July 2005
Nuclear Energy Update
July 4 - July 8, 2005
Welcome to Nuclear Energy Update. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in international, domestic, and scientific nuclear energy news.
International
China Chooses to Promote Power Plants to Meet Energy Needs
In an effort to meet impending energy shortages, China has set out to more than double its nuclear power energy production by 2020. Internationally, the push means competition for nuclear power purveyors: AREVA, the French nuclear group, Westinghouse Electric, the US unit of British Nuclear Fuels, and Russia's AtomStroyExport. The subsequent contracts would constitute the largest for the industry in years, an estimated $8 billion dollars. The two new plants are to be located in the eastern province of Zhejiang and Yangjiang in the Guangdong province. Work has also begun in Qinshan, where, according to Yang Lanhe, the general manager for the Qinshan Phase II project, excavation of the site has almost been completed. The site will eventually be the site of four new reactors. China is intent on increasing the energy production supplied by nuclear power from 2.3 percent to 4 percent by 2020, which will require the construction of two facilities every year. But by 2060, according to Shen Wenquan, vice chairman of China National Nuclear Corp's science and technology committee, nuclear power could be pushed so far as to supply one-third of China's energy needs.
(Kurtenbach, Elaine http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/China/GG04Ad01.html 7/4/05)
Environmental Watchdog Appeals for Russian Nuclear Reform
At a Moscow news conference, Bellona activists issued a report calling for Russia to reform its management of Soviet-era nuclear waste and its current nuclear industry. The report by Bellona, an environmental watchdog, urged safe storage of spent nuclear fuel, rather than its reprocessing, as well as a halt to the operation of "potentially dangerous and expensive" aging nuclear power plants. The report also emphasized the necessity of cleaning up contamination surrounding power stations and nuclear-powered submarines. Nikolai Shingaryov, spokesman for the Federal Atomic Energy Agency, graciously responded to the report, but defended the continued operation of current nuclear power reactors as being safer and less expensive than building new reactors. The report was first published in Norway in November of 2004, and has since been distributed globally.
(The Moscow Times http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/07/05/012.html 7/5/05)
Report Alleges Clandestine Nuclear Support to Iran from North Korea
According to recent intelligence reports obtained by a non-U.S. diplomat, North Korea has been aiding Iran's nuclear program in secret. According to the report, "In the late 1990s, cooperation began between the two countries, which focused on nuclear (research and development)." So much so that that an academic delegation from North Korea this past year held a secret masters course at Tehran's Polytechnic University, which covered "dual use" nuclear technology applicable to civilian or military applications. Diplomats from Asia, the United States, and Europe have all confirmed the plausibility of the reports' assertions. North Korea has also been implicated in aiding Iran's nuclear agenda by a British telegram, which divulged negotiations for North Korea to construct underground bunkers to hide atomic equipment. Additionally, reports from the Japanese daily have also speculated that technology for long-range cruise missiles that can carry nuclear weapons has also been imparted to Iran from North Korea.
(Charbonneau, Louis http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050706/wl_nm/nuclear_iran_korea_dc_1 7/6/05)
Nuclear Waste Storage Pits Poised Precariously Alongside River's Edge
In a village located in southwest Kyrgyzstan, 23 storage pits containing two million cubic meters of radioactive waste are precariously positioned alongside the Maili-Suu river. The pits, which are now located in an area subject to frequent landslides, flooding, and earth tremors, constitute the remnants of nuclear processing from the Soviet era. They now threaten Central Asia's Ferganan valley, as well as surrounding countries. "The day when the water sweeps away one of the pits, the history of Maili-Suu will end. We will all be dead and entire regions of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan will follow," says Zakhanbek Yunussapiyev, a town official organizing work to secure the uranium pits. Despite $10 million dollars of aid donated by the World Bank to secure the site, local officials fear that the reconstruction project slated for the end of the year may be too late. So far this spring, flooding has come close to one pit, as well as consuming part of the concrete protection wall of another. The surrounding inhabitants residing nearby currently are exposed to radiation levels exceeding 75 times the permitted level.
(AFP
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050706/sc_afp/kyrgyzstanvote_050706194255 7/6/05)
South Korea Deliberates Fashioning an ITER Facsimile
According to South Korea's science ministry, South Korea is contemplating building a nuclear fusion reactor by 2040. The ministry is set to hold public hearings to collect opinions from pertinent academics and industry experts regarding infrastructure needs and technical standards. Nuclear fusion is said to be safer than currently-used nuclear fission, as well as more accessible due to the abundance of hydrogen, which can be extracted from seawater. The process of a nuclear fusion reaction is enacted by housing "heavy hydrogen", also know as deuterium and tritium-in a doughnut-shaped vacuum vessel while it is heated to 100 million C or more. It is said that one gram of fusion fuel can produce enough energy equivalent to eight tons of kerosene. South Korea's nuclear fusion experiment, KSTAR, has been in development since 1995. At the same time South Korea has aided, and continues to participate, in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Fusion Reactor (ITER) construction project, which is underway in France.
(http://au.biz.yahoo.com/050707/17/59ab.html 7/7/05)
Delegates Toughen Nuclear Material Protection Treaty
Delegates from 89 nations concluded meetings this Friday to reconstruct the 1980 treaty protecting nuclear material, which was signed in Vienna and New York. The delegates sought to reform current laws, which are believed to inadequately protect nuclear facilities from terrorist attack. According to the conference chairman, Alec Jean Baer of Switzerland, "We can't go on with an old instrument in a new world." Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), declared the final agreement: "a global commitment to remedy weaknesses in our nuclear security regime." According to the IAEA, the treaty will increase international cooperation regarding "rapid measures to locate and recover stolen or smuggled nuclear material, mitigate any radiological consequences of sabotage, and prevent and combat related offenses." Since the amendment effort will have to be ratified by at least two-thirds of the 112 abiding nations, which is speculated to take years, it is unlikely that the any changes will induce any immediate results.
