U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill speaks to reporters today before meeting with his North Korean counterpart in Beijing. North Korea is scheduled to begin disabling its nuclear facilities tomorrow (Frederic Brown/Getty Images). North Korea Nuclear Disablement to Begin Tomorrow North Korea is scheduled tomorrow to begin disabling facilities at its plutonium-producing Yongbyon nuclear complex, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 30). Pyongyang has pledged to declare and disable its nuclear program by the end of the year, another step in the anticipated dismantlement of its atomic complex.  In return it stands to receive energy aid and security and diplomatic benefits...Full Story

Russia Completes Security Measures at Missile Bases U.S.-funded security improvements have been finished at 25 Russian nuclear missile sites as part of a joint effort to prevent terrorists from stealing nuclear weapons, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced today (see GSN, June 29)...Full Story

U.N. Powers to Discuss Iran Nuclear Sanctions Representatives from the five permanent U.N. Security Council member nations and Germany are expected to meet in London this week to consider imposing new penalties on Iran over its disputed nuclear program, Reuters reported (see GSN, Oct. 30)...Full Story

	Wednesday, October 31, 2007

North Korea Nuclear Disablement to Begin Tomorrow North Korea is scheduled tomorrow to begin disabling facilities at its plutonium-producing Yongbyon nuclear complex, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 30). Pyongyang has pledged to declare and disable its nuclear program by the end of the year, another step in the anticipated dismantlement of its atomic complex.  In return it stands to receive energy aid and security and diplomatic benefits. “I think we are in pretty good shape on that,” top U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill said of the disablement effort.  “There are a couple of issues that have to be worked through but I think we have an agreement on what we’re doing generally.” Experts from the United States are scheduled to arrive tomorrow in North Korea to oversee the process. The team is expected to monitor disablement at 10 areas at Yongbyon, including a nuclear reactor, spent fuel reprocessing plant and a fuel fabrication site, according to South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon. “This is the first step for the North’s nuclear abandonment,” he said.  “Once the disablement is completed, it would take North Korea a considerable period of time to restart the facilities” (Dan Martin, Agence France-Presse/Channelnewsasia.com, Oct. 31). Hill met today with lead North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan in Beijing, Reuters reported. “It was a useful exchange of information.  It was not a negotiation,” the U.S. envoy said.  “We’re at a phase now where we’re talking a lot about nuts and bolts.” Pyongyang plans to “seriously implement” the denuclearization agreement, Kim said, according to Kyodo News.  “At this stage, there are no major differences in opinion,” he said. Hill acknowledged that significant work remains ahead. “We do have in mind in the beginning of ’08 another phase, and that is the final, irreversible dismantling of these facilities and very importantly the abandonment of the weaponized plutonium,” he said (Lindsay Beck, Reuters I/Yahoo!News, Oct. 31). Experts warned that disabling Yongbyon would not irreversibly put North Korea out of the nuclear business, Reuters reported. “Disabling means that it will be more difficult, but not impossible, to resume operations — that is, it will take time, effort and money,” said former Los Alamos National Laboratory chief Siegfried Hecker by e-mail. The work is likely to involve removal of nuclear equipment, a process that would take about a year to reverse, said researcher Kim Tae-woo of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. “High-level disablement would be like pouring cement into the insides of the car with no tires,” he said.  “Low level would be like leaving the engine but just pulling out the generator so the car doesn’t start” Pyongyang should not be expected to accept a permanent end to work at the complex that supplies material for North Korean nuclear weapons, observers said (Jon Herskovitz, Reuters/Yahoo!News, Oct. 31). Back to top       Russia Completes Security Measures at Missile Bases U.S.-funded security improvements have been finished at 25 Russian nuclear missile sites as part of a joint effort to prevent terrorists from stealing nuclear weapons, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced today (see GSN, June 29). At a 2005 summit in Bratislava, Slovakia, U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their commitment to threat reduction efforts in Russia that began following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. “Completing this security work at the Strategic Rocket Forces sites helps to fulfill President Bush’s commitment under the Bratislava joint statement with Russia and shows our continued partnership with the Russians,” said William Tobey, NNSA deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation.  “We remain dedicated to working as quickly as possible to secure nuclear weapons and other dangerous materials in Russia and around the world to prevent unauthorized access.” The recently completed security upgrades were installed at 25 missile sites at 11 Russian missile bases, according to a press release.  The upgrades included intruder detection systems, entry portals, nuclear material detectors, guard towers and other measures (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, Oct. 31). The improvements were completed two years ahead of schedule, suggesting that some areas of U.S.-Russian relations remained strong while higher profile disputes — such as U.S. plans to deploy missiles defenses in Eastern Europe — have dominated news headlines, the New York Times reported. Tobey said other U.S.-funded nonproliferation efforts in Russia were also ahead of schedule, including plans to deploy radiation detectors at all border crossings (see GSN, June 1) and a program to replace Russia’s three remaining plutonium-producing nuclear reactors with fossil fuel power plants (see GSN, Aug. 15, 2006; C.J. Chivers, New York Times, Oct. 31). Back to top       U.N. Powers to Discuss Iran Nuclear Sanctions Representatives from the five permanent U.N. Security Council member nations and Germany are expected to meet in London this week to consider imposing new penalties on Iran over its disputed nuclear program, Reuters reported (see GSN, Oct. 30). The powers plan to review a possible third round of Security Council sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment, which could yield a nuclear weapon ingredient. The meeting is planned for tomorrow or Friday.  Talks between China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States were originally planned to take place two weeks ago, but China withdrew to protest the United States awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama. Veto-holding Security Council members Beijing and Moscow have indicated they would not support another round of sanctions on Tehran (Fredrik Dahl, Reuters/Washington Post, Oct. 31). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday in Tehran that independent sanctions on Iran would not help address the standoff over its nuclear program, the Associated Press reported. “Unilateral actions taken now regarding trade and economic sanctions against Iran won't help to continue collective efforts,” he said, presumably referring to a new round of sanctions on Iran that the United Sates announced last week (see GSN, Oct. 25). Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the measures as empty gestures, saying they served as proof that “Americans are not able to harm us.” “Americans think that they can force the Iranian nation to give in by resorting to unilateral economic sanctions,” Iranian state media quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.  “Enemies have understood that they are not able to thwart the progress of the Iranian nation” (Nasser Karimi, Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Oct. 30). China yesterday rebuffed a request by visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to support a new resolution, Agence France-Presse reported. “We consider that the decision to impose sanctions should not be made lightly.  At present, the Iranian side is seeking to solve the issue through talks,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao. “Under the current circumstances we do not support further sanctions, as that would worsen the situation,” he said (Agence France-Presse I/Google News, Oct. 30). Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino reaffirmed the Bush administration’s public stand that it is not planning to attack Iran, AFP reported.  Her comments come amidst escalating rhetoric from Washington on the nuclear standoff (see GSN, Oct. 18 and Oct. 22). “There's no reason for people to think that the president is about to attack Iran.  I think that we need to make that clear,” she said.  “He doesn't want people to fear that, because what he is doing is pursuing a diplomatic track.” Perino said the president’s planned meetings next week with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were evidence that the White House hopes to peacefully defuse the West’s standoff with Iran. “He believes it's important for him to pursue every possible diplomatic means in order to persuade Iran to stop its pursuit of a nuclear weapon,” Perino said.  Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes. When asked if she was certain that the Bush administration was not plotting an imminent attack on Iran, she said, “I'm positive of that, and we're pursuing the diplomatic track” (Agence France-Presse II/Google News, Oct. 30). Back to top       India Not Giving Up on Nuclear Deal, Singh Says Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday reaffirmed his support for a U.S.-Indian nuclear trade agreement, but acknowledged that he does not have the domestic political support he needs to implement the deal, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 30). “The agreement we have signed with the U.S. is an honorable deal, good for India, good for the world and good for nonproliferation,” he said in a news conference.  “We remain committed to see that this process is carried forward.” If advanced, the deal would allow India to acquire U.S. nuclear materials and technology in return for permitting international nuclear inspectors to oversee the nation’s civilian nuclear power program. Domestic critics, especially four communist parties that back Singh’s government, have threatened to force early elections if he moves to implement the deal.  The critics have expressed concern that the pact would give Washington too much influence over Indian policies. Singh acknowledged that the critics have succeeded in stalling the deal, but expressed hope that he could persuade them to reverse their position. “Already there are efforts to evolve a consensus,” he said.  “We have not reached the end of the road.” A review committee of ruling and communist party leaders is scheduled to meet Nov. 16 to discuss the deal further, AFP reported (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Oct. 30). Meanwhile, India’s top nuclear official said energy shortages would result if the deal collapses, the Indian Express reported today. The nation currently plans to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2020, said Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar. “If the deal opens up, this will be realized, and maybe even more power will be generated,” he said.  “Otherwise, a 6,000 [megawatt] shortfall will be created” (Indian Express, Oct. 31). Back to top       U.S. to Test Seaborne Radiation Sensors The U.S. Homeland Security Department in 2008 intends to test whether nuclear or radiological weapons being carried on small boats could be detected by sensors mounted on buoys and boats, USA Today reported (see GSN, Sept. 6). The announcement came after Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff asked agency heads to "raise the protection level with respect to small boats” that could be used to smuggle a weapon of mass destruction into the United States. “This represents a serious vulnerability,” said Vayl Oxford, director of the department’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.  “The consequences would be so extreme.” In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard is expected to report to Chertoff in November on a new plan to monitor small ferries and recreational and fishing boats using “additional surveillance, monitoring and information systems,” said Dana Goward, director of the Coast Guard’s Maritime Domain Awareness program.  “We need to know more about who's out there.” According to Stephen Flynn, a security analyst for the Council on Foreign Relations, it is more likely that terrorists would smuggle a weapon into a U.S. port inside one of the thousands of shipping containers that enter the country each day. “The consequence is all boxes would be viewed as a threat and you'd stop the system,” he said (Thomas Frank, USA Today, Oct. 31). Back to top       IAEA Plans Nuclear Trafficking Conference Roughly 300 people from 70 nations are expected to attend an International Atomic Energy Agency conference next month to consider possible measures against nuclear smuggling, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Sept. 28). The event is scheduled from Nov. 19-22 in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Participants are expected to include representatives from nuclear security, intelligence, justice, border control and other organizations. “Steps to combat the risk from trafficking in nuclear and radioactive material are now considered a routine part of providing public security,” IAEA nuclear security head Anita Nilsson said in the statement. Nilsson noted that the U.N. nuclear watchdog has consulted on nuclear security for the Olympics, World Cup soccer games and other major events (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Oct. 30). Back to top       Danish Jets Intercept Russian Bomber Denmark’s air force dispatched two F-16 fighter jets yesterday to intercept a Russian bomber flying close to Danish airspace, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 2). “A visual contact was made at 6.02 a.m. [Denmark time] with the Tupolev-160 bomber,” said a Danish air force a statement, adding that the jets “followed the bomber for about 25 minutes before it turned back toward Russia.” The air force reported two similar recent incidents involving Russian bombers but did not elaborate.  Russian bombers have been conducting long-range flights in international airspace in recent months, prompting other nations on several occasions to scramble fighter jets (Agence France-Presse/Mail & Guardian, Oct. 30). Back to top

