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• Perspectives
  • Erosion of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime by David Krieger
  • Seven Steps to Raise World Security by Mohamed ElBaradei

• Take Action
  • Abolition Now! Call to Action: Enroll Your Mayor in the Mayor’s Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons

• Non Proliferation
  • Italy to Help Russia Scrap Nuclear Sub, Russia to Add Two New Nuclear Subs
  • IAEA Inspectors Visit Nigerian Nuclear Reactor
  • Niger Ratifies IAEA Additional Protocol
  • House Panel Recommends Nonproliferation Measures
  • Mexico to Host Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone Conference
  • The Bahamas Signs Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

• Proliferation
  • US Seeking to Restart Study on “Bunker Buster”
  • North Korea Tells Lawmakers Nuclear Program Is Complete
  • Ukraine Cracks Illicit Weapons Case
  • Egypt Inspected for Nuclear Experiments
  • Will the US Get Involved in Iran?

• Nuclear Laboratories
  • “Missing Disks” That Shut Down LANL Never Existed
  • Plutonium Work at LLNL Stops Amid Safety Concerns
  • “Watchdog Partnership” To Submit Bid for Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory

• Foundation Activities
  • Robert Jay Lifton to Present Fourth Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future

• Resources
  • Nonviolence and Social Change for Educators
  • Breakthrough or Bust in 2005
  • 100 Companies Receiving the Largest Dollar Volume of Defense Awards
  • Proliferation Security Initiative Frequently Asked Questions

• Quotable
  • US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
  • President George W. Bush
  • George Manbiot
  • Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
  • Outgoing US Secretary of Homeland Defense Tom Ridge

• Editorial Team
  • Luke Brothers
  • David Krieger
  • Carah Ong
  • Jon Solorzano

Erosion of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime | Top
by David Krieger

I recently participated in a meeting on the Future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, sponsored by the Middle Powers Initiative at The Carter Center in Atlanta. The Middle Powers Initiative is a coalition of eight international civil society organizations, two of which have received the Nobel Peace Prize. I represented the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at the meeting, one of the founding organizations. In addition to civil society representatives such as myself, the meeting hosted diplomats from many countries. Among the participants were Marian Hobbs, New Zealand’s Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control; Senator Douglas Roche of Canada, chair of the Middle Powers Initiative; Nobuyasu Abe, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs; Ambassador Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, Brazilian Ambassador and President-Designate of the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference; former US Ambassador Robert Grey Jr.; and Ambassador Rajab M. Sukayri of the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.

The participants in the consultation were mindful of the recent United Nations Report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. The Report, issued in December 2004, indicated that “the nuclear non-proliferation regime is now at risk because of lack of compliance with existing commitments, withdrawal or threats of withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to escape those commitments, a changing international security environment and the diffusion of technology.” The Report found, “We are approaching a point at which the erosion of the non-proliferation regime could become irreversible and result in a cascade of proliferation.”

To read the full article, visit: http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2005/02/00_krieger_erosion-npt.htm

Seven Steps to Raise World Security | Top
by Mohamed ElBaradei, February 2, 2005

Four months from now, in New York, the world will have a rare opportunity to make significant improvements in international security. The question is whether we will be smart enough to use it.

In recent years, three phenomena have radically altered the security landscape. They are the emergence of a nuclear black market, the determined efforts by more countries to acquire technology to produce the fissile material useable in nuclear weapons and the clear desire of terrorists to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

We have been trying to solve these new problems with existing tools. But for every step forward, we have exposed vulnerabilities in the system. The system itself - the regime that implements the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT) - needs reinforcement. Some of the necessary remedies can be taken in May, but only if governments are ready to act.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2005/02/02_elbaradei_seven-steps-security.htm

Abolition Now! Call to Action: Enroll Your Mayor in the Mayor’s Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons | Top

On the 6 and 9 August 2005, the world will mark the 60th anniversaries of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Urged on by the aging Hibakusha, the survivors of “hell on earth” in their cities, the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are calling for A Year of Remembrance and Action for a Nuclear Weapons Free World. In May 2005, world leaders and civil society representatives will converge at the United Nations in New York for the 5-year review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to discuss the fate of a treaty in serious disarray, its disarmament obligations largely ignored by the nuclear weapons states, and to demand a plan for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Abolition Now!, a campaign of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, with over 2000 participating organizations in more than 90 countries, is collaborating with the Mayors for Peace Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons to build public pressure for the immediate commencement of negotiations on a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons under strict and effective international control. We are aiming to bring at least 100 mayors from around the world to the NPT Review Conference May. On 1 May, the day before the Conference opens, Abolition Now!, in cooperation with United for Peace and Justice, is planning a massive demonstration in New York City’s Central Park to demand global nuclear disarmament and an end to nuclear excuses for war (e.g. Iraq).

Abolition Now! has been endorsed by International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, United for Peace and Justice, American Friends Service Committee, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and is actively enrolling mayors in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Here in the United States, we need your help! Endorse Abolition Now! and get involved in the campaign:

• Enroll your mayor in the World Mayors Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons.
• Invite and encourage your mayor to join the international mayors’ delegation in New York City for the 1 May rally and opening of the NPT Review Conference.
• Organize in your community. Ask your mayor to sponsor an educational event.
• Collect signatures on the Abolition Now! petition (www.abolitionnow.org )
• Help us turn out 100,000 people in New York City’s Central Park on 1 May 2005.

On 6 August 2005 major coordinated protest actions will be held at the Livermore and Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Labs, the Nevada Test Site, and the Y-12 nuclear production facility in Tennessee, the facilities at the core of the active U.S. nuclear weapons complex. On 9 August, we are calling for candlelight vigils in front of city halls across the country.