(Jahn, George http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050708/ap_on_re_eu/un_nuclear_agency_1 7/8/05)
Domestic
Future Fears of Nuclear Waste Management
All 103 of our nation's commercial nuclear reactors are facing the same problem: Where to put the waste? At the outset of the nuclear era the federal government promised take on the waste, but with waste storage initiatives such as Yucca Mountain being stymied by legal, political, and technical problems, the government has been unable to make good on its promise. Subsequently, waste management of the highly radioactive nuclear fuel rods is now left up to the companies themselves. Currently, companies cope with the waste by remitting the spent nuclear byproduct to deep storage pools and outdoor casks, which currently contain 50,000 tons of civilian nuclear waste spread across the country. Although both these systems have been found to be safe storage, many, fearing a 9/11-style airplane attack, have become worried about difficulties in securing the volatile sites from terrorist attack. "These are the ultimate dirty bombs [...] Let's not pretend the way we are storing this waste is safe and secure in an age of terrorism," said Bob Alvarez, senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies. Utility executives and government officials dispute these fears, arguing that plants have multiple layers of protection of any attack. However, without any cemented future plan for nuclear waste housing, critics fear that future generations will become lax regarding the security of the hazardous sites as Kevin Crowley, a nuclear expert at the National Academy of Sciences, depicts: "The major uncertainty is in the confidence that future societies will continue to monitor an maintain such facilities."
(Vartabedian, Ralph http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/03/MNGTODGNEE1.DTL&feed=rss.news5 7/3/05)
Science
Australian Scientist Advises Against Nuclear Power
In the midst of the nuclear power debate occurring in Australia, Dr Mark Diesendorf, senior lecturer at the University of NSW Institute of Environmental Studies, declared that nuclear power generates more greenhouse gas emissions than gas-fired power. While the process of nuclear power itself is indisputably "cleaner" than fossil fueled energy alternatives, Diesendorf argues that the "Mining, milling, uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel production, power station construction and operation, storage and reprocessing of spent fuel, long-term management of radioactive waste and closing down old power stations," which require the burning of fossil fuels, constitute as a greater threat to the environment than equivalent gas-fired power stations. Conversely, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has asserted that CO2 emission in the United States could be cut by 30 percent with the increased employment of nuclear power. Currently, the Page Research Centre is examining fuel and energy use in Australia and will address The Nationals federal council meeting in September with its findings.
(AAP http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15822495-1702,00.html 7/4/05)
Op-Ed
Nuclear Power Garners Support from All Arenas
While President Bush and Prime Minister Blair may not be of one mind regarding global warming, it is apparent that both are in agreement concerning the value of nuclear power at the G-8 Summit. Nuclear power, being fossil fuel free and subsequently CO2 free, has been identified as not producing greenhouse gases and thereby not contributing to global warming. In recent months, Bush has been campaigning for the resurgence of nuclear power, deeming it as "one of America's safest sources of energy, without producing a single pound of air pollution and greenhouse gases." Nuclear power, once condemned by the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl incidents, has as of late been revitalized by "the growing pressure to confront global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," according to Dan Esty, director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. The resurgence of nuclear power has been in large part due to being supported by unlikely environmentalist supporters. Steward Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, categorized nuclear power as the "only technology ready to fill the gap and stop carbon dioxide loading of the atmosphere." Likewise, nuclear power has been backed by both Greenpeace cofounder Patrick Moore who claims that the "benefits far outweigh the risks" and James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia hypothesis, who asserts that, "we must stop gaining energy from fossil fuels, and although clean renewable energy sounds appealing, in practice it is ruinously expensive [subsequently] There is no sensible alternative to nuclear energy." Subsequently, even public opinion has begun shifting towards nuclear power. According to a Gallup survey conducted in March 2005, 54 percent of Americans strongly favor nuclear power, which is up from 48 percent in 2001.
(Llanos, Miguel http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8120563/ 7/6/05)
Asmus Declares Nuclear Agenda Asinine
Peter Asmus, of the New Hampshire Union Leader, condemns the development of new nuclear power plants, arguing that the revitalization of nuclear power in response to foreign resource dependence and global climate change would cause "Adam Smith to roll over in his grave." According to Mr. Asmus, it is "mind-boggling" that Republicans would call for more nuclear power, considering that "there is no power source less compatible with the GOP's love of free markets and disdain for regulation and subsidy than nuclear fission." Accordingly, Asmus maintains that "real, free-market energy policies suggest smaller, smarter and cleaner power sources. The last thing the United States should embark on in these volatile times tainted by the terrorist threat is the dinosaur technology that is nuclear power." Furthermore, Asmus goes on to contend that nuclear power is neither clean nor safe. Asmus argues that although the production of nuclear power may not produce any greenhouse pollutants, the process does: " the nuclear fuel process, uranium enrichment depends on great amounts of electricity, most of which is provided by dirty fossil fuel plants, releasing all of the traditional air pollution emissions not released by the nuclear reactor itself. Two of the nation's most polluting coal plants, in Ohio and Indiana, produce electricity primarily for uranium enrichment." Finally, Asmus warns that revitalization of nuclear power due to threat of melt down, terrorist attack, water contamination, improper waste storage, and radioactive gas emission, is an intolerable energy alternative.
(Amus, Peter http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showfast.html?article=57433 7/8/05).
Credits
Compiled by: Joe Schultheis
Edited by: Suzanne Vogel
Nuclear Energy Update
July 11- July 15, 2005
Welcome to Nuclear Energy Update. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in international, domestic, and scientific nuclear energy news.
