the country last in its press freedom index. "Journalists there simply relay government propaganda. Anyone out of step is harshly dealt with," the group said. Mobile phones are banned and even visitors must check theirs at the airport. The Internet has been bypassed in favor of an intranet, with only content that has been politically vetted. "It's so hermetically sealed," said the businessman. "They do question, but there's so little to question because there's so little information coming in." But despite the propaganda, the poverty and the blustering threats, for average citizens, day-to-day concerns are much the same as anywhere. "People just want to get their kids through school and get on with life," the businessman said. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Dandong) ) Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 12 [southnews] Was North Korea testing a mini-Nuke? Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 02:26:48 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM The Democratic People's Republic of Korea may have just tested its own mini-nuke, which would be the ultimate deterrent to US neoconservative aggression. The reason, of course, is because it would directly challenge the Bush administration, which has been pushing, since it took office, for the development of mini-nuclear weapons, which leads to the question of how one nation, in pursuit of mini-nukes, can decide that another nation cannot pursue the same type arsenal. Labeling the test a failure buys the Republican Party more time politically by implying that Bush can stop the development of North Korea's nuclear program before it is a serious threat to American interests and delaying the revelation of yet another neoconservative foreign policy disaster until after the midterm elections. North Korea's Mini-Nuke? by Dan Mick As the "failure" or "partial success" of an apparent atomic bomb by North Korea reverberates around the world, with many automatically judging the test a failure, ignored is the Bush administration's concept of "usable nukes," or "mini-nukes." The Democratic People's Republic of Korea may have just tested its own mini-nuke, which would be the ultimate deterrent to neoconservative aggression. Labeling the test a failure buys the Republican Party more time politically by implying that Bush can stop the development of North Korea's nuclear program before it is a serious threat to American interests and delaying the revelation of yet another neoconservative foreign policy disaster until after the midterm elections. The Argument for "Failure" Early nuclear bomb program designs are virtually always assumed to be gun-type fission weapons. This design, though inefficient, is by far the easiest to build. They are so easy to build that the United States dropped the first one on Hiroshima without a field test. It has been suggested that North Korea had a working design 15 years ago and has been making improvements ever since. In an interview on The Daily Show with John Stewart, former secretary of state James Baker said North Korea "had a crude nuclear device even when I was Secretary of State." If the bomb is a uranium gun-type fission bomb, it would require a minimum of 20 kg of highly enriched uranium and would produce a minimum five-kiloton explosion if successful. The first nuclear test by any country is, for unknown reasons, assumed to be five kilotons or larger. If the blast in North Korea was less than one kiloton, and indeed a gun-type nuclear device, it would suggest the probability of a dud, where the chain reaction was not sustained. There is also the strong possibility that the device is a more dangerous type of bomb a plutonium-based implosion bomb theoretically capable of fitting on one of the DPRK's many threatening missiles, and small enough to be "usable" on a battlefield. Theories Several theories have been put forward to describe the small size of North Korea's first nuclear test. The general consensus is failure, though the reported size of the blast, depending on the anonymous official quoted (or not), is anywhere from an equivalent of 200 tons of TNT, to 500 tons or more. This variation, and the tendency of news agencies to quote a middle figure, suggests that accurate intelligence about the nature of the blast is sparse. Here are some current leading theories: (1) The yield could be higher than claimed up to the level of the Hiroshima bomb, as Russian sources have said. The U.S. government and its allies could be trying to minimize the political fallout, hoping the American electorate won't realize the full extent of the damage caused by an intentional failure of diplomacy. Moreover, the Bush administration's refusal to hold direct talks is likely tied to its support of wasteful spending on a missile-defense system that won't work, imperiling the American people and those within striking distance of Kim Jong-Il's substantial missile capability. The cost to U.S. taxpayers will be partially offset by the many countries that will purchase the American/Japanese technology and hardware to satisfy their own state-terrorized citizens and domestic neoconservatives. (2) Estimates could falsely indicate a small yield, given the unpredictability of seismic measurement due to differences in geology between known desert test sites and unfamiliar mountain caves in Korea. (3) It could be that the bomb "fizzled," or failed to sustain a full chain reaction. The bomb could have malfunctioned as a result of poor design and limited experience. At first this seems the most reasonable explanation, considering the size of the blast, but it relies on an assumption that North Korea is not capable of creating a properly designed bomb after 15 years of development. With the aid of A.Q. Kahn, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, North Korea is likely to have extensive bomb-making know-how, experience, raw materials, and hardware. In addition, China was informed about the test less than an hour in advance, which indicates a level of confidence bordering on certainty. What if it failed completely? It would have been politically safer to announce that the test would go ahead soon, then wait for the successful test before saying anything more. It is also possible that a difficult and more sophisticated larger-yield design was tested to gain maximum nuclear knowledge to offset the diplomatic risk and cost. This would be considered a technical failure, but still a tremendous breakthrough. Rumors have also circulated about a North Korean thermonuclear bomb an extremely unlikely worse-than-worst-case scenario. (4) The yield is intentionally small. This is a likely scenario for several reasons: Estimates on the number of nuclear weapons possessed by the DPRK are based on suspected plutonium stock from fuel rods extracted from DPRK reactors. The gun-type bombs mentioned above can only be made with uranium-235 not plutonium-239. North Korea is believed to have enriched unknown quantities of uranium, so it is possible the test is a gun-type bomb, but the apparent focus on, and desire for, plutonium suggests a different bomb design the more challenging, efficient, lighter, potentially smaller, yet maybe much more destructive missile-mountable implosion design. North Korea is believed to possess enough plutonium for four to 13 bombs. A plutonium-based implosion bomb can be made much smaller than a gun-type atomic bomb even shoulder-fired in advanced programs (see the Nuclear Posture Review for notes on mini-nukes). Primitive gun-type bombs or large, primitive implosion bombs would be unusable due to their size and weight and would be unlikely to achieve anything but a show which is also a possibility. The test may have been carried out in response to the threat of military action by the U.S. If this is true, North Korea needed to test a bomb that works outside the mineshaft, probably one that sits nicely atop a medium-range missile, for maximum effect. A smaller plutonium-implosion weapon would do just that, even in the early stages of a successful nuclear program. A small, usable bomb is the worst-case scenario for the enemies of the DPRK and would apply significantly more pressure on the international community than an undeliverable larger bomb, even if the motive was to secure concessions of food and supplies for the Korean winter. Another explanation for the low yield is that there may simply be too little plutonium to waste on a mineshaft before a U.S. election, with neoconservatives on the loose and constantly looking for a confrontation. What's Next? Neoconservatives and other hawks maintain that Kim Jong-Il is a madman whose goal is to acquire a nuclear arsenal and ICBMs to obliterate American cities, perhaps to punish Hollywood for making the movie Team America: World Police. Hawks always project what they would do needlessly slaughter millions of innocent people in the name of job security onto others. A more logical course for Kim Jong-Il would be to only use nuclear weapons on military targets, only in self-defense, and never on the Korean Peninsula, since North Korea desires a unified Korea where wealth can be "transferred" to the North. The North is also capable of defeating the South with conventional and chemical weapons, though food and fuel shortages in the hermit kingdom might be the determining factor in a war. Unfortunately, both Kim Jong-Il and George Bush have the personalities, views, and policies that could lead to the Korean War resuming in earnest this time with nukes. The nukes would be best suited to maintaining air supremacy over the peninsula by attacking U.S. carrier divisions and airfields in Japan or any other country in range. Since World War II, air supremacy has led to victory in many conflicts. An onslaught of conventional and small nuclear missiles could break through the considerable defenses of the U.S. Navy and inflict serious losses on each carrier group in range. Diplomacy and isolationism are starting to look really good they have for a long time, but sadly, the neocons have other plans The real goal of the Bush administration's Korea policy might be to create a "situation" and a need for missile defense. Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner wasted no time campaigning: "This reckless move by North Korea, coupled with their attempted missile test in early July, highlights the importance of a U.S. missile-defense shield capable of protecting America against madmen with weapons of mass destruction." Two things are wrong with this statement: The missile shield is unlikely to ever shoot down anything but civilian aircraft, and while the American people need protection, it is from America's elected madmen who would unleash economic mass destruction on the entire world. Boehner continued, "It is time for Democrats to recognize the need for missile-defense technologies and abandon their long-standing policy of voting against missile-defense programs." Removing neoconservative Republicans and hawkish Democrats on Nov. 7 would be a far better defense against tyranny and totalitarianism. _________________________________________________________________ N.Korea nuke test relatively small: scientists By Michael Perry Scientific American October 09, 2006 SYDNEY (Reuters) - North Korea's nuclear test on Monday might have been a "mini-nuke" explosion possibly as low as one kiloton, comparable to some small tests by India and Pakistan in 1998, scientists said on Monday. The U.S. Geological Survey said it had detected a 4.2 magnitude quake in North Korea at 10:35 local time (0135 GMT) on Monday, confirming a similar report from South Korea. Gary Gibson, senior seismologist at Australia's Seismology Research Center, said a 4.2 magnitude quake would be the result of a one kiloton explosion. "It depends on how the thing is set off. There is not a perfect correlation between magnitude and the yield and depends to some extent on the rock type they set it off in," he said. "It is a relatively small nuclear test." A U.S. intelligence source agreed that a preliminary examination of the data did not indicate a large blast or a series of explosions. But the source stressed that analysts were still working toward a definitive evaluation. "It's premature because they're still evaluating the data," the source said. The RIA news agency quoted on Monday Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying that the nuclear device tested by North Korea ranged between five and 15 kilotons. The nuclear weapon the United States exploded over Hiroshima in 1945 produced a 12.5-kiloton yield. In 1998, India carried out five underground nuclear tests at Pokharan in the western desert state of Rajasthan and declared itself a nuclear weapons state. The total yield of the first round of blasts measured near 60 kilotons. Two days later, it exploded sub-kiloton devices that scientists said made it capable of conducting computer tests not covered by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. "Our biggest one was in the vicinity of 45 kilotons. That was thermo-nuclear," said S.K. Malhotra, head of the public awareness division of the Department of Atomic Energy. Nuclear analyst Andrew Davies, from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said if the North Korean test yield was only a kiloton, Pyongyang may be disappointed. "A kiloton is a very low yield and would tend to suggest, I would have thought, that the device was not all they hoped it would be," Davies told Reuters. "If a nuclear, plutonium bomb fizzles, you can still get one or two kilotons quite easily. You still get a significant energy release. But an efficient device will give you more like 20 (kilotons)." MINI NUKES The United States has said it is interested in developing so-called "mini nukes" -- nuclear weapons with a yield of less of than five kilotons. Indian nuclear scientists said they thought the North Korean test was an indication that the country was going for smaller devices to ensure effective delivery. "They are concentrating more on the small devices because of reliability of launching and effectiveness," said A.N. Prasad, former chief of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center, India's top nuclear research facility. "If the situation demands, they can scale it up, which is not difficult. This is the best approach now." After India exploded its devices, arch foe and neighbor Pakistan rushed to conduct its own tests. Within days it had conducted six tests, although claims related to the number, strength and yield of the tests were doubted by scientists in India and the United States. Pakistan said two nuclear tests had a total yield of between 34-48 kilotons, while three others were sub-kiloton. It said a sixth test yielded 10-15 kilotons. The Southern Arizona Seismic Observatory said the two major tests yielded 9-12 kilotons, while the sixth yielded only 4-6 kilotons. A source in Beijing who is close to the North Korean regime said Pyongyang had detonated a neutron bomb, designed to release larger amounts of deadly radiation than other nuclear weapons. There was no immediate confirmation of the claim. (Additional reporting by Krittivas Mukherjee in MUMBAI, Simon Cameron-Moore in ISLAMABAD, James Grubel in CANBERRA and David Morgan in WASHINGTON) http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=6C752CEBB3E95BBB82CB59C3E19A27BF The archives of South News can be found at http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/ ***************************************************************** 13 [du-list] 10/16 Nuke Watch Korea: US, China Head for Showdown Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:07:33 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Sender-Host-Address: 63.203.231.61 X-Sender-Host-Name: adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST For the Complete Coverage, please visit Nuke Watch - Projects of Peace No War Network _http://www.NukeWatch.net_ (http://www.nukewatch.net/) _http://www.PeaceNoWar.net_ (http://www.peacenowar.net/) US, China Head for Showdown Over N. Korea Sanctions Thalif Deen, Inter Press Service _http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35129_ (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35129) UNITED NATIONS, Oct 16 (IPS) - The United States and China, two veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, may be heading for a political showdown over the implementation of a resolution aimed at imposing tough economic and military sanctions on North Korea. The wide-ranging sanctions -- whose enforcement is mandatory on the part of the 192 member states -- have been imposed to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear test last week. Although the resolution, adopted Saturday, authorises all member states to inspect cargo going in and out of North Korea, primarily to detect the transfer of weapons of mass destruction, China has expressed reservations about implementing it. One of North Korea's longstanding political, economic and military allies in the region, China accounts for nearly 40 percent of all Pyongyang's imports and exports. Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya told reporters the proposed inspections -- aimed at preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear, biological and chemical weapons -- could create "conflict that could have serious implications for the region". Just after the resolution was adopted, the Chinese envoy told delegates that "sanctions were not the end in themselves." He said China did not approve of the practice of inspecting cargo to and from North Korea, and he had reservations about related provisions of the resolution. But U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted Sunday that China has an obligation to implement the resolution which it had supported. She pointed out that China is part of "a Security Council resolution that demands very clear cooperation of member states to make certain that dangerous goods are not getting in and out of North Korea." The resolution, the brainchild of the United States, had the unanimous support of all 15 members of the Security Council. Phyllis Bennis, senior fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and the author of several books on the United Nations, said the compromises in the resolution have already weakened implementation. "The resolution calls on member states to prevent 'illicit trafficking in nuclear, chemical or biological weapons,' but only mentions inspecting cargo (implying the forcible inspection of North Korean ships) as one example of what should be done," Bennis told IPS. But there is nothing that specifically requires any country to participate in such actions -- particularly because the resolution specifies that countries' actions should be consistent with international law and "in accordance with their national authorities and legislation". So China is not obligated to take any specific action in that regard, said Bennis, author of "Challenging Empire: How People, Governments and the U.N. Defy U.S. Power." Asked if this was the first time a permanent member has openly expressed reservations on a resolution it has supported, Bennis said: "It is certainly not the first time that a divided Security Council has passed a resolution under U.S. or other pressure with some or even most Council members having no intention of insuring implementation." She said that the recent resolution against Sudan -- primarily over charges of war crimes in Darfur -- is another example. Although the Security Council created a new peacekeeping force for Dafur, the Sudanese government has said it will not permit the new force to enter its territory. And the United Nations says it cannot enter Sudan without the express permission of its government. On Saturday, the United States succeeded in pushing through the resolution calling for punitive action against North Korea for its claimed nuclear test last week. Still, Washington failed in its attempt to keep its options open to invoke Chapter VII of the U.N. charter to justify a possible future military attack on Pyongyang -- as it did in Iraq more than three years ago. Chapter VII deals with "action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression". Under the resolution, the Security Council Saturday specifically singled out article 41 in Chapter VII which says that "the Security Council may decide what measures NOT involving the use of armed force" should be employed to give effect to its decision. The United States was forced to compromise on Chapter VII because of strong opposition -- both from Russia and China -- over the possible invocation of that chapter for a future military attack on Pyongyang. When the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq more than three years ago, the administration of President George W. Bush legally justified it on the ground that the resolution adopted by the Security Council called for military action under Chapter VII of the U..N. charter. Despite the fact that the resolution did not specifically call for military action against Iraq, Washington interpreted the existing resolution to justify its action. The crucial element in the resolution was the invocation of Chapter VII. But that interpretation brought a strong negative response from Secretary-General Kofi Annan himself, who unequivocally ruled that the Iraq war was "illegal" because it did not have clear and unambiguous Security Council authorisation. The argument was that there should have been a second resolution calling for military action: a resolution which the Bush administration knew would have been vetoed by either China or Russia, or both. Meanwhile, Saturday's resolution demanded that North Korea not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile. The Council also demanded that Pyongyang immediately retract its announced withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), return to that pact, and accept safeguards through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to the binding resolution, North Korea should suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme and in this context reestablish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launching. Pyongyang should also abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. According to the resolution, member states shall also prevent the import from or export to North Korea of any battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles or missile systems as well as related materiel, including spare parts and other items determined by a new sanctions committee. Other items to be set out in separate lists were also banned, including those which could contribute to North Korea's nuclear-related, ballistic missile-related or other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes. Also prohibited from export to the DPRK are luxury goods. Additionally, the resolution banned the import from or export to the country of technical training, advice, services or assistance related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance or use of the banned military items. Related IPS Articles _ Institute for Policy Studies_ (http://www.ips-dc.org/) _POLITICS: N. Korean Blast May Hit Indo-US Nuclear Deal_ (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35077) _POLITICS: New U.N. Chief Could Be an Asset in Korean Crisis_ (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35076) _EAST ASIA: Grappling with Security Crisis Triggered by N. Korea Nuke Test_ (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35072) _Nuclear Ambitions - Like Mushrooms: More IPS coverage of the nuclear debate_ (http://www.ipsnews.net/new_focus/nuclear/index.asp) For the Complete Coverage, please visit Nuke Watch - Projects of Peace No War Network _http://www.NukeWatch.net_ (http://www.nukewatch.net/) _http://www.PeaceNoWar.net_ (http://www.peacenowar.net/) ================================================================= Peace, No War War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate Not in our Name! And another world is possible! Information for antiwar movements, news across the World, please visit:_ http://www.PeaceNoWar.net_ (http://www.peacenowar.net/) e-mail: _Info@PeaceNoWar.net_ (mailto:Peace@ActionLA.org) Tel: (213)403-0131 Please Join PeaceNoWar Listserv, send e-mail to: _peacenowar-subscribe@lists.riseup.net_ (mailto:peacenowar-subscribe@lists.riseup.net) Please Donate to Peace No War Network! 