Italy to Help Russia Scrap Nuclear Sub, Russia to Add Two New Nuclear Subs | Top

According to Alexander Gorbunov, Managing Director of the Nerpa Russian ship repair facility, Italy has pledged financial assistance to help Russia dismantle a multi-purpose nuclear submarine discarded from the Northern Fleet as part of the Global Partnership program. Negotiations for the dismantlement deal began last December in Rome and the project is expected to be launched in 2005 and completed in 2006.

The project will cost Italy an estimated five million Euros. Mr. Gorbunov stated, "This will be the first ever project for scraping a multi-purpose nuclear submarine to be financed by Italy's government."

According to Gorbunov, only one multifunctional submarine has been scraped at the Nerpa plant with foreign money thus far. The funds for dismantling that particular sub were provided by the government of Norway. Gorbunov said that Norway is planning to launch another such project this spring.

In related news, First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Belousov announced that the Russian Navy will add two new nuclear submarines to its fleet in 2005. The nuclear powered submarines are called "Yury Dolgoruky" and "Dmitry Donskoy." The submarines will eventually carry the new “Bulava” sea-based missile system on board, likely after the system has been tested in 2006.

On 17 January, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei led a team of inspectors to inspect two nuclear facilities in Nigeria and advise on safety and security. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo welcomed Dr. ElBaradei and his team and declared that Africa's most populous country has no ambition to become a nuclear power. He said Nigeria was only interested in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Inspectors visited Nigeria's first nuclear reactor at the Ahmadu Bello University in the northern city of Zaria. The IAEA team later inspected the Gamma Irradiation Plant at Sheda near Abuja.

The two Nigerian facilities were set up under safeguards provided by the IAEA that limit nuclear activities to research for peaceful uses.

After initial delays in obtaining nuclear fuel, the research reactor, built by China's Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation in 1991, began operating in September last year.

Some analysts have expressed concern that Nigeria, with a population of more than 126 million people, is angling to become the world's latest nuclear power, or at least posturing for overseas aid in return for abandoning such ambitions. In May 2004, after a visit by Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff General Muhammad Aziz Khan, Nigeria's Defense Ministry issued a statement saying it would get Pakistani help to "strengthen its military capability and to acquire nuclear power."

The statement was quickly retracted and the ministry called it an error. Another statement issued weeks earlier by the vice president's office – saying North Korea would provide Nigeria with missile technology – was similarly retracted. At the time, the IAEA said Nigerian facilities were inspected regularly to prevent nuclear proliferation.

On 3 February, Niger, the world's third-ranked producer of uranium, announced in a statement that it has ratified the Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The voluntary Additional Protocol is designed to strengthen and expand existing IAEA safeguards for verifying that non-nuclear weapons states parties to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) only use nuclear materials and facilities for peaceful purposes.

In ratifying the protocol, the west African state said in a statement that Niger is showing its commitment to the “ideology of the IAEA and the will of the international community to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

According to 2001 statistics, the annual output of uranium averages 3,000 tons. Niger joins Russia as the third-ranked producer of the radioactive material used in the construction of nuclear weapons.

On 26 January, a US House of Representatives panel released a report recommending that Congress strengthen US nuclear nonproliferation efforts by funding research and development of detection equipment and proliferation-resistant nuclear technologies, as well as emphasizing flexible, bilateral cooperation with allies over broad-based international organizations and treaties. Other funding priorities listed in the report include strengthening US intelligence capabilities and providing international assistance for export and border controls.

National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairwoman Heather Wilson (R-New Mexico) said that the panel supports “strengthening treaties and international mechanisms, while recognizing that treaties alone are not the answer.” According to Wilson, “International organizations and the bureaucracies they give rise to are not the best way to deal with these issues.” Instead, Wilson said the panel recommended working jointly with like-minded countries on a less formal basis to disrupt illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and technologies. Wilson stated, “Ad-hoc, bilateral methods like the Proliferation Security Initiative are more flexible and more likely to yield results.”

The panel supported continued US funding for Cooperative Threat Reduction activities to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union. However, Wilson noted that several of her colleagues expressed concern about such efforts because funds can be difficult to monitor.

On 24 January, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced that representatives from more than 100 member nations of the world’s four nuclear weapon-free zones have been invited to attend a conference set to be held 26-28 April in Mexico City.

There are currently four nuclear weapon-free zones including in Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Africa. Mongolia, which declared itself a nuclear weapon-free zone in 1992, will also be invited to the first-ever conference on such sectors. The five nuclear weapon states — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — will be invited as observers.

Conference participants are expected to adopt a declaration on the importance of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to call for full disarmament by the nuclear powers. The nuclear weapons states will also be urged to offer “effective guarantees” that “they will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against [the non-nuclear nations].”

On 4 February, the Bahamas signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), bringing the total number of treaty Signatories to 175.  The number of Signatories in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region now stands at 28.

The CTBT bans any nuclear weapon test explosion in any environment. Drafted at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and adopted by the General Assembly on 10 September 1996, the Treaty was opened for signature on 24 September 1996 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

To date, 120 States have deposited their instruments of ratification of the CTBT.  To enter into force, however, the treaty must be signed and ratified by the 44 States that formally participated in the work of the 1996 session of the Conference on Disarmament and that possess nuclear power or research reactors.  Only thirty-three of these States have ratified the Treaty to date.