International
North Korea to Return to Nuclear Talks In July
According to a Pyongyang official news agency and a U.S. official, North Korea has agreed to the six-party talks it has been boy-cotting. According to KCNA news agency, after North Korea's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Kye-gwan, met U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Christopher Hill in Beijing, "both sides agreed to open the fourth round of the six-party talks in the week which begins on July 25, 2005." The resumption of the talks appears to have been instigated by the United States' acknowledgment of North Korea's sovereignty and relaxing its rhetoric regarding North Korea as an "outpost of tyranny", as requested by the North Koreans this past month. Whether or not North Korea is willing to negotiate its complete denuclearization is still yet to be determined, but hope remains that the benefits to be conferred to the impoverished communist country will be enough to dissuade North Korea from its current nuclear course.
(Giacomo, Carol http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050709/ts_nm/korea_north_talks_dc_9 7/9/05)
Russia Named as Possible Participant in Iran's Prospective 20 Power Plants
Head of the Iranian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Kazem Jalali, acknowledged Russia as being a prospective chief participant in its construction of 20 nuclear power stations. "A plan has been approved in parliament obliging the government to study the possibility of building 20 nuclear power stations ... Various countries, including Russia, can participate and we hope Russia will continue to cooperate with us on this question," said Jalali this past Friday. Russia currently is aiding in the construction of Iran's first nuclear reactor site in Bushehr. Jalali's remarks come just as an Iranian delegation is in Russia discussing the continued economic cooperation between the two countries.
(Mosnews http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/07/09/irannuclear.shtml 7/9/05)
Experts Petition Putin to Make Nonproliferation a Priority for the Next G8 Summit
With Russia due to acquire leadership of the G8 this January, many experts believe that nuclear security and nonproliferation issue should be moved to the forefront of that which is being discussed. "While Russia might not have the authority to discuss issues of democracy and aid like the United Kingdom does, it certainly can lead discussions regarding the expansion of nonproliferation efforts and nuclear security," said Rose Gottemoeller, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Accordingly, "Too little attention has been paid to nonproliferation issues in the run-up to the G8...To prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists is really the number one security threat that we face today," echoed Michele Flournoy, senior advisor for CSIS. Current efforts by the United States and Russia to secure the volatile nuclear material have been mired with bureaucratic encumbrances revolving around liability issues. Flournoy also added that there has already been evidence of al-Qaeda attempts to infiltrate Russian sites. Subsequently, Ms. Gottemoeller urged President Putin, as the next G8 chairman, to augment its role in nonproliferation efforts and funding.
(Sharoky Catherine http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-blackmarket-05zh.html 7/9/05)
Iran Continues to Contend its Right to Resume Nuclear Work
The head of Iran's Foreign Affairs Commission, Alaeddin Borujerdi, declared that Iran, having adequately answered many of the ambiguities surrounding Iran's nuclear program, "should make more effort to put an end to its voluntary suspension." This past Sunday, Borujerdi told the student news agency ISNA, "Previously there were many ambiguities in Iran's case, but today many of the ambiguities have been removed, therefore, more than before, the conditions have now become prepared so that we can once again resume our activities under the (UN) agency's regulations." European diplomats close to the discussions taking place between Iran, Britain, France, and Germany, have indicated that Iran will not be allowed to resume processing without being taken before the United Nations Security Council for sanctions.
(AFP http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050710/wl_mideast_afp/irannucleareu_050710141747 7/10/05)
Japan Seeks Sustained Russian Submarine Aid
Japan and Russia look to initiate stage two of their bilateral "Star of Hope" project, which seeks to dismantle five nuclear submarines threatening to pollute the Sea of Japan sometime next year. According to Kawai Katsuyuki, the Foreign Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary, "If talks with Moscow are concluded favorably, work on the second phase can start as soon as the autumn." Four of the five submarines to be disassembled are currently located in the town of Bolshoi Kamen, while the fifth resides in the town of Vilyuchinsk. In the first stage of the "Star of Hope" operation, Japan pledged $6.6 million dollars over an 18-month period, which successfully dismantled a Viktor-3 class submarine. The culminating goal of the bilateral initiative is to eventually fully dispose of the some 40 Pacific Fleet nuclear submarines by 2010.
(AFP, http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050711/wl_asia_afp/russiajapanmilitary_050711201623 7/11/05)
Mitsubishi Moves to Make International Purchase of Westinghouse
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has made an offer to the U.S. based nuclear utility organization Westinghouse. The acquisition of the utility company intends on addressing falling demand by Japanese firms to construct domestic nuclear reactors. This demand has fallen due to resistance by communities that reside near nuclear reactors. The resistance has been further enflamed by a series of recent nuclear accidents. According to a Japanese newspaper, Mitsubishi has offered 1.8 billion dollars to BNFL, Westinghouse's British parent company who put the utility consortium up for sale on July 1st. Along with Mitsubishi, the French nuclear power company Areva, and the U.S. nuclear company General Electric, are also interested in purchasing Westinghouse.
(AFP http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/_050711052045 7/11/05)
Russia To Take On More Nuclear Waste In Spite of Greenpeace Protest
Despite protests from environmental groups, Russia reaffirmed its plans to become a participant an the International Atomic Energy Association's enterprise in which some countries would be the holder of a majority of the world's nuclear waste. According to the deputy head of the IAEA, Yury Sokolov, it is necessary for there to be international waste centers since "national programs for treatment and burial ... are not an efficient way of resolving the problem of waste." Greenpeace activists have protested the Russian initiative saying that Russia's participation is being used solely as a means to circumvent its own non-burial laws regarding radioactive waste. According to the Russian energy ministry estimations, Russia could earn up to 20 billion dollars over 10 years for its participation in the program.
(AFP http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050713/sc_afp/russianucleariaeaenvironment_050713164517 7/13/05)
China Churns the Nuclear Pot
General Zhu Chenghu declared that China would utilize nuclear weapons in response to an attack by the United States regarding Taiwan. "If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons." The General further asserted his resolve in saying that China "will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds ... of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese." While the General admitted that his comments were only a reflection of his personal view and not the government's, analysts categorize the comments as a means to remind the United States it was serious about Taiwa.
