@@ U.S. ripped NPT into pieces @@
Arash
July 23, 2005
Tearing Up the NPT
Dr. James Gordon Prather
Nuclear weapons physicist
Nuclear bomb tester at Lawrence Livermore
Technical director of nuclear bomb testings at Sandia
Chief scientist of the U.S. Army
U.S. Navy veteran
Well, that tears it. Or, rather, tears it up.
President Bush effectively tore up the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
(http://www.basicint.org/nuclear/NPT/text.htm) by announcing this week that "as a
responsible state with advanced nuclear technology, India should acquire the same benefits
and advantages as other such states".
Translation?
Even though India refused to be a Party to the NPT, because India has developed and tested
nuclear weapons, India should now "acquire the same benefits and advantages" that the NPT
bestows on the five "nuclear-weapons states" – US, UK, France, Russia and China.
Specifically, even though all NPT signatories not having nukes are required to subject all
their nuclear programs to a full-scope Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic
Energy Agency, the five nuclear-weapons states are allowed to unilaterally decide which of
their nuclear programs – if any – they subject to such an agreement.
Prime Minister Singh announced India was prepared to "assume the same responsibilities and
practices" of the five nuclear-weapons states.
"These responsibilities and practices consist of identifying and separating civilian and
military nuclear facilities and programs in a phased manner and filing a declaration
regarding its civilians facilities with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA);
taking a decision to place voluntarily its civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA
safeguards; signing and adhering to an Additional Protocol with respect to civilian
nuclear facilities; continuing India's unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing; working
with the United States for the conclusion of a multilateral Fissile Material Cut Off
Treaty" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fissile_Material_Cutoff_Treaty).
But not, of course, become a party to the NPT.
President Bush has often said he wants to "STRENGTHEN" the NPT. Obviously, that was a big
LIE.
In fact, there had been entirely too much "strengthening" of the NPT at the Sixth Review
Conference (Sixth RevCon), held five years ago, to suit Bush.
The final report of the Sixth RevCon
(http://www.basicint.org/nuclear/NPT/2000revcon/finaltext.htm) began by reaffirming the
recommendations contained in the final report of the Fifth Revcon
(http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/1995dec.html).
But it took delegates to the Seventh RevCon (http://www.un.org/events/npt2005) two weeks
to even agree on an agenda because Bush "REFUSED" to allow the final report of the "Sixth
RevCon" to even be discussed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_steps), much less be
reaffirmed.
Among other things, the Sixth RevCon Report affirmed:
"An unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon states to accomplish the total
elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament to which all states
parties are committed under Article VI" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_steps).
Disarm?
"The importance and urgency of signatures and ratifications, without delay and without
conditions and in accordance with constitutional processes, to achieve the early entry
into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CTBT).
Ratify the CTBT?
"The [Sixth] Conference reaffirms that IAEA is the competent authority responsible for
verifying and assuring … compliance with its safeguards agreements … with a view to
preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other
nuclear explosive devices.… It is the conviction of the Conference that nothing should be
done to undermine the authority of IAEA in this regard".
Don't challenge the authority of the IAEA?
"The [Sixth] Conference notes the reaffirmation by the nuclear-weapon states of their
commitment to the United Nations Security Council resolution 984 in 1995
(http://www.un.org/Docs/scres/1995/scres95.htm) on security assurances for
non-nuclear-weapon states parties to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear
Weapons".
Give assurances to IRAN that we won't attack them with nuclear weapons?
You've got to be kidding. Bush would never agree to do any of those things, now required
of us by the NPT.
On the other hand, India has now agreed to ratify the CTBT and has affirmed the ‘competent
authority' of the IAEA to verify compliance with India's Safeguards Agreement.
Maybe that explains the positive reaction of IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei.
ElBaradei "welcomed" the US-India agreement to embark on full civil nuclear energy
cooperation and to enhance nuclear non-proliferation and security.
"Out of the box thinking and active participation by all members of the international
community are important if we are to advance nuclear arms control, nonproliferation,
safety and security, and tackle new threats such as illicit trafficking in sensitive
nuclear technology and the risks of nuclear terrorism.
"Making advanced civil nuclear technology available to all countries will contribute to
the enhancement of nuclear safety and security".
ElBaradei said that India's intention to identify and place all its civilian nuclear
facilities under IAEA safeguards and sign and adhere to an Additional Protocol with
respect to "civilian" nuclear facilities is a welcome development.
"I have always advocated concrete and practical steps towards the universal application of
IAEA safeguards".
In ISRAEL? Especially in ISRAEL.
Dr. Prather's radio interviews
July 23, 2005
http://www.weekendinterviewshow.com/audio/prather5.mp3
May 7, 2005
http://www.weekendinterviewshow.com/audio/prather4.mp3
May 4, 2005
http://www.charlesgoyette.com/archive/media/2005-05-04-Charles-01.mp3
April 9, 2005
http://www.weekendinterviewshow.com/audio/prather3.mp3
February 16, 2005 (Part 1)
http://www.charlesgoyette.com/archive/media/2005-02-16-Charles-04.mp3
February 16, 2005 (Part 2)
http://www.charlesgoyette.com/archive/media/2005-02-16-Charles-05.mp3
February 5, 2005
http://www.weekendinterviewshow.com/audio/prather2.mp3
December 4, 2004
http://www.weekendinterviewshow.com/audio/prather.mp3
* Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national
security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and
Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of
Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant
for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. --ranking member of the
Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations
Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory (http://www.llnl.gov) in California and Sandia National
Laboratory (http://www.sandia.gov) in New Mexico.
http://www.antiwar.com/prather