The laser enrichment technology of SILEX, developed in secret in Australia and of great proliferation concern, has passed its last regulatory hurdle in the US. The company has still to decide on full commercialisation, but is expected to go ahead despite post-Fukushima questions about future demand. NYT story below THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: September 27, [...]
Don’t Bomb Iran
“We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program” – US National Intelligence Estimate, Dec 2007
Featured News » Latest news and happenings.
Study estimates 5000 to 80000 from Iran attack
OMID and the University of Utah have published a detailed study of an attack on the main Iranian sites alleged to be involved in a weapons programme . The 5000 figure is from an attack on 4 nuclear sites, not counting the operational Bushehr power reactor. It’s conclusions have reportedly received considerable support from other experts. [...]
Military Soon Will Pay More For Former Soldiers Than Current Ones – US News and World Report
Remember how Donald Rumsfeld estimated the cost of the Iraq expedition at $60 billion tops, and Nordhaus estimated $2,000 billion if things like combat pensions were counted? With personnel costs rocketing to over a third of the Defence Department’s $600 bill budget after a decade of war, and pressure on all budget lines, the [...]
Iran set to build nuclear-powered submarines
Iran’s deputy Navy commander says the country has taken the initial steps to build its first nuclear-powered submarine. India is building its first nuke sub ( for nuclear missile deployment), and so is Brazil. Naval nuclear reactors usually use uranium enriched to around 20%, I believe. via PressTV – Iran set to build nuclear-powered submarines: [...]
Pakistan tests nuclear-capable cruise missile with 700km range
Test of the missile (which is thought to be sea-deployable giving it much larger range), follows India’s recent test of an ICBM, the AGNI-5, and other Indian nuclear developments. Pakistan Claims Successful Test of Nuclear-Capable Cruise Missile – NYT By SALMAN MASOOD Published: June 5, 2012 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s military said it successfully [...]
U.S. Rejected 2005 Iranian Offer Ensuring No Nuclear Weapons
France and Germany were prepared in spring 2005 to negotiate on an Iranian proposal to convert all of its enriched uranium to fuel rods, making it impossible to use it for nuclear weapons, but Britain vetoed the deal at the insistence of the United States, according to a new account by a former top [...]
Israeli Minister Agrees Ahmadinejad Never Said Israel Must Be Wiped Off the Map – NYTimes.com
Israeli Minister Agrees Ahmadinejad Never Said Israel Must Be Wiped Off the Map – NYTimes.com. April 17, 2012, 7:11 PM By ROBERT MACKEYVideo of an Al Jazeera interview with Dan Meridor, a deputy prime minister of Israel. In a reminder that Persian rhetoric is not always easy for English-speakers to interpret, a senior Israeli official [...]
Nuclear Missiles on Israeli subs ‘confirmed’ by Der Spiegel
Nuclear weapons are deployed on the Dolphin submarines that Germany gives to Israel, with the knowledge of the German government, according to a long Der Spiegel investigation. Spiegel also says that Germany knew of and probably helped finance development of Israel’s first bombs in the 1960s, with an unaudited contribution of 630 million Deuchmarks. It [...]
US nukes cost $30 billion per year
And this appears to be only the strategic nukes, without modernisation plans. New study by Stimson “estimates an annual total of $31 billion is spent on nuclear weapons when costs dedicated to strategic nuclear offensive forces found in the National Nuclear Security Administration of the Department of Energy are included. Although this report focuses [...]
US started cyberwar with Stuxnet, Israel enhanced it badly, says NYT
The NYT has a long, well researched article about Stuxnet (codename Olympic Games), from a new book. It asserts that the US wrote Stuxnet to disable Iran’s centrifuges (an act of war?), but that Israeli changes led to it escaping Natanz and infecting computers worldwide, worrying Obama in top-level meetings. Obama Ordered Wave of [...]
Flame virus: Israel suspected of new ‘cyberweapon’ strike on Middle East computers
A huge new virus is collecting data, mainly in Iran but also in other parts of the middle east. Anti-virus giant Kapersky Labs says “the complexity and functionality of the newly discovered malicious programme exceed all those of all other cyber menaces known to date”. ‘Flame’ is not based on Stuxnet. See also “the Flame [...]
The IAEA and Parchin: do the claims add up? SIPRI
Nuclear weapons expert at SIPRI says ”The reported chamber at Parchin is too big or too small but not the right size” for weapons tests. The expert fears the IAEA is losing credibility by taking such allegations seriously. May 23: The IAEA and Parchin: do the claims add up? — www.sipri.org< “The International Atomic Energy Agency [...]