(AFP http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050715/wl_asia_afp/chinaustaiwannuclear_050715073226 7/15/05)
Domestic
Senator Barton Boasts of New Yucca Mountain Proposal, But All Aren't Buying It
In an attempt to clear the obstructed Yucca mountain waste repository proposal, House Energy Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, declared that he intends on proposing a comprehensive nuclear waste bill that could facilitate the Nevada site's operation. At present, legislation directed towards the opening of the Nevadan waste site, which is expected to house 77,000 tons of radioactive waste, has been mired by research controversy, negative court rulings, and budget concerns. According to Barton, his plan could authorize a 10,000-year radiation standard for the Yucca Mountain Project, while also providing for the temporary storage of radioactive waste while the Yucca Mountain site is being prepared. It also grants more funding to the Department of Energy beyond its designated congressional budget constraints. However, Senator Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., contests the proposal's increased control of the nation's nuclear waste fund to the Energy Department as being congressionally unpalatable.
(http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/gen/ap/NV_Yucca_Mountain_Congress.html 7/14/05)
Tsunami Scenario Compels Scientists to Reevaluate
Fears of a major tsunami hitting the California coast has scientists reevaluating the impact a similar environmental disaster would have on nuclear power plants. Subsequently, PG&E utility company is planning to pay $500,000 in an effort to assess how a tsunami scenario would affect its nuclear plants in California. According to Lloyd Cluff, PG&E's leading geological scientist, they will assess the impact of a tsunami by utilizing both a "apocalyptic model" and "decades-of- terror model" to decide whether the facilities would need to be upgraded. The apocalyptic model will gauge the impact of a quake registering 9 , while the decades of terror model evaluates a series of lesser earthquakes over a few decades which may also trigger a tsunami.
(Davidson, Keay http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/11/MNG84DLO521.DTL&feed=rss.news 7/11/05)
Advisory Report Calls For Consolidation
According to a report issued by a special task force of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, the United States should consolidate all its nuclear weapons plants and sensitive nuclear material to a single site with increased security, thereby diminishing the number of terrorist targets. The report specifically criticized the "broad distribution" of nuclear material such as plutonium and highly enriched uranium, which can be found at six of the eight major facilities. The report cited that widespread distribution "increases the number of potential terrorist targets within this country, exposing the (weapons) complex and the surrounding civilian population to risk."
(Hebert, Josef http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050714/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/nuclear_terrorists_2 7/14/05)
Science
Purdue University Experiment Confirm Fusion Findings
Research scientists at Purdue University corroborated the initial findings of scientists who constructed a "tabletop" device that utilizes sound waves to induce nuclear fusion reactions. The practical applications of this discovery could lead to a new source of economically clean energy. The main portion of the experiment was conducted in a glass test chamber filled with deuterium, otherwise known as heavy hydrogen, which was then exposed to neutrons and then barraged by an ultrasonic frequency inducing cavities to form in tiny bubbles. After expanding, the bubbles imploded, yielding enough force to impel a thermonuclear reaction. Such technology could result in the advent of a cleaner and inexpensive thermonuclear fusion generator. Fission reactors, on the other hand, produce significantly higher amounts of radioactive waste and utilize a much scarcer source material than does fusion reactors. Fusion reactors run off of deuterium, which is extractable from sea water and is abundant enough to power the U.S. for thousands of years.
(Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/07/050714010405.htm 7/14/05)
Credits
Compiled by: Joe Schultheis
Edited by: Chad Kreikemeier
Nuclear Energy Update
July 18- July 22, 2005
Welcome to Nuclear Energy Update. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in international, domestic, and scientific nuclear energy news.
International
Workers' Oversight Perpetuates Plant Pollution
According to reports, the English Sellafield nuclear power plant had leaked a total of nearly 18,000 gallons of highly radioactive and corrosive substances over the course of six months without ever being noticed. The cause of the problem was ascribed to plant vibrations, which caused the pipes carrying the nuclear material to leak. Regardless, according to a board inquiry, the problem should not have gone unnoticed. The board attributed the oversight to a "new plant culture" of overconfidence in factory reliability. As a result the Sellafield plant has been closed indefinitely since April and is currently loosing $1.8 million dollars daily. Additionally, workers have been remanded to a retraining program. Environmentalists are petitioning that the plant never resumes its activity.
(Rednova http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=177228&source=r_science 7/17/05)
Iranian Negotiator Conveys Possible Nuclear Concessions
Iranian nuclear negotiator Hossein Moussavian, alerted the official Islamic Republic News Agency, that European negotiators may concede aid for the construction of nuclear reactors in Iran. The EU may also offer the provision of nuclear fuel to run the reactors as well as postponing any referral to the U.N. Security Council regarding Iran's nuclear agenda in an attempt to dissuade Iran's current nuclear plans. (AFPhttp://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/_050717182752 7/17/05)
South Africa: From HEU to LEU
The South African research reactor SAFARI-1 is to be transformed from utilizing high-enriched uranium (HEU), which can be employed to make nuclear weapons, to using low enriched uranium (LEU). The department of Minerals and Energy issued a statement that regarded the switch as a milestone in the government's program "to ensure that the safety of nuclear materials is enhanced globally." The conversion of Safari-1, which was first commissioned in 1960, satisfies the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which South Africa is a signatory. At present the power plant is used to produce radioisotopes used for nuclear medicine. The conversion process will extend over the period of three years, and, according to Minerals and Energy minister Lindiwe Hendricks, it "is just one of a number of measures that...are aimed at ensuring the sustainability and integrity of our nuclear sector."
