Subject: NucNews 99/12/07 Briefs - MOX block; NATO; China/Tqiwan; Date: Thu Reply-To: prop1@prop1.org Sender: owner-nukenet@envirolink.org X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.2.07 -- ListProc(tm) by CREN Please address replies to articles to the original publisher. Please send NucNews copies? Refuting false information appreciated! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The full text can be found at http://prop1.org/nucnews/9912nn/991207nn.htm} * Commercial Reactor To Sell Tritium * Lawsuit filed to halt plutonium shipments * Judge Blocks Plutonium Shipment * Plutonium shipments through state blocked More study needed on environmental effects judge says * NATO Chief Says U.S. Has Vital Role * NATO: Kosovo Mission Needs Money * Taiwan Confirms China Building New Nuclear Submarine * China dismissed report that it was working on a new submarine * China Sentences Alleged U. S. Spy * U.S. Asks China About Sentence On Researcher * US Criticizes China Over Jail Term * George W Bush Defends "One China" Policy Entrance To WTO * French-German Nuclear Deal * Japan to Put 96 000 Soldiers on Millennium Alert * Japan Worker Exposed to Radiation * Islands seek more pay for missile tests * Pentagon To Pursue Vieques Plan * Update: Disclosure of Y2K False Missile Alerts * Russian General Sees Us Corporate Push On Star Wars * Russia U.S. Ignore Tensions to Ease Y2K Fear * China Backs Russia Move on Chechnya * Russia Guards Die in Truck Accident at nuclear plant * U.S. Planes Attack S. Iraq Targets * Report: Iraq-France Ties To End * Deal May Give UAE Superior F-16s * U.S. Missile Shield Technology Far From Ready * McCain Would Cancel Unneeded Arms * White House to take cyber-questions * Ex-Rwandan leader convicted of genocide ------- * Commercial Reactor To Sell Tritium Associated Press DECEMBER 08 11:33 EST by DUNCAN MANSFIELD http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=NATIONAL&STORYID=APIS717 8GSG0 KNOXVILLE Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee Valley Authority directors today approved a contract to make a key component for nuclear bombs marking the first time in U.S. history that a commercial reactor will be used to produce the material. The board voted 3-0 for the contract to produce tritium for the U.S. Energy Department at its Watts Bar plant in Spring City about 55 miles southwest of Knoxville. The vote came after the board heard from a half-dozen opponents who said it's wrong for the U.S. government to make the material as it seeks nonproliferation agreements to cut the world's nuclear weapons stockpile. ``I'm asking you in the name of God to say no to this madness '' said Erik Johnson a Presbyterian minister. Ralph Hutchison of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance said TVA was sending the wrong message to the rest of the world.... * Lawsuit filed to halt plutonium shipments Detroit News 11/07/99 By Lisa Singhania / Associated Press http://detnews.com/1999/metro/9912/07/12070106.htm A group of Michigan residents went to federal court Monday to try to block the U.S. government from shipping plutonium across the state. In an 18-page complaint the plaintiffs asked Chief Judge Richard Enslen to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Energy saying the agency has not done enough to show its plan is safe. A court hearing was scheduled for this afternoon in Kalamazoo. * Judge Blocks Plutonium Shipment By LISA SINGHANIA Associated Press Writer DECEMBER 07 23:47 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=NATIONAL&STORYID=APIS716 U5V80 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Plutonium-Shipment.html KALAMAZOO Mich. (AP) -- A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the shipment of plutonium through Michigan saying there are questions about whether the Department of Energy did enough study of potential environmental effects. The shipment is part of a test to determine whether commercial nuclear reactors in Canada can use material from decommissioned Russian nuclear weapons as fuel. U.S. District Chief Judge Richard Enslen issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting any shipments to Canada until Dec. 17. U.S. Department of Energy lawyers had no comment after the ruling. In court they told the judge that delaying the shipment could hurt U.S. credibility in negotiating nuclear disarmament treaties. Alice Hirt one of six individuals who filed a lawsuit along with the group Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination welcomed the decision. * Plutonium shipments through state blocked More study needed on environmental effects judge says Detroit News 11/07/99 By Jeremy Pearce / The Detroit News http://detnews.com/1999/metro/9912/07/12080016.htm KALAMAZOO -- A federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Energy's plans to truck plutonium fuel across Michigan on its way to Canadian nuclear reactors. In a ruling late Tuesday Chief Judge Richard Enslen said the Department of Energy "needs to make a more