I’m escalating all special operations in foreign countries… Israel’s chief of staff
Israel’s military chief of staff says he has ordered his forces to step up covert operations in enemy countries, AP reports. Time magazine says the opposite… assassinations of scientists and other such activities are being stopped by the lovely Bibi Netanyahu … AP story from the Washington Post extract below Israel’s chief of staff says [...]
Iran’s oil exports shut down by cyber attack
The famous Kharg Island, home to 90% of Iran’s oil exports, has apparently been shut down by a cyber-attack, according to the BBC. Extract below from BBC story Iranian oil terminal ‘offline’ after ‘malware attack’ Iran has been forced to disconnect key oil facilities after suffering a malware attack on Sunday, say reports. The [...]
US secretly trained MEK ‘terrorists’ in Nevada: Seymour Hersch
A longing piece in the New Yorker reveals that US special ops trained a group of MEK members (on the US list of terrorist organisations) in communications and combat techniques. “We did train them here, and washed them through the Energy Department because the D.O.E. owns all this land in southern Nevada,” a former senior [...]
Richard Clarke says US built Stuxnet, blew up centrifuges
“I think it’s pretty clear that the United States government did the Stuxnet attack,” says Richard Clarke, the ex-head of US counterterrorism under three presidents. The writer wrongly asserts that Natanz is producing weapons-grade uranium in a weapons programme. Clarke worries that the virus did not self-destruct as planned, and will blow back badly [...]
Turkey voices support for Iran nuclear programme
The Turkish PM flew direct to Tehran from the Korean nuke weapon talkfest, to say “Turkey has always clearly supported the nuclear positions of Iran” and will keep doing so. The crucial P5+1 talks starting on April 15 may be in Istanbul. Remember that Turkey helped the Israeli air force in its attack on [...]
Israel’s plan to attack Iran put on hold until next year at the earliest – Haaretz
Haaretz reports that last week’s war simulation at the Pentagon has forced “ Ehud Barak to reconsider attack plans; Americans pledge more money for Iron Dome antimissile system”. If an attack has been delayed, it could also be due to White House pressure on Azerbaijan to cancel vital Israeli air force access to Azeri airbases on [...]
Azerbaijan denies granting Israel access to air bases on Iran border
The prestigious magazine Foreign Policy reports that Israel’s air force has use of Azeri airbases, which would avoid the mid-air refuelling problems involved in an attack from Israel. The US has not been keen to openly supply Israel with tanker aircraft (although they have trained together in Nevada) , but an Azeri airbase would [...]
Iran nuclear timeline – Guardian
Timeline from Guardian July 1968 Iran joins nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) August 2002 The rebel group the National Council for Resistance in Iran reveals the existence of undeclared nuclear sites, including an enrichment plant in Natanz and a heavy-water production plant in Arak. Iran acknowledges existence of sites and asks the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to [...]
Ex-staff accuse IAEA chief of pro-western bias over Iran
Former IAEA officials warn of parallels between IAEA approach to Iran and mistakes over Iraq’s supposed WMD, saying that the new IAEA head has stifled debate in the agency and is prepared to report rumours. Former IAEA chief Hans Blix warns of a tendency to “base conclusions on information that has not been verified”. Another [...]
German taxpayers to help buy sixth Dolphin submarine for Israel
Germany has apparently agreed how much it will contribute to Israel’s next nuclear-weapons-capable submarine, a sale which is almost certainly in breach of EU arms trade regulations, in my opinion. Click here for related posts . Extracts from Reuters story: Germany sells sub to Israel but warns on attacking Iran 20 Mar 2012 18:07 Source: Reuters BERLIN, [...]
War game predicts Israel-Iran conflict disastrous for US
A two week Pentagon war game exercise modelling an Israeli attack on Iran seems to have spooked top brass, and its dire forecasts are leaked to the NYT. War game predicts Israel-Iran conflict disastrous for US. NYT Mark Mazzetti, Thom Shanker March 21, 2012 WASHINGTON: A classified war simulation exercise to assess the repercussions [...]
Redefining ‘Imminent’ attack and ‘due process’: US Attorney General on drone assassinations
US Attorney General Eric Holder, says the hundreds of drone strikes worldwide are legal self-defense against imminent attack – some international lawyers suggest Holder may be preparing a legal justification for a strike on Iran. On assassination of US citizens: “The Constitution guarantees due process,” he coldly added, “not judicial process.” According to Wikipedia due [...]