US Seeking to Restart Study on “Bunker Buster” | Top

In the 2006 Department of Energy budget request, the Bush administration is asking Congress for some $4 million to resurrect a study on the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) or “bunker buster” bomb and envisions spending $14 million on the project in fiscal year 2007. The Department of Defense's fiscal year 2006 budget request also includes $4.5 million for work on the project, and it foresees spending $3.5 million in fiscal year 2007.The “bunker buster” will no doubt face an uphill battle, not only from anti-nuclear watchdog groups who view it as the start of a new arms race, but also from members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle who question the feasibility, need and expense of such a weapon. The study, which had been undertaken at the Los Alamos, Sandia and Livermore national laboratories, was halted at the insistence of Representative David L. Hobson (R-Ohio) in late 2004 when Congress deleted $27.5 million for it from the fiscal 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

On 10 January, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sent a memo to then-Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham saying next year's budget should include funds to resume study of building an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon designed to destroy hardened underground targets and seeking funding for completing the study in 2007. In the memo, Rumsfeld wrote, “I think we should request funds in FY06 and FY07 to complete the study. Our staffs have spoken about funding the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) study to support its completion by April 2007.” He added, “You can count on my support for your efforts to revitalize the nuclear weapons infrastructure and to complete the RNEP study.”

Representative Jim Matheson (D-Utah) criticized Rumsfeld’s move, saying, “The House was very clear last year in zeroing out the funding and the Senate backed that, so I am very disappointed that Donald Rumsfeld would do this. It doesn't make sense and it's a bad idea.”

The Bush administration's 2001 Nuclear Posture Review found that no weapon in the current stockpile could threaten the growing number of targets being buried in tunnels and beneath mountains. In 2002, Congress required the nuclear security agency to study whether there was a requirement for such a weapon, and in response the Air Force specified requirements for such a weapon. The Nuclear Weapons Council, made up of representatives of the Defense and Energy departments, then proposed a three-year $45 million feasibility study. Two existing warheads, one used in the B-61 tactical bomb and one used in the B-63 strategic bomb, were to be part of the study, which also was to identify a casing that could burrow deep enough into the ground before exploding.

Some critics of the “bunker buster” maintain it's impossible to develop a bomb casing and burrowing mechanism to penetrate the Earth deep enough to avoid spewing tons of radioactive debris into the atmosphere upon detonation. At the 19 January confirmation hearing for new Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California), a leader of the opposition to the study, said, “Dr. Sidney Drell at Stanford University has said there is no casing known to man that can sustain driving a missile a thousand feet underground; therefore, you would have a spewing of radiation.” Feinstein asked Bodman if she could discuss the “bunker buster” privately with him before he signed off on the program because “there are many of us that believe very passionately that we should not, should not, reopen the nuclear door.” At that time Bodman, a former deputy Treasury secretary, said he had not had time to study the issue.

Jim Bridgman of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability said he anticipates some of the study funding will be shifted from Department of Energy’s request to the Department of Defense's 2006 budget request. The Air Force is expected to ask Congress for funding to field test an unarmed RNEP, an experiment that could involve dropping a prototype of the weapon, minus its nuclear warhead, onto the Nellis Air Force Base training range in Nevada to determine whether it can burrow far enough underground before detonating.

North Korea Tells Lawmakers Nuclear Program Is Complete | Top

Citing US Representative Curt Weldon (R-Pennsylvania), Nikkei English News reported that North Korea told a delegation of US lawmakers visiting the country from 11-14 January that it has completed its nuclear weapons program. According to Representative Weldon, North Korea’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kye Gwan said the country has nuclear weapons as a deterrent and is willing to relinquish them if it is sure there's no military threat against it.

On 18 January, Representative Weldon told Japan's government that North Korea was willing to return to six-party talks including the US, Japan, China, South Korea and Russia aimed at dismantling its nuclear weapons program. The last round of six-party talks in June 2004 ended without an agreement. North Korea has withdrawn from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has expelled International Atomic Energy Agency monitors guarding its stockpiles of plutonium.

In related news, on 5 February, US President George W. Bush spoke with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and both agreed to push for a speedy resumption of six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The next round of six-party talks could begin in the next few weeks.

In more related news, on 20 January, China and Canada affirmed their commitment to a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula and expressed their support for a negotiated settlement of North Korea's nuclear ambitions. In a joint declaration issued after summit talks between visiting Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing, the two countries said, “Canada and China affirm their commitment to a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula, and express their support for a peaceful multilateral solution” to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through the six-party talks.

Source: Bloomberg, 5 February 2005; Bloomberg, 28 January 2005;Kyodo, 21 January 2005.

Ukraine Cracks Illicit Weapons Case | Top

On 4 February, a high-ranking Ukrainian intelligence official announced that a government probe into lucrative illicit weapons sales by officials loyal to former President Leonid Kuchma has led to secret indictments or arrests of at least six arms dealers accused of selling nuclear-capable missiles to Iran and China. Ukraine's intelligence agency, the State Security Service, launched its investigation of the case involving Iran and China on 14 February 2004, during Kuchma's presidency. But the probe was not publicized until the first week of February 2005, when lawmaker Hrihoriy Omelchenko — a reserve colonel in the intelligence service — wrote current President Viktor Yushchenko asking him to pursue a full investigation.

According to Omelchenko's letter, six missiles purportedly ended up in Iran and another six allegedly went to China, although export documents known as “End-User Certificates” recorded the final recipient of some 20 Kh-55 missiles as " Russia's Defense Ministry.” He didn't say what happened to the eight other missiles. The missiles allegedly sold to Iran were unarmed, but are designed to carry 200-kiloton nuclear warheads. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko and Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vyacheslav Sedov said Ukraine had not informed Russia of the allegations that missiles meant for Moscow had been diverted. They also said Moscow would await Ukraine's investigation. Russia's state arms export company, Rosoboronexport, declined comment.

According to the intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, at least three people were arrested and another three were indicted last year in connection with the illicit arms trade — including some of those mentioned by name in the letters from Omelchencko. The State Security Service has also issued an official inquiry about a Cyprus-based Russian identified as G.K. Shkinov, who remains at large. Three Ukrainians also were detained last year in connection with the deal, and the case was forwarded to a Kiev court

The Kh-55, known in the West as the AS-15, has a range of 1,860 miles and is designed to carry a nuclear warhead with a 200-kiloton yield. Iran does not operate long-range bombers but it is believed Iran could adapt its Soviet-built Su-24 strike aircraft to launch the missile.