(http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=qw1121688902857B252 7/18/05)
Bush Bends To India, Making an Exception to the Rule
President Bush altered the U.S. position regarding India after his meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, promising full cooperation in India's development of its civilian nuclear program in exchange for India's commitment to withhold itself from arms proliferation. Previously, concerns regarding the intentions of India's undeclared nuclear status and its refusal to sign most international nonproliferation regimes, particularly the Non-Proliferation Treaty, have hindered U.S. nuclear cooperation. In a joint statement reported by Reuters, Bush declared that India was "a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology, [thus], India should acquire the same benefits and advantages as other states." Opponents, like Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, who see the policy as creating a double standard internationally, are criticizing the subsequent adjustment for allowing India to secure U.S. nuclear cooperation while it remains aloof of any legal commitment. He said, "What is immediate and dramatic is how this decision is going to undermine the good behavior of countries including Russia and France, who have adhered to very tough nuclear supplier guidelines."
(Eckert Paul, http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050718/ts_nm/india_usa_dc_8 7/18/05)
China Sets North Korean Nuclear Debate Date
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan announced that the resumption of the six-party talks regarding North Korea's nuclear disarmament would be held in Beijing on July 26, which North Korea had been boycotting, citing hostility and disrespect from the United States. Evidently, the resumption of the talks appears to have been instigated by the United States' acknowledgement of North Korea's sovereignty, coupled by toning down its rhetoric, which previously regarded North Korea as an "outpost of tyranny," as requested by the North Koreans this past month. However, according to a senior U.S. administration official, this is the last stop before referring North Korea to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions.
(AFPhttp://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=nkoreanucleartalks_050719120138 7/19/05)
Prospective Chinese Reactor Construction
In an effort to relieve China's reliance on coal, one of the country's major utility firms, China Power Investment Corp., has pledged to construct 10 nuclear reactors, to be located in the Shandong and Liaoning provinces. At present coal constitutes 70% of China's energy production, while nuclear reactors only generate 2.3%. According to senior director of China Power Investment Corp., Liu Changqing, the project has already received approval from the state regarding the safety and environmental concerns and is only awaiting further examination by the National Development and Reform Commission before proceeding with construction. China's movement away from coal will culminate in the projected construction of some 30 nuclear reactors by 2020, amounting to a $48 billion dollar Chinese investment. Last year the Chinese coal mining industry resulted in the deaths of 6,000 people. In addition, China has the infamous distinction of being the world's number two greenhouse gas producer. The proposed plants would help to alleviate both of these issues.
(Reuters http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050715/wl_nm/nuclear_china_dc_2 7/19/05)
U.S. and Russia Reconcile Liability Concerns
Recent reports have indicated that the United States and Russia have finally resolved their nuclear liability issues, which have impeded the funding to assist with the elimination of some 68 tons of weapons-grade plutonium. The dispute, which stalled the progress of the project for two years, revolved around the United States' insistence, and Russia's resistance, to agree upon liability language that assigns all liability to Russia, even if the U.S. contractor is at fault. The Bush administration reportedly reversed its course agreeing to liability protections similar to those found in the Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Program in the Russian Federation liability protocol, which it had previously dismissed. Officials declared that the concession was a one-time occurrence, thereby setting the stage for future disagreements pending a Russian inclination for revision.
(RANSAC Release http://www.ransac.org/Publications/News/News%20Releases/index.asp, 7/21/2005)
Europe and Iran Return to the Negotiating Table
The European tripartite resumed discussions with Iranian nuclear negotiators in London this past Wednesday. During the meeting, according to Iranian negotiator Hossein Moussavian, a "significant and complete message [detailing] the means of getting out of the current situation" was relayed to the European nations from Hasan Rowhani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. Moussavian said that the message displayed "extreme goodwill," adding that the discussions were "constructive." The European negotiators, consisting of France, Germany, and Britain, did not go so far as to make any proposals on Wednesday, but recommitted itself to outlining and delivering them in August. The proposal is expected to be a package of various technological, commercial, and political concessions devised to counteract Iran's nuclear ambitions towards enriching uranium, which could be converted into weapons material.
(http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1655799,00.html 7/21/05)
IAEA Says International Nuclear Center May be the Answer to Security Concerns
As the demand for the use and capability of nuclear power increases, so does the fear that its volatile byproduct, being improperly secured or intentionally misused, will be acquired and deployed in the form of a dirty bomb by terrorists. At present, the world has already amassed an estimated 200,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel, of which only 70,000 tons have been processed, leaving the rest to be stored at the nuclear power plant sites. Subsequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency is suggesting the creation of international nuclear storage and supply centers, which would in effect limit the number of waste site targets by collectivizing the world's waste at a few select sites. "Facilities for the civilized keeping and recycling of spent nuclear fuel should be created at international nuclear centers in the United States, Finland, Russia and some other countries where such technologies have been created and are at the highest level," said IAEA Deputy Director Yuri Sokolov.
(Mihailescu, Andrea http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-civil-05zzf.html 7/21/05)
Lithuania Conservatives Look to Construct a New Reactor
Conservative Lithuanian politicians are contemplating the construction of a new nuclear power plant in an effort to alleviate energy concerns. Conservatives are arguing that the construction of a new reactor is imperative considering the impending decommission of the Ignalina power plant, which will leave Lithuania's utility sector dependent on natural gas from Russia. In accordance with its European Union membership agreement, the decommissioning of Lithuania's Ignalia reactor is required in 2009. As a result, energy experts predict that the contribution of natural gas in Lithuania's energy production will rise from 17% 2005 to 23% in 2010 and 73% IN 2035. Subsequently, according to Vaclovas Miskinis, the laboratory director of the Lithuanian Energy Institute, despite estimated construction costs of roughly $1.2 billion, the project will yield a return profit of $53 million dollars by 2017.
(Vodo, Vladimir http://en.rian.ru/business/20050722/40952721.html 7/22/05)
Domestic
DOE Designates Segregated Train Transportation To Yucca Mountain
The Department of Energy announced that all nuclear waste would be shipped by nuclear-specific railroad cars, rather than in tandem with other general freight cars. These dedicated trains will ship its nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to the Yucca Mountain repository site in Nevada. According to officials, the use of nuclear specific trains will be more secure, as well as cheaper. The trains are intended to carry 3,500 shipments of nuclear fuel and high-level defense waste to the prospective Yucca Mountain repository site, which is to house 77,000 tons of nuclear waste. Along with the train shipments, an additional 1,100 truck shipments will be needed to transport the nuclear waste that is to be collected from across the country.