Majority of Israeli cabinet now support Iran attack
Google Translate of NRG story Evaluation: Most of the cabinet for Iran attack Eight ministers tend to support the position of Netanyahu and Barak for attack Iran, against six opponents. Cabinet members told the Knesset, Netanyahu’s speech yesterday: “It sounds like a speech preparation for attack.” A senior official: “The prime minister will not wait for U.S. elections in [...]
Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News
“Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel’s secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran’s leaders.” Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News Thu Feb 9, [...]
How Mossad Justified Its Murder of an Innocent Iranian Electrical Engineer | Truthout
Iranian Electrical Engineer Saturday 17 March 2012 by: Gareth Porter, Truthout | News Analysis via How Mossad Justified Its Murder of an Innocent Iranian Electrical Engineer | Truthout. On July 23, 2011, a 35-year-old Iranian electrical engineering student named Darioush Rezaeinejad was gunned down as he and his wife, who was also wounded in [...]
Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran – Times
“Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline” reports the Sunday Times. Israel allowed an interview with one of the captains, so it would seem that Israel is abandoning it’s nuclear ambiguity policy. The Times reported a similar deployment last year; and as [...]
Israeli bomb sale to S. Africa – documentary evidence published
The Guardian has published documentary evidence that Israel’s current President offered to sell nuclear weapons to South Africa’s apartheid regime in 1975. Shimon Peres’ signature in the photo below will make it very difficult for western countries to continue pretending that Israel does not have nuclear weapons or that it is not a proliferation threat. [...]
US intel’s 2009 report on Iran
US intel to Congress: We continue to assess Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons though we do not know whether Tehran eventually will decide to produce nuclear weapons.
“Iran does have a nuclear weapons program”: Australian PM
so says Kevin Rudd on national TV, while explaining why he has secretly stopped shipments of equipment to Iran. The media reported that pumps “which might have been used” in a nuclear weapons program were stopped, but that is apparently secret information.
Neutron initiator – smoking gun or forgery?
The Times in London recently published a major story about a document showing Iran is researching neutron initiators – smoking gun proof of a nuclear weapons program if it’s genuine. Intelligence agencies and the IAEA have known about the document for years and are not sure if it is a fake.
Brazil’s new uranium enrichment and old bomb
Brazil’s new uranium enrichment plant, refusal to sign an IAEA Additional Protocol, current military research on nuclear weapons designs, and its new nuclear submarines should clearly be seen as having nuclear weapons implications as strong or stronger than Iran’s nuclear plans. The enrichment technology was developed as part of Brazil’s secret nuclear weapons program, abandoned [...]
Bolton suggests Israeli nuclear attack on Iran
“So we’re at a very unhappy point — a very unhappy point — where unless Israel is prepared to use nuclear weapons against Iran’s program, Iran will have nuclear weapons in the very near future.” So said Bush’s former UN ambassador John Bolton at the University of Chicago. “Bolton’s use of the n-word is, I [...]
Obama Reafirms He Will Keep Israel’s Nukes ‘Secret’
Obama has reportedly ‘reaffirmed’ a secret understanding whereby he will not reveal the existence of Israel’s widely known nuclear arsenal, nor will he pressure Israel to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Last week at the UN he called on all states to join the NPT, except Israel. Story from antiwar.com
Australia’s uranium enrichment goes commercial – SILEX
Few people realise that revolutionary Australian laser technology is on the verge of producing enough enriched uranium to supply all of Austalia’s electricity needs, under licence in the US. For years SILEX have semi-secretly developed laser uranium enrichment at Lucas Heights in Sydney, and their “test loop” commercial prototype is already operating in America, under [...]
North Korea says uranium bomb near completion
The NORKS say they are about to build nuclear weapons using highly enriched uranium, in addition to the plutonium bomb which they tested recently. They say they are on the “completion stage” of uranium enrichment capacities, but I think that could take some years; so this could be a negotiating stategy. Another article extract: North [...]
Israeli Navy in Indian Ocean for possible attack on Iran
Confirming earlier reports that an Israeli nuclear-weapons Dolphin submarine crossed the Suez canal for a potential attack on Iran, The Times now reports that two missile-carrying warships have joined it. It also alleges that “Western diplomats are offering support for an Israeli strike on Iran in return for Israeli concessions on the formation of a Palestinian state”
Iran arming Taliban – Washington officials renew false Bush allegations
White House officials repeat doubtful claims of Iranian supply of weapons to Taliban for attacks on ISAF forces in Afghanistan. No evidence has been supplied, and the Pentagon disputed similar Bush administration claims.