According to Omelchenko, Ukrainian weapons dealers ferried missiles to China through a Ukraine-based cargo company run by a former secret service agent. He also said that in 2001, weapons dealers sent ground targeting systems, maintenance equipment and missile technicians to Iran.

Valery Malev, the head of Kiev's export agency Ukrspetseksport, has been implicated in the deals. He died in 2002 when his car collided with a truck. Police concluded he fell asleep behind the wheel, but many speculate his car had been tampered with.

Although Ukraine renounced the nuclear weapons it inherited in the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the country remains a sizable producer of weapons, including missiles, aircraft and tanks. The country has long been under scrutiny for murky weapons deals. Kuchma acknowledged in 2001 that $32 billion worth of Ukrainian military hardware had found its way illegally into international arms markets during the 1990s. Last year, Ukrainian police arrested four men, from Greece, Pakistan and Iraq, on suspicion of attempted illegal weapons trading and hiring mercenaries in a deal worth more than $800 million for an unspecified force fighting in Iraq. In 2004, former Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk warned that several hundred Soviet-built SA-2 surface-to-air missiles brought to Ukraine for decommissioning were unaccounted for.

Egypt Inspected for Nuclear Experiments | Top

Following up on revelations that Egypt had dabbled in uranium enrichment and contemplated processing plutonium, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors toured Egypt’s Inshass laboratory, 35 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Cairo, in January. Egypt’s nuclear experiments were discovered during a review of the country’s fuel programs prompted by irregularities in Egypt’s reporting of its nuclear activities. The Inshass center contains two research reactors and consists of “hot laboratories,” procured from France in the early 1980s, which allow for treatment of spent fuel and laboratory-scale plutonium separation.

IAEA inspectors first found suspicious traces of plutonium particles in Egypt late last year. In January 2005, diplomats also revealed that Egypt was under IAEA investigation for allegedly producing several pounds of uranium metal and uranium tetrafluoride, both precursor materials for nuclear warheads.

Egypt admitted to failing to report a "number of research experiments" to the IAEA. According to a statement released by the Egyptian embassy, stronger safeguards measures by the IAEA "since the 1990's have resulted in not reporting to the agency, in an appropriate and timely manner, a number of research experiments and activities." However, " Egypt is cooperating with the IAEA" and feels the "research experiments and activities ... most of which took place in the distant past are consistent with the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty]." Egyptian Ambassador Ezzeldin Ramzy said it was a case that with "strengthened safeguards, countries sometimes don't know what they are required to report." Egypt has not, however, signed the Additional Protocol to the NPT that allows for strengthened IAEA inspections.

According to one diplomat, last October, the IAEA "checked, among other things, the historical records of the nuclear material in the hot cell labs and in the nuclear waste management center," in addition to interviewing people involved in research work. The diplomat also said that the lab, which apparently has never been used for reprocessing, raises questions about an Egyptian nuclear program which is peaceful but may also be carefully structured to be able to move towards weapons development if the country decided to take this step. Another diplomat said on condition of anonymity that Egypt's undeclared work was small in scale and not even comparable to the nuclear experiments recently revealed to have been carried out by South Korea.

IAEA officials refuse to comment on the investigation. However, a report on the investigation will be submitted to the next IAEA 35-member Board of Governors meeting that opens on 28 February.

Egypt has denied in the past it was trying to develop a nuclear weapons program. Egypt had what appeared to be a nuclear research facility, but no information has emerged that the research had developed very far. The country appeared to turn away from the pursuit of such a program decades ago. The Soviet Union and China reportedly rebuffed its requests for nuclear arms in the 1960s, and by the 1970s Egypt gave up the idea of building a plutonium production reactor and reprocessing plant.

Will the US Get Involved In Iran? | Top

In a taped interview with CNN’s “Late Edition,” US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said on 6 February that Iran is believed to be years away from having a nuclear weapon and the US has decided to use diplomacy, not military action, in dealing with the issue. He stated, “It's fairly clear from the public statements of the Iranians that, that they are on a path of seeking a nuclear weapon and don't have it at the present time.” In an interview with Reuters on the same day, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said that Iran would retaliate and accelerate its nuclear program if it was attacked. So far, negotiations for a solution have been left to France, Germany and the UK.

The US claims that Iran is using a civilian nuclear energy program as a front to develop nuclear weapons. Iran rejects the charge, insisting it intends to use nuclear power generation to satisfy rising electricity demand. According to one Iranian negotiator, "The Europeans know that cessation (of uranium enrichment) doesn't work. We have to reach a solution on the nuclear issue that is acceptable to both sides, not just one side." Sirus Naseri, another Iranian negotiator, says that Iran is determined to become an atomic fuel exporter. "We are definitely going to be a player," he said.

Meanwhile Iran has rejected European demands to abandon key atomic processes that could be used to make weapons. Iran has already begun conducting quality control checks of enrichment centrifuge parts – without which centrifuges cannot be used to produce atomic fuel. According to one diplomat, “If they [ Iran] would act in good faith, there would be a complete standstill of every activity that relates to centrifuges.” He added that this may be a breach of Iran's pledge to freeze all activities related to uranium enrichment.

In a third round of talks that are set to begin on 8 February, France, Germany and the UK are faced with the task of persuading Iran to transform a temporary suspension of its nuclear fuel production program into a permanent cessation. However, some European diplomats believe that the European initiative can never work without US involvement because they will be unable to offer any incentives to Iran.

Sources: CNN Late Edition, 6 February 2005; Reuters, 6 February 2005; New York Times, 3 February 2005.