comprehensive environmental impact statement" before shipping nuclear fuel on public roads from Los Alamos N.M. about 1 700 miles away. "The entire project has affects and costs not addressed in the (Department of Energy) environmental assessment Enslen said. Opponents of the plan, called Operation Parallex, argue that any fuel shipments would be vulnerable to fire, accidents and even terrorism. * NATO Chief Says U.S. Has Vital Role By The Associated Press New York Times December 7, 1999 Filed at 11:55 a.m. EDT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-US-Europe.html http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=EUROPE&STORYID=APIS716M3B00 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary-General Lord Robertson, speaking to reporters before meeting with President Clinton, said a new European defense initiative within NATO is not an attempt to move away from the United States or decouple U.S. and European defenses. ``These concerns and worries are misplaced,'' Robertson said. Although U.S. officials have approved the European Security and Defense Identity, which does not include U.S. participation, they have cautioned that it not become separate from the NATO umbrella. The initiative was formalized at a summit in Helsinki, Finland, last week. * NATO: Kosovo Mission Needs Money By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press Writer DECEMBER 07, 04:15 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=EUROPE&STORYID=APIS716D0EO0 UNITED NATIONS (AP) - NATO's secretary-general warned that the international community faces a serious security challenge in Kosovo unless it sends more police to the province and starts building a fair justice system. ``There's a very thin line between success and failure in Kosovo, and we're walking that line at the moment,'' Lord Robertson said Monday in an interview after meeting U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.... * Taiwan Confirms China Building New Nuclear Submarine Inside China Today Tuesday, Dec 7 at Prague 06:43 am, N.Y. 12:43 am http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=116298 TAIPEI, Dec 7, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) Taiwan confirmed Tuesday that China is building a new type of nuclear submarine that could threaten the United States. Judging from its research and development process the submarine is scheduled to be put into service in the year 2005 Major General Chao Lien-ti told reporters. The Washington Times reported Monday China is about to construct its first Type 094 missile submarine, capable of carrying a smaller underwater variant of China's new DF-31 international ballistic missile called Julang-2. The missile would have a range of about 7,400 miles (11,935 kilometres).... * China dismissed report that it was working on a new submarine Deseret News Tuesday, December 07, 1999 http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145009184,00.html? China BEIJING - China dismissed on Tuesday a Washington Times report that it was working on a new submarine that would be targeted against U.S. nuclear forces and carry missile warheads built with stolen U.S. nuclear secrets. * China Sentences Alleged U. S. Spy Inside China Today Tuesday, Dec 7 at Prague 05:11 am, N.Y. 11:11 pm http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=115828 HONG KONG, Dec 5, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) China sentenced a U.S.-based missile expert to 15 years in jail for leaking state secrets in a trial held last week, a Hong Kong-based human rights organization said Saturday. Hua Di, a Chinese-born U.S. green card holder was tried and sentenced on November 25 by the Beijing Intermediate People's Court, the Information Center of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China said. * U.S. Asks China About Sentence On Researcher Inside China Today Wednesday, Dec 8 at Prague 07:10 am, N.Y. 01:10 am http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=116221 WASHINGTON, Dec 7, 1999 -- (Reuters) The U.S. Embassy in Beijing has asked China for information on reports that a Stanford University researcher has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for leaking state secrets, a U.S. official said on Monday. State Department spokesman James Foley said the United States was also deeply concerned" about the health of the researcher 63-year-old Hua Di who was arrested in January 1998 while visiting relatives in China. * US Criticizes China Over Jail Term New York Times December 6 1999 Filed at 6:12 p.m. EDT By The Associated Press http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-US-China.