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In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 14 [NYTr] Seoul sees signs of second N Korea test Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 03:37:08 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: olm.blythe-systems.com X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Financial Times - Oct 17, 2006 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7b427f1a-5d96-11db-9d15-0000779e2340,_i_rssPage=4e612cca-6707-11da-a650-0000779e2340.html Seoul sees signs of second N Korea test By Anna Fifield in Seoul and Richard McGregor in Beijing The South Korean government on Tuesday said it had detected activity suggesting North Korea might be preparing to conduct a second nuclear test, as concerns mount that Kim Jong-il’s regime will take another step to defy international pressure. Amid a flurry of diplomatic meetings and reports that China has already begun taking tough action against its errant neighbour, North Korea on Tuesday issued another colourful statement characterising the United Nations sanctions imposed on it following last week’s nuclear test as a “declaration of war”. “The DPRK vehemently denounces the resolution, a product of the US hostile policy toward the DPRK, and totally refutes it,” the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to the country by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Pyongyang said it would “closely follow the future US attitude” and warned: “The US would be well advised not to miscalculate the DPRK.” Even a few months ago, such threats would likely have been dismissed as more florid saber-rattling from Mr Kim’s regime, but these statements are now being taken more seriously following its decision to proceed with missile and nuclear tests. US television networks reported overnight that US spy satellites had detected “suspicious vehicle movements” that could signal preparations for another test. A senior South Korean government official on Tuesday confirmed there were signs of unusual activity near the site of the first test in northern North Korea. “We are keeping a close eye on that place,” he said, adding that the signs were different from truck and people movements spotted before the first test and there was no indication that a second test was imminent. However, he said South Korea was “leaving open the possibility” of a second test and “making the necessary preparations”. China said it was “resolutely opposed” to a second test, with Liu Jianchao, foreign ministry spokesman, saying Beijing hoped North Korea would adopt “a responsible attitude and come back to resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation”. Fears of a second test have been stoked by the arrival of Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, in north-east Asia for discussions on how to deal with the North Korean nuclear crisis. The first test was conducted as Shinzo Abe, Japan’s new prime minister, arrived in Seoul last Monday. Following its support for the UN sanctions, China appears to taking some tough action against North Korea although there are accusations it is still not doing enough. “China will strictly act on this resolution. We will shoulder and fulfill our obligation,” Mr Liu said, denying that China was backsliding on the enforcement of sanctions. “The Chinese side has always implemented Security Council measures seriously and in a responsible manner.” Although they both say they support the sanctions, both China and South Korea are considered unlikely to squeeze North Korea too hard for fear of causing a collapse on its borders. However, there have been reports that some branches of the Bank of China have halted remittances to North Korea and newly-constructed fences appear to have been built along the Yalu River border between the two countries. Mr Liu denied China had suddenly begun constructing walls along the border, saying such fences had been under construction along all its boundaries for a decade. But in Dandong, the town through which most of bilateral trade is conducted, a spokesman for the Bank of China said remittance payments into North Korea had been suspended. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006 * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 15 [NYTr] The Physics and Politics of DPRK's Test Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:28:35 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: SPAM-LOW X-Spam: [SPAM] - LOW Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Counterpunch - Oct 17, 2006 http://www.counterpunch.org/garcia10172006.html Nuclear Test, Political Flare Intrepreting the Physics and Politics of North Korea's Nuclear Test By MANUEL GARCIA, Jr. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK = "North Korea") detonated a nuclear device (a.k.a. "bomb") on 9 October 2006, at 10:36 a.m. local time, at Hwaderi, near Kilju City in North Harnkyung province. What does this mean? Weapon (noun) 1: an instrument of offensive or defensive combat : something to fight with, 2 : a means of contending against another, 3 : an accumulation of economic activity stored up as potential force for coercion. Definitions 1 and 2 are from Webster. The DPRK Test & Nuclear Weapons Program We know three facts about this test: 1. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded an Earth tremor at 10:36 a.m. local time at the North Korean test site, with a Richter magnitude of 4.2. 2. This explosion had a "yield" -- the quantity of energy released -- equivalent to an explosion of 800 tons of TNT [0.8 kilotons (kT) = 3.4*10^12 joules = 3400 giga-joules (GJ)]. 3. There has been no measurable radioactivity released. We know one rumor about this test: a North Korean official told the Chinese that the planned yield was 4 kT, so the test result was "low." It is known that North Korea has separated Pu239 (plutonium, isotope 239) from nuclear reactor fuel rods. The DPRK test was of a plutonium fission assembly. Nuclear Fuel Nuclear fuel is enriched to have a higher percentage of unstable isotopes (fissile material) than occurs in natural ores (e.g., 0.7% U235 in nature). Uranium fuel rods for power reactors are a few percent U235, while being primarily the relatively stable U238. The processing of natural ores can be continued to produce highly enriched fuel -- "weapons grade" -- at 90% or more. Plutonium does not occur naturally, it is produced in uranium reactors when a U238 nuclei captures a low energy neutron (a U235 nuclei would fission). Uranium reactors "breed" plutonium; this effect can be exploited to produce feedstock to a "waste processing" or a "reprocessing" technology that produces weapons grade material, plutonium 239. Nuclear Weapons Design Basic facts about nuclear weapons design are in the public domain. The idea is to use chemical explosives to force a quantity of weapons grade fissile material into a minimal volume with maximal compression. The natural reactions of radioactive decay are vastly increased in number because a neutron released by the fissioning of one nucleus will almost certainly collide into a neighboring atom within the compressed mass, initiating the breakup of another unstable nucleus. This chaining of reactions creates a crescendo of energy release and an burst of high energy radiation (neutrons, gamma rays, x-rays, radioactive particles). To achieve "nuclear yield," a minimum mass of fissile material is needed to ensure the self-capture of neutrons emitted by fission reactions. This is the "critical mass." If the mass is below critical, it will still see an increase in fissioning beyond the natural rate, heat up by absorbing the energy released, and blow the assembly apart as a thermal explosion before the runaway acceleration of chain reactions can occur. An even smaller assembly might simply melt. The critical mass of a spherical shell of weapons grade material being imploded to a ball is listed for two materials and two cases (four separate examples): * Bare spheres: 56 kg U235, 11 kg Pu239; * Thick tamper: 15 kg U235, 5 kg Pu239. A tamper is a dense container to hold in the energy of the implosion as well as reflect neutrons back in. Plutonium assemblies can be smaller and lighter for the same explosive yield, a desirable attribute in the design of a ballistic missile warhead. "Simple" designs are most likely to produce about 10 kT, within a factor of 2; the Pu239 bomb dropped on Nagasaki was 21 kT. Designing a "low yield" device (e.g., a 0.5 kT to 2 kT "bunker buster") is a challenge, primarily because the warhead must fit within the small dimensions, and operate under the high acceleration forces of the intended gun and missile systems. Conventional Wisdom About the DPRK Test Published commentaries on the DPRK test arrive at three speculations: "dud," "spoof" and "hoax:" Dud: yield was low because the Pu239 bomb was a dud; an imperfectly symmetrical implosion by high explosives; or Spoof: the bomb was placed in a cavern to decouple the shock from solid ground, and thus send out a smaller seismic signal, disguising a larger magnitude of explosive force (it is noted that Russia claims the DPRK test yielded 5 kT to 15 kT); or Hoax: the test was a hoax, hundreds of tons of chemical explosives were used to simulate a low yield nuclear blast, presumably for some political purpose. Observations on the Value of Testing What I have observed from the U.S. Test Program is: Tests always yield instructive data about one or more of: * design performance, * material quality, * manufacture and testing procedures. There is never a failure to learn, only failures to achieve expectations. Even when you cannot pinpoint "what" failed or "why," you learn from the exercise of analyzing the data you do have. If all your sensors worked and recovered data as planned, and if calculations can be brought into accord with this data, then you validate your theoretical and calculation methods. You can never be sure of what you've got (in terms of capability) and how it will work (in terms of design) unless you test. This is why the non-proliferation treaties are "test bans" rather than "design work" bans. My Speculations on the DPRK Test 1. I don't think the "hoax" idea would be a benefit to the DPRK. Sure, maybe it would seem a way to bluff the U.S. into temporarily backing off for fear the DPRK really has a nuclear deterrent. But, as they wouldn't, it would mean that once the fraud was detected, the U.S. could attack with impunity, as with Iraq. 2. An unintentionally low yield for a Pu239 device would mean the test was a success; the DPRK nuclear weapons program demonstrating it could: * produce nuclear yield, * contain the radioactivity from an underground test -- so far, * collect data on their whole range of weapons production and testing procedures, * make improvements for the next test. 3. An intentionally low yield Pu239 device would mean: * proof of a sophisticated warhead design capability, or * proof of containment engineering sophistication (seismic spoofing). You will notice that speculations 1 & 3 involve conspiracy theories. So, without more data, I am inclined to believe speculation 2 -- like a kid learning to ride a bike, the DPRK nuclear weapons program has had its first long wobbly run, and we can see them getting the hang of it soon. The Political Significance of the DPRK Test What the DPRK leadership would probably want for a real nuclear deterrent would be warheads of 1 kT to 10 kT yield that would fit its missiles (a size and weight constraint) and survive the g-forces of flight (a strength and integrity of design constraint). A warhead only becomes a deterrent when you have demonstrated a credible delivery system. The DPRK's missile program may actually be more of a threat than its bomb program; if DPRK develops missiles that can hit India, Japan, China, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet near these last three, then a nuclear armed DPRK would have "deterrence." The size of the DPRK's nuclear arsenal will depend on the magnitude of plutonium production, and to a lesser extent the sophistication of their design and manufacturing. Better designs that produce higher yield with lower masses of plutonium would mean more warheads from a given stock of plutonium. The DPRK test is a huge failure of US policy. In brushing aside the Non-Proliferation Treaty as an obstacle to unilateralism, and by the example of the Iraq War, the U.S. has signaled to all that the only protection they can be assured of is having nuclear weapons. As in the U.S., the DPRK nuclear program may be an aspect of a wider elite subsidy program, where technocrats and econocrats channel national wealth into elite classes by an analogy to the "Pentagon system." Public resources are monopolized by a "national security" industrial complex, subsidizing its elite management class. Nuclear weapons enable the continuation of the simplified diplomacy practiced in the Bronze Age -- pure threat by superior force. We certainly cannot see the Bush-Cheney policy, as exhibited with Iraq and Iran, as having any advancement over that of Agamemnon at Troy. The restraint on aggression by industrial powers in post-colonial modern times has been their unwillingness to sustain continuing losses in colonial wars -- recall France in Algeria, the U.S. in Vietnam. This psychological restraint, purchased by formerly colonized nations at such terrible cost during the 19th and 20th centuries, has been their major deterrent force: "occupy us and you will sink into a quagmire." The industrialized nations use nuclear weapons to threaten each other with the destruction of their respective economic engines. This is relatively ineffective in the Third World since "there is nothing there to nuke." The Neoconic "mad dog" policy of persisting in the Iraq War aims to destroy the quagmire psychological shield -- the "Vietnam Syndrome" -- that small, less developed and militarily weak nations have relied on as their protection. The message from Armed Globalization is "to us the cost of crushing you is minor enough to sustain indefinitely -- submit." As Thucydides wrote 2500 years ago "The strong do what they have the power to do, and the weak accept what they must." Nations fearing that the Washington Empire is no longer restrained by the quagmire psychological shield have two options: submit or acquire nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have a deep psychological meaning to those who have them. They are a matter of "racial pride," and a way for nationalities that feel they have been treated disrespectfully by former (and continuing) colonial powers to "get back," to "show them" that they, too, can have power and be deserving of respect, and even awe and fear. Nuclear weapons are the ultimate race weapon, they would be the means to try to wipe out "another race" of people, where we make the Bronze Age assumption that each "population" or "race" occupies a unique territory. Their only use in war fits this model. The DPRK test may elicit quiet approval from people in many parts of the world, who feel they are hopelessly dominated by the Security Council Nuclear Powers. Nations like the DPRK, Cuba, Iran and increasingly Venezuela are the forward, activist agents of a much broader Third World sentiment of resistance to the capitalist integration of world economies. Others of these countries will look at the DPRK, compare it to Iraq, remember their own history, and contemplate starting their own nuclear weapons program. Nuclear weapons are the ultimate penis enlargement pills. The DPRK nuclear weapons program has got to be a very interesting card in the 2-hand poker game for power in East Asia, being played out between China and the U.S. The DPRK nuclear test was a signal -- a political flare -- to the U.S., saying "pay attention to us -- and, yes help -- but beware, don't try to harm us." The message to the rest of Asia is "if you help the U.S. attack us, you will pay dearly." The condemnation of the DPRK's nuclear test, from Asian nations including China and Iran, is a reaction to the local message only; it is easy to see that most of them agree with the DPRK's message to Washington. So yes, North Korea will be sanctioned and no, the sanctions will not be life-threatening. As long as the Bush-Cheney policy of stonewalling to save face continues, the DPRK nuclear weapons program will advance. When the United States agrees to talk again with North Korea, and in good faith, then the Bush-Cheney policy will have fallen and the DPRK's nuclear deterrence will have succeeded. This new equilibrium could be termed "nuclear armed quagmire," a "syndrome" for the U.S. and a "deterrent" to be contemplated by those being "globalized." Real nonproliferation is to be had with real -- and respectful -- help to the less developed nations in expanding sustainable (non-nuclear) energy technology and in rapidly achieving the Millennium Development Goals (see the United Nations Development Programme, MDG). What I find tragic is that if small countries did not have the fear that drives some, like the DPRK, to invest heavily in nuclear weapons development and weapons acquisition generally -- to deter being colonized, or "globalized" -- they would have many more resources to meet the needs of their people. It is this "waste investment" of nuclear weapons, wherever they are maintained, that I see as their most destructive effect. Every nuclear weapon is an actively exploding economic bomb, and only potentially a physical explosion. [Manuel Garcia, Jr. is a physicist and can be reached at mango@idiom.com] * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 16 Nuke Pu Helped Make N Korean N-Bomb Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:24:27 -0400 X-Sender-Host-Name: elasmtp-junco.atl.sa.earthlink.net X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/world/asia/17diplo.html North Korean Fuel Identified as Plutonium Ng Han Guan/Associated Press A fence along the North Korean border near Dandong, China, one of the principal cities where Chinese goods are distributed to North Korea. a.. E-Mail b.. Print c.. Reprints d.. Save By THOM SHANKER and DAVID E. SANGER Published: October 17, 2006 WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 - American intelligence agencies have concluded that North Korea's test explosion last week was powered by plutonium that North Korea harvested from its small nuclear reactor, according to officials who have reviewed the results of atmospheric sampling since the blast. Skip to next paragraph Related U.N. Press Release and Text of Resolution (un.org) The officials, who would not speak for attribution because it was an intelligence matter, were responding to specific questions about what had been learned about the nature of the weapon. As administration and intelligence officials watched for indications that the North might be preparing a second test, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned North Korea on Monday that it risked even further isolation if it took such a provocative action. American officials have reported recent activity at the test site, leading some to believe that another test might be carried out soon. The intelligence agencies' finding that the weapon was based on plutonium strongly suggested that the country's second path to a nuclear bomb - one using uranium - was not yet ready. The uranium program is based on enrichment equipment and know-how purchased from Pakistan's former nuclear chief. Nuclear experts said that the use of plutonium to make the bomb was important because it suggested that North Korea probably had only one nuclear program mature enough to produce weapons. "This is good news because we have a reasonably good idea of how much plutonium they have made," said Siegfried S. Hecker, the former chief of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and now a visiting professor at Stanford University. Mr. Hecker, who has visited North Korea and is one of the few foreigners to have seen parts of its nuclear infrastructure, said that it was his guess that "they tried to test a reasonably sophisticated device, and they had trouble imploding it properly." The supply of plutonium materials is known from the days when international inspectors kept tabs on the fuel rods in the North's reactor, and intelligence analysts estimate that North Korea has enough material to make 6 to 10 plutonium bombs. Politically, the results of the test may revive last week's finger-pointing about who is more responsible for the Korean test: Bill Clinton or President Bush. As president, Mr. Clinton negotiated a deal that froze the production and weaponization of North Korea's plutonium, but intelligence agencies later determined that North Korea began its secret uranium program under his watch. The plutonium that North Korea exploded was produced, according to intelligence estimates, either during the administration of the first President Bush or after 2003, when the North Koreans threw out international inspectors and began reprocessing spent nuclear fuel the inspectors had kept under seal. Unlike the Clinton administration in 1994, the current Bush administration chose not to threaten to destroy North Korea's fuel and nuclear reprocessing facilities if they tried to make weapons. That threat in 1994 - which was ultimately resolved with an agreement to freeze the weapons program - was made by William J. Perry, who was the defense secretary then. In an interview on Monday, Mr. Perry said: "There was a brief window to catch this plutonium before it was made into bomb fuel. It's gone. It's out of the barn now." After a week of some lingering doubt about whether the test had indeed been a nuclear detonation, the office of John D. Negroponte, director of national intelligence, confirmed that much in a statement issued Monday. "Analysis of air samples collected on Oct. 11, 2006, detected radioactive debris which confirms that North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosion in the vicinity of Punggye on Oct. 9, 2006," said the statement, putting on the record a conclusion that officials first disclosed Friday, the night before the United Nations Security Council voted on sanctions. "The explosion yield was less than a kiloton," the statement added. It gave no further details, and the officials who described the early findings did not disclose more beyond the conclusion that plutonium, not uranium, was the device's core. The determination that the blast was nuclear was announced a day before Secretary Rice was to depart for a trip to Japan, South Korea, China and Russia. She will go to the capitals of the nations that have been engaged in the six-party talks over North Korea's nuclear program except, of course, North Korea. The unanimous resolution adopted by the Security Council last week imposing sanctions on military material and luxury goods was proof of "a strong and firm hand and strong and firm response," Ms. Rice said Monday during a State Department news conference. She said the international community wanted "to leave open a door for North Korea to take a different course if it wishes to do so." Pressed to respond to analysts' assessment that desires by China and South Korea for continued economic and business exchanges with North Korea might trump demands for a stiff sanctions and inspections regime, Ms. Rice said her goal was to work out the details of putting the Council resolution into effect. The Associated Press reported Monday from Dandong, China, that customs officials were examining trucks at the North Korean border as China complied with the United Nations sanctions. However, China's ambassador to the United Nations, Wang Guangya, indicated that his nation would not conduct similar searches at sea. Mr. Wang made clear that China would not halt ships and board them to search for ballistic missiles or for bomb-making equipment or material that can be used to manufacture nuclear, chemical and biological arms. "This is a resolution we have to implement," he told reporters at the United Nations. "The question was raised whether China will do inspections. Inspections yes, but inspection is different than interdiction and interception. I think different countries will do it different ways." During the news conference on Monday, Ms. Rice said she was "not concerned that the Chinese are going to turn their backs on their obligations. I don't think they would have voted for a resolution if they did not intend to carry through on it." Mark Mazzetti contributed reporting. ***************************************************************** 17 Life in nuclear N.Korea beats to drum of leader Kim Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:18:38 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM Reuters.com News > In Depth > Article Life in nuclear N.Korea beats to drum of leader Kim http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyID=2 06-10-12T134120Z_01_PEK18478_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA-NORTH-LIFE.xml&WTmodLoc=I DepthNewsHome_C2_inDepthNews-1 Thu Oct 12, 2006 BEIJING (Reuters) - Few cars ply the roads, mobile phones are banned and the main fashion accessories are buttons of "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il -- life in nuclear North Korea is anything but normal. The country, famously branded by President Bush as part of an "axis of evil" alongside Iran and pre-war Iraq, has been making banner headlines since it announced on Monday it had conducted a nuclear test. But diplomatically isolated and politically repressive, the state dubbed the Hermit Kingdom remains an enigma. Even the few visitors allowed in are treated only to tightly guided tours, invariably beginning with a trip to pay homage to the state's late founder, Kim Il-sung, at a giant bronze Kim statue that towers over the capital, Pyongyang. His son, current leader Kim Jong-il, has been mocked in the West for his permed hair and khaki jumpsuits, but he has continued his father's iron rule and cult of personality. And with his persistence in developing the country's nuclear program in defiance of international pleads and threats, he has served notice that, despite his rumored penchant for cognac and Hollywood films, he is anything but a joke. "People are aware of the climate in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, and they feel that the only way to stay secure is to be strong," said one foreign businessman who travels often to North Korea. The only adornment on the drab clothes of its citizenry are badges of Kim father and son -- known as the Great Leader and the Dear Leader -- whose faces also peer over Pyongyang in giant posters proclaiming the country's happiness and prosperity. PERMS AND PROPAGANDA In reality, decades of isolation and economic mismanagement have left the country of 23 million so poor it is reliant on international food aid and so short of fuel that observers gauge the state of the economy by how dark the capital is at night. In villages visible from neighboring China, farmers in ragged clothes fish or tend cattle. Their houses appear small and shabby, many with tiles missing from their roofs. Some small-scale private trade has sprung up and street kiosks in the wide boulevards of Pyongyang sell snacks and cigarettes, but in the centrally planned economy, most residents still owe their jobs, homes and food rations to the state. The government's fears for its grip on power have left the entire North Korean press under the direct control of Kim Jong-il, the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders says, ranking the country last in its press freedom index. "Journalists there simply relay government propaganda. Anyone out of step is harshly dealt with," the group said. Mobile phones are banned and even visitors must check theirs at the airport. The Internet has been bypassed in favor of an intranet, with only content that has been politically vetted. "It's so hermetically sealed," said the businessman. "They do question, but there's so little to question because there's so little information coming in." But despite the propaganda, the poverty and the blustering threats, for average citizens, day-to-day concerns are much the same as anywhere. "People just want to get their kids through school and get on with life," the businessman said. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Dandong) ) Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 18 Guardian Unlimited: Japan Rules Out Nuclear Weapons From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday October 18, 2006 1:31 PM AP Photo XITS101 By CHISAKI WATANABE Associated Press Writer TOKYO (AP) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that Japan will not build a nuclear bomb, declaring discussion on that topic ``finished'' - despite the atomic test by hostile neighbor North Korea. Concerns that Japan might try to develop their own nuclear weapons were raised when Foreign Minister Taro Aso told parliament earlier Wednesday that Tokyo should consider the nuclear option to counter the threat posed by North Korea's Oct. 9 detonation of an atomic device. Aso's remarks echoed those made recently by a senior ruling party official and elder statesman, which have spurred debate about Japan's nuclear policy. But Abe stemmed that debate on Wednesday, saying Tokyo had no plans to stray from its postwar policy of not possessing, developing or allowing nuclear bombs on Japanese soil. ``In my opinion, that debate is finished,'' Abe told reporters. ``There is absolutely no division within the Cabinet'' about adhering to the three principles, he said. Possession of nuclear weapons is a sensitive political issue in Japan, which suffered a nuclear attack when U.S. atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Aso said that while Japan should stick to its three non-nuclear principles, it was odd that Japan had never openly discussed it. ``The issue of nuclear possession has been discussed by many people for decades, and it is only in Japan where the discussion about its own nuclear possession is completely absent,'' Aso added. Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone also has proposed that Japan consider acquiring nuclear weapons. Last week, a top ruling party official, Shoichi Nakagawa, caused a stir when he suggested Tokyo should talk about the weapons ``because countries with nuclear weapons don't get attacked.'' Nakagawa was forced to clarify his opposition to nuclear weapons on Monday, and his comments have prompted Abe to repeatedly pledge that Japan will not change its non-nuclear policy. Analysts have said Japan has the knowledge - and enough plutonium and uranium from its nuclear power program - to easily develop nuclear weapons should it decide to. Such a move, however, would be strongly opposed by China and other countries in the region. U.S. officials have also expressed concerns that North Korea's nuclear development could spur a destabilizing arms race in Asia. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 19 Korea Herald: Soros blames Bush for growing nuke tension From news reports Billionaire investor George Soros yesterday blamed President George W. Bush for escalating tensions with North Korea, which last week tested a nuclear bomb. The nuclear test is widely seen as an attempt by North Korea to gain the upper hand in negotiations. If the United States guarantees the survival of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's regime, Pyongyang will change its stance, Soros told a group of investors and academics in Seoul. Bush "aggravated the problem" by rejecting South Korea's so-called Sunshine Policy of engaging with the North, declaring the country part of an "axis of evil," and talking about regime change, Soros said. A cause for optimism about North Korea is that China, South Korea and the United States all want stability on the Korean Peninsula, he said. "The Chinese want stability, or no change. South Korea the same," he said. "The United States, having lots of problems elsewhere, wants to keep this under wraps." South Korea's financial markets won't be much affected by the crisis, Soros said. "It's nothing new. The nuclear test is an act of desperation." 2006.10.19 ***************************************************************** 20 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: 2 critics blame Bush for the North's nuclear test October 19, 2006 KST 13:39 (GMT+9) October 19, 2006 ¤Ñ A former South Korean president and an American financier criticized the U.S. government yesterday in Seoul for its handling of North Korea. In a speech at the World Knowledge Forum yesterday, Kim Dae-jung, former president and the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize winner, criticized the Bush administration for rebuffing North Korea's requests for talks, and said the North should be given "one more chance" to talk with Washington. "North Korea hopes to talk with the United States," he said. "I am fully aware of this through direct and indirect contact with the North since 2000." The former president said as a result of Mr. Bush's refusal to negotiate directly, the communist regime opted out of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and asked inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to leave the country before conducting a nuclear test. Aside from dialogue, Mr. Kim said, military action or economic sanctions could become deterrents to the North's desire to conduct more nuclear tests, but he deemed neither to be particularly effective. Regarding military options, he said it was "fortunate that the UN Security Council's resolution did not include that option," because military operations could lead to heavy casualties on the peninsula. As for economic sanctions, Mr. Kim said North Koreans would only become more unified under such restrictions, and the country might still receive aid from China or other friends. Mr. Kim also said the North could secure hard currency by selling its nuclear technologies to Iran, among others. Stressing the importance of dialogue, Mr. Kim cited U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, who he said helped bring peace to the Korean Peninsula through discussions with the North in 1953. "A dialogue isn't something you have to make friends for," the former president said. "For the sake of the national interest or world peace, sometimes you have to talk with evil people." Mr. Kim said he believes another chance at a dialogue would be successful in breaking the impasse over the nuclear issue. But should North Korea waste that opportunity to talk with other nations, he said, then "members of the six-party talks and other nations around the world could punish North Korea." George Soros, a prominent U.S. investor and anti-Bush activist, echoed Mr. Kim's sentiments that the Bush administration was the culprit in causing North Korea to conduct its nuclear test. Mr. Soros said Mr. Bush's naming of North Korea as part of an "axis of evil" only worsened the situation by further solidifying the communist regime. But Mr. Soros added that the nuclear test should not affect Korean or global financial markets because "it is not really a new trend." He also expressed optimism that the nuclear standoff would be resolved soon, because the test only showed "how desperate the North is for a change." Mr. Soros said although Mr. Kim's Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea should not be blamed for leading to the nuclear test, it would also be inappropriate to embrace the North after the test. He said that he agreed with the hard-line economic sanctions Japan has imposed on the North. by Seo Ji-eun, Yoo Jee-ho spring@joongang.co.kr> Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use ***************************************************************** 21 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Testy official snaps back at U.S. sanctions pressure October 19, 2006 KST 13:39 (GMT+9) October 19, 2006 ¤Ñ Officials here professed bewilderment yesterday after Washington began taking public potshots at the Mount Kumgang tourism program, a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. By Unification Ministry estimates, the program has given North Korea more than $450 million in cash payments and another $500 million paid by Hyundai Group for the rights to conduct that business and others in North Korea. Song Min-soon, the senior Blue House security adviser, spoke on two occasions yesterday about the tourism project and the Kaesong Industrial Complex. He said, "If there are some parts that need to be corrected or complemented, we may have to consider reform measures." But he said firmly that the projects would not be ended and that the Roh administration had made no commitment to do so. Mr. Song's comment came a day after pointed comments from Christopher Hill, Washington's representative at the six-party talks to strip North Korea of its nuclear weapons. Mr. Hill, calling his remarks his personal thinking, said the Mount Kumgang tourism project seemed "designed to give money to the North Korean authorities," but added that he saw the Kaesong factories "in the context of a reform element." Coming from a U.S. diplomat who has been seen here as opposed to some of Washington's more vociferous hawks, the comments appeared to cause some head-scratching at the Blue House. Pressed by reporters, Mr. Song denied that his remarks about fine-tuning policies for the inter-Korean projects was a pullback from Seoul's earlier insistence that the new UN sanctions on North Korea had nothing to do with those projects. At one point, Mr. Song showed some irritation at the gathering sanctions-related U.S. pressure. Asked about Mr. Hill's comments on the Mount Kumgang tourism project, he replied, "It is difficult to leave one's own issue to a multilateral decision, although there is a need to respect that decision. It's not an policy to be changed following somebody's order to do this or that." Reporters continued to press him about whether Seoul was out of step with the international community, and he snapped, "We are not deviating from the UN Security Council. We are not deviating from the international community only because we differ with a certain country." He added, "I'm not going to name that country." Washington is also pressing Seoul to participate actively in its Proliferation Security Initiative, a vehicle the United States sees as useful in enforcing UN sanctions. Asked about those urgings, Mr. Song said, "We are looking into a way to adjust the range of participation at a proper level, so as to fit in with UN Resolution 1718." Mr. Hill yesterday took a softer approach to the tourist program. After a meeting with Lee Jong-seok, the Unification Minister, he said the program was a matter for the Korean government to decide. "We respect their right to make these decisions," he said. "It's not for me to be advising the Korean government on this." The ministry spokesman, Yang Chang-seok, said Mr. Lee had stressed the need for dialogue with North Korea to Mr. Hill. But if Mr. Hill was softer, U.S. Ambassador Alexanded Vershbow took up the slack. He told a civic group yesterday that all countries, including China and South Korea, should make a "thorough review of all their financial interactions with North Korea to ensure that the purposes of the UN resolution are achived." Asked what should be done about the Mount Kumgang and Kaesong projects, the ambassador answered obliquely, saying the central goal of the resolution was to cut support, direct and indirect, for the North's nuclear and weapons programs. by Chun Su-jin sujiney@joongang.co.kr> Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use | ***************************************************************** 22 WP: Union Takes Issue With Fitness Rules for Nuclear Plant Guards - washingtonpost.com By Stephen BarrWednesday, October 18, 2006; Page D04 Two years ago, the Energy Department announced plans for creating "a special elite federal force" to protect high-priority nuclear plants. The department's nuclear weapons stockpile, "simply put, must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands," then-Secretary Spencer Abraham said. After 18 months of study, the department came up with a policy to create combat teams, much like the military's Delta Force or Navy SEALs, that could engage adversaries outside a nuclear weapons plant rather than wait for attackers from inside plant gates. Wednesday, Oct. 18, at noon ET Federal Diary Live Washington Post columnist Stephen Barr answers questions about navigating the federal workplace. Federal Diary runs weekdays in the Business news section of The Post. Transcript Federal Diary Live Washington Post columnist Stephen Barr answers questions about navigating the federal workplace. Federal Diary runs weekdays in the Business news section of The Post. These elite combat units, however, are not made up of government employees. They work for companies that operate Energy Department plants or for contractors that provide guards and security officers. And according to union officials, the contract officers are increasingly concerned about their employment status and would like the option to shift to the federal workforce. Energy Department plants and facilities that use nuclear weapons material, especially plutonium and highly enriched uranium, are expanding the number of security jobs covered by rigorous physical fitness standards, and many officers are concerned they will lose their jobs. Officers are also uneasy about an Energy Department proposal that they think could reduce their pension and health-care benefits, the union representatives said. A department official said contractors should be able to reassign into less demanding jobs those officers who do not meet the fitness standards for "offensive combative" positions. Any pension and health-care changes would affect only new hires, and the policy that would have triggered those changes has been suspended, pending further review, the official said. The Energy Department also is not interested in exploring whether the officers should be "federalized." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the option was debated in 2004 and discarded in 2005. Bryan Wilkes , spokesman for the department's National Nuclear Security Administration, said no compelling reason was found that justified converting the officers into federal employees. "What we have is working great," he said. But the National Council of Security Police, a union group representing officers at nuclear facilities, thinks the department's plans will undercut the goal of enhanced security in the post-Sept. 11 world. In the past, nuclear weapons plants have assigned officers to offensive and defensive positions. The Energy Department's policy shift is prompting plants to realign their security posture and convert more positions to the offense, union officials said. For the offensive positions, a security officer must run a mile in 8 minutes and 30 seconds and complete a 40-yard dash in no more than 8 seconds. Defensive positions require a half-mile run in 4 minutes, 40 seconds, and a 40-yard dash in 8.5 seconds. The union group said the physical fitness standards do not take into account a person's age or sex, placing officers in their 40s at a disadvantage. Hundreds of officers will not meet the standards for offensive positions and will be forced to take lower-paying jobs at the Energy Department plants or will be let go, union officials said. "We're asking to be treated fairly," said Mike Stumbo , the council's president. Stumbo said the department's policy will accelerate turnover among younger officers who see little chance of completing a career at the plants. BWXT Pantex LLC, the Energy Department contractor with the largest guard force, said the company thinks many older officers and female officers "are fully capable" of meeting the physical standards. BWXT Pantex also said jobs are being identified for officers who do not meet the fitness standards. The company also said it will seek to negotiate a new contract with the guards union "that includes a competitive benefits package." The company reported a turnover rate of 6.7 percent for security officers in fiscal 2006, but Robert J. Lynch , president of the Pantex Guards Union, said his tally shows that about 10 percent of the guard force has left the Pantex plant this year. Lynch said the company has not told the union what it plans for older officers who cannot meet the fitness standards. Many union members would like to see the Bush administration reopen debate on whether they should be converted to federal employees, Stumbo said. That status would give them a greater chance at stable careers and retirement benefits, he said. "For our guys, the fundamental argument is, if we are asked to die or kill for our country, we should have the full measure and involvement of the government's support," Stumbo said. ***************************************************************** 23 Korea Times: Europeans Concerned About Seoul's Response Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Biz/Finance By Park Hyong-ki Staff Reporter European businesspeople voiced concerns over the future security of the Korean peninsula, following the U.N. Security Council¡¯s resolution to sanction North Korea as a result of the nuclear test conducted by the Stalinist state. A long-time German businessman in Seoul said that the situation is both shocking and critical, raising worries over regional relations and security. ``The situation seems to be unbelievable,¡¯¡¯ Friedrich Stockinger, president of a German manufacturer of lasers and machine tools, Trumpf Korea. ``It seems to be getting worse. But what I am most concerned about is how the South Korean government will respond to Proliferation Security Initiative as it has not given any clear answer regarding that issue and even on the U.N. sanctions on North Korea.¡¯¡¯ Stockinger added under such circumstances the company¡¯s business plans and operations remain the same despite escalating nuclear tension in the country. ``We will continue to do business with our partners and customers normally,¡¯¡¯ he stressed. ``We have no second thoughts about that for sure. I am just worried over how much we, including myself and the people of South Korea, are fully prepared for a worst-case scenario. The situation could get out of control.¡¯¡¯ The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK), in the meantime, said that it has no official comment yet regarding the latest situation. ``We will possibly announce our comments sometime next week,¡¯¡¯ said an official at EUCCK. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) said no winds of change have occurred in the country¡¯s inbound foreign direct investment (FDI). The ministry said it has received the details of 56 investment projects, valued at about $3.7 million, from foreign investors since Pyongyang¡¯s nuclear test. This is up from 46 projects of FDI reported during the same period a year ago. Major foreign commerce groups in Seoul like Amcham and EUCCK announced that they will not back down from their original investment plans for Korea, as the nuclear matter does not pose a grave threat, according to MOCIE. The ministry said that it will continue to make efforts to attract and work with foreign investors. phk@koreatimes.co.kr 10-18-2006 17:36 ***************************************************************** 24 Korea Times: Beijing Not Informed of 2nd Nuke Test Hankooki.com > The Korea Times China has not received any information on the possibility of an additional nuclear test by North Korea, the Yonhap News Agency in Seoul reported yesterday. ``Officials at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing said they confirmed that the Chinese government has received no information on it,'' a government official was quoted as saying, citing intelligence reports from the embassy. The U.S.' NBC News, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported that the North Korean military informed China that it plans to conduct a series of underground nuclear tests. A U.S. intelligence official speaking on condition of anonymity earlier told AFP that North Korea could conduct a test ``with little or no warning,'' but a decision to do so would be ``as much political as it is technical,'' the AFP reported. Activity detected at potential North Korean test sites may mean a second nuclear test is being prepared but not necessarily evident that the test is imminent, the official was quoted as saying. International pressure mounted early Wednesday on North Korea not to conduct a second nuclear test after Pyongyang said U.N. sanctions imposed after its first test on Oct. 9 were tantamount to a ``declaration of war,'' the report said. North Korea detonated a nuclear bomb on Oct. 9, and speculation has grown over whether or when the reclusive regime will conduct another nuclear test. U.S. spy satellites have detected some suspicious vehicle movements near the site where the North conducted the test, foreign media said. 10-18-2006 17:41 ***************************************************************** 25 Korea Times: Think Tank's Forecast Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Opinion Government Should Prepare for Worst-Case Scenario The Korea Development Institute has lowered next year¡¯s economic growth projection to 4.3 percent from its original 4.6 percent. That¡¯s disappointing but not necessarily a case for despair had the government think tank taken the nuclear factor into account. However, the KDI did not do so, saying the impact of the crisis is hard to estimate at this moment. Nonetheless, the state-financed body did not rule out the possibility of its forecast missing the mark by 0.5 percentage point or more, calling for proper preparation. A senior KDI fellow said if the economy maintains a 4 percent-range growth, no stimulus package would be needed. He seemed to be considering the fact the economy¡¯s growth potential - maximum expansion without touching off inflation _ has already fallen below 5 percent. This should be a cause for concern, as even academics, not to mention government policymakers, have started to take the shrunken potential for granted. And such a mentality could lead to a chronic low-growth era. Already, the economy has been faltering amid adverse overseas factors including a global economic slump and high oil prices. Worse yet, the Korean currency is now changing hands at less than 800 won for 100 Japanese yen. This means Korean exports will experience a sharp drop in price competitiveness against made-in-Japan products on global markets. Any setback in exports, the only remaining economic prop, will shake the foundation of the economy, coming on top of slow consumption and investment. The KDI suggested that Seoul should enhance the efficiency of the legal system and institutions, sign free trade agreements with more countries, and open the service sector wider to foreign competition for restructuring. These are sound words but based on a too long perspective. The idea of a major stimulus may be premature, but the government should focus on what it can do right now _ taking its omnipresent hands off the private sector. A small government may be far better an answer. Currently, the economy is trapped in a vicious circle of policy mistakes leading to uncertain business prospects and to sluggish investments. The KDI forecasts the nation¡¯s current account would reverse to a deficit for the first time since the financial crisis of the late 1990s, indicating the economy may require emergency management next year. Policymakers should also take heed of a private research institute¡¯s conclusion that the best economic policy now is to solidify the Korea-U.S. alliance. This means the government¡¯s policy focus should be on minimizing the nation¡¯s geopolitical risks to prevent the agitation of local and foreign investors. We hope even the lowered growth forecast will be met, instead of ending up as just wishful thinking, through the combined and consistent efforts of all government agencies and private businesses. 