Taiwan Deploys Missiles On Mobile Launchers | Top

According to a Liberty Times Report on 16 January, Taiwan has begun deploying mobile launcher trucks installed with fixed-base missiles around the island to counter Chinese weapons. The trucks carry Taiwan-produced Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles which are difficult to detect by aerial reconnaissance. The Taiwanese defense ministry declined to comment on the report.

Taiwan 's Defense Minister Lee Jye has said in the past that China has at least 600 ballistic missiles facing the island, and the number is likely to rise to 800 before the end of 2006. Meanwhile, China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to invade if the island, which has been ruled separately since 1949, formally declares independence.

In June 2004, Taiwan's cabinet approved a special budget of 610.8 billion Taiwan dollars ($18.2 billion US) to purchase sophisticated weaponry from the US over a 15-year period beginning in 2005. The budget requires parliament's final approval. China views the move as a threat to the sovereignty of its affairs.

Report: Missile Defense Has Limited Capability | Top

On 19 January, Thomas Christie, the Pentagon’s director of operational testing, delivered his annual report to Congress on top US weapons programs. In his report, Christie said that a missile defense system “testbed” put together by Boeing Co. “should have some limited capability to defend against a threat missile from North Korea.” He also said, "Ground testing has improved our confidence that military operators could exploit any inherent capability that may exist in the testbed, if needed in an emergency." However, Christie also said it was not possible to estimate the system's capability with "high confidence" because of a lack of flight testing of the Pentagon's costliest weapons program.

But Philip Coyle, Christie's predecessor as the Pentagon's top weapons tester and now an adviser to the Center for Defense Information, said it was not even possible to estimate the system’s capability with "low confidence." Coyle noted that the interceptor missiles "have no demonstrated capability to defend against a real attack because they have only been tested with artificial targeting aids, with location beacons onboard the target and with advance information about the attack that no enemy would provide.”

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has delayed a decision to put the system on alert. In mid-January, the head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, blamed the 15 December test failure on a "very minor" software glitch that he said could be easily fixed. Obering also said the 15 December test would be redone in mid-February with additional tests in April, July and September to proceed as planned.

Christie said in his report that tests so far have demonstrated the system's "basic functionality." Boeing is the prime contractor for the ground-based leg designed to knock out warheads in space. Northrop Grumman Corp. handles the command-and-control system. Raytheon Co. builds the “kill” vehicle and Lockheed Martin Corp. and Orbital Sciences Corp. make the booster rockets.

US StratCom Given New WMD Mission | Top

In January 2005, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld assigned the US Strategic Command (StratCom) to spearhead the Department of Defense’s (DoD) efforts to combat weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to a memo from Rumsfeld, under the new assignment, StratCom becomes the “single DoD focal point to integrate and synchronize” all US military means of dealing with WMD. The memo says StratCom will assess what the military needs and must do to “dissuade, deter and prevent the acquisition, development, transfer or use of WMD, their delivery systems and associated technology and materials.”

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) said, “This is a very significant new responsibility for StratCom. It's another piece in the very sweeping arc of global responsibilities that StratCom has.”

While its strategic planning previously was limited to the nation's nuclear arsenal, President George W. Bush has assigned StratCom to lead DoD efforts in space, global strike, network warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and missile defense. Until now, no defense agency outside Rumsfeld's office has taken a lead role within the US military to plan and coordinate efforts for combating WMD. InsideDefense.com, an online news service that covers defense issues, said Rumsfeld wants to shore up weaknesses in the military's approach to weapons of mass destruction that were revealed in Iraq.

Marine Corps. General James Cartwright, StratCom's top leader, is just beginning to decide how to organize the command to accomplish the new mission. The new assignment comes as the command is already in the midst of a reorganization in which some jobs will be moved out to new sub-commands in Washington, D.C., and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Victoria Samson of the Center for Defense Information said StratCom's new assignment could put some much-needed planning emphasis on combating weapons of mass destruction. However, Samson said it may take years before StratCom's assessments lead to an actual operational military doctrine and plan.

Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group in New Mexico, wonders whether StratCom has been handed an impossible task. He noted that weapons of mass destruction are a difficult thing to get at militarily, no matter the means of attack because they have no signature and are easy to disperse and hide. Mello said that while the Bush administration often looks to military options, the best way to deal with the threat is diplomatically, by use of cooperative security agreements, economic incentives and disincentives, ground inspections and the rule of law.

Australia Exports Nuclear Waste to US, Making Room for More | Top

In January, the US and Australia struck a ten-year deal granting storage of Australian waste in the US. In particular, spent nuclear fuel rods from Sydney’s Lucas Heights reactor will be exported to the US for storage. In Australia, many proponents of nuclear power agree that this clears the way for a new nuclear reactor in Sydney and relieves pressure to build a waste repository on Australian soil. Opponents of this agreement argue that this is only a short term fix to a long term waste disposal problem.

Officials - Russian Murmansk Nuclear Legacy Contained by 2010 | Top

According to officials, the nuclear waste stored in Russia’s Murmansk region, near the border with Finland, might be contained by 2010. About 17,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste is stored at sites across the region along with nearly 200 discarded nuclear submarines, 70 of which still have nuclear fuel onboard. The cost of dismantling the 70 submarines is estimated at about $4 billion. Over $70 million is allocated by Russian officials and international sources each year for Murmansk cleanup projects. Should funding remain at these levels, it seems likely Russia will contain the nuclear waste at Murmansk by 2010.

In other Russian nuclear news, a Russian manufactured 1,000 megawatt nuclear reactor was delivered to India on 15 January. The reactor will be used as the first unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu, India. Recently over 27,000 tons of equipment for the Kudankulam project has been shipped from St. Petersburg factories to Tamil Nadu. One more reactor will be delivered and both will be commissioned by 2007-08.