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department criticized China on Monday for the conviction and 15-year prison term given to a Stanford University researcher who was detained while visiting China in January 1998. Hua Di a former high-ranking official in China's missile program had been charged with leaking unspecified state secrets. * George W Bush Defends "One China" Policy Entrance To WTO Inside China Today Tuesday Dec 7 at Prague 05:11 am N.Y. 11:11 pm http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=114950 WASHINGTON Dec 2 1999 -- (Reuters) Republican presidential frontrunner George W Bush here Wednesday defended Washington's "one China" policy as well as Beijing's entrance to the World Trade Organization (WTO). "I believe it is in our best interest to welcome China" in the WTO he told the Republican Jewish Coalition which celebrated its fifteenth anniversary by inviting Bush and his five rivals for the party's 2000 presidential nomination. Our relation with China is one of competition not of a strategic partnership" Bush added in a clear reference to president Clinton's policy of engaging China. * French-German Nuclear Deal New York Times 12/07/99 http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/world-biz-briefs.html In a joint venture that will create a leading supplier and servicer of nuclear power plants Framatome S.A. of France has agreed to merge its nuclear power construction and servicing activities with the Kraftwerk-Union unit of Siemens A.G. of Germany. The joint venture with $3 billion in annual revenue will be 66 percent owned by Framatome; Siemens will hold the remainder. John Tagliabue (NYT) * Japan to Put 96 000 Soldiers on Millennium Alert By Reuters New York Times December 7 1999 Filed at 4:25 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-japan-defense.html TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan which has come under fire for not being prepared for major disasters announced on Tuesday it would put tens of thousands of military personnel on alert at year-end to deal with possible millennium bug-related accidents. About 96 000 Self-Defense Forces staff will be on alert across the country for two days from New Year's Eve to deal with possible emergencies triggered by the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer glitches officials at the Defense Agency said. The agency also plans to put more than 100 aircraft warships and special vehicles on standby and deploy several chemical warfare units the officials said. * Japan Worker Exposed to Radiation New York Times December 7 1999 By The Associated Press http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-Japan-Nuclear.html http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=ASIA&STORYID=APIS716GCMG0 http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0 1249 145009184 00.html? TOKYO (AP) -- A worker at a Japanese nuclear plant was exposed to a minute amount of radiation after he cut himself changing a pipe officials said Tuesday. The worker was taken to a hospital after cutting the little finger on his right hand on Wednesday at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s nuclear facility in Fukushima prefecture company spokesman Kosei Sakai said. * Islands seek more pay for missile tests Marshall Islands officials want the US $12-million fee for use of Kwajalein raised to a 'fair-market value.' Colin Woodard Special to The Christian Science Monitor 11/07/99 WORLD http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/1999/12/07/fp6s1-csm.shtml From the air you'd never guess that Kwajalein Atoll was of considerable strategic significance to the United States. This remote ring of coral islets is set in the very center of the vast Pacific Ocean and is far from just about everything. Most of its islets are little more than glorified sandbars covered in coconut and pandanus trees looking very much like a tropical paradise. But Kwajalein is more "Dr. Strangelove" than "Blue Lagoon." Today it sits at the center of complicated ongoing negotiations that will have serious consequences for both the Marshalls and the development of the Pentagon's $10.5 billion National Missile Defense (NMD) program. That's because leaders of the tiny Republic of the Marshall Islands a former US-administered Trust Territory want to raise the rent the US pays for use of Kwajalein Missile Range a key facility for NMD testing.... For further information: Kwajalein Missile Range Kwajalein Center and Approach Control Kwajalein Marshall Islands Land of Tomorrow http://EscapeArtist.com * Pentagon To Pursue Vieques Plan New York Times December 7 1999 Filed at 4:19 p.m. EDT By The Associated Press http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-US-Puerto-Rico.