10-18-2006 19:04 ***************************************************************** 26 Korea Times: Rice's Visit Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Opinion Good Chance to Harmonize North Korean Policy U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice¡¯s planned visit to Seoul draws particular attention since it is being made when North Korea is apparently preparing for a second test of a nuclear weapon. She arrives here today as a leg of her Northeast tour which includes Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Moscow aimed at asking them for positive efforts to successfully enforce U.N. sanctions unanimously adopted last week. Her talks with President Roh Moo-hyun and other officials should be focused on harmonizing respective efforts to maximize the effect of the sanctions. Both sides need to lessen the gap in their perception on the tourism project at Mt. Kumgang and the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Rice seems determined to press Seoul for active participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to intercept ships to and from North Korea suspected of carrying materials needed for making weapons of mass destruction or missiles. Our government has already expressed hopes of continuing the two projects and a reluctance to take part in PSI for fear of causing armed conflict. But, the U.S. is asking us to fulfill our share of the role and responsibility as a U.N. member nation, emphasizing that every country in this region must share the burdens as well as the benefits of the common security. The U.S. vice president went so far as to threaten to encourage Japan to develop nuclear weapon to pressure China into taking part in deterring Pyongyang from its nuclear bid. Moreover, Pyongyang has reportedly informed China yesterday of its plan to conduct a second nuclear test shortly. North Korea is widely seen to be in need of second detonation because its earlier test was widely considered to be only a partial success. It is not strange for the North to conduct a second test to prove their nuclear capability more clearly. We are apparently facing the unprecedented situation of confronting a nuclear-armed North Korea. However, we have no means of confronting nuclear weapons except by relying on the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Despite the mounting nuclear threat from Pyongyang, our government has failed to clarify its course of action and instead is hovering on the brink of either changing or maintaining the engagement policy. The political community is also bitterly divided between those asking to slap the North with severe sanctions and others supporting the continuation of engagement. The lack of a clear-cut government attitude in the face of the nuclear crisis makes people bewildered and feeling uneasy. The North has threatened to hit back at any country trying to impose U.N. sanctions. This is a good chance for us to solidify our unity with Washington and other countries in this region. We believe that the differences between the two nations over the intensity of the sanctions to be imposed could be narrowed through consultation under the common recognition that firm unity is prerequisite to overcoming the crisis. 10-18-2006 19:05 ***************************************************************** 27 Korea Times: Modern Times Koguryo and Silla Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Opinion Dear editor The current situation in the Korean Peninsula reminds me of Korea more than 1,000 years ago. At that time, Korea was split into three kingdoms. North Korea was occupied by Koguryo. The people of Koguryo were very militaristic. They were always looking for ways to improve their combat skills and weaponry. It is just like the North Korea today, where the military plays an important role in everyday life. At that time, China was a superpower. The Han Dynasty did not want Koguryo to enter the Iron Age, but the Koguryo Kingdom defied them and soon learned to make iron. It is like North Korea today; when the superpowers like the U.S. and China tell the North Koreans not to go nuclear, they went ahead and made a nuclear weapon. The people of Koguryo seemed to do whatever they pleased to improve their civilization without showing any respect to the superpower of their time. Is that not like North Korea today? The Koguryo people fought against China and never gave the Chinese proper respect. They even defeated the Sui Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty sent in 300,000 troops to capture Pyongyang, but only 3,000 troops survived the journey home. It led to the downfall of the Sui Dynasty. They also believe in mystical births. Koguryo believe that their founder, Jumong, came from an egg. The North Koreans today believe their leader, Kim Jong-il, came from Mt. Paektu. The Silla and Paekje kingdoms in South Korea, on the other hand, were less militaristic. They were also more willing to form alliances with foreign powers. The Paekje Kingdom once formed an alliance with Japan to attack Koguryo. The Silla formed an alliance with the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Together, the government of Silla and the government of Tang succeeded in destroying the Koguryo civilization, and the Tang Dynasty captured Koguryo territory. Although Silla later tried to get them back, Tang dynasty succeeded in keeping a large portion of Koguryo land. I find it ironic that North Koreans still share many of the traits of the Koguryo people, and South Koreans still share many of the traits of the Silla people. Back then, Silla aligned itself with the Tang Dynasty as today South Korea aligns itself with the U.S. North Koreans are just like their Koguryo ancestors, still living a militaristic and independent life. I would like to know what we could learn from the history of the Koguryo and Silla-Tang wars. I think the events of the period will provide us with a blueprint for dealing with the situation we face today. Che Det Malaysia 10-18-2006 19:58 ***************************************************************** 28 Korea Times: World Should Condemn Nuclear Test - Yunus Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Nation INCHON (Yonhap) _ Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus said Wednesday the whole world should censure North Korea for its recent nuclear test. ¡°The recent nuclear test by North Korea is what the entire world must rebuke in unison,¡± Yunus said during a news conference at Incheon (Inchon) International Airport. ¡°It¡¯s wrong for any country in the world to have a nuclear weapon and the world must coordinate efforts not to possess one.¡± Yunus arrived in Seoul to receive the 8th Seoul Peace Prize from the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation. He said North Korea¡¯s poverty was caused by the communist state¡¯s wrong systems and policies. ¡°I will talk much (about this) if I have a chance to talk with North Korea.¡± 10-18-2006 22:56 ***************************************************************** 29 AFP: North Korea has informed China of future nuclear tests - report - Wed Oct 18, 9:13 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - The North Korean military has informed China that it plans to conduct a series of underground nuclear tests, NBC News reported, citing unnamed US officials. A US intelligence official speaking on condition of anonymity earlier told AFP that North Korea " /> North Koreacould conduct a test "with little or no warning," but a decision to do so would be "as much political as it is technical." Activity detected at potential North Korean test sites may mean a second nuclear test is being prepared but not necessarily evidence that the test is imminent, the official said. International pressure mounted early Wednesday on North Korea not to conduct a second nuclear test after Pyongyang said UN sanctions imposed after its first test on October 9 were tantamount to a "declaration of war." Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 30 AFP: Japan urges world to maintain dialogue with NKorea Wed Oct 18, 9:46 AM ET TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's foreign minister told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice " /> that the world must not close the door on diplomacy with North Korea " /> , an official said. Japan has strongly backed the US push to enforce sanctions on North Korea, which last week said it tested its first atom bomb. But Foreign Minister Taro Aso, meeting with Rice at the start of her four-nation tour of North Korea's neighbors, said that diplomacy remained the goal. "The objective is not sanctions in themselves -- it's an end to its nuclear program," Aso told Rice, as quoted by a Japanese foreign ministry official present at the talks. "So we should keep open the window of dialogue and call for the unconditional resumption of six-party talks," Aso was quoted as saying. North Korea walked out of six-nation talks nearly a year ago in protest of US sanctions on a bank accused of laundering and counterfeiting money for the regime. The talks had just two months earlier reached an agreement in general terms for North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security and aid guarantees. The White House has rejected calls for direct talks between the United States and North Korea, saying Washington would stick with the six-party negotiations that also group North and South Korea " /> , China, Japan and Russia. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 31 AFP: On eve of US visit, Seoul defends NKorea policy by Park Chan-Kyong Wed Oct 18, 10:19 AM ET SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea " /> defended its engagement with North Korea " /> , saying it would not let the outside world set its policies on the eve of a US visit aimed at tightening the screws on Pyongyang. With US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice " /> due in Seoul on Thursday, part of a diplomatic push to enforce new UN sanctions over the North's nuclear test, a top official insisted there should be better relations with the North. "We shouldn't try to be out of step with the international community just for the sake of it," said Song Min-Soon, security advisor to South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun " /> . "But if we leave our fate in the hands of the United Nations " /> just for the sake of falling in step with the international community, it would amount to giving up our own destiny," he said, quoted by Yonhap news agency. South Korea loudly welcomed the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council after the North tested an atom bomb on October 9. But North Korea has warned it sees the sanctions as a "declaration of war," and its southern neighbour worries tough enforcement could worsen hardship in the impoverished North or spark armed clashes. In particular, Roh's government has said it will continue two joint ventures in North Korea -- a tourist site and industrial complex -- that have provided Pyongyang with almost a billion dollars since 1998. The US point-man on North Korea, Christopher Hill, said Tuesday that the Mount Kumgang tourist site "seems to be designed to give more money to the North Korean authorities," adding that it was only his personal opinion. But the comments raised concerns that Rice would press South Korea to close the site. While many South Koreans are angry that their money may have paid for the nuclear weapons across the border, there is also a strong desire to help poor Northerners and reunite a nation divided by the Cold War six decades ago. "We don't say we will stop inter-Korean projects," Song said. He said the government would "readjust and review" them. He also urged the North, which says it needs nuclear weapons to deter an attack by the United States, to build warmer relations with the South. "For North Korea, security can be found only in one way -- that's through inter-Korean ties and engaging in exchanges and cooperation with it," Song said. "In that case, no country would dare hit the North." Former South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung -- who won the Nobel Peace Prize after developing the "sunshine policy" of engaging the North -- said the UN sanctions could prompt the North to sell nuclear know-how to Iran " /> . The United States wants to keep atomic and other weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of anti-US groups and governments, and Rice will ask Seoul to play a full part in a grouping which could inspect North Korean cargo shipments. South Korean officials have indicated they will not. Ahead of Rice's visit, top officials from the government, ruling party and the president's office will meet to finalise Seoul's position on the range of sanctions against its neighbour, Yonhap said. Prime Minister Han Myung-sook will meet top officials from the Uri Party and the president's office at Han's residence early Thursday, Yonhap said citing unnamed sources. Amid rising tensions over the North's weapons test, the regime Tuesday staged a mass torch-lit parade in Pyongyang to fete Kim Jong-Il, who is known as the country's "Dear Leader." In the intricately choreographed display, shown on South Korean television Wednesday, crowds formed the number 80 to mark the 80th anniversary of the "Down With Imperialism Union." The Union was founded by Kim's father Kim Il-Sung to fight Japanese rule in 1926 and is considered to be the historical foundation of North Korea's ruling party. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 32 UPI: Commentary: Dr. Strangelove's nukes United Press International - Intl. Intelligence - 10/18/2006 10:52:00 AM -0400 By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE UPI Editor at Large WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Neither Stalin nor Mao nor Hitler came close to George Orwell's blueprint for a hierarchical world tyranny. The gold medalist in Orwell's "1984" Hades-on-earth sweepstakes, beyond Stalin's wildest excesses, is diminutive Kim Jong-il whose Mao suits, elevator shoes and Elvis-style bouffant hair only enhance his wicked gnome-like figure. Judging by the crates of French cognac and Scotch whisky that are shipped in via Japan, and Mercedes sedans with smoked windows, a handful of high-ranking Kim rogues live high on a starving hog. They had no compunction letting two million of their people starve to death in the 1990s. Back in 1983, Kim Il-sung, picked personally by Stalin after World War II to rule the new Soviet puppet state, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, assigned his son Kim Jong-il to organize the liquidation of the South Korean government. The plot fell a little short of the objective. The terrorist bomb he organized to explode at Rangoon's Martyr's Mausoleum murdered only five South Korean ministers on a state visit to Burma and 15 of a lesser rank. President Chun Doo Hwan survived. In Aug. 1976, North Korean soldiers, armed with pipes and axes, bludgeoned and hacked to death two American officers supervising the pruning of a 100-foot poplar tree in the Joint Security Area along the Demilitarized Zone. The "Ax Murder Incident" triggered the largest military build-up on the Korean peninsula by the United States since the end of the Korean War in 1953. The USS Midway was deployed and fighter jets and bombers moved to South Korean bases from Okinawa. Three days later, the U.S. retaliated with combat engineers, flanked by a company of infantrymen, and protected by AH-1 Cobra gunships, B-52 and F-111 bombers, who went in and cut the tree down. Suffering from acute paranoia about non-existent U.S. plans for regime change, Pyongyang is prone to quickly escalate minor incidents. For four years (1994-98), from two to three million North Koreans died of starvation and hunger related illnesses. Those caught attempting to escape across the Yalu River into China were executed at first and later confined to a Korean gulag for reeducation. South Korea's "sunshine policy" of aid and limited investment clearly failed to prevent, or even slow down, the North's nuclear weapons and missile delivery effort, culminating in a nuclear test. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, according to a South Korean executive who met for over two hours late last year with Kim Jong-il, convinced the little dictator that only a crash program to test a nuclear device would deter the United States from invading a charter member of president Bush's "axis of evil." South Korea, China, Japan and Russia are firmly convinced North Korea would be more dangerous breaking up than as the world's 9th nuclear power. Their principal fear is a total collapse of the regime, like Ceaucescu's Romania in 1989, that would touch off a stampede of millions heading south across the DMZ and north across the Yalu River. Reunification of the Korean peninsula would easily outrun the staggering $1 trillion cost of German reunification. East Germany, unlike North Korea, had the infrastructure of a modern industrial state, albeit inferior to West Germany's. The leftovers of Kim Jong-il's totalitarian prison would be a wasteland with no infrastructure. Everything would have to be built from scratch. It's the vision of such a North Korean meltdown that makes China and South Korea reluctant to tighten the U.N.-approved sanctions screws. Seoul is groping for a hard to find balance between preserving key parts of its "Sunshine Policy" and accommodating U.S. pressure for pain that will be felt in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-il's description of sanctions as "tantamount to a declaration of war" is designed to cause divisions in the U.N. Security Council's united front. While China has opted to simply glance at the contents of hundreds of trucks heading over the bridge into North Korea to make sure no military equipment is being smuggled. There was no proper search. Pyongyang's riposte to the U.N. resolution was to hasten preparations for a second nuclear explosion. U.S. plans to search North Korean ships on the high seas could easily lead to North Korea lobbing a few artillery shells or short-range missiles over the DMZ into South Korea. It could also cause widespread sabotage as it maintains sleeper cells all over South Korea. Direct U.S. retaliation with a few bombs dropped on North Korea's nuclear facilities would probably be the next step. Air strikes against North Korea, like air strikes against Iran's nuclear installations, could quickly escalate into regional upheavals. Pyongyang has 11,000 artillery tubes and missile launchers just north of the DMZ capable of turning large sections of Seoul into rubble. China, whose army fought alongside North Korea's against the United States half a century ago, is still Pyongyang's only foreign friend. Verbally at least, China would most probably side with the North while sitting out the fireworks. As North Korea doubtless assesses the geopolitical equation, a 2nd nuclear test would accelerate the diplomatic track that brings the Bush administration to conclude that direct talks with Pyongyang would be the better part of valor. But those favoring a hard-line in Washington do not agree. They believe sanctions will bite. But what will they achieve? The world's 9th nuclear power is not about to give it all up and return to the non-proliferation treaty. Iran, soon to become the 10th nuclear power, is unlikely to jettison 20 years of secret efforts for a package of Western carrots. So either we learn to live with a North Korean and Iranian bomb -- or we turn to preemptive air strikes to retard both programs by five to ten years. In the light of what is rapidly becoming an Iraqi disaster, military options would seem to be few and far between. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 33 UPI: Australia worried about North Korean nukes United Press International - Security &Terrorism - 10/18/2006 10:06:00 AM -0400 CANBERRA, Australia, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- A Canberra-based analyst is warning that North Korea may possibly use a ship to smuggle its nuclear weapons into foreign ports. The delivery of nuclear weapons by sea has long concerned physicists and analysts: When Albert Einstein warned U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the possibility of developing nuclear weapons in 1939, he wrote that they might possibly be delivered by ship. The Age reported Oct. 16 that Australian Strategic Policy Institute physicist and analyst Andrew Davies said the crude weapon recently tested by North Korea appeared to be "a bit of a dud in terms of its yield," adding, "I think the most realistic delivery mechanism they've got is to float one into a harbor with either a ship or a submarine." Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that Australia's government was still considering how to support the recent United Nations Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea, and had not yet decided whether Australian warships would assist in the enforcing the sanctions. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 34 UPI: Chinese official visits N. Korea United Press International - NewsTrack - 10/18/2006 12:22:00 PM -0400 PYONGYANG, North Korea, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- A Chinese official, who earlier visited the United States and Russia as his president's envoy, is in North Korea, presumably for talks on the nuclear issue. Japan's Kyodo news agency, quoting Chinese sources, reported State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan's visit comes at a time when speculation is growing that North Korea may be planning a second nuclear test. The U.N. Security Council has adopted a resolution against the North for diplomatic and economic sanctions as punishment for its first nuclear test. Although China has opposed North Korea's nuclear tests and supported the U.N. sanctions, it has also said the issue must be resolved ''in a cool-headed manner.'' Earlier, Chinese President Hu Jintao told a visiting delegation of Japanese lawmakers that he regretted that North Korea conducted its nuclear test despite China's warnings against it. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 35 [NYTr] Follow the leader: Welcome to the nuclear club! Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:32:21 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Green Left Weekly - Oct 18, 2006 issue http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/687/687p12b.htm Follow the leader: Welcome to the nuclear club! by Norman Solomon Moments after hearing about North Korea's nuclear test, I thought of Albert Einstein's statement that "there is no secret and there is no defence; there is no possibility of control except through the aroused understanding and insistence of the peoples of the world". During the six decades since Einstein spoke, experience has shown that such understanding and insistence cannot be filtered through the grid of hypocrisy. Nuclear weapons can't be controlled by saying, in effect, "do as we say, not as we do". By developing their own nuclear weaponry, one nation after another has replied to the nuclear-armed states: Whatever you say, we'll do as you've done. In early summer, with some fanfare, officials in Washington announced the dismantling of the last W56 nuclear warhead -- a 1.2 megaton model from the 1960s. Self-congratulation was in the air, as a statement hailed "our firm commitment to reducing the size of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile to the lowest levels necessary for national security needs". That's the kind of soothing PR that we've been getting ever since the nuclear age began. Right now, the US government has upwards of 10,000 nuclear bombs and warheads in its arsenal. And -- as the Washington Post uncritically reported the same week as the announcement about the end of the W56 warhead -- Congress and the White House are resolutely moving ahead with plans for "a new generation of US nuclear weapons" under the rubric of the Reliable Replacement Warhead program: "The nation's two nuclear weapons design centers, the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories, are competing to design the first RRW.... A second RRW design competition may provide an opportunity to the losing lab." For more than 50 years, Washington has preached the global virtues of "peaceful" nuclear power reactors -- while denying their huge inherent dangers and their crucial role in proliferating nuclear weaponry. The denial meant that people and the environment would suffer all along the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining to nuclear waste; and that the 1979 disaster at Three Mile Island would be followed by the continuing horrors of Chernobyl. In recent decades, the denial has also spread nuclear weapons across the planet. Israel, India, Pakistan, North Korea can thank the apostles of the nuclear-power gospel -- and the companion profiteers of nuclear exports -- for the technological pipeline that has funnelled the capacity to develop nuclear weapons. President Dwight Eisenhower's delusional and deluding speech to the UN General Assembly on December 8, 1953, now has a macabre echo: "The United States pledges before you -- and therefore before the world -- its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma -- to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life." Running parallel to the mendacious career of the "peaceful atom", US foreign policy has hit new lows during the last several years. The invasion of Iraq, on the pretext of non-existent WMDs, sent a powerful message. If the US government was inclined to launch an attack before a country had the capability to generate a mushroom cloud, then the country would be protected from such attack by developing nuclear weapons as soon as possible. Coupled with the contempt for genuine diplomacy that the Bush administration has repeatedly shown, Washington's eagerness to use military might has fuelled the dangers of a nuclear-weapons standoff with North Korea. Two of the sacred axioms of the Bush regime -- secrecy and violence -- cannot solve this problem and in fact can only make it worse. Einstein was correct; with nuclear weapons, "there is no secret and there is no defence". As for "the aroused understanding and insistence of the peoples of the world" -- that will need to come from us. Starting now. Rest assured that while President George Bush was at a podium in the White House on October 9 denouncing the North Korean nuclear test as a "provocative act", his deputy chief of staff Karl Rove was hard at work fine-tuning plans for a rhetorical onslaught linking this crisis to the "war on terror". Bush was already laying the groundwork for such an effort as he spoke -- warning of "a grave threat to the United States" if North Korea gives nuclear-related technology to "any state or non-state actor". For the next four weeks, the Bush administration will do its best to exploit the North Korean nuclear test to stave off a loss of the Republican majority in Congress. We should not allow those efforts to obscure how Bush's reckless record has heightened the nuclear dangers for everyone. Originally published by Counterpunch http://www.counterpunch.org>. Norman Solomon is San Francisco-based Institute for Public Accuracy and the author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death] * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 36 [NYTr] [southnews] Jorge Hirsch: Voting against nuclear war with Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:20:01 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: olm.blythe-systems.com X-Spam-filter-host: mx.junkemailfilter.com - http://www.junkemailfilter.com X-Spam-Class: HAM Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit >From imap-return-18477-nyt=blythe.org@chumbly.math.missouri.edu Tue Oct 17 21:25:35 2006 Return-Path: Received: from olm.blythe-systems.com (root@localhost) by blythe.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id k9I1PVg20041 for ; Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:25:31 -0400 X-ClientAddr: 128.206.49.181 Received: from chumbly.math.missouri.edu (chumbly.math.missouri.edu [128.206.49.181]) by olm.blythe-systems.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with SMTP id k9I1PUV20036 for ; Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:25:30 -0400 Received: (qmail 8335 invoked by alias); 18 Oct 2006 01:26:21 -0000 Mailing-List: contact imap-help@chumbly.math.missouri.edu; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: Delivered-To: mailing list imap@chumbly.math.missouri.edu Received: (qmail 8327 invoked from network); 18 Oct 2006 01:26:21 -0000 Received-SPF: none (chumbly.math.missouri.edu: domain at pencil.math.missouri.edu does not designate permitted sender hosts) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:24:52 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <200610180124.k9I1OqAT071229@pencil.math.missouri.edu> Organization: South Movement From: Dave Muller Subject: [southnews] Jorge Hirsch: Voting against nuclear war with Iran Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive Followup-To: alt.activism.d Approved: map@pencil.math.missouri.edu To: undisclosed-recipients:; X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.87.1/2040/Tue Oct 17 12:34:55 2006 on pencil.math.missouri.edu X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Virus: No X-Virus-AV: F-Prot program 4.4.4 / engine 3.14.11 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on olm.blythe-systems.com X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-4.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=2.63 X-Spam-Level: The outcome of the November election is likely to determine whether or not the US goes to war with Iran before President Bush leaves office. Voting against nuclear war with Iran By Jorge Hirsch 10/16/06 "Information Clearing House " -- -- The outcome of the November election is likely to determine whether or not the US goes to war with Iran before President Bush leaves office. For multiple reasons recounted below such war will with very high probability include the US use of tactical nuclear weapons. In casting or not casting a vote in November, each of us will contribute to determine events of potential consequences immensely larger than local taxes, illegal immigration or even the Iraq war. Crossing the nuclear threshold in a war against Iran will trigger a chain reaction that in weeks, years or decades could lead with high probability to global nuclear war and widespread destruction of life on the planet. The Bush administration has radically redefined America's nuclear use policy [1], [2]: US nuclear weapons are no longer regarded as qualitatively different from conventional weapons. Many actions of the administration in recent years strongly suggest that an imminent US nuclear use is being planned for, and this was confirmed by Bush's explicit refusal to rule out a US nuclear strike against Iran. We have all been put on notice. The fact that North Korea is now a nuclear country does not change the agenda - quite the contrary. There were fears that the US would use nuclear weapons in the Iraq attack [1], [2], which did not materialize, hence some will argue that the current fears of nuclear use against Iran may not materialize either. Some will argue that there were many other occasions in the past 60 years where the US appeared to come close to using nuclear weapons and did not [1], [2], that the threshold for using nuclear weapons always was and remains extraordinarily high, and that the US nuclear "saber rattling" is just trickery to scare our opponents ( "madman theory"). These arguments are wrong. The US is much closer than it has ever been since Nagasaki to using nuclear weapons again. This year for the first time in its history the American Physical Society, representing 40,000 members of the profession that created nuclear weapons, issued a statement of deep concern on this matter: "The American Physical Society is deeply concerned about the possible use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and for pre-emptive counter-proliferation purposes". In the case of Iraq, our adversary was so weak that there was no way a US nuclear weapon use could have been justified in the eyes of the world. Iran is different: it possesses missiles that could strike US forces in Iraq and the Persian Gulf as well as Israeli cities, and a large conventional army. 150,000 US soldiers in Iraq will be at great risk if war with Iran erupts, and Americans will support a nuclear strike on Iran once the administration creates a situation where it can argue that such action will save a large number of American or allies' lives. In previous US wars, nuclear use did not occur because it carried an unacceptably high risk of triggering a nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union or China [1], [2], [3]. Because North Korea appears to have now a nuclear deterrent, and because of the possibility that China could get involved, there is no danger that the US will attack North Korea. In fact, Bush will use the fact that North Korea has joined the nuclear club, and charges that he was not "tough enough" on North Korea, as an argument to "justify" attacking Iran before it achieves that status, notwithstanding the fact that unlike North Korea Iran has stated no intention to follow that path nor is there any evidence that it is doing so. The nuclearization of North Korea only helps the plan to nuke Iran, which is why the administration did everything it could to encourage it. No nuclear country is likely to intervene nor threaten to intervene when the US uses nuclear weapons against Iran, hence there is no military deterrent to such use. The US has now achieved vast nuclear superiority, and is about to demonstrate to the world that its 5-trillion nuclear arsenal is not "unusable". The US Nuclear Posture The Bush administration has made sweeping changes in the nuclear weapons policy of the United States during the past 5 years, singlehandedly without consulting Congress nor the American people [1], [2], [3]. Under the name of "New Triad", the key concept is "integration" of conventional and nuclear forces. Don't be fooled by the rhetoric stating that it means that some missions previously assigned to nuclear forces will be taken over by conventional forces. What it really means is "a seamless web of capabilities": there is no longer a sharp line, a sharp distinction, between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons. Why should there be such a sharp line? Because, as a newly set up website from the Department of Defense kindly explains, "weight for weight, the energy produced by a nuclear explosion is millions of times more powerful than a conventional explosion". Consequently, it shouldn't be difficult to understand, even for a Yale C-student, that a nuclear conflict that gets out of hand will take a million times more lives than a conventional conflict. The last global conventional conflict took over 50 million lives. What is the benefit of making such policy declarations? The US has never ruled out the use of nuclear weapons, and it carries a cost to remind other countries of this fact, since it provides an incentive for others to develop nuclear capability. There is no benefit in openly announcing such ominous policy changes, unless the intention is to put them into practice. Just like Bush announced in 2002 that "the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively" in preparation for the "preemptive" attack on Iraq. The aforementioned Department of Defense website on "nuclear matters" states that "there are a number of arms control agreements restricting the deployment and use of nuclear weapons, but there is no conventional or customary international law that prohibits nations from employing nuclear weapons in armed conflict". That statement defines the "rules" by which the U.S. government plays. No matter that it ignores (and the website's list of "arms control agreements" also doesn't mention it) the "negative security assurance" issued by the US in 1978 and reaffirmed in 1995 promising not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states. Nor that it ignores the 1996 ruling of the International Court of Justice. The reason the changes in declaratory policy were made is to gauge public opinion, and to prepare the public for the implementation of this policy. Because reaction to these radical statements [1], [2], [3], [4] unfortunately has been rather muted, the administration will be able to claim that the American people by and large have embraced the new nuclear doctrine of "integration" of nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities" and approve of the use of nuclear weapons when they provide "the most efficient use of force". The November vote may be your last chance to disagree. The Rumsfeld "downsizing" transformation The changes in nuclear doctrine did not occur in a vacuum. They were accompanied by a strong push by the White House to develop new and more usable nuclear weapons, and they are intimately tied and go hand in hand with Rumsfeld's "transformation" of the military [1]. The overarching goal of this transformation is "downsizing" [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. What Rumsfeld did as CEO of Searle, he set out to do for the US military. As Time Magazine reported in its Aug. 20, 1945 issue right after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, "One hundred and twenty-three planes, each bearing a single atomic bomb, would carry as much destructive power as all the bombs (2,453,595 tons) dropped by the Allies on Europe during the war". And this was before hydrogen bombs. To the extent that the US military will be able to replace conventional weapons by nuclear weapons to carry out its missions, it will have achieved the ultimate "downsizing". That in a nutshell is the key to Rumsfeld's "transformation of the military", everything else is window-dressing. The principal vehicle to achieve this transformation is the radical redefinition of the mission of USSTRATCOM, one of the nine U.S. Unified Combatant Commands. Before Rumsfeld, STRATCOM's sole mission was nuclear deterrence and if necessary the use of nuclear weapons. Since 2001, "USSTRATCOM' nuclear focus broadened considerably with the latest Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)". Now it is a "global integrator charged with the missions of full-spectrum global strike...", and provides "a range of options, both nuclear and non-nuclear, relevant to the threat and military operations". And it is in particular "the lead Combatant Command for integration and synchronization of DoD-wide efforts in combating weapons of mass destruction". A supporting role will be played by the expanded USSOCOM, US Special Operations Command, providing Rumsfeld with convenient "intelligence" and covert operations capabilities. The new nuclear doctrine is the software, the new USSTRATCOM is the hardware, and Rumsfeld is the driver, for the "downsizing" program that is about to be launched. Brace yourself. There have been many voices across the political spectrum calling for Rumsfeld's resignation for the botched Iraq war [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], yet he "retains the full confidence" of Bush. Why? Because Rumsfeld cannot be fired until he demolishes the "nuclear taboo" barrier, by detonating a small tactical nuclear weapon against a US enemy. The US military is reluctant to even consider the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, because it would provoke "an outcry over what would be the first use of a nuclear weapon in a conflict since Nagasaki". Only after a small tactical nuclear weapons strike against Natanz or another Iranian facility will such a barrier no longer exist for future US nuclear threats and uses, and Rumsfeld's transformation will be a fait accompli. Why is "downsizing" the military so important to the PNAC crowd? Because the American public has no stomach for a draft nor large losses of American military personnel. If it becomes possible to wage war "on the cheap", without loss of American life, and in the process we can lower the price of oil and spread "liberty" across the world, opposition will be muted. Public opinion on the Iraq war was not turned by the enormous number of Iraqi lives lost (of which there isn't even an effort to keep a count), it is only affected by the number of American lives lost. How it will happen "The decision as to the employment of atomic weapons in the event of war is to be made by the Chief Executive when he considers such decision to be required" according to NSC 30 from 1948. According to the Goldwater-Nichols Act, the chain of command flows from the President through the Secretary of Defense to the geographic combatant commanders. If Gen. John Abizaid (CENTCOM commander) or Gen. James Cartwright (STRATCOM commander) ask authorization from President Bush to use nuclear weapons, following the guidelines in the Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations, what will Bush's response be? As he often repeats, "I'm going to be listening to the people that know what they're talking about, and that's the commanders on the ground in Iraq. They'll make the decisions". The commanders on the ground will be driven by what they perceive to be the immediate military necessity, without regard to the larger issues such as the survival of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Congress will not be asked in advance to authorize the Iran war. Congress has already declared, in passing H.R.6198, that Iran should be held accountable "for its threatening behavior" (which merely consists in Iran's refusal to give up its rights under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty). The Iran war is likely to start with selected bombing of a few Iranian facilities. Recall that on October 3rd, 2002, over 5 months before the US invasion of Iraq, we learned that "Coalition forces this morning struck an Iraqi air defense center after a coalition plane in the area dropping leaflets was fired upon, defense officials said". On December 16, 1998, Clinton informed the American people that "Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors". Neither of these operations, nor many other US military operations, were done with Congressional authorization. Bush will threaten Iran with a massive attack if it responds to such a bombing. Iran will certainly respond, and Bush will proclaim that this constitutes Iranian "aggression" against the US, and that Iran has "chosen" war. It will be less farfetched than in the case of Iraq, where Bush stated shortly before the US invasion "war is upon us because Saddam Hussein has made that choice" (speech of March 6, 2003), and as the US was about to attack on March 17, 2003 "Should Saddam Hussein choose confrontation, the American people can know that every measure has been taken to avoid war". Once war with Iran has started, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their hand-picked nuclear advisors will find plenty of convenient "surprising military developments" to seize on to "justify" the use of nuclear weapons. Consequences The nuclear weapons that the administration is planning to use against Iran are low yield earth penetrating weapons expected to cause "reduced collateral damage". Their real purpose is not to destroy facilities that are too deep underground to be destroyed by conventional weapons: it is primarily to erase the nuclear taboo, and secondarily to shock-and-awe Iran into surrender. Of course the potentially disastrous consequences of this action cannot be overestimated. Once the US has used its nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear country signatory of the NPT, the NPT will fall apart. Many more countries will strive to develop and test nuclear weapons, overtly or covertly, as North Korea has just done. With no longer a nuclear taboo many more countries will feel entitled to use their nuclear weapons in aggression against or to defend against aggression from nuclear and non-nuclear adversaries. Military conflicts inevitably lead to escalation, and they usually end only when one side prevails. That is not how a global nuclear conflict will end. If the US attacks Iran and does not use nuclear weapons, it will incur military losses that will vastly outweigh any benefit of such war. If there is no Iran war, the Bush presidency will be remembered predominantly for the disastrous Iraq war. Crossing the nuclear threshold will overshadow all other events of the Bush presidency. To the (however unlikely) extent that it results in an advantage to America, Bush's achievement could conceivably be hailed by future generations. The "rational" choice for the administration is clear. Like desperate gamblers in a losing streak, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have nothing to gain and everything to lose by not attacking Iran with nuclear weapons. Why the November vote matters On November 7th, 33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats will be contested. There are many reasons why even Republicans may wish that one or both Houses are won by Democrats, and the prospect of nuclear war should be a dominant one. The President can legally order the use of nuclear weapons under any circumstance without asking Congress. However, Congress could block the authority of the President to order the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon countries by passing legislation under Article I, Sect. 8, Clause 14 of the Constitution to "make rules for the government and regulation" of the Armed Forces. If Congress passed such a law (see an example for a bill here), it would in practice also impede a conventional attack on Iran. Congress may also find other ways to derail a presidential push towards using nuclear weapons, for example by demanding that the Administration publicly discloses plans or preparatory moves such as deployment of nuclear weapons in the Persian Gulf. Which Congress is more likely to do this, a Republican or a Democratic one? Only Democratic congressmembers, however weakly, have questioned the wisdom of the new US nuclear weapons policies [1], [2], [3]. Not a single Republican in Congress has, nor have they questioned the fact that the nuclear option against Iran is "on the table". This is not to say that Republican candidates would necessarily approve of the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, in fact many if not most are likely to oppose it. And some Democratic candidates may be more hawkish than Republicans in regard to Iran [1], [2], [3]. However, the principle of "party discipline" applies to both Republicans and Democrats. And the administration that is planning to use nuclear weapons against Iran is Republican. No matter how wise, moral, resolute, and independent of Bush a Republican candidate appears to be, when push comes to shove he/she is more likely than not to vote the party line. In the current Congress, as reported by the non-partisan Hill Monitor website, Republican senators voted for the White House position 92.57% of the time, Democratic senators only 54.56%. In the House, the respective numbers are 88.50% and 40.99%. On the October 2002 vote requested by the White House authorizing the Iraq attack, a single Republican senator opposed it, versus 21 Democrats; in the House, only 6 Republicans opposed it, versus 126 Democrats. A US attack on Iran will lead to the US use of nuclear weapons and will be disastrous for America. It is the path that Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, with the advice of Kissinger [1], [2], are hell-bent on pursuing. A military takeover of government is not likely, and military refusal to carry out immoral orders is uncertain at best. Congress has a role to play, perhaps the most important one in its history, and a Republican Congress is likely to rubberstamp any White House plan on Iran. Voting Republican in November is voting to wage nuclear war. Jorge Hirsch is a Professor of Physics at the University of California at San Diego, a fellow of the American Physical Society, and organizer of a recent petition, circulated among leading physicists, opposing the new nuclear weapons policies adopted by the US in the past 5 years. He is a frequent commentator on Iran and nuclear weapons. Email to: jorgehirsch@yahoo.com http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article15318.htm * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 37 Pasadena Star-News: Wrong about hydrogen fuel Article Launched:10/17/2006 09:00:00 PM PDT It disturbs me that the Star-News would publish the wad of misinformation parading as some kind of lecture by letter writer Harold Thompson (Oct. 6, "Your view"). Virtually everything he wrote is either completely wrong or so incomplete as to be meaningless. For example, Thompson's notion that the number of atoms in the universe is fixed along with the Earth's portion thereof, is hilariously wrong. The nuclear reactions that power the universe consume, destroy and create uncountable numbers of atoms every second. On Earth, radioactivity, cosmic ray collisions with matter, nuclear reactors, fusion and fission nuclear weapons all consume or create atoms by altering the atomic nucleus. Sunlight comes from such reactions - this is taught in elementary school! After an error of that magnitude, why would anyone assign any credibility at all to what Thompson wrote? His errors on global warming and hydrogen fuels are particularly bad, as they advance popular misconceptions that can result in poor public policy like the emissions bill just signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Contrary to Thompson, it is not known whether increased atmospheric carbon dioxide can cause global warming. It is rather amusing that he seems unaware of acknowledging this himself when he says "science is proving" it - agreement that it is currently unproven. The 0.5 degree Celsius increase in atmospheric temperature in the past century is not at all unusual by geologic standards that considerably predate fossil fuel consumption. The statement (as fact) of weather disruption from global warming is completely foundationless, although currently a popular notion. The assertion that the atmosphere is being "robbed" of oxygen sounds dramatic but is just more twaddle. If this is speculation about oxygen migrating through combustion to carbon dioxide, consider that oxygen makes up 21 percent of the atmosphere; carbon dioxide makes up far less at 0.04 percent. The last few decades' increase in carbon dioxide is approximately .01 percent by the same measure. Even if all the extra carbon dioxide came from atmospheric oxygen (it doesn't), it would "deplete" 0.05 percent of the oxygen. This, with a substantial overestimate, qualifies as "robbing" the atmosphere? The natural variability of oxygen dwarfs this tiny effect. The National Academy of Sciences this summer renounced support for the conclusions of the much ballyhooed original report by Michael Mann on global warming. Specifically, the reconstruction of historical temperatures (pre-1600s) was found to be too inaccurate to allow the report's conclusions. There were other serious flaws, almost all of which, for some reason, erred in a way that would increase the predicted temperatures. Hydrogen fuel, per Thompson, is just the item to put nature back in balance. The fuel cycle of hydrogen is from water, dissociation into oxygen and hydrogen, then combustion back to water. Even a perfect process for this cycle - banned by the second law of thermodynamics - requires as much energy as it consumes for a net of zero. A real process must consume energy - so there is a net loss. If the free hydrogen is removed to be used as fuel, the entire energy yield of the fuel must also be supplied from some other source. Further, hydrogen has to be highly compressed to be comparable to gasoline, which means large, heavy tanks (gas cylinders), estimated to triple the total weight of a passenger car. Storage is difficult and very dangerous. The fact that it generates little or no pollution would appear to be of secondary importance given that it can't be used. Andrew K. Gabriel South Pasadena Copyright © 2006 Pasadena Star-News Los Angeles Newspaper Group Feedback ***************************************************************** 38 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Uzbekistan seeks trade ties with IRI 2006/10/18 Uzbekistan Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev in Tashkent Tuesday expressed his country's readiness to boost trade and economic ties with Iran. Iran's ambassador to Tashkent Mohammad Fat'hali met with Uzbekistan's Premier and Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade Elyor Ganiev on the sidelines of Uzbekistan's international cotton exhibition. Mirziyayev pointed to high quality of Uzbekistan's exported cotton to Iran and hoped Iranian businessmen and textile industrialists would purchase their needed cotton directly at the exhibition. Ganiev, for his part, stressed the importance of removing obstacles in the way of purchase and transfer of cotton from Uzbekistan to Iran. He further underlined the need for expansion of Tehran-Tashkent cooperation. Fat'hali expressed his optimism over growing trend of ties between the two countries in all fields particularly in economic, trade and commercial areas, saying, iran is the best route for access of central Asian states to overseas. sam Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 39 UPI: NATO and Israel enhance ties United Press International - Intl. Intelligence - 10/18/2006 11:26:00 AM -0400 TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- NATO has upgraded its ties with Israel and will cooperate in fields including counter-terrorism and intelligence, senior Israeli officials confirmed Tuesday. Officials named 27 fields where both sides will work more closely together, among them the development of armaments and defense against nuclear, chemical and biological attacks at a Monday meeting in Brussels. NATO and Israel also finalized what NATO called "the modalities of Israel's contribution to the NATO maritime Operation Active Endeavor." Active Endeavor is a program in which NATO navies and allies cooperate in patrolling the Mediterranean Sea to detect, deter and protect against terrorist activity. Cooperation has grown over the past year-and-a-half: An Israeli missile boat participated in an exercise off Romania's coast in July to enhance "interoperability" between the forces; a joint submarine exercise was conducted, an Israeli naval intelligence officer is posted at NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy, and Israeli infantrymen participated in an exercise in the Ukraine. Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Naidek-Ashkenazi said Israel is already involved in naval counter-terror operations. The original cover for such cooperation has been NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue, which is open to several countries, noted Sammy Ravel, director of the Foreign Ministry's Division of Multilateral European Institutions. The agreement reached in Brussels Monday opens the door to further, more specific cooperation on matters of mutual interest, he said. Israeli membership in NATO is not on the cards, and senior officials told United Press International they did not know whether Israel wants to join NATO. A NATO umbrella would enhance Israel's security, but might restrict its freedom of action. Upgrading the ties could bring them to the level of cooperation NATO has with Finland and Sweden, a senior official said. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 40 UPI: Japan declares no nuclear intentions United Press International - NewsTrack - 10/18/2006 12:56:00 PM -0400 TOKYO, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Despite North Korea's escalating nuclear program, Japan's foreign minister said Wednesday Japan has no plans to begin its own program. After meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Taro Aso made the announcement at a joint news conference, the New York Times reported from Tokyo. "The government of Japan has no position at all to consider going nuclear," Aso said. "There is no need to arm ourselves with nuclear weapons, either." Rice responded by saying as an ally of the United States, Japan had no need for nuclear defenses. "The United States has the will and the capability to meet the full range -- and I underscore full range -- of its deterrent and security commitments to Japan," Rice said. Japan is the only country to have been attacked with nuclear weapons, and after World War II, adopted a pacifist constitution. Rice is on a tour of Japan, South Korea and China to discuss the nature of sanctions against North Korea approved by the United Nations Security Council last Saturday for its Oct. 9 nuclear test. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 41 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Says U.S. Ready to Defend Japan From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday October 18, 2006 11:01 PM AP Photo TOK207 By ANNE GEARAN AP Diplomatic Writer TOKYO (AP) - The United States is willing to use its full military might to defend Japan in light of North Korea's nuclear test, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday as she sought to assure Asian countries there is no need to jump into a nuclear arms race. At her side, Rice's Japanese counterpart drew a firm line against his nation developing a nuclear bomb. The top U.S. diplomat said she reaffirmed President Bush's pledge, made hours after North Korea's Oct. 9 underground test blast, ``that the United States has the will and the capability to meet the full range - and I underscore the full range - of its deterrent and security commitments to Japan.'' Rice spoke following discussions with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, the first stop on her crisis mission to respond to the threat posed by the North. Signs continued Wednesday that North Korea might be readying for a second nuclear test that could be carried out as soon as this week, while Rice is in Asia. There were reports that North Korea had told China it was ready to conduct up to three more nuclear tests. But at the State Department in Washington, spokesman Tom Casey said, ``We certainly haven't received any information from them, from the Chinese, that they've been told by Pyongyang that another test is imminent.'' U.S. government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive situation, said there wasn't evidence to suggest that another nuclear test in North Korea was hours or even days away. But given the underground nature of the testing, officials said, it could happen with little or no warning. Analysts have been monitoring the movement of trucks and VIP buses around test sites as well as military communications, media activity and official travel. In Seoul, South Korea, the country's foreign minister - who has been selected to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations - warned the North not to detonate a second nuclear test. ``If North Korea conducts an additional test, the response of the international community will be much more serious,'' he said, providing no further detail. Christopher Hill, the State Department's lead negotiator on North Korea, said on National Public Radio's ``Morning Edition'' that there are ``some indications'' of a possible second test by the North, but he added, ``We do not have any indication that it's going to happen imminently.'' Rice's reference to U.S. willingness to honor the ``full range'' of the nation's security commitments was meant as a signal to allies that the United States does not want to see them embarking on a new nuclear arms race to protect themselves. It was also likely to be taken as a reminder to North Korea that, should it use nuclear weapons on a neighbor, the U.S. has powerful forces of its own - including nuclear - and is pledged to defend its friends in the region. The United States is concerned that Japan, South Korea and perhaps Taiwan may want to develop their own nuclear weapons programs to counter a threat from North Korea. Such moves would anger China, which already has nuclear weapons, and raise tensions in the region. North Korea contends it needs nuclear weapons to counter U.S. aggression. The United States has repeatedly said it does not intend to attack the North or topple its communist government. The North has a standing army of about 1.2 million, with millions more in reserve, and a supply of missiles capable of reaching Asian cities. North and South Korea are technically still at war more than 50 years after the Korean conflict ended. The U.S. has 29,500 troops stationed in South Korea, plus other air and naval forces in range. While the United States has no land-based nuclear weapons in Asia, it does have submarines equipped with nuclear weapons whose whereabouts are kept secret. Japan, home to more than 35,000 U.S. troops, was Rice's first stop on a four-day tour of Asia and Russia. ``The United States has no desire to escalate this crisis. We would like to see it de-escalate,'' Rice told reporters. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il made his first known public appearance since his country's recent nuclear test, attending a performance of songs praising him, the North's official media reported Wednesday. There was no mention of the nuclear test in the report. The nuclear explosion has drawn strong international condemnation and U.N. sanctions that the North has rejected. Pyongyang, in turn, has threatened further unspecified moves. Even discussing the issue is sensitive in Japan, with its troubled military history and its experience as the only nation where nuclear weapons were used in wartime. ``The government is absolutely not considering a need to be armed by nuclear weapons,'' Aso said with Rice at his side. ``We do not need to acquire nuclear arms with an assurance by Secretary of State Rice that the bilateral alliance would work without fault.'' Later Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insisted his government would not even discuss building a nuclear bomb. ``That debate is finished,'' Abe testily told reporters. It was at least the third time since North Korea's test that Abe - a defense hawk who came to office last month promising an assertive Japan - has had to reassure jittery neighbors and an anxious United States that Tokyo would not abandon its ban. --- Associated Press Writer Katherine Shrader contributed to this report. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 42 Guardian Unlimited: Japan Calls for Nuke Policy Discussion From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday October 18, 2006 7:01 AM TOKYO (AP) - Japan should openly discuss whether it wants to possess nuclear weapons in light of North Korea's atomic test, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Wednesday. Aso, however, reiterated the government's position that Tokyo had no plans to stray from its post-World War II policy of not possessing, developing or allowing nuclear bombs on Japanese soil. ``When a neighboring country is going to have nuclear weapons, one can refuse to even consider the matter,'' he told a parliamentary committee. ``But I think it is important to discuss the issue.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 43 AU ABC: Opposition rejects far north Qld nuclear power plant idea Wednesday, 18 October 2006. 13:24 (AEDT)Wednesday, 18 October The Federal Opposition says it is strongly opposed to the idea of building a nuclear power plant in far north Queensland. Amid debate on the topic, the Liberal Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, said he would be happy to have a nuclear plant built in his electorate. Senator Jan McLucas says the ALP does not agree with nuclear power as an alternative energy source because it is expensive and unsafe. "Our position is absolutely clear - the answer is not in north Queensland and not in Australia and the reasons for that are that the use of nuclear power is not greenhouse efficient, it is more expensive than current power generation methodology and the safety concerns remain," she said. ***************************************************************** 44 Irna: Hu may sign N-power accord with Musharraf Oct 18, IRNA - China has agreed in principle to offer four to six nuclear power plants to Pakistan and the issue is expected to be finalised during President Hu Jintao's visit to Islamabad next month. According to the "DAWN", an understanding to this effect had been reached between the two countries when President Gen Pervez Musharraf visited China in February this year. Pakistan, trying to meet its target of generating 88,000MW nuclear power by 2030, has asked China for 600MW and 1,000MW power plants which are deemed cost-effective with good output. China has already supplied two nuclear power plants of 300MW capacity each to Pakistan; Chasma-1 has been commissioned while Chasma-2 is in the process of being set up. Chinese officials, during their visit to Pakistan in December in connection with the concrete-pouring ceremony at Chashma-2, had assured authorities here that more nuclear power plants would be provided to the country. We will enhance our cooperation with Islamabad, particularly in setting up nuclear power plants in Pakistan, a source quoted one of those Chinese officials as saying. The source said there were indications that the issue would figure in talks between the two presidents, adding that Beijing looked considerate to oblige Pakistan despite being a member of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group which does not encourage offering nuclear power to non-member countries. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri told journalists on Monday that the Chinese president's would be a very successful visit. The sources said the issue was again discussed with the Chinese leadership when President Musharraf visited Beijing on June 15 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. This time, Pakistan's emphasis will be on the immediate purchase of two power plants so that Pakistan's growing energy requirements could be met to some extent. ***************************************************************** 45 Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Point Beach plant reports incident Posted October 18, 2006 Lakeshore Update Herald Times Reporter TWO RIVERS – Operators at Point Beach Nuclear Plant declared an unusual event at 9:32 p.m. Monday and terminated it seven minutes later, according to a press release from the Nuclear Management Company, which operates the plant. A momentary loss of power to a valve caused it to open, resulting in reactor coolant leaking into a relief tank in the Unit 2 containment building. An unusual event is the lowest of four emergency action level classifications in the federal emergency response plan for nuclear plants. The classification level means the incident did not pose a health or safety hazard to employees or the public, the release said. In accordance with federal workers and plant procedures, Point Beach notified appropriate governmental agencies including the NRC, the state of Wisconsin, and Kewaunee and Manitowoc counties. Former governor endorses Dobbs TWO RIVERS — Former Wisconsin Gov. Lee Dreyfus Tuesday endorsed the write-in candidacy of Robert Dobbs, who is challenging incumbent Frank Lasee in the 2nd Assembly District. "Lasee's idea of arming teachers is a goofy and dangerous idea," said Dreyfus, a Republican who served one term as governor, 1979-83. Dobbs also sought and received Tuesday the endorsement of Herbert Grover, former state superintendent of public instruction, University of Wisconsin regent and state assemblyman. "I didn't know (Dobbs) from a hole in the ground," Grover said. "But anybody is better than Lasee ... his (gun) proposal is ridiculous." Dobbs is running as a Republican against Lasee, R-Bellevue, while Ted Zigmunt also is running as a write-in candidate in the assembly district that includes the northern half of Manitowoc County. Zigmunt has been endorsed by the Manitowoc County Democratic Party. Pumpkin Fest activities slated MISHICOT — The 19th annual Pumpkin Fest, sponsored by the village of Mishicot and Mishicot Area Growth and Improvement Committee, will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, in Mishicot. Events and activities include a pumpkin pancake breakfast at 8 a.m., parade at noon, petting zoo, contests and games, and food and refreshment stands. Events will take place on Main Street and at the Mishicot Historical Museum and Schultz Elementary School. Anyone interested in participating in the noon parade may come to Mishicot High School at 11:15 a.m. with their float. Those who wish to enter their float for judging must fill out and return an entry form to the Village Hall by Friday, Oct. 20, according to MAGIC staff. A free barn dance featuring the Newtonburg Brass Band will be from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Mishicot Firehouse on Main Street. People are asked to bring lawn chairs. The Mishicot Lions Club will provide hot beef, hot turkey and hot beverages at the dance. For more information, contact MAGIC at 920-755-3411. Leibham to visit area senior site ST. NAZIANZ — State Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, will visit senior centers and attend senior luncheons throughout the 9th State Senate District. Among the stops will be the St. Nazianz Senior Center, at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. The center is located at 300 S. Sixth St., St. Nazianz. Individual appointments are not necessary. Constituents who are unable to attend are encouraged to contact Leibham at 1-888-295-8750 or . Woman claims Powerball prize MANITOWOC — Audrey Tomchek of Manitowoc stepped forward recently to claim the $10,000 Powerball prize she won in the Wednesday, Oct. 11 Powerball drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Dew Stop In, 3300 Dewey St., Manitowoc. That night's winning numbers were 5, 10, 12, 35, and 38. The Powerball was 9 and the Power Play prize multiplier was 4. Historic bread baking planned CLEVELAND — Ed and Margaret Klessig, along with Tom Tittle, will demonstrate the process of baking bread in an outdoor brick oven from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, at W9577 S. Union Road, Cleveland. After baking, bread samples will be served. Charlie Bauer, preservationist through miniature replicas, will provide information on the history and construction of bake ovens. For more information, contact Edith Lutze at 920-693-8528. Republican Party schedules meeting MANITOWOC – The Manitowoc County Republican Party will have its monthly meeting at noon on Monday, Oct. 23, at the Manitowoc Holiday Inn. All members and guests are invited. For more information, call Susan Brisch at 920-682-0695. Contact us at 920-684-4433. htrnews.com is a website. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the , updated June 7, 2005. ***************************************************************** 46 NRC: Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation; Notice of Receipt and FR Doc E6-17323 [Federal Register: October 18, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 201)] [Notices] [Page 61512] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr18oc06-100] Availability of Application for Renewal of Wolf Creek Generating Station, Unit 1 Facility Operating License No. NPF-42 for an Additional 20-Year Period The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) has received an application, dated September 27, 2006, from Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, filed pursuant to Section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 54 (10 CFR Part 54), to renew the operating license for the Wolf Creek Generating Station (WCGS), Unit 1. Renewal of the license would authorize the applicant to operate the facility for an additional 20-year period beyond the period specified in the current operating license. The current operating license for WCGS, Unit 1, (NPF-42), expires on March 11, 2025. WCGS, Unit 1, is a pressurized water reactor designed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation that is located near Burlington, KS. The acceptability of the tendered application for docketing, and other matters including an opportunity to request a hearing, will be the subject of subsequent Federal Register notices. Copies of the application are available to the public at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852 or through the internet from the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room under Accession Number ML062770300. The ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room is accessible from the NRC Web site at In addition, the application is available at . actors/. access to the internet or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC's PDR reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, extension 4737, or by e-mail to . A copy of the license renewal application for the WCGS, Unit 1, is also available to local residents near the site at the Burlington Library, 410 Juniatta, Burlington, KS 66839. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of October, 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Pao-Tsin Kuo, Deputy Director, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E6-17323 Filed 10-17-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 47 Deutsche Welle: German Nuclear Power Plant Taken Offline for Repairs 18.10.2006 DW-World.de [The ruling coalition is in a heated debate about nuclear power] Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The ruling coalition is in a heated debate about nuclear power Biblis nuclear plant in the German state of Hesse will not be delivering power until some technical problems have been corrected. The second reactor was closed down this week after routine inspections. An unknown number of falsely installed screw anchors could keep the Biblis nuclear power plant offline for some time. "We'll get Block B operating again only when we're sure that everything is okay," said a spokesman for the plant. Essen-based RWE, the operator of the plant, said that around 4,000 special screw anchors would require closer inspection before the plant would be up and running again. The screw anchors are used to fasten down pipelines in both Block A and Block B of the plant to make them "earthquake-safe." Block B was closed on Monday after the falsely installed screw anchors were discovered in Block A. Hesse's Environment Ministry then decided that all the anchors in both blocks should be examined, which is not possible when the plant is in operation. Block A had already been taken off-line on September 15 for a general overhaul. Inspections of all the anchor screws could take several weeks. [Biblis has had various technical problems] Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Biblis has had various technical problems As part of the planned closure of nuclear power plants in Germany, Biblis A was to be put out of commission in the coming year, Biblis B in 2009. RWE had, however, submitted a formal request to extend the use of reactor Biblis A longer than planned. Nuclear power plant closure Ruling parties continue to argue over the gradual closure of nuclear power stations, which a government led by the center-left Social Democrats agreed on with utility companies in 2000. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) compose the ruling grand coalition. Last year, when the coalition was formed, the SPD vowed it would stick to the deal of nuclear power plant closure, while the conservatives aim to reverse it to cap power prices. Nuclear power generation currently supplies a third of German electricity. DW staff (als) DW-WORLD: Minister Demands Stricter Safety Standards for Nuclear Reactors Germany's environment minister wants higher safety standards at nuclear plants and has ruled out extending life spans for older reactors. The move comes on the heels of reactor closures in Sweden due to safety concerns. (09.08.2006) + DW-WORLD: Nuclear Energy Causes Heated Debate in Europe Nuclear power has the reputation of being inexpensive and safe. But critics point out that this energy form has many disadvantages, too. The environmental implications also need to be considered. (09.04.2006) + DW-WORLD: Germans Debate Best Energy Mix for the Future Rising prices for oil, natural gas and electricity have sparked a new discussion about the best energy mix in Germany. While some call for more nuclear energy, others bank on renewable sources. (22.01.2006) ***************************************************************** 48 Herald Sun: French want to be N-pals Ben Packham and Fiona Hudson October 19, 2006 12:00am Article from: A FRENCH nuclear giant wants to build a $5 billion reactor in Australia in a plan it says would tackle the nation's water crisis. State-owned AREVA has launched a major push for a slice of Australia's atomic energy market in the hope the Howard Government will flick the switch. A decade after the French ended nuclear testing in the Pacific, the company has made a submission to the Government's nuclear taskforce. The submission says: NUCLEAR power could ease water shortages by giving carbon-free energy for desalination plants. AUSTRALIA'S uranium reserves would give it a strategic advantage over other nations when considering nuclear power. BIG reactors are usually favoured over smaller ones, and fleets of identical reactors are often used because of cost advantages. NEW generation reactors are safe and economically competitive with coal and gas-fired power. USED fuel should be considered as a resource, containing valuable materials that can be recovered. The submission says four Japanese reactors are already powering desalination plants, while another in Kazakhstan has been used for that purpose since 1999. AREVA spokesman Charles Hufnagel said the company was very interested in breaking into a future market in Australia. AREVA is behind a $5 billion, 1600 megawatt reactor being built in Finland, the first in the world to use so-called "third generation" technology. Mr Hufnagel said similar pressurised water reactors would likely suit Australian conditions. He conceded discussion of nuclear power was in its early stages in Australia but the company was keen to do a deal if the Government gave the technology the green light. "After the decision is made to support new builds, AREVA would be very looking forward to business with your country," Mr Hufnagel said. "The cost depends on the type and the power. "The more powerful it is the more expensive. The global trend in the market is for the bigger reactors." The Federal Government's nuclear taskforce, led by former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski, is looking at all aspects of the nuclear industry and is due to release a draft report next month. In its submission, AREVA says high-level waste is treated to a form that holds it for hundreds of thousands of years. It offers no solution as to where the waste would be dumped, but says it could be safely stored either above or below ground. © Herald and Weekly Times. All times AEST (GMT + 10). ***************************************************************** 49 washingtonpost.com: GAO Calls Radiation Monitors Unreliable - By Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Page A12 The Department of Homeland Security's plan to spend $1.2 billion deploying next-generation nuclear-detection equipment at U.S. ports and border crossings cannot be justified, given test results that showed the devices are unreliable, congressional investigators warned yesterday. The department ignored its own tests showing the new monitors could not meet a standard of detecting enriched uranium 95 percent of the time, according to the Government Accountability Office, Congress's audit arm. When the nuclear material was shielded, detection rates ranged from 17 percent to 53 percent. + U.S. Congress Browse every vote in the U.S. Congress since 1991. DHS also understated the project's costs by up to $181 million, GAO officials wrote to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The department's cost-benefit "analysis does not justify its recent decision to spend $1.2 billion to purchase and deploy" the new radiation portal monitors, the GAO reported. Homeland Security "relied on potential future performance to justify the purchase," the agency said. The report came four days after President Bush signed a $3.4 billion port-security bill that, among other things, requires new monitors to be deployed at the nation's 22 busiest ports by the end of 2007. Congress raced to pass the legislation last month before recessing for the midterm elections. "We're going to protect our ports. We're going to defend this homeland. And we're going to win the war on terror," Bush said at a signing ceremony Friday. In separate legislation last month, however, Congress barred full-scale production of the devices until the department certifies "a significant increase in operational effectiveness." The GAO report warns that the Bush administration risks repeating earlier failures. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the government spent $300 million on radiation monitors that could not tell uranium from cat litter or ceramic tile. They also had high false-alarm rates. Existing monitors cost about $55,000. The new screening machines now cost at least $377,000 each, the GAO reported. DHS spokesman Jarrod Agen said the GAO missed the fact that the department is continuing to test and review devices produced by Thermo Electron Corp., Raytheon Co. and Canberra Industries Inc., which were awarded the business in July. The DHS is testing 80 devices under a one-year contract before deciding whether to move ahead with a five-year program to deploy 1,400 screening machines at ports and border crossings. "That 95 percent rate of effectiveness is a standard that we maintain. We are not going to put devices in the field unless they meet those high standards," Agen said. --> Permission to Republish 1996- The Washington Post Company | | ***************************************************************** 50 STPNS: This Generation’s Agent Orange?, Socorro, New Mexico Mountain Mail / STPNS October 18, 2006 MILITARY Gulf War Veteran Tells Local Audiences That Depleted Uranium Causing Countless Ailments Demacio Lopez measures the radiation level in small fragments of shrapnel that came from wounds received by Jerry Wheat during the Gulf War. According to the readings, the radiation level measured 12 times higher than normal. John Larson photo By John Larson for Mountain Mail SOCORRO, New Mexico (STPNS) -- Gulf War veteran Jerry Wheat of Los Lunas spoke about his experiences with depleted uranium munitions Friday, Sept. 29, at the Disabled American Veterans Hall and at the Socorro Public Library. Wheat said he was wounded by friendly fire on Feb. 27, 1990, as he was driving a Bradley armored personnel in Iraq, and that he did not know at the time that the U.S. shells that hit him were made from depleted uranium. He said he was knocked unconscious by the first of two shells, and when he came to his clothing was on fire. He said the skin on his neck, upper back, and lower back was burning from depleted uranium shrapnel. Awarded a Purple Heart, Wheat returned home to Los Lunas with pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body and mysterious body pains. “I have had real bad joint pain, and abdominal problems,” Wheat said. “I get real bad headaches. I went from 220 pounds down to 160 pounds for no reason, and that’s when I started suspecting that it was something related to the Gulf.” Wheat said the American military has been testing depleted uranium for over 40 years without ensuring that American soldiers know how to handle this new weapons system. Wheat claims the military has never shown any interest in his shrapnel and tells him his health problems are due to post-traumatic stress disorder. “They’re not denying that I was hit by friendly fire, but they are denying I was hit by depleted uranium,” Wheat said. Tom Delahanty, DAV Chapter 24 Commander in Socorro, said Wheat’s situation is similar to his own experience with the government recognizing the health consequences of his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. “From the Gulf War to the Iraqi War, soldiers have been exposed to different things, different weapons, than the World War II and Vietnam vets were,” Delahanty said. Delahanty related Wheat’s condition to depleted uranium testing at EMRTC. “They’ve just discovered that the levels of uranium from our wells are above drinking water standards for Socorro,” he said. “If there’s uranium in our water, where else could it be coming from, but from New Mexico Tech?” Following Wheat’s talk, Army veteran, Socorro native Demacio Lopez measured the levels of radiation in the shrapnel Wheat said came from his shoulder wound months after he returned from Iraq. He keeps the shrapnel in a plastic film canister. Lopez is an activist who focuses his efforts on exposing the dangers of depleted uranium. “When they took the shrapnel out of me, I asked if I could have it as a souvenir,” Wheat said. “They told me they lost them. This shrapnel was still embedded in my shoulder, and was expelled naturally.” According to the readings conducted by Lopez, the level of radioactivity in the small bits of metal was 12 times higher than normal. Delahanty said one of the DAV’s main purposes was to inform vets and their families on what affects them. “We try to be a spokesman for veterans. Support their rights and educate them on whatever benefits are available to them,” Delahanty said. Jay Santillanes, Utilities Director for the city of Socorro, said the uranium in one of the city’s wells is naturally occurring and is not depleted uranium. “The Olsen well is the one with the higher levels, and that one will go off line permanently when the new well goes on line,” Santillanes said. “It was pretty close to the new EPA upper limit of safe drinking water. Like the arsenic content, the uranium levels in the Olsen well have always been about the same. It’s just that the EPA changed the limits.” © 2006 Mountain Mail Socorro, New Mexico. ***************************************************************** 51 Deseret News: Canadian drills for uranium [deseretnews.com] Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Canadian drills for uranium By Paul Foy Associated Press An exploration company is drilling for uranium on a largely unexplored side of Lisbon Valley, near Moab, where a penniless geologist discovered one of the richest ore bodies in the United States a half-century ago. "I'm betting everything I have on Lisbon Valley," said Clive Massey, president of Universal Uranium Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia. Universal Uranium started a second round of drilling Tuesday on 7,300 acres of mining claims bought from the family of Charlie Steen, who made the 1952 discovery that produced more than 80 million pounds of high-grade uranium ore over 40 years, and Vancouver prospector R. Terry Heard. The fault that created Lisbon Valley may hide a continuation of that ore body. Another British Columbia exploration company, Mesa Uranium, says it's closing in on the same uranium-speckled sandstone deposits. Steen found uranium ore in abundance on the west side of Lisbon Valley, about 320 miles south of Salt Lake City, and Massey believes an even richer ore deposit will be found on the valley's east side, deeper underground, in the same displaced sandstone layer. Universal Uranium, a publicly traded company organized in 2005 that has yet to make any money, says it's budgeting $3.4 million for the drilling. Massey said Lisbon Valley is the company's most promising out of a handful of exploration projects. Universal Uranium's first dozen test drills earlier this year intersected zones of promising uranium mineralization, and it plans to drill another 18 holes in an effort to pinpoint the zone of richest ore, he said. Uranium yellowcake was selling for $56 a pound Tuesday, up from a historic low of $7 in 2001. The nuclear fuel is in demand as stockpiles dwindle and nuclear power enjoys a renaissance in a world running short of oil and natural gas. U.S. utilities are looking at building as many as 27 reactors, the same number of plants under construction in other countries, according to government and industry figures. Energy companies are making plans to reopen uranium mills in Utah and Wyoming, and the nuclear Regulatory Commission just licensed a $1.5 billion uranium enrichment plant near Eunice, N.M., where ground was broken in August. © 2006 Deseret News Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 52 ENS: Report List World's 10 Worst Pollution Spots Environment News Service (ENS) NEW YORK, New York, October 18, 2006 (ENS) - The world's 10 most polluted places threaten the health of more than 10 million people in eight countries, according to a report released today by a U.S. environmental action group. Three of the most polluted sites are in Russia, the report said, with the remaining seven located in China, Dominican Republic, India, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Ukraine and Zambia. The report was released by the Blacksmith Institute and compiled by a team of international environment and health experts, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Mt. Sinai Medical Center and City University of New York. "A key criterion in the selection process was the nature of the pollutant," said Richard Fuller, director of Blacksmith Institute. "The biggest culprits are heavy metals - such as lead, chromium and mercury - and long-lasting chemicals - such as the `persistent organic pollutants.' That's because a particular concern of all these cases is the accumulating and long lasting burden building up in the environment and in the bodies of the people most directly affected." [scavenge] Children scavenging a mine in Kabwe, Zambia, one of the sites on the list. (Photo courtesy Blacksmith Institute) With the exception of Chernobyl, the Ukranian site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, most of the locations on the list are little-known - even in their own countries. The most-polluted sites primarily affect communities deep in poverty, the report said, but there are potential remedies. "Problems like this have been solved over the years in the developed world, and we have the capacity and the technology to spread our experience to our afflicted neighbors," the report said. The list includes: + the Chinese city of Linfen, located in the heat of the country's coal region and chosen as an example of the severe pollution faced by many Chinese cities; + Haina, Dominican Republic, the site of a former automobile battery recycling smelter where residents suffer from widespread lead poisoning; + the Indian city of Ranipet, where some 3.5 million people are affected by tannery waste, which contains hexavalent chromium and azodyes. + Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan, home to a former Soviet uranium plant and severely contaminated with radioactive uranium mine wastes; + the Peruvian mining town of La Oroya, where residents have been exposed to toxic emissions from a poly-metallic smelter; + Dzerzinsk, Russia, the site of a Cold War-era chemical weapons facility; [kid] A child stands on a battery casing in the Dominican Republic. The world's most polluted sites all impact very poor communities. (Photo courtesy Blacksmith Institute) + the Russian industrial city of Norilsk, which houses the world's largest heavy metals smelting complex and where more than 4 million tons of cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, arsenic, selenium and zinc emissions are released annually; + the Russian Far East towns of Dalnegorsk and Rudnaya Pristan, whose residents suffer from serious lead poisoning from an old smelter and the unsafe transport of lead concentrate from the local lead mining site; + and the city of Kabwe, Zambia, where mining and smelting operations have led to widespread lead and cadmium contamination. "Living in a town with serious pollution is like living under a death sentence," the report said. "If the damage does not come from immediate poisoning, then cancers, lung infections, mental retardation, are likely outcomes." The report warns that there are some towns where life expectancy approaches medieval rates, where birth defects are the norm not the exception." "In other places children's asthma rates are measured above 90 percent, or mental retardation is endemic," it said. "In these places, life expectancy may be half that of the richest nations. The great suffering of these communities compounds the tragedy of so few years on earth." Blacksmith said it plans to circulate the report extensively to development agencies and local governments, working to place clean-up on the policy agenda in their respective countries and to initiate fundraising to help these regions. [tannery] Tannery runoff in India is polluting the water supply of some 3.5 million people. (Photo courtesy Blacksmith Institute) "The most important thing is to achieve some practical progress in dealing with these polluted places," says Dave Hanrahan, Blacksmith Institute's chief of global operations. "There is a lot of good work being done in understanding the problems and in identifying possible approaches. Our goal is to instill a sense of urgency about tackling these priority sites." "This initial Worst-Polluted Places list is a starting point," Hanrahan added. "We are looking to the international community and local specialists for feedback on the selection process and on our list. We want to make sure that the key dangerously polluted sites get the needed attention and support from the international community in order to remediate them." Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2006. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 53 Carlsbad Current-Argus: Credit where credit is due Launched:10/17/2006 11:23:34 PM MDT The momentous occasion of having the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's remote handled waste permit signed Monday came about through the effort of many. Rep. John Heaton, Sen. Carroll Leavell, Gov. Bill Richardson and New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry all celebrated this milestone and also gave credit where it is due: to the men and women who operate WIPP. This permit was approved after months of a governmental process involving hearings, public input and investigating the safety of handling this level of waste. Public hearings held earlier this year in Carlsbad were very pro-WIPP, as residents of this city support the effort to clean up the nation's nuclear waste. WIPP, as an entity with contract agencies and the federal government involved, is also an economic engine from Carlsbad and Eddy County. Permit writer James Bearzi said that having RH waste shipped to the WIPP site brings the project fully functional in his eyes. It was a portion of the project that was always intended to come about. Now it will happen: remote handled waste will be shipped to Carlsbad, starting in the spring of 2007. It will be placed in the walls of the same underground storage rooms where contact waste is stored. Remote handled waste emits more penetrating radiation than contact-handled waste, but because of the impeccable operation of the WIPP site and the tremendous safety record in the delivery, receipt and burial of the waste, this aspect of the project has been approved. The men and women who transport the waste, those who work at the mine where it's buried, the folks keeping the records and the folks in charge of following the details of the permit rules - those are the ones who need to take a bow right now. RH waste permitting would have been hard to fight for if the present nuclear material and the WIPP system had safety, accountability or operational issues. It has none of those, thanks to the men and women on the ground. The local leaders - not just elected officials who know who to call, but the scientists who supervise the operation and the leaders of Washington TRU Solutions, Sandia Labs and Los Alamos, you too, take a bow. All your hard work - and your accountability over two decades - has paid off for all of us. Through a government process designed to hear all sides of the story, and with the background of safe and healthy operations for New Mexicans and our landscape, WIPP has the permission to do more for America. Congratulations to all involved. Copyright © 2005 Carlsbad Current Argus, a MediaNews Group ***************************************************************** 54 Columbus Dispatch: PLANT Nuke-rod recycling proposed Idea scares some, who were Columbus, Ohio, USA surprised by site’s nomination Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Randy Ludlow THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH For nearly 50 years, southern Ohioans labored at a government uranium-enrichment plant, churning out the stuff of nuclear warheads and powerplant fuel rods. The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant left a Cold War legacy of nearly 3,000 workers sick or dead from radiationrelated cancers and other illnesses. Now, some are frightened by the prospect of the Piketon plant housing technology to recycle spent fuel rods, recover uranium and burn plutonium and other waste in a reactor. President Bush’s proposed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership could make Piketon — or one of 13 other sites — the destination for radioactive fuel rods from around the world. A company formed by a government-funded nonprofit organization and a Cleveland industrialist is seeking a federal grant to study whether the contaminated 3,714-acre site is suitable for the project. The U.S. Department of Energy is expected to announce late this month which groups will receive site-study grants of up to $5 million from a pool of $20 million. The nonprofit Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative and entrepreneur Dan T. Moore III have formed the Southern Ohio Nuclear Integration Cooperative — or SONIC — to lobby for the Piketon site. "It would be foolish for us to discount any opportunity" to land new jobs, said Greg Simonton, executive director of the Piketon-based nonprofit. The group is concerned because it appears that hundreds of clean-up jobs at the Piketon plant could be lost as the federal government cuts funding to clean up radioactive and chemical hazards, he said. The nonprofit, largely funded by the Department of Energy to prop up the area economy when the enrichment plant closed, will not pursue anything unsafe, Simonton said. The proposed recycling technology would require many more years of research and development before it could be certified safe and be deployed, he said. Some experts think the technology might be too costly and ultimately not work. Local critics say the project is being pursued without the community’s input and that the tax-funded nonprofit doesn’t want to hear from detractors. "We think it stinks," said Geoffrey Sea, of the newly formed Southern Ohio Neighbors Group. "We believe they have made representations to the (Energy Department) that they speak for this community." The nonprofit won’t share its grant application and has declined pleas for meetings with residents, Sea said. The Energy Department and the nonprofit also declined requests from The Dispatch for a copy of the application. Public hearings will be conducted to solicit community sentiment if SONIC receives a site-study grant, Simonton said. Elected officials and business leaders support looking for expanded uses for the Piketon plant, he said. That’s true, says one official, but within limits. "We support the study but, at this point, that’s the only thing," said Pike County Commissioner James Brushart. "One step at a time. … We certainly don’t want anything that would put our people in harm’s way." Opponents worry that spent nuclear-fuel rods could be shipped to Piketon and then the recycling waste could be stranded, making Piketon a nuclearwaste capitol. "Ohio could become a de facto waste dump since it’s unlikely that another state would accept the reprocessed materials," said Pat Marida, chair of the Central Ohio Sierra Club. Piketon is home to the proposed American Centrifuge project being developed by USEC Inc., of Bethesda, Md. A pilot plant to test the uraniumenrichment technology could open in 2007. The opening of a full-scale commercial plant, costing at least $1.7 billion and employing 500, is envisioned in 2011. SONIC’s Moore spent four years on the board of USEC, and the company has hired James Morgan, a former USEC manager in Piketon, as an adviser, Simonton said. USEC has no connection to SONIC but is studying how that proposal could affect USEC’s Piketon operations, spokeswoman Elizabeth Stuckle said. Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Proposal seeks to promote renewed use of nuclear power, decrease nuclear waste and provide foreign countries with nuclear technology in exchange for pledges not to develop their own programs. The project has received only seed money from Congress at this point. rludlow@dispatch.com  ©2006, The Columbus Dispatch, Reproduction prohibited ***************************************************************** 55 The Australian: Uranium find could extend Ranger's life Andrew Trounson October 19, 2006 URGENT exploration efforts to extend the life of the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory appear to be paying off, with owners Energy Resources Australia yesterday reported encouraging drill results. With uranium prices soaring, extending Ranger's production life would give ERA an opportunity to lock in high prices on long-term contracts. Ranger, Australia's largest uranium mine, is due to exhaust its ore by the end of 2008, leaving it to just treat stockpiled ore before closing in 2014. ERA's efforts to secure its long-term future by developing the nearby Jabiluka deposit have so far been vetoed by the traditional owners, leaving its future uncertain. But drilling to the east of the Ranger pit has yielded significant intersections grading above 0.4 per cent uranium oxide about 150m-250m below ground, in line with high-grade ore areas in the current pit. ERA, which is 68 per cent owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, is now investigating whether the pit can be extended by as much as 300m to the southeast. That would put the pit hard up against the operation's facilities. Perhaps even more enticing are some high-grade results from deep drilling further to the southeast, raising the possibility of an underground mine development. One drill intersected 17m of ore grading over 0.7 per cent uranium oxide just over 500m below ground. "Considerable more drilling will be required to determine whether the mineralisation will be economic, as it is probable that it will have to be accessed by underground methods," ERA said. ERA is now considering extending the drilling campaign into the wet season, which started this month and extends to April next year. The news sent ERA shares up 37c, or 2.8 per cent, to $13.80. ERA is accelerating its exploration efforts in the wake of soaring uranium prices, and has spent about $4.8 million on exploration so far this year. Spot prices for uranium oxide are over $US56 a pound, having risen from around $US10/lb in the last four years. Yesterday, ERA said long-term multi-year contract prices were up at $US54.50/lb compared with $US31.29/lb a year ago. But ERA is not reaping the full benefit because, in line with industry practice, most of its production is sold on long-term contracts. Ranger's production in the third quarter was down 31 per cent from a year ago at 1103 tonnes of uranium oxide, as the miner battled high water levels in the pit after heavy rains that hampered access to high-grade ore. The water has now been drawn down, and ERA is now focusing mining on higher grade ore. ERA said it was assessing options to increase acid supplies to the operation, where mine production has risen beyond the capacity of the acid plant. Options include upgrading the plant or trucking in more acid from Xstrata's Mount Isa operations in Queensland. Both Ranger and Jabiluka are surrounded by the Kakadu National Park. Privacy Terms © The Australian ***************************************************************** 56 Scotsman.com News: Edinburgh - Teenager proud of nuclear blockade action Wed 18 Oct 2006 A THIRTEEN-year-old girl who was arrested after blocking the entrance to Faslane Naval Base has spoken of her pride at being involved in the action. Broughton High School pupil Catherine Holmes locked her arm to that of her 15-year-old friend Nikki Logan via a pipe hidden inside a teddy bear, in an attempt to obstruct business at the Trident nuclear submarine base. She was one of around 60 people who took part in a weekend of action organised by a number of Edinburgh peace groups at the base, as part of a planned year-long series of blockades and protests. In total, 12 people were arrested over the weekend, which was mainly organised by Edinburgh CND, Edinburgh University's People and Planet group and School Students Against War. Today, Catherine said she was happy she had taken part in the protest. The young campaigner said: "While I was lying in the road, one of the police officers made a comment about my age. "Surely they know that there are innocent children much younger than myself being killed in Iraq because of depleted uranium." ***************************************************************** 57 Hanford News: Hanford retirees will have to pay more for insurance This story was published Wednesday, October 18th, 2006 By the Herald staff Medical insurance rates for Hanford retirees are going up, in part because of increased prescription drug use, according to the Hanford Employee Welfare Trust. HEWT also is gradually increasing the percentage of costs paid by retirees. Costs borne by active employees and retirees in plans offered by HEWT are several times lower than averages for coverage at 15 other companies used as a comparison, according to a letter sent to retirees. The average increase in premiums is 7 percent for 2007. However, the amount varies by age and plan. The biggest jump will be for retirees under age 65 on the United HealthCare plan. They will see a price increase of $26 to pay $202 of their total $674 monthly premium. Retirees who are on Medicare will see $10 increases per month at the most and some will see no increase. © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 58 Hanford News: Public voice concerns at Hanford meeting This story was published Wednesday, October 18th, 2006 By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer Keith Klein, one of the co-managers of the Hanford nuclear reservation, got an addition to his wardrobe Tuesday night: a bright yellow T-shirt covered with some of the names of the Hanford workers shut out of the Hanford pension plan. Equitable pension coverage, help for ill Hanford workers and better tribal involvement were some of the issues raised at the Hanford State of the Site meeting in Kennewick. The annual meeting, attended by about 120 people, was a chance for the public and workers to raise concerns about the nuclear reservation. Despite the T-shirt, Klein, manager of the Department of Energy's Hanford Richland Operations Office, said he was reluctant to meet with a representative group of Hanford workers who've worked for 10 years without accruing site pension benefits. "I don't want to raise any hopes," he said. "You cannot go back and change the clock." Those workers lost Hanford benefits in a largely failed effort to establish "enterprise" companies with the goal of diversifying the Tri-City economy by doing Hanford and non-Hanford work. But many of the estimated 500 workers who continue to work for enterprise companies continue to work on the same Hanford projects, sometimes at the same desk as before they were assigned to enterprise companies, but without Hanford benefits. DOE already has set a precedent in turning back the clock on pensions for enterprise company workers, said Jerry Peltier, who represents West Richland on the Hanford Advisory Board. As enterprise companies failed, those workers were absorbed back into the Hanford system with benefits, he said. DOE will face a nightmare when it awards three new prime contracts that are planned to continue the Hanford retirement program only for existing workers if it does not resolve the enterprise worker issue now, Peltier said. "I think like it or not you need to look at it," he said. "The only thing right is to make this whole." Asked about his own benefits, Klein said DOE workers were seeing increases in their costs. He also warned that 2008 is going to be "a very lean" budget year. He and Roy Schepens, manager of DOE's Hanford Office of River Protection, were more encouraging about issues of tribal involvement, saying DOE needs to do better. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation used Hanford land long before it started producing plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program. And long after DOE has finished whatever cleanup is done at the site, the Umatillas will be there, said Armand Minthorn, a tribal member. Ground water contamination poses a risk to the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River and to fish, he said. Locke Island continues to erode without effective DOE action, he said. Shipments of radioactive waste are already sent through the Umatilla reservation and those will increase, he said. Much of the comment at the meeting echoed concerns from last year's meeting, at which ill Hanford workers complained about the difficulty of getting worker compensation coverage for health problems caused by exposures to toxic chemicals, including chemical vapors from underground tanks. Improvements have been made, particularly at the tank farms, to make working conditions safer, several people said. But people who were injured earlier still are struggling to get claims paid. Some have hired lawyers, but they must fight a contractor hired by DOE to administer claims with unlimited federal money to litigate, they said. "We need justice" for workers who have been exposed doing work in a hazardous environment for the government, said Lea Mitchell, an investigator for the Government Accountability Project, a worker watchdog group. "We think they deserve a worker compensation program that goes beyond the Washington state self-insured regulations." Another State of the Site meeting will be in Seattle today. © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 59 Knox News: Crackdown on nuke workers Dope found at reactor site; staff playing cards, sleeping in trailer By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com October 18, 2006 OAK RIDGE - It sounds like something from a movie sequel called "Cheech and Chong Visit the Atomic City": nuclear workers sleeping on the job, watching TV, playing cards and smoking dope. As it turns out, they all were true. The crackdown came last week at the Molten Salt Reactor, an old experimental reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Bechtel Jacobs Co., the Department of Energy's cleanup manager, and its subcontractors were preparing to remove tons of highly radioactive fuel salts stored there since the reactor was shut down in 1969. According to Dennis Hill, a spokesman for Bechtel Jacobs, a visit to a break trailer outside the reactor confirmed that some workers were sleeping, playing cards and watching TV. Hill said the company called law-enforcement officials in Roane County, and a K-9 unit reportedly found indications that marijuana had been smoked in the trailer - even though none of the weed was actually found there. During a tour of the parking lot, drug dogs "hit" on four different vehicles, one of which contained an unspecified amount of marijuana and residues associated with the smoke, Hill said. The owner of that vehicle, who worked for a Bechtel Jacobs subcontractor, was fired on the spot, he said. Another car contained prescription drugs, while there was nothing of interest found in the other two, Hill said. Meanwhile, more than 50 people working on the Molten Salt Reactor project were required immediately to take drug tests, Bechtel Jacobs said. One worker refused to submit to the urinalysis and quit his job, Hill said. Of the 54 people tested so far, four of the tests were found to be "non-negative" and will be analyzed further. "We'll see what the fate of the other four is when (the lab results are completed)," said John Shewairy of DOE's Oak Ridge office. "If they come back clean, they have nothing to worry about." Shewairy said DOE has a "zero-tolerance" policy for drug use. In a statement released Tuesday evening, DOE Manager Gerald Boyd said: "Certainly, this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I think the outcome of this particular incident shows that we're serious. If you introduce drugs into the workplace, you are going to lose your job, and we'll do all in our power to see that the justice system deals with you." Bechtel Jacobs would not release the name of the fired worker, and efforts to determine if he was arrested or charged by Roane County authorities were unsuccessful. Most nuclear work at the Molten Salt Reactor has been suspended for several months because of a fluorine leak earlier this year. The cleanup plan called for additional training this fall and restart of fuel-removal tasks in November. It was not immediately clear if the latest incident would alter that schedule. Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** 60 KnoxNews: American now at helm of international project By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com October 18, 2006 Early operations at the Spallation Neutron Source, the newly constructed $1.4 billion research complex at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, are meeting expectations, and that's obviously good news. But the biggest news of the week was that Thom Mason, the SNS director, became a citizen of the United States of America. Mason took his oath of allegiance Oct. 10 at the U.S. District Court in Greeneville, Tenn. The native of Canada has worked at the SNS since 1998 and has been director since 2001, so it obviously wasn't required that he be a U.S. citizen. There are plenty of other folks doing important work at ORNL, including some on the SNS staff, who have retained their citizenship elsewhere. But there are limitations, such as the right to vote, and Mason intends to go through the process to obtain a top-level "Q" clearance, which isn't available to non-U.S. citizens. Mostly, however, Mason said it was a family decision on where to call home. "We've made the decision to move here and be here," the 42-year-old SNS chief said earlier this week. "Our kids, even though they were born in Canada, have grown up here. My youngest son was 2 months when we moved, and my older son was 2 years." Mason and his wife, Jennifer, applied for citizenship at the same time, but she received hers ahead of him. Mason joked that it took him longer for the background checks because authorities had to review all his "dubious" travels around the globe -- trips necessitated by the international nature of science. Meanwhile, back to the SNS, Mason said the operations staff is now up to about 375 and will top out at 450, probably some time in 2008. "We're supposed to hire 92 people this year," he said, referring to fiscal 2007. The current emphasis is on commissioning of various components and simply understanding the "machine," which is how Mason refers to the linear accelerator and the associated equipment that make possible the production of neutrons in unprecedented bursts for research. "At the same time, we're bringing the power level up and finding where the systems are that we need to work on to make it more reliable," Mason said. First production of neutrons occurred April 28 when the high-powered proton beam was directed to the target of mercury. That was a big deal, but the SNS really won't achieve its full research mode for another 18 months, at which time scientific users from around the world will book time for their experiments. It still isn't clear when the official grand opening for the SNS will be held. Mason said that might not settle out until after this fall's elections. The SNS is operating on an up-and-down schedule during the shakedown phase: up for tests and down for the necessary tweaking to make it work like it's supposed to work. After the late-April milestone of putting the beam on the target, operations continued through May. The machinery was shut down in June, and then run again in July and August. It was down in September and restarted recently and will run through November. By the end of August, power level had increased to 10 kilowatts, and during the current run SNS officials hope to sustain the power level at 30 kilowatts for several days, with a peak of 60 kilowatts, Mason said. Eventually, the operation will achieve the designed power of 1.4 megawatts. "I think the machine is very robust," Mason said. "What we lack is really just the operating experience, and that just takes time. There's no substitute for taking time to learn how to operate it right. Some things we just can't know until we operate it at (full) power over a long time." The Target Building is where the research actions at the SNS takes place, and there are stations for 24 different instruments. Currently, three of those instruments are up and running and taking data from the neutron streams that are funneled to their stations, Mason said. By the time full user operations are achieved at the SNS, there should be seven or eight research instruments in place, he said. Many more instruments are on the way, with 20 out of the 24 either in various stages of funding or procurement. These are expensive instruments, mind you, that cost millions of dollars. The U.S. government is funding most of them, although one is coming from Canada and another from Germany, Mason said. Officials hope to get funding for a second Target Building approved for the SNS, bringing the total number of research instruments to 48. © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** 61 lamonitor.com: Fines triple for airport clean-up delay The Online News Source for Los Alamos ROGER SNODGRASS roger@lamonitor.comMonitor Assistant Editor Penalties are mounting on an overdue clean-up project at the Los Alamos County airport. The New Mexico Environment Department announced that a stipulated penalty had been issued to the Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Security LLC for violating a court-ordered agreement governing the comprehensive clean-up process at the laboratory. Work on the Incinerator Ash Pile Site at the airport was declared 30 days overdue on Friday and $1,000-a-day penalties were assessed, for a total of $30,000. Beginning Saturday, the fines went up to $3,000 a day. "Schedule and reporting requirements are absolutely central to getting a complete and thorough cleanup at LANL," NMED Secretary Ron Curry said in the press release announcing the penalty. "I am disappointed the lab's managers did not make an effort to ensure that this site was cleaned up on time." The project is under the direction of the DOE Los Alamos Site Office. Bernie Pleau, a spokesman for LASO said this morning that there were some extenuating circumstances. "Finding unexploded ordinance in the ash pile stopped us for a while," he said, adding that the contract went through a transition, and that a live 38 mm round and asbestos were discovered even more recently. "Those are things we have to take quite seriously, in terms of the department's responsibilities for safety to the public and workers," he said. "The delays were not in accordance with the consent order that we have signed with the state." George Rael, the assistant manager for environmental operations at LASO, said the Ash Pile project was one of 15 items on a priority list stipulated by NMED as subject to penalty this year and that a report was due Sept. 12. He said the project was delayed by several factors, going back to the discovery of a live grenade in the ash pile, late last year. "As we got into the remediation and clean up, we did a lot of training," he said. "That how we found the 38mm round." He said the clean-up should be finished soon, but that the state is waiting for an investigative report, the final deliverable, with additional sampling and analysis. According to the projected schedule, he estimated final delivery in early January. At $3,000 a day, the penalty would amount to another $177,000 a day by the end of the year. Rael said he was going to try to beat the schedule. David Gregory, who was called back as project manager, said work is currently down while training required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is being completed. Gregory hoped to see work resumed over the weekend. Marissa Stone, a spokesperson for NMED, said this morning that DOE had asked for an extension. "If we believed that an extension was warranted, we definitely would have granted one," she said, noting that the schedule made allowances for unexpected circumstances. "We expected LANL to comply. This was at the top of their list." The state previously cited the Incinerator Ash Pile project on July 12, when NMED issued a notice of violation for improper disposal of 20 tons of potentially hazardous debris at the Los Alamos County municipal landfill. A fine of $89,000 was proposed at the time, but the final amount is still being negotiated. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************