Federal Battle in Hanford Waste Cleanup, the Saga Continues | Top

On 25 January 2005, citing federal hazardous waste laws, a federal court ruled that the state of Washington has the right to prohibit shipments of mixed waste to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The ruling upholds a condition of State Initiative 297, which was supported by an overwhelming majority of Washington’s voters in November.  Initiative 297 prevents the Department of Energy (DoE) from sending radioactive waste to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the southern part of Washington State until waste at the former nuclear weapons facility is fully cleaned up.

Mixed waste contains both hazardous and radioactive constituents.  While States have authority to oversee hazardous waste disposal, they do not have authority to regulate radioactive waste. The DoE oversees such waste at its sites nationwide.  The ruling allows state authorities to require the DoE to clean up the existing waste before any new mixed waste can be shipped there.

The initiative also states that the DoE can no longer dispose of mixed waste in unlined pits and trenches on the Hanford site.  Such disposal practices have already led to a 200-square mile plume of contaminated groundwater beneath the site.  The initiative requires greater monitoring and cleanup of existing unlined trenches.  

The 25 January ruling may also set a precedent for future State actions against DoE waste disposal solutions.

Industry Outsider is New Department of Energy Secretary | Top

New US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman appears to be a rubber stamp for administration policy. Speaking during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Bodman expressed his enthusiasm to “make real progress at Yucca Mountain.” He added, “We have to overcome the legal and regulatory issues. I am committed to that.” Bodman went so far as to propose a timeline, suggesting that the Depart of Energy (DoE) will submit a license application to construct Yucca Mountain by the end of the calendar year. Nevermind previous promises from the Bush administration to make a decision on Yucca Mountain based on “sound science.”

The DoE will need to muscle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to meet the proposed opening of Yucca Mountain in 2010. Current EPA standards have halted Yucca’s development because the standards find existing proposals very environmentally unfriendly.

Besides developing a national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Bodman supports the expansion of domestic nuclear energy initiatives. Particularly, Bodman supports President Bush’s Nuclear Power 2010 program, an effort to begin building new nuclear reactors by the end of the decade.

To view part one of this report view: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2005/01_sunflower.htm#7a.

Deals Cut on Yucca Mountain, Part Deux | Top

Negotiations concerning Presidential nominations to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are nearing fruition. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), a staunch opponent of the Yucca Mountain repository, managed to secure a seat on the NRC for Gregory Jaczko, Reid’s advisor on nuclear issues. On 19 January 2005 President Bush named Jaczko to fill one of two open seats on the NRC. Yucca Mountain supporters are concerned that Jaczko will work together with Reid to block funding for Yucca Mountain and ultimately kill the project.

The second available seat was originally slated for retired Vice Admiral Albert Konetzni, but when Konetzni’s demand to chair the NRC fell through, he withdrew his name from consideration. With Konetzni out of the picture Bush named Senator Pete Domenici’s (R-NM) science advisor, Peter Lyons, to the final seat on the five-member NRC.

To view part one of this report, visit: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/12_sunflower.htm#8b.

Coolant Spill Shuts Down Michigan Reactor | Top

Between 18,000 and 27,000 gallons of coolant leaked from the Fermi II nuclear power plant on 24 January 2005. While spokespersons for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission could not confirm whether or not the leaked water was radioactive, Fermi II owner Detroit Edison Co. spokesman John Austerberry stated, “There is no indication of any radioactive release,” and insisted that the leak posed no threat to the environment or the public.

Although the leak triggered the reactor’s shutdown at 4:20 pm, water continued to leak until about 10 pm. As The Sunflower was going to press, the exact cause of the leak remains unconfirmed.

The Fermi II reactor provides about 15% of southeast Michigan’s energy and is located 30 miles south of Detroit.

New Jersey Nuclear Reactor Resumes Operation Following Radioactive Leak | Top

On 18 January 2005, the Hope Creek nuclear generating station in Lower Alloways Creek, New Jersey resumed partial operation. The reactor was shut down 10 October 2004 when a pipe broke and radioactive steam burst into the turbine building. Officials confirmed the radioactivity remained within safe limits and was contained to the turbine building. No personnel were injured.

While the reactor was offline, engineers discovered problems with the “B” recirculation pump. Despite controversy surrounding Hope Creek’s deteriorating “B” recirculation pump, officials chose to bring the reactor online and to continue energy production. The “B” recirculation pump, many argue, should have been replaced while the reactor was offline. Instead, officials restarted production with worn hardware. To view the most frequently asked questions of Hope Creek, visit: http://www.pseg.com/companies/nuclear/pdf/PumpQandA.pdf.

South African Environmentalists Successfully Lobby Against Nuclear Power | Top

Under pressure from environmentalists, a South African court suspended the construction of a pilot pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) near Cape Town. On 26 January 2005, the decision was made to reassess the environmental impact of the reactor and fuel plant before initiating construction.

Environmentalists argue proper disaster management plans have not been formulated and that emergency crews are under-prepared and under-equipped should an accident occur. Environmentalists raised concerns about the security of enriched uranium fuel while in transit between the proposed fuel plant in Pelindaba and the PBMR in Koeberg.

South Africa ’s largest electricity utility, Eskom, produces 95% of the country’s energy and about 60% of Africa’s energy. Eskom would be responsible for developing the reactor along with British Nuclear Fuels Limited. Eskom officials say South Africa’s energy generating capacity will be unable to cope with demand beginning 2007. An Eskom spokesman said the judgment to delay the project is not likely to completely halt the construction of the reactor. Nevertheless, Eskom is considering alternative sources of energy to meet growing demands.

The African continent is home to only one nuclear power station, which is located 27 km north of South Africa’s Cape Town. To meet growing energy demands South Africa hopes to pioneer the development of PBMRs for regional commercial use and for export around the world.