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Navy and Puerto Rico need a ``cooling off'' period to resolve a dispute over whether bombing practice should resume on the outlying island of Vieques a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday. ``I think there's room for dialogue here '' said the spokesman Kenneth Bacon. Bacon said that an envoy Rear Adm. Kevin Green would be in Puerto Rico later this week to begin talks with local citizens and officials in an effort to sell them on the administration's plan to resume bombing practice next spring at sharply reduced levels and without live ammunition. * Update: Disclosure of Y2K False Missile Alerts From CarolMoore@kreative.net in D.C. 202-635-3739 12-7-99 I just got a call from AF Major Perry Newis from the U.S. Space Command Center returning my calls about their plans to alert media and public about Y2K false missile alerts. On the one had he kept assuring me that there would be 40 representatives of the media there who would be briefed frequently. On the other he kept saying that they would not necessarily tell the press if there were false missle alerts. He confirmed that that decision would be made by the President. He also said he was aware of the movement to De-Alert Nuclear weapons. He said people should feel free to call him with more questions. The number: 719-554-5010 -- Below are several relevant numbers/addresses/emails to contact to confirm the information above and/or to contact to demand the press and public be told of any false alerts. -- President Bill Clinton The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington DC 20500 Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 -- Council Chair John A. Koskinen President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion 202-456-7171 456-7171 (Fax) http://www.y2k.gov -- The Council's Information Coordination Center http://www.y2k.gov/new/icc.html -- Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem 202-224-5224 Year2000@y2k.senate.gov - Ask for Ron Speer or Paul Nicholas -- Stephen Horn's House Y2K Committee 225-5147 Ask for Matt Ryan -- Pentagon Public Affairs Y2K Contact-- Susan Hansen CIV OASD/PA" 703-693-6858 (Returns calls promptly.) -- Colorado Springs Center for Strategic Stability Public Affairs--Col. Black 719-554-5010 (Public affairs has not returned any calls so far.) -- Y2K Military Links http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/y2k/misc_frelate.htm http://www.y2k.gov/java/info1c.html -- North American Aerospace Defense Command And United States Space Command Y2k Page http://www.spacecom.af.mil/norad/y2k.htm -- President's Council's Information Coordination Center - http://www.y2k.gov/new/icc.html ICC status reports or bulletins to the public will be posted on the http://www.y2k.gov web site. Government's toll-free Y2K information line - 1-888-USA-4-Y2K. * Russian General Sees Us Corporate Push On Star Wars Russia Today Tuesday Dec 7 at Prague 06:43 am N.Y. 12:43 am http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=114896 MOSCOW Dec 1 1999 -- (Reuters) Big companies with an eye on fat profits rather than potential foes are the force behind U.S. plans to develop a Star Wars-style missile defense system a Russian general said in an interview published on Wednesday. * Russia U.S. Ignore Tensions to Ease Y2K Fear By Reuters New York Times December 7 1999 Filed at 11:49 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-yk-russia.html MOSCOW (Reuters) - Few people doubt Russia has enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world but many need convincing the missiles will stay put when midnight chimes on Dec. 31. The United States and Russia despite relations being at a post-Cold War low are eager to oblige as they prepare for the so-called Y2K millennium bug which may cause some computers to confuse 2000 for 1900 and misfunction or crash. * China Backs Russia Move on Chechnya By CHRISTOPHER CHESTER Associated Press Writer DECEMBER 07 11:50 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=EUROPE&STORYID=APIS716JLJO0 The United States the European Community and many other nations are urging Russia to abandon its plan to intensely bombard Chechnya's capital but there is no talk of sanctions or other measures if Moscow ignores their appeals. China was one of the few countries to express support for Russia which is bombarding the capital and has demanded that citizens leave by this weekend or be killed. * Russia Guards Die in Truck Accident By The Associated Press New York Times December 7 1999 Filed at 8:00 a.m. EDT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-Russia-Accident.html http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0 1249 145009184 00.html? MOSCOW (AP) -- Six Interior Ministry guards were killed when their truck fell into a pit at a nuclear power plant under construction in southern Russia the Interfax news agency said Tuesday. * U.S. Planes Attack S. Iraq Targets by LEON BARKHO Associated Press DECEMBER 07 08:20 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=MIDEAST&STORYID=APIS716G J7O0 BAGHDAD Iraq (AP) - Iraqi anti-aircraft gunners fired at U.S. and British warplanes as they attacked targets in southern Iraq state-run newspapers reported Tuesday. The papers quoting a military statement said the planes entered Iraqi airspace in 20 waves Monday morning and carried out ``22 military sorties'' over the provinces of Basra Dhiqar Missan Najaf Qadissiya Muthana and Karbala all in southern Iraq. * Iraq Urges UN To Renew Oil Program By LEON BARKHO Associated Press Writer DECEMBER 06 23:26 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=MIDEAST&STORYID=APIS7168 