International Nuclear Watch & Discussion

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 13 May 2009 07:28

U.S. General Reserves Right to Use Force, Even Nuclear, in Response to Cyber Attack

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 13 May 2009 22:45

Gerard wrote:U.S. General Reserves Right to Use Force, Even Nuclear, in Response to Cyber Attack

There is a saying that "if you have hammer, every problem is nail!"

So with the luxury of plethora of nukes the general can issue threats. How does it reconcile with the negative security assurance that the US gave to the UN General Assy that it will use nukes only against nuke powers?

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 14 May 2009 05:21

U.S. warhead disposal in 15-year backlog

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 14 May 2009 05:33

Nuclear Experts Present Draft Fissile Materials Cutoff Pact

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 15 May 2009 03:28

U.S. Nuclear Commander Stands By "Vacuum Tube" Rationale for Updating Arsenal

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 15 May 2009 03:30

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-14-voa45.cfm

"And that's why when you look at the history of the nuclear age, all the countries that have nuclear weapons - the U.S., France, China, Russia, whoever you can point to - they first built a nuclear weapon and then it was years and years and years before they were able to mount one on a missile," he said. "And some nuclear weapon states - I think of India and Pakistan, for example - it's still unclear whether they have that capability. So - in the nuclear world, it's the hardest thing you can do and I don't expect North Korea to be able to do it for quite some time - if ever."

Jim Walsh, a nuclear and North Korea expert with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]

Mr. Walsh pretends the CHIC4 and other designs were not proliferated by China. Complete with detailed instructions on fabrication, down to the tightening torque for bolts.

Mr. Walsh missed arithmetic lessons in school

16 Oct 1964 - "596" - first Chinese nuclear test - tower shot
27 Oct 1966 - 4th Chinese test - via DF-2 medium range ballistic missile

"years and years and years" ?

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 15 May 2009 04:05

Hiroshima wary of NKorea's nuclear programme

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 15 May 2009 19:30

Mohamed ElBaradei warns of new nuclear age

He predicted that the next wave of proliferation would involve "virtual nuclear weapons states", who can produce plutonium or highly enriched uranium and possess the knowhow to make warheads, but who stop just short of assembling a weapon. They would therefore remain technically compliant with the NPT while being within a couple of months of deploying and using a nuclear weapon.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 16 May 2009 05:50

US DOE focuses on 4 companies for nuclear loan help

The Energy Department has narrowed its list of the most likely recipients of $18.5 billion in government loan guarantees for building the first new nuclear power plants.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 16 May 2009 05:52

UN nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty debate ends with no agreement on final document

Two weeks of debate at UN World Headquarters in New York over the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ended on Friday without reaching agreement on a final document, despite last minute negotiations. Still, the third and final session of the Preparatory Committee meeting, held May 4-15, laid groundwork for the NPT Review Conference mandated for April of 2010. The 2005 review failed to reach consensus on an outcome document.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 16 May 2009 05:54

Pakistan in 'French nuclear deal'

there is confusion over the deal reached by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Pakistani counterpart. Pakistani officials said Mr Sarkozy had undertaken to supply Pakistan with "civilian nuclear technology". But the Elysee Palace said France had agreed only to co-operate in the field of "nuclear safety".

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 16 May 2009 06:12

Chain Reaction
How the U.S.-UAE nuclear deal could set off a Middle East arms race

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 16 May 2009 13:42

Good PowerPoint presentation on PIDEC (Photon-Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion)

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bits ... =5#256,1,A

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 16 May 2009 20:07

Developing Nations Seek Assurances on Nuclear Arms

U.N. nuclear talks hit a roadblock Friday as Cuba, Iran and other developing nations demanded that the five original nuclear powers accept legally binding commitments to dismantle their nuclear arsenals and provide assurances they will not use such weapons against states that do not possess atomic weapons.

In this month's talks, the strongest resistance came from France. It said it would not yield to any legally binding commitments to undertake further reductions in its nuclear arsenal or to allow international inspections of its nuclear stockpile.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 16 May 2009 20:09

Hurrah for CANDU

AECL to get Ontario nuclear power project -report

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 16 May 2009 20:38

Gerard wrote:Hurrah for CANDU

AECL to get Ontario nuclear power project -report

They'll probably put it nearby in Pickering, which is on the other end of town from me.

