Proliferation Press

A webpage devoted to tracking and analyzing current events related to the proliferation of WMD/CBRN.

Archive for October 9th, 2007

Blog-On-Blog: Nukes of Hazard on Missile Shield

Posted by K.E. White on October 9, 2007

Good stuff from Nukes of Hazard.

Nukes of Hazard brings attention to a new rationale for missile defense (aka BMS/’Star Wars’): satellite protection:

(Senator) Kyl’s case for funding the project was that it was a step towards the development of active defenses for American satellites against anti-satellite weapons, and that it was not necessarily a missile defense project. However, an examination of the budget request for the test bed casts serious doubt on Kyl’s argument, indicating that the test bed is quite simply a missile defense program.

Nukes of Hazard also bring attention to a Ivo Daalder and John Holum’s Boston Globe op-ed that defends the goal of eventual nuclear abolition.

Posted in missile defense, Nuclear, nuclear abolition, Nukes of Hazard | 1 Comment »

ElBaradei goes to India…But To Talk About What?

Posted by K.E. White on October 9, 2007

ElBaradei is in India on a three day tour. His itinerary: inaugurating new cancer treatment technology (the Bhabhatron-II) and the Bhadha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai. ElBaradei will also be meeting with political leaders, but not in reference to IAEA safeguards for the US India nuclear deal.

The IAEA must approve the US India nuclear deal, and must come to an understanding with India about inspections over nuclear sites. (Note: The current nuclear deal exempts ‘military’ facilities from IAEA inspections. What determines ‘civilian’ vs. ‘military’ nuclear facilities is just one issue that remains to be ironed out.)

The visit may inflame already tense negotiations over the deal within the ruling coalition government. India’s political left, an ally of the majority Congress Party, are not happy over the deal:

“Those who advocate the deal should know that India is capable of developing nuclear energy primarily on a self-reliant basis,” the four communist parties said in a joint release in New Delhi yesterday. “We need not surrender our vital interests to America on this plea.”

Prakash KaratThe New York Times provides an interesting article exploring the leader of the Indian Communist Party Prakash Karat and his party’s spoiler role in Indian politics.

From the Associated Press:

India’s government on Tuesday played down a visit by the chief of the U.N. atomic watchdog, denying he was there to negotiate a landmark nuclear deal between India and the United States that threatens to bring down the government.

Mohamed ElBaradei, whose International Atomic Energy Agency must approve the pact, said he was ready to discuss the agreement whenever Indian officials wished.

Speaking to reporters after a planned meeting with top Indian scientists, he said the “IAEA is ready for talks whenever India approaches me for the talks.”

And from The Hindu News Update:

“IAEA is ready for talks whenever the India approaches me for the talks,” Elbaradei, on a three-day visit to India, said after inaugurating the indigenously developed advanced computerised telecobalt machine `Bhabhatron-II’ for treatment of cancer here.

“The Indian government will have to take a decision,” he said adding, “I will wait for them to come to Vienna to make a formal request (in this regard).”

Posted in ElBaradei, IAEA, India, Prakash Karat, U.S. India Nuclear Deal | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

North Korea Marks Nuclear Anniversary and Kim Jong Il is published…in Syria

Posted by K.E. White on October 9, 2007

From the Associated Press:

“Never forgettable are acclamations of October, 2006, when we shouted hurrah again and again at the top of our voices in admiration of General Kim Jong Il who unfolded an eternally clear sky of peace, prosperity and hope above the heads of the 70 million people,” the state-controlled paper said, referring to both North and South Koreans.

The nuclear test was a “truly great miracle,” the paper said, sending the North “soaring as a powerful and great nation” at a time of hardship.

The country is believed to have conducted the underground test explosion at an unknown location in its northeast. The size of the blast was relatively small, with the U.S. government estimating its yield at less than a kiloton. Each kiloton is equal to the force produced by 1,000 tons of TNT.

And, just in case you were interested, Kim Jong Il is now an internationally published author:

Kim Jong Il’s famous work “The Workers’ Party of Korea Organizes and Guides All the Victories of Our People” was brought out in booklet by the Dar Damascus Publishing House of Syria on October 1.

This work, published on October 3, Juche 79 (1990), expounds the idea that the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea is the decisive guarantee for the victory of the cause of socialism and the issue of developing the WPK into the Juche-type revolutionary party and fundamental ways to carry out the mission and duty of the party as the leading political organization.

Posted in Kim Jong Il, North Korea, nuclear test, The Workers' Party of Korea Organizes and Guides All th | Leave a Comment »

 
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