Challenging Outlook for UK Nuclear Industry | Top

The European Commission (EC) has begun investigations of illegal state aid to the British nuclear industry. At issue is the transfer of decommissioning liabilities from British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

The EC investigation is exploring the possible violation of the European Union’s “polluter pays” principle. Should liabilities be transferred on 1 April 2005, BNFL would be entirely relieved of decommissioning expenses, and the taxpayers would foot the bill. The EC argues this advantageous transfer is considered state aid under the EC and Euratom Treaties.

Mark Johnson from Friends of the Earth Europe said the BNFL transfer “allows the European nuclear industry to continue cheating the market, selling power below cost and then blackmailing the taxpayer when old reactors are shut down.”

The investigation is drawing attention to British Energy’s (BE) fragile financial situation. BE returned to the London Stock Exchange 17 January 2005 following its brush with bankruptcy in 2002. To survive, BE passed its nuclear decommissioning liabilities to the taxpayer.

Senator Asks Navy for Nuclear Carrier at Mayport | Top

On 28 January, US Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) launched an effort to move one of the Navy’s four nuclear aircraft carriers based in Norfolk, Virginia to Jacksonville, Florida’s Mayport Naval Station. Senator Nelson is a member of the Senate Armed Services and argued that the move was necessary due to the security threat posed by having nearly half of the country’s nuclear carrier fleet based in one location.

Mayport only lacks the maintenance facilities necessary to house a nuclear carrier, and the Navy has told Nelson that it is actively studying the requirements and costs of completing these improvements – a move that increases the likelihood that Jacksonville could eventually become the home of a nuclear-powered carrier.

US Aware of Pakistan’s Nuclear Dangers | Top

During opening hearings at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, incoming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US is "very aware" of the danger of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of radicals and that the US has a contingency plan to prevent it. However, Rice did not disclose the plan.

Former Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry, asked Rice about the fail-safe procedures in the event of a coup in Pakistan. Kerry stated, “If you were to have a successful coup in Pakistan, you could have conceivably, nuclear weapons in the hand of a radical Islamic state automatically, overnight.” Dr. Rice replied, “...we have noted this problem and we are prepared to try to deal with it. I would prefer not in open session to talk about this particular issue.”

Senator Kerry also questioned Rice on what the Bush administration has done with the government of Pakistan regarding A.Q. Khan and his clandestine nuclear network. He specifically asked whether or not American interests were being served without direct access to Dr. Khan. Rice maintained that the US has not struck “any deals” on what happens to Dr. Khan.

Ashcroft: Nuclear Terrorism Greatest Threat | Top

On 27 January, outgoing US Attorney General John Ashcroft said the possibility that al-Qaeda or its sympathizers could gain access to a nuclear bomb is the greatest danger facing the United States in the war on terrorism. According to Ashcroft, US officials “from time to time” uncover evidence terrorists are trying to develop nuclear capability. However, he did not provide any specifics. He said it is not clear whether they have made any progress, but the United States must take the threat seriously.

Ashcroft stated, “If you were to have nuclear proliferation find its way into the hands of terrorists, the entire world might be very seriously disrupted by a few individuals who sought to impose their will, their arcane philosophy, on the rest of mankind.”

“Missing Disks” That Shut Down LANL Never Existed | Top

On 29 January, a report was released stating that the two computer disks that went missing – and subsequently caused the closure the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) this past summer – actually never existed in the first place. According to the Department of Energy (DoE), barcodes were recorded for the disks, but the disks themselves were never created. A separate FBI investigation supported the finding that the disks in fact never existed, according to the report.

The DoE expressed serious concern over this issue as well as other instances of extreme security failures at the weapons laboratory. Ever since its founding, LANL has been managed by the University of California. However, this fiasco and many other budgetary and security concerns have put UC’s involvement under extreme scrutiny and its future as the laboratory’s operator under doubt. According to the report, “The weaknesses revealed by this incident are severe and must be corrected.” Of even greater concern are significant safety weaknesses, which came to light at approximately the same time.

As a punishment for the problems, the DoE cut the management fees paid to UC for running Los Alamos by two thirds. Out of a possible $8.7 million, UC will get only $2.9 million. It is the largest fee reduction ever imposed on a national laboratory.

National Nuclear Security Agency Administrator Linton Brooks said in a statement, “Although multiple investigations have confirmed that the ‘missing’ disks never existed, the major weakness in controlling classified material revealed by this incident are absolutely unacceptable and the University of California must be held accountable for them.”

“We got walloped,” a spokesman for the University of California, which manages Los Alamos National Laboratory, said on 28 January.

UC has accepted responsibility for the failures, but say they have made efforts at fixing similar problems should they arise in the future. UC officials claim they have reviewed the LANL safety and security procedures in the wake of the missing disk incident and shut down in which about 12,000 workers were idled.

Plutonium Work at LLNL Stops Amid Safety Concerns | Top

In January, work on hands-on projects involving plutonium came to a halt at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Northern California following the discovery by a federal nuclear agency of shoddy safety measures, which could pose serious health and safety risks. The agency found cracks in the ventilation system that had been repaired with tape, and “hot boxes” that lacked seismic restraints, which in the event of an earthquake could rupture and expose hazardous levels of radioactive material to workers and the community. Like Los Alamos National Laboratory, LLNL is also managed by the University of California.

Bruce Goodwin, head of defense and nuclear technology at LLNL, claimed that the work stoppage was not due to imminent safety threats, but rather to take time to assess the best ways to approach the problem for future plutonium management improvements. According to Goodwin, “We've been wanting to do this for a long time but didn't have the resources.”