(Werner, Erica http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/07/19/news/state/71805182220.txt 7/19/05)
Problems Persist on Yucca Mountain
Representative Jon Porter, chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee, has successfully petitioned for a subpoena of documents suspected of being fraudulent from the Department of Energy regarding the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site. According to Porter, the committee has asked for these documents since April, and yet, the DOE has been "uncooperative." The Department of Energy has responded to Porter's accusations, arguing that Porter and his staff could come and inspect the documents in a department reading room at anytime. However, the Energy Department did admit that it has been reluctant to give Porter the documents for fear he will make them public, as he did with the initial project documents. Speculation surrounding the authenticity of the research conducted on the Yucca Mountain Project came into question upon the discovery that some of the numbers might have been partially fabricated. The DOE has consistently argued that the emails do not undermine the scientific integrity of the Yucca Mountain site.
(Werner, Erica http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=_mountain_1 7/19/05)
Senate Supports Chinese Reactor Subsidy
The Senate rejected an amendment proposal, 62-37, which would have prohibited the practice of using of U.S.-backed loans towards the construction of nuclear power plants in China. The amendment specifically would have impeded the U.S. Export-Import Bank from investing $6.6 billion to China to build nuclear plants. The news was particularly pleasant for Westinghouse Electric, who is currently bidding on a Chinese reactor project. The Senate diverged from the House of Representatives, which recently voted to block the reactor subsidies. Tom Coburn, Republican Senator from Oklahoma, described similar dissent in the Senate: "It seems insane that we would give a subsidy to finance the export of American technology." Conversely, Rick Santorum, Republican from Pennsylvania, was enthused, citing that Pennsylvania could benefit from the acquisition of the Chinese deal by Westinghouse with up to 5000 jobs.
(The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/showdown-looms-over-nuclear-deal/2005/07/20/1121539033215.html?oneclick=true 7/21/05)
The TVA Tries To Resurrect Forgotten Reactor
The Tennesse Valley Authority will commence drafting a $3.9 billion dollar investment plan to resurrect the unfinished Bellefonte nuclear power plant in north Alabama. The Bellefonte plant has been left incomplete since work was halted in 1988. Despite already the thoroughly depreciated value of the plant, officials have not given up on the site, claiming that the location remains ideal for completion.
(http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/=/20050722/APN/507220666 7/22/05)
Op-Ed
Bush's Indian Gamble
Despite Bush's proclamation of a newfound cooperative initiative to assist India's nuclear industry, experts maintain that such policy will undoubtedly be denied by the U.S. Congress. According to Bharat Karnad, a nuclear expert in the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research think tank, "The process of changing U.S. non-proliferation laws is very difficult and complex," adding, "Congress will not allow it to happen." Nuclear analyst Rahul Bedi joins Karnad in predicting that the deal will flop, arguing that Congress will disapprove of the initiative on the grounds that it will legitimize Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran. Subsequently, Bedi characterizes the Bush announcement as "a post-dated check given to India by the U.S. which is not going to be cashed."
(Jeena, Kushal http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-civil-05zzi.html 7/22/05)
Credits
Compiled by: Joe Schultheis
Edited by: Chad Kreikemeier
Nuclear Energy Update
July 25- July 29, 2005
Welcome to Nuclear Energy Update. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in international, domestic, and scientific nuclear energy news.
International
British Energy Giant Backs Nuclear Power
Britain's largest energy supplier, The Association of Electricity Producers (AEP), announced its support for the employment of nuclear power this past Monday, while also petitioning for the reduction of governmental impediments hindering the construction of new reactors. According to David Porter, chief executive of AEP, considering that the majority of Britain's aging reactors are scheduled to decommission in 2010, a new wave of nuclear reactors would go far in aiding Britain with its energy and environmental concerns. "The generating industry faces a massive program of investment in power stations [...] They will have to be competitive and meet carbon reduction and other environmental requirements. New nuclear power may well play a part in this." AEP comments kindle the ongoing debate in Britain, which began when Prime Minister Tony Blair announced his intent to not rule out nuclear power as a means to satiate energy demands and cut greenhouse gases.
(Reuters http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/britain_nuclear_dc_1 7/25/05)
Pakistan Pleads Its Nuclear Case
In the wake of the Bush's nuclear cooperation agreement with India, Pakistan is asking permission to come aboard. Naeem, Khan of Pakistan's Foreign Office declared that Pakistan "would like to expand cooperation with the NSG in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, we already have cooperation with our friend China and we would like to expand cooperation with the United States as well." According to Khan, Pakistan is specifically looking to extend cooperative measures to "multiple fields including the peaceful use of nuclear energy, high technology and the peaceful use of space technology." The U.S. State Department preempted the Pakistani request by declaring that "There is no reason for us to have a hyphenated strategic framework for South Asia ... And certainly in the case of civil nuclear cooperation, we are going to have individual relationships," said U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. While both Pakistan and India currently abstain from joining nonproliferation regimes, it is still yet to be seen whether or not the Bush administration is willing to overlook this fact in the Pakistani case, as it did in India;s, due to their reputation as the "nuclear Wal-Mart."
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1183106,curpg-1.cms 7/26/05)
Energy Chief Defends Legislation Allowing the Importation of Spent Fuel
In a broadcasted radio interview, Russian Atomic Energy Chief Aleksandr Rumyantsev defended legislation that would allow for the importation and burial of spent nuclear fuel. Previously, Russia maintained non-burial laws with regard to radioactive waste that only allowed for its temporary storage. Rumyantsev argued that the new legislation validates Russia's access to international nuclear markets. "Our opponents around the world were always saying that since you do not have this legislation, you have no place on the market for creating these atomic energy capacities," Rumyantsev remarked. He went on to add that, although the legislation had been passed over four years ago, Russia has abstained from the importation of any spent fuel. "So over these four years, not a gram of spent fuel from nuclear reactors of foreign manufacture has been brought into Russia. At the same time, our export potential has risen by 150 per cent." When asked whether or not Russia would need to create burial sites due to impending imports of nuclear fuel, Rumyantsev explained that "If exports grew, then maybe that would be sufficient and we would not need any burial sites."