P2O0 BAGHDAD Iraq (AP) - Iraq asked the United Nations on Monday for a six-month renewal of its oil-for-food program but reiterated that it will not accept a draft British-Dutch resolution calling for the revival of U.N. weapons inspections. * Report: Iraq-France Ties To End By LEON BARKHO Associated Press Writer DECEMBER 05 17:37 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=MIDEAST&STORYID=APIS715E I600 BAGHDAD Iraq (AP) - France will lose all of its trade benefits with Iraq including lucrative oil development deals if it votes in favor of a U.N. resolution backed by the United States Iraq's most influential newspaper said Sunday. The warning in Babel the daily newspaper owned by President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Odai singled out French oil giants Elf Aquitaine and Total which are nearing completion on deals for the development of two large oil fields. * Deal May Give UAE Superior F-16s DECEMBER 04 21:36 EST http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=MIDEAST&STORYID=APIS714S VAO0 FORT WORTH Texas (AP) - Lockheed Martin Corp. is negotiating an $8 billion jet-fighter deal that for the first time would reportedly give a foreign nation an F-16 fleet technologically superior to U.S. Air Force jets. Under the deal which could be signed this month the United Arab Emirates would spend about $3 billion to research and develop technology that is not available on F-16s flown by U.S. pilots. The 80 jets would be built in Fort Worth by Lockheed Martin. They would have agile-beam radar systems radar-jamming devices and computerized flight controls that are more sophisticated than similar equipment now on board the U.S.'s F16s the manufacturer says. * U.S. Missile Shield Technology Far From Ready New York Times December 7 1999 By Reuters http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-starwars-technol.html WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For all the domestic political appeal of a system to shield America from nuclear missile attacks and the unease the plan has generated in Russia China and among U.S. allies weapons experts say the technology is far from ready. * McCain Would Cancel Unneeded Arms Dec. 7 1999; 6:42 p.m. EST By David Espo AP Political Writer http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/19991207/aponline184234_001.htm CONCORD N.H. -- On the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Republican presidential hopeful John McCain called Tuesday for deployment of a missile defense system cancellation of unneeded weapons and military pay raises to maintain America as the greatest force for good on earth. * White House to take cyber-questions 12/06/99- Updated 09:11 AM ET By Susan Page USA TODAY http://usatoday.com/news/washdc/ncsmon03.htm Reporters' exclusive franchise for posing questions to the White House press office ends Monday with a new Internet feature called ''Ask the White House.'' The White House will announce that major news Web sites can survey their visitors and submit five of the most-asked questions each week for written responses. No subject areas have been put off-limits White House spokesman Barry Toiv said... The feature was proposed by America Online as part of a new Government Guide site that organizes federal and state government Web sites in a directory for consumers. AOL surveyed its own employees to come up with the first five questions being unveiled Monday at http://www.governmentguide.com... * Ex-Rwandan leader convicted of genocide USA Today December 7 1999 http://usatoday.com/news/world/nw1.htm ARUSHA Tanzania - A U.N. court Monday convicted a former Rwandan militia leader of genocide and crimes against humanity and sentenced him to life in prison. Georges Rutuganda was vice president of the ferocious Interahamwe militia which together with the army and security forces led the 1994 mass murder of Rwanda's minority Tutsis. Rutuganda is the sixth Rwandan to be convicted of genocide by the Tanzania-based tribunal and the fourth to be sentenced to life in prison the maximum penalty allowed under court rules. The U.N. Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda which was created in late 1994 and began trying cases 18 months later has 40 suspects in custody. Rwanda is holding its own trials of genocide suspects so far trying more than 1 500 people. Nearly 130 000 additional suspects remain in jail awaiting trial. ___________________________________________________ Today's Newspapers: http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm NucNews Archives: http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm Subscribe NucNews: mailto:prop1@prop1.org (NucNews-Subscribe) Submit URL/Article: mailto:prop1@prop1.org (NucNews-Editor) About NucNews: http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm Distributed without payment for research and educational purposes only in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. 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