This stand-down is not the first for LLNL. In 1995, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board found safety problems that prompted a voluntary six-month shutdown. In 1997, lab workers reported safety violations involving too much plutonium in individual glove boxes. In 2003, an electrical outage caused plutonium to leak out of a glove box and exposed a dozen workers.

Goodwin also stated that the level of plutonium is excessive for the needs of the lab. He would like to see some of the plutonium removed, as it is a liability rather than an asset for the projects currently underway. “We have way more material than we need. We'd love to get it off the site, but we have to find a safe repository for it,” he said.

However, according to a Department of Energy ten-year environmental plan for the lab released last year, LLNL will be allowed to double the amount of plutonium stored on site to up to 3,300 pounds at a time, enough plutonium to make about 300 nuclear warheads. There is widespread concern about the security of plutonium stored at LLNL. Click here to take action to stop the expansion of plutonium activities at LLNL.

“Watchdog Partnership” To Submit Bid for Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory | Top

On 20 January 2005, at UC San Francisco’s Laurel Heights Campus, nuclear watchdog Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) announced it will join forces with Nuclear Watch of New Mexico and enter into the contract bidding for the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

LANL has been managed since 1943 by the University of California under a no-bid contract. However, amid controversy surrounding fiscal mismanagement and security concerns, the Department of Energy (DoE) and Congress have voiced concerns of UC’s management. UC currently has a contract set to expire this September. Last year, Congress passed legislation requiring all government contracts over 50 years old to be placed up for bidding.

UC has yet to decide whether or not they will bid to continue managing the lab. Other University systems have expressed interest in the contract, including the University of Texas and Texas A&M. However, due to budgetary and other concerns, it appears that UT will not pursue the contract. In August, defense giant Lockheed Martin, which already manages Sandia National Laboratories, said it had decided not to bid on Los Alamos because it would cost too much

The pact between Tri-Valley CAREs and Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, though seriously hoping to be a contender for the bid, realize that no matter the outcome of the contract award they hope to bring openness and transparency to the bidding process, improve health and safety provisions for workers and communities, strengthen whistleblower protections, and provide incentive points for bringing more civilian science to the lab.

Robert Jay Lifton to Present Fourth Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future | Top

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is pleased to announce that Professor Robert Jay Lifton will present the Fourth Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity's. The event will take place on Wednesday, 16 February 2005 at 8 pm in the Corwin Pavilion at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Professor Lifton will speak on “ America and the Human Future – Surviving Vietnam, 9/11 and Iraq.”

Robert Jay Lifton is a lecturer in Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance, and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Psychology at the City University of New York. He was formerly Director of The Center on Violence and Human Survival at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He previously taught psychiatry at Yale University for more than two decades. The overall themes of Professor Lifton's work have been holocaust and transformation. He has studied many of the most destructive events of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and has played an important role in the development of the field of psychohistory.

On 17 February, Professor Lifton will speak on a panel with Professor Richard Falk and Foundation President David Krieger entitled, “The Meaning of Hiroshima: Perspectives in the 60 th Year of the Nuclear Age.” The panel will take place at Santa Barbara City College from 2 pm until 3:30 pm and will be moderated by Professor Peter Hasland.

For more information on the Fourth Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future, please contact Deputy Director Chris Pizzinat at cpizzinat@napf.org or call the Foundation’s offices (805) 965-3443.

Nonviolence and Social Change for Educators | Top

From 18-30 July 2005, Cal Poly Pomona is offering a professional development program for K-12 educators focusing on Nonviolence and Social Change. The Institute offers a unique opportunity  for collaborative work and partnership among college and school faculty, a stipend of $500,  credit for eight units of graduate course work and other benefits.

For more information or to receive a brochure in the mail, please contact Professor Tara Sethia, Director of the Ahimsa Center at tsethia@csupomona.edu The description of the program along with information about application process is also available on online at:  http://www.csupomona.edu/%7Eahimsacenter/summer_institute.html

Breakthrough or Bust in 2005 | Top

Leading up to the 2005 Review Conference, the British American Security Information Council and the Oxford Research Group will release a series of briefings on the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Breakthrough or Bust introduces the forthcoming. To read Breakthrough or Bust, visit: http://www.basicint.org/nuclear/NPT/2005rc/nptoverview.pdf.

“As the members of the Committee know, one of the most important responsibilities of the Secretary of Energy – in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense – is certifying to the President that our nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile is safe, secure and reliable. The nuclear deterrent was a vital factor in winning the Cold War, and it continues to be a key strategic component of our national security posture. Since the beginning of this Administration, the Energy Department has made significant progress in upgrading the capabilities of the nuclear weapons complex and the facilities that support it. I look forward to continuing that progress.”

-Incoming US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
Prepared remarks given to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
19 January 2005

“I'm looking forward to working with Congress on whether or not we can move forward on nuclear power. I believe nuclear power answers a lot of our issues. It certainly answers the environmental issue, and those people who are concerned about whether or not we can continue burning coal. It certainly answers the dependency issue. It's a renewable source of energy.”

-President George W. Bush
During an interview in the Oval Office with the Wall Street Journal
10 January 2005

“If our leaders were as generous in helping people as they are in killing them, no one would ever go hungry.”

-George Manbiot
From a column in The Guardian
4 January 2005

"We extend our hands to our neighbors. We are ready for peace, peace based on justice. We hope that their response will be positive."

-Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
During his victory speech in the West Bank city of Ramallah
10 January 2005

“We do not condone torture as a means of extracting information, but under an extreme set of circumstances depending on the individuals involved you better not deny the human emotion involved in that kind of situation to say it could happen.”

-Outgoing US Secretary of Homeland Defense Tom Ridge
During an interview with BBC’s HARDtalk
14 January 2005

Editorial Team | Top

• Luke Brothers
• David Krieger
• Carah Ong
• Jon Solorzano