(RedNova http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=186560&source=r_science 7/26/05)
Indonesia Tries To Entice Investors to Back its Nuclear Plans
PLN, Indonesia's state-owned utility company, announced that it is taking bids from investors to back the state's construction of a nuclear power plant. Originally, PLN was slated to begin developing a nuclear power program in 2015, but, according to Distribution Director Herman Damel Ibrahim, PLN no longer plans to build its own power plant. Rather, "nuclear power is expected to be generated by private investors and PLN will buy the output if the price is cheaper than power from coal and gas fired power plants." Leading legislator Dradjat Wibowo stirred up Indonesia's position in the nuclear power debate earlier this year, urging Indonesia to "start studying plan to develop clean alternative energy sources such as geothermal and nuclear power." Accordingly, Ibrahim confirmed the state's nuclear intentions declaring, "If any investor is interested in generating nuclear power and offers a good price, we will be eager to have serious discussions."
(Asia Pulse http://au.biz.yahoo.com/050727/17/6agm.html 7/27/07)
India to Waste No Time
Emboldened by U.S. support, India is set to construct eight more nuclear power reactors. The announcement was in response to the Parliament's inquiry regarding India's future nuclear plans. Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan declared that upon the subsequent completion of the reactors power production would increase by 4360 mW. India's rapid movement toward increasing nuclear power generation attempts to satisfy the impending energy demands of its bourgeoning population. At present, only 2.9 percent of India's electricity is produced by nuclear power plants.
(China View http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/27/content_3274041.htm 7/27/05)
Experts Expect India Will Have Little Leeway With IAEA
While Indian officials have suggested that India would be granted leeway in the signing of International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards agreement and Additional Protocol, experts contend that the agreement will allow for little leniency. Accordingly, some experts speculate that India will have little latitude to prohibit inspection activities: India "may not have the choice of accepting some and rejecting others." The IAEA agreements will allow for the strengthening of inspection capabilities, as well as requiring an account by the country of country's nuclear material and activity.
(Bhushan, Bharat http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050728/asp/nation/story_5042907.asp 7/27/05)
Iran Plans to Proceed With Enrichment Regardless
According to Iranian president Mohammed Khatami, Iran is going to resume uranium enrichment with or without while negotiating European concessions that seek to dissuade Iran from developing the potentially volatile technology. Nevertheless, Khatami announced that scientists would soon return to the Isfahan plant to resume work on the conversion of uranium. Khatami went on to mollify critics of the premature resumption saying, "It was expected that they (European Delegation) will agree to Isfahan restarting activities. We prefer to do it with their agreement. If they don't, then the decision to resume activities in Isfahan has already been taken by the ruling system." Simultaneously, Iran's Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani acknowledged for the first time that Iran has achieved full proficiency "in solid -fuel technology in producing missiles." Solid fuel technology augments both the resilience and range of the missiles, while making them more accurate.
(Stack, Megan http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ 7/28/05)
Indo-American Agreement Bolsters Iran's Bargaining Power
In response to Bush's sanctioning of India's nuclear program, Iran has accused the United States of using a double standard. "On the one hand, they are depriving an NPT (Nonproliferation Treaty) member from having peaceful technology, but at the same time they are cooperating with India, which is not a member of the NPT, to their own advantage." Accordingly, Iran continues to assert its legal right as a signatory of the NPT to develop its nuclear technology and will undoubtedly use the Indo-American agreement as leverage in its meetings with the European triumvirate- Britain, France, and Germany- who are trying to dissuade Iran's nuclear ambition. The Iranian official added, "People are getting impatient. We have said repeatedly that we are ready to give guarantees to the EU3 and IAEA that we are not diverting from our peaceful nuclear activity."
(Tisdall, Simon http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1537482,00.html 7/28/05)
New Zealand Refuses to Budge on Nuclear Ban
New Zealand's parliament resoundingly rebuffed an effort to overturn the ban on nuclear-powered ships visiting its ports by 109 votes to 9. Ken Shirley, the author of the bill, declared that the continuance of the ban "all but ruled out the prospect of New Zealand signing a free trade agreement with the US." Since the legislation was passed 20 years ago, the United States has suspended military ties with New Zealand, as well as prohibiting any US naval vessel, nuclear or not, to come to port. The bill's refusal comes as a consequence of the public's prevailing desire to remain nuclear free. Shirley criticized the passing on the bill as missing a "golden opportunity to throw out this relic from the Cold War era and restore our once strong relationship with the US."
(BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4724145.stm 7/28/05)
Extended Nuclear Talks Brings Glimmer of Hope
This past week marked the first time China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States have met together with North Korea since 2003 regarding the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. So far no immediate results have been reported, but according to Cho Tae-yong, second in command of the South Korean delegation and head of the Foreign Ministry's task force "It's too early to pack or draw conclusions." Despite the fact that the negotiations have yet to yield any real consequences, optimists cite Friday's fourth round of talks, which marks the longest series of talks since the discussions began, as being hopeful. Previously, the set of nuclear talks have consisted of only three rounds of discussion. Furthermore, unlike the past, this sequence of talks has no deadline: "We'll just keep at it just as long as it's useful to keep at it. I've got plenty of patience," explained Christopher Hill, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State.