U.S. grants support Iranian dissidents
Western politicians and media scoff at accusations of foreign meddling in Iranian politics. But the Obama administration is openly continuing Bush’s funding for “encouraging democracy” in Iran, programmes announced to encourage regime change. The Bush program “was a horrible idea,” says the biggest US-Iranian lobby group. “It made human rights activists and non-governmental organizations targets.” [...]
US defense spending – $534 or $890 billion – up to $3000 per citizen
Obama’s $534 billion budget for the Pentagon is larger than Bush’s, and accounts for over half of everything the President can spend; but it still does not include all military spending. Mother Jones researched the defense spend from other budget lines, which pushes the total to $890 billion, or about $3000 per US citizen.
Iran’s nuclear weapon ‘blueprints’ found by Western intel services
A report to Congress’ Foreign Relations committee says allied intelligence (presumably Israeli) have obtained blueprints for a nuclear warhead from two sources in Iran, which match each other “down to the last millimeter”. If true, this is validation of the claims in the “smoking laptop affair”, but no evidence is presented. The report also says [...]
Did an Aussie sell nukes to Iran?
In 2001, a now-dead Australian arms dealer allegedly sold nuclear weapons to Iran from ex-Soviet Ukraine, according to an Australian newspaper. It says four 200-kiloton nuclear warheads were stolen by a shadowy group of former Soviet officials, as well as 20 Kh-55 missiles. These are presumably not the 4 nukes that US experts were 98% [...]
US may cut funds for Israel’s anti-missile industry
The US may not fund the next generation of Israel’s Arrow missile defence system. Instead, they may just buy Israel the SM-3 anti-ballistic misssile system which the US army uses. The Pentagon paid Boeing over a billion dollars to develop the Arrow in Israel because the 1973 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty banned such work in [...]
High-enriched uranium traces found in Egypt: IAEA
The U.N. nuclear watchdog is investigating the discovery of traces of highly enriched uranium at a nuclear research site in Egypt, according to a restricted International Atomic Energy Agency report obtained by Reuters, which does not specify whether it is weapons-grade. full story: High-enriched uranium traces found in Egypt: IAEA | Reuters.
Nuclear talks get first breakthrough in 10 years
The agenda for the NPT review conference next year has been agreed by a preparatory meeting. This “may seem boring but we haven’t done so for a decade” pointed out the British. The 2005 Review failed to even agree what to talk about, bickering about Israels weapons being excluded and Iran’s supposed intentions. Reuters story [...]
Yankee Bombs Go Home: German Foreign minister
Germany’s US-supplied nuclear weapons should leave Gemany, says foreign minister Steinmeier in a major change of policy promted by Obama-itis. He is the soft-left opposition candidate standing against Angela Merkel for Chancellor – she still thinks American Cold War A-bombs should stay in Germany to secure its influence in NATO, says Der Spiegel. The [...]
Does Obama’s Iran envoy believe it is a “demonic society”?
Does Dennis Ross, pro-Israel lobbyist and US special envoy on Iran, believe Iranian society is demonic? That is what the organisation whose board he recently chaired is briefing the Israeli cabinet, as Robert Dreyfus at The Nation points out.
US labs use British nuclear factory to build new bombs
The US has been using Britain’s atomic weapons factory to carry out research into its own nuclear warhead programme, according to evidence seen by the Guardian. This has been suspected for some years. The US weapons industry has long been prevented by Congress from researching a “replacement warhead”, and the UK denies it has such a programme. But the UK government has recently spent tens of billions mysteriously upgrading Britain’s factory at Aldermaston, and at Christmas secretly sold it’s stake to US companies; thus creating a Guantanamo for nukes, an offshore legal black hole where US companies can design the next generation of weapons without Congressional oversight and without sharing the secrets with foreign companies or parliaments. US weapons labs last week unhappily revealed that Obama may end civilian control of bomb development after decades and move such work to the Pantagon, a move seen to be an attempt to weaken the labs’ influence on policy. Article 1 of the Non-Proliferation treaty prohibits ‘transfer’ of nuclear weapons between countries, but the US and UK have a secret agreement on nuclear technology sharing – including recent warhead re-entry upgrades that gave British bombs the ability to destroy very hard targets in a first strike. Koffi Annan describes such modernisation as a swindle incompatible with the NPT.
Obama to end civilian control of nuclear weapons labs?
Los Alamos Online News reports that Obama is considering giving the Pentagon control of the US weapons factories, ending over 50 years of civilian control at the Department of Energy. A Democrat move to do this failed in 2000 but as a compromise the semi-autonomous NNSA within the DOE was set up – it has not been a great sucess. Los Alamos is not happy, although the Pentagon chief must be keen – he wants to build a new generation of weapons or test old ones.