Anniston Fined for CW Disposal Violations The state of Alabama has fined the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility $49,600 for committing seven permit violations during weapons incineration, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency announced yesterday (see GSN, April 23). The Alabama Environmental Management Department noted that facility personnel immediately took measures to correct the violations when they were pointed out.  Most cited problems had actually been reported by facility managers, according to an Army press release. “While we acknowledge there are some areas where we fell short of 100 percent, flawless compliance, everyone at the site is committed to the safe storage of the chemical munitions as well as the safe demilitarization of the stockpile,” said facility government project manager Timothy Garrett in the release. “We have corrected the issues [the Alabama Environmental Management Department] pointed out that needed correcting and we have adjusted our procedures and instructions to minimize the chances of these issues, or ones like them, from occurring again.” Plant systems contractor Westinghouse Anniston would have to pay the fine, the Army said. The Anniston facility began destroying chemical weapons in August 2003.  It has destroyed all sarin-loaded weapons stored at the Anniston Army Depot, eliminating 96,246 gallons of liquid nerve agent and 142,428 munitions. The facility began VX nerve agent weapons disposal in July 2006 and has to date destroyed 71,330 gallons of liquid VX as well as 35,662 rockets and 49,978 projectiles. The reported violations are as follows: On Aug. 1, 2006, personnel ran decontamination solution through the second stage of the facility’s deactivation furnace when the temperature of the first stage was below the required level. On Aug. 30, 2006, workers used an incorrectly calibrated device for detecting carbon monoxide.  This occurred for a short period of time during when chemical weapons were not being processed. On Sept. 11 and Oct. 1, 2006, workers took samples of air around the perimeter of the facility using an incomplete monitoring system. On Dec. 27, 2006, personnel ran four trays of metal containers through the deactivation furnace without following guidelines for handling the byproducts of chemical waste incineration, although they did adhere to rules for destroying metal chemical munitions casings. Two sumps were allowed to continue collecting fluid between July 4 and 9, 2007, despite evidence of a leak along the liner attaching the sump to the concrete vault. On July 13, 2007, a malfunctioning sump was allowed to overflow, spilling decontamination solution in a room of the facility.  None of the fluid escaped from the building. On Aug. 6 and 7, 2007, workers placed more chemical agent into a furnace than the maximum amount allowed by the permit (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Oct. 30). Back to top       Critics Question Umatilla Readiness for VX Disposal The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Oregon faces questions from activists regarding whether it adequately prepared to eliminate weapons containing VX nerve agent, Defense Environment Alert reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 30). The incinerator plant began destroying M55 rockets on Monday, beginning an anticipated 18-month project to destroy a variety of VX-laden weapons. The facility in July completed disposal of weapons carrying sarin nerve agent.  Activists charge that in the changeover period that followed the U.S. Army failed to place fresh carbon filters in smokestacks, potentially putting nearby residents and the environment at risk of exposure to dangerous materials.  Tens of thousands of tons of hazardous waste could be produced through filter replacement, according to a Umatilla spokesman. In comments to the state Environmental Quality Department, several environmental groups said they suspect “that one of the reasons this request (to leave the carbon in place) is even being made is to prevent more delays to the time schedule, which has already fallen many years behind.” Failure to switch filters “removes safeguards that are essential to help minimize the release of agent from the facility,” the groups said. Critics also criticize the absence of a special incinerator for secondary waste at Umatilla and the facility’s plan for incinerating mustard agent contaminated with mercury.  Disposal of mustard weapons is due to begin following the VX campaign. The state has so far backed the facility on the carbon and secondary waste issues, Defense Environment Alert reported.  A decision is pending on the mustard issue. Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States must fully eliminate its arsenal of banned weapons by April 2012.  Unlike some sites, Umatilla is expected to meet that deadline.  However, that depends on progress at the facility and on the status of legal challenges to its operation, according to the Army Chemical Materials Agency (Defense Environment Alert, Oct. 30). Back to top