(AP http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=988542&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 7/29/05)
Domestic
Celebrities and Advocates to Lobby Against Prospective Waste Site
Actor James Cromwell was joined by rock stars Ani DeFranco and the Indigo Girls , along with other activists in petitioning senators to deny plans to store 44,000 tons of nuclear waste on the Skull Valley Goshute Indian reservation located 50 miles outside of Salt Lake City. "There is no such thing as a barrel that can remain airtight and shipshape and good-to-go for a hundred thousand years [...] There's no such thing as a schedule of transportation in which we can ship this waste all over the country without a mishap," said DeFranco. The celebrities and activists met with the staffs of a dozen senators this past Monday, proclaiming that the Interior Department was not protecting the American Indians from exploitation, which it is legally obligated to do. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently in the latter part of its license deliberations and could decide on the matter by the end of the summer. Cromwell characterized the issue as a "watershed for this country," arguing " It is polluting, not only the Goshute people, but also those who handle the waste, those who live near the waste." Cromwell also declared he and others are prepared to lie down on the transport tracks to impede the transportation of the waste to the site despite possible jail time.
(Gehrke, Robert http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2890652?rss 7/25/05)
Environmentalists Make Their Way to Wall Street
While six states vie to host the country's first nuclear power plant in three decades, environmentalists are gearing up to stop states from opening any new facilities. Despite apparent political support from the contending states, Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, is planning lead a contingent to Wall Street to dissuade those who would provide financial backing for the new plants. According to Smith, nuclear energy is unsafe and a security risk, as well as expensive to those around them. He explained, "You start to build a nuclear plant, it's pretty much guaranteed you're going to have rate increases." Renae Conley, CEO of Entergy Louisiana, however, argues that in the long term a nuclear power plant would diversify energy sources, thereby stabilizing electric bills. She also added that since the Three Mile Island incident the industry has come a long way, adding, "I think that track record should ease any concerns about safety."
(AP http://www.picayuneitem.com/articles/2005/07/26/news/11nuke.txt 7/26/05)
Out of the Mouth of Babes
A number of groups opposing nuclear power are gathering the baby teeth of children born near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant with the intention of testing the teeth for radioactive content. According to the anti-nuclear groups, the initial results of a similar smaller scaled study detected a considerable increase in the presence of the radioactive substance Strontium-90 in the teeth of babies residing closely to the power plant. Officials with Citizens Action Network claim this is a byproduct of nuclear power and is a good indication of a release of radioactivity in the atmosphere. Entergy spokesman Robert Williams responded by calling the study "junk science" and classified the results as being "irresponsible" and "used to incite fear."
(AP http://www.wrgb.com/news/regional/regional.asp?selection=article_37730 7/26/05)
Science
Scientist Cautions Against Australian Waste Site
Peter Jolly, who is an Australian hydro-geologist, would like to prohibit a prospective nuclear plant site from being located outside of the town Katherine. Mr. Jolly, who has been studying the hydrogeology of the region for three years, says that "If there were any leaks from a facility at this site it would be one of the worst sites in Australia in terms of having an impact on ecosystems and an impact on an aquifer that is used for drinking and for other water uses." Earlier this month Dr. Nelson, federal Science Minister, evaluated the Katherine site, along with two others, as possible waste sites due to their remote locations. According to Dr. Nelson, a dump site must be decided by 2011 to compensate for the waste generation produced by the new replacement research reactor at the Lucas Heights plant located in Sydney.
(http://au.news.yahoo.com/050725/21/v80x.html 7/25/05)
Op-Ed
The Orient Distress
According to the Christian Science Monitor, the universal rules of the Nonproliferation Treaty set in 1970 have since been replaced by political power moves in Asia. Citing China's development of its nuclear and missile capability to strike "virtually all of the United States" and North Korea's continued belligerence towards the NPT as the cause for Bush's recent circumnavigation of the NPT with regards to India, the Monitor asserts that the "Global rules to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons have so eroded in Asia that the US has had to engage in a strategy of ad hoc nonproliferation." Accordingly, with the NPT constantly being undermined in Asia the United States "needs as many partners as it can muster," argues the Monitor. Furthermore, as Asia is seemingly now devoid of a strong binding nonproliferation regime, the Monitor maintains that it's up to the United States to create a new compact, which "would reduce a rush to arms, especially nuclear ones."
(The Christian Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0722/p08s02-comv.html 7/22/05)
Iran: A Nuclear Dilemma
As Mark Katz sees it "there are basically three options" for the United States with regards to Iran. As speculation continues to grow regarding Iran's suspicious nuclear agenda, Mr. Katz, a professor of government and politics at George Mason University, argues that the United States is left with only three options: "1) intervention; 2) pre-emption; and 3) deterrence." In his analysis of these three options, Katz concludes deterrence to be the only viable option. According to Katz, while a military intervention in Iran, if successful, would certainly prohibit Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons, it would most certainly have to be conducted unilaterally. Considering America's inability to stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan, such an operation in Iran would be infeasible and would also increase the perception that the United States is a threat, thereby further alienating the U.S. on the international stage. Similarly, Katz categorizes a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities as being impractical. Katz argues that such a strike, while less costly than an invasion, would only increase the resolve of the Iranians to acquire a nuclear weapons capability without preventing its attainability, and again increasing the international perception of the United States as a threat to peace. According to Katz, there is no reason to believe that Iran would not be able to reassemble its program from those countries that they acquired the technology from in the first place. Consequently, Katz asserts the best course of action for the United States is deterrence. While recognizing that deterrence would mean the concession of nuclear weapons to hostile state, Katz, citing the Soviet Union and China, points out that it would not be the first time the U.S. has dealt with a hostile nuclear power. Accordingly, Katz argues that in both cases the countries were deterred from utilizing nuclear weapons for fear of retaliation, which should hold true for Iran too. Furthermore, Katz perceives Iran's intentions for acquiring nuclear weapons as merely a defensive move to protect itself against an invasion from the United States, and Iran would not be likely to use them.
(Katz, Mark http://www.spacewar.com/news/iran-05zk.html 7/25/05)
Credits
Compiled by: Joe Schultheis
Edited by: Suzy Vogel