It lost out in the race to host ITER, but they've hosted N-plants before, so they've already been through the assessments.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 18 May 2009 00:14

Obama not to touch Israel's nuclear nerve

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 18 May 2009 01:23

Another view on the UAE nuke deal

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 18 May 2009 05:54

Armed ship with nuclear fuel arrives in Japan: witness

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 19 May 2009 02:52

Pakistan denies it is expanding nuclear arsenal

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 19 May 2009 05:02

Florida Orders Raytheon's Advanced SUV-Based Radiation Detection System

The Mobile Nuclear Radiation Detection System will expand Florida's capability to operate in urban environments to safeguard against nuclear threats on highways, bridges, overpasses, tunnels, ports of entry, and public venues such as major sporting events and other large events that terrorists might consider targets.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 19 May 2009 05:03

Kazakhstan didn't announce official plans to host nuclear fuel bank, IAEA

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 19 May 2009 05:05

Brazil aims to build first nuclear sub within 12 years - agency

France will help Brazil build the base and four modified Scorpene-type diesel-electric subs under a French license. ... The same agreement envisions a massive technology transfer from France, which is essential to Brazil's hopes of building a nuclear submarine

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 19 May 2009 23:34

Will the US-UAE nuclear deal reach meltdown?

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 20 May 2009 02:15

Jetty to house nuclear submarines

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 20 May 2009 03:57

Nuclear trade: France not to treat Pakistan on a par with India

All that France has offered in the nuclear arena is cooperation to ensure the safety of the nuclear installations in Pakistan, they added.
“Nuclear energy is a special form of energy due to links between civilian and military uses. India’s was a very special case

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 21 May 2009 02:45

non-proliferation being falsely cast as disarmament

Senior Foreign Policy Figures Endorse Obama Vision for Nuclear-Free World

they have come together to help galvanize is a recognition that we do not want a world of continued nuclear proliferation

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 21 May 2009 02:46

IAEA Governors to Consider Nuclear Fuel Bank Proposals

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 21 May 2009 03:24

US, Russia to hold second day of nuclear arms talks

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 21 May 2009 15:59

NTS - Nevada Nuclear Test Site

p.s.: Scroll up and down as there are thousands of craters all over.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 22 May 2009 19:35

From FT print edition:

THE NUCLEAR DETERRENT

Trident returns to centre stage

The debate over Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent is back on the political agenda. In some ways, that is a surprise. Only two years ago, the Labour government and the opposition Conservatives joined forces in the House of Commons to back renewal of the submarine-based system which is capable of launching Trident D5 missiles. But the acute financial crisis – and the significant costs of renewing Trident – are leading MPs to call for a re-think.

Most experts believe there is little prospect of a British government dismantling the deterrent unilaterally. Fears that Iran and North Korea are determined to acquire nuclear weapons make it politically difficult for the UK to give up its capability now. Trident’s defenders say it would be better if the UK negotiated the capability away, ensuring that other states abandon their nuclear weapons too. Then there is the question of the French. What would it say about Britain’s standing in the European Union – and the world – if the UK gave up its independent deterrent while the French kept theirs.

Still, some MPs are pressing ahead with arguments against Trident, questioning what use the system has in a world where the major threat is the use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists. Many MPs say the cost should be reduced with some arguing that the UK should acquire a deterrent that is land or air-launched rather than deploying four submarines on permanent patrol.

One possibility might be to delay the signing of the cheque for the new submarines. The four existing Vanguard class boats are due to go out of service in 2024. But they could be patched up and given a longer life, buying London time to see whether arms reduction talks take the world closer to a non-nuclear era.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 23 May 2009 01:29

US keeps nuclear "don't ask, don't tell" - Israel aide

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 23 May 2009 02:17

Proliferated Nonsense

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 23 May 2009 04:33

http://suomenkuvalehti.fi/s/mediagaller ... 2232uw.jpg

In this undated photo provided by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, taken off Wake Island, a U.S. territory in the remote mid-Pacific, a ship carries hydrophones to be anchored to the sea bottom at a depth of 750 meters (2,500 feet) some 100 kilometers (60 miles) at sea. They are part of the global 321-station International Monitoring System of seismic and other technologies designed to listen for secret nuclear tests, in this case underwater. The system supports the nuclear test-ban treaty, which President Barack Obama wants the U.S. to ratify.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 23 May 2009 21:15

Australian nuclear waste reaches US

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 23 May 2009 21:55

Uranium enrichment facility planned for N Carolina city

WILMINGTON -- The Port City could soon be home to a laser-based uranium enrichment facility. GE Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment wants to build the facility on the company’s existing nuclear energy site. The facility would enrich uranium for national nuclear operations.

Tilak · Post by **Tilak** » 23 May 2009 21:57

Obama Seeks Advice on Nuclear Weapons

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 24 May 2009 01:29

US nuclear accord with a Persian Gulf state raises concerns about proliferation

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 24 May 2009 18:46

Canadian hospitals forced to prioritize nuclear scans

The situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks as the medical isotope shortage intensifies because of the continued shutdown of the Chalk River nuclear reactor.

It's an important issue because the reactor supplies 80% of Canada's molybdenum-99, which is essential to manufacturing technetium-99m, the isotope used to diagnose cancer and heart disease, as well as many other illnesses.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 May 2009 22:20

This is why they're trying to switch to photonic manufacturing of these medical isotopes.