Poland Creates Secret Missile Defense Office Poland’s Defense Ministry is not releasing any details regarding the operations or staffing of a missile defense office created last week, the Poland Business Newswire reported (see GSN, Oct. 4). The document establishing the office was dated Oct. 22, but Polish defense officials have revealed little about its classified activities, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported yesterday.  The office’s establishment does not reflect a decision by Poland to allow a U.S. missile interceptor base to be built on its territory, said Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Poland’s top negotiator with the United States.  However, the office could streamline communications between Polish and U.S. officials as well as Polish defense strategists and Foreign Ministry lawyers, he added. Piotr Pacholski, who has overseen missile defense issues at the ministry, was named to head the new office.  It is expected to coordinate the deployment of U.S. missile defenses if Warsaw signs off on the installation, according to Rzeczpospolita (Poland Business Newswire, Oct. 30). Back to top

Study Considers Children’s Exposure to “Dirty Bomb” A new report indicates that children’s bodies would respond differently than those of adults to exposure to radiation from a “dirty bomb,” meaning younger victims would require different medical treatment, the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York announced today (see GSN, May 25, 2006). Researchers exposed juvenile and adult mice to a small amount of radiation intended to simulate the detonation of a radiological weapon.  “The tissue response of the younger mice indicated that radiation was more damaging, possibly causing long-term harm to the body’s structure and function,” according to a press release. “It’s difficult to think about developing strategies for a horrific, hypothetical event,” researcher Jacqueline Williams said in the release.  “But our work is teasing out some important nuances about how children and adults … respond to exposure to radioactive particles.  Our work could also apply to the clinical setting, as we learn how to better protect normal tissue from radiation exposure.” Further investigation is planned to determine why researchers found different responses to radiation among mice of different ages. Researchers also plan to study the potential effects on humans and animals of inhaling or ingesting radioactive material, which are likely to be different than exposure to external sources of radiation.  “When a person receives external radiation to treat cancer, for example, he or she does not become radioactive.  The exposure stops once the therapeutic radiation beam is turned off,” the release states.  Ongoing, internal exposure to radioactive material, however, could constitute a health risk. The dirty bomb study was one project funded through a $21 million 2005 grant from the National Institutes of Health (University of Rochester Medical Center release, Oct. 31).   Back to top

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