Ramanisblog

Tag: Nuclear bomb

  • Pakistan Nukes Safe? NO.

    Before going into the story,see the cartoon in Pak.Tea House, a site  which is reasonably fair its assessment of events and its views.

    http://pakteahouse.net/2011/06/02/rehman-malik-assures-the-nation-about-nuke-safety/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+teahouse+%28Pak+Tea+House%29

    The control, Pakistan says, rests with the President ,the PM  and Cabinet Ministers.

    The President is a man who was not even aware of Indian Fighters intruding into Pakistan air space.

    He is still not able to speak openly about who killed his wife Benazir Bhutto, though he knows who it is.

    Gilani is one who does not know where to look for what.He is there for sound bytes.

    Rehman Malik,Minister of Interior is busy running a private intelleigence agency in London.

    (LONDON: Interior Minister Rehman Malik owns a private intelligence company in London, a British newspaper claimed in a report on Sunday.

    According to the report, Mr Malik submitted overdue annual returns and accounts to the Companies House in respect of the spy agency `Shaffaf Limited`. He has submitted the company`s accounts No. 03908422, and annual returns until 15/02/2012, the accounts made up to 31/05/2010.

    http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/19/rehman-malik-running-spy-agency-in-britain.html)

    Most of the other Ministers are from one extremist group or another.

    Curious,isn’t it, that ISI does not figure in the national Command Authority?

    These clowns did not even know that Osama bin  Laden was next door neighbor of an army camp.

    If they knew and are bluffing, they will definitely bluff even if Nukes are already with terrorists.

    Logic says the Nukes are not safe.

    Heart wishes it were

    (LONDON: Interior Minister Rehman Malik owns a private intelligence company in London, a British newspaper claimed in a report on Sunday.

    According to the report, Mr Malik submitted overdue annual returns and accounts to the Companies House in respect of the spy agency `Shaffaf Limited`. He has submitted the company`s accounts No. 03908422, and annual returns until 15/02/2012, the accounts made up to 31/05/2010.

    http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/19/rehman-malik-running-spy-agency-in-britain.html)

    Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal in the world and in a decade could pass France as the fourth-largest nuclear power, so such brazen attacks on secure military establishments — militants also attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi in 2009 — give Western leaders nightmares about militants acquiring nuclear materials, or worse, an entire weapon….

    President Barack Obama said in 2009 he was confident about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal although he was “gravely concerned” about the overall situation in Pakistan because of its weak government.

    Despite that, there is a growing concern among U.S. officials that militants might try to snatch a nuclear weapon in transit or insert sympathizers into laboratories or fuel-production facilities.

    Pakistani analysts see the mixed signals from the United States as adding to pressure on the government, which the United States wants to see getting to grips with the militant threat…

    PAKISTAN’S POSITION?

    Pakistan rejects such fears over its nuclear weapons as “misplaced and unfounded” saying it has very robust, multilayered command and control systems.

    Many Pakistanis believe the ultimate U.S. aim is to confiscate Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and analysts say reports of U.S. fears about nuclear security fuel such conspiracy theories….

    WHO CONTROLS THE WEAPONS?

    Pakistan does not release details of its nuclear arsenal. Estimates vary on the size of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, although analysts suggest Pakistan has between 60 and 120.

    The weapons are under control of the military’s Strategic Plans Division (SPD). During a period of political instability last year the division boosted security at nuclear facilities and launched a public relations offensive to counter what Pakistan regards as scaremongering over nuclear weapon security.

    Pakistan maintains there is no chance of Islamist militants getting their hands on atomic weapons.

    The SPD is overseen by the National Command Authority headed by the president and with the prime minister as its vice chairman. Main cabinet ministers and the heads of the army, navy and air force are also members of the NCA, which controls all aspects of the nuclear programme, including deployment and, if ever necessary, their use….

    The weapons, designed to be delivered by missiles or fighter-bombers, are stored at secure, secret locations, mostly in Punjab province, analysts say, well away from Taliban heartlands in the northwest, although there have been increasing instances of militant attacks and infiltration into the province.

    Other nuclear facilities, including the main Kahuta nuclear weapons laboratory, are near the relatively secure capital, Islamabad…

    Pakistan has 10,000 soldiers guarding its facilities and the SPD has its own independent intelligence section. Staff working in nuclear facilities go through an exhaustive vetting process, involving political, moral and financial checks and psychological testing for 10,000 staff working in nuclear facilities, and security monitors keep close tabs on 2,000 scientists working in ultra-sensitive areas…

    Pakistan’s controls are such that orders to abort a mission involving a nuclear weapon could be given at the last second. Even if a rogue pilot were to fire a missile he would not have the code to arm the warhead, according to the SPD.

    Analysts say Pakistan is believed to have developed its own Permissive Action Link system, modeled on one used in the United States, to electronically lock nuclear weapons. It also relies on a range of other measures including physical security, separation of warheads from missiles and warheads from explosive devices….

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/us-pakistan-attack-nukes-idUSTRE74M07J20110523

    Source:

    Reuters

    Pak Tea House

    Dawn.

  • Change the Nuclear Liability bill.-Remember Hiroshima,Bhopal



    This is our duty. Along with 187,759 people I signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to hold a public consultation before taking a decision on the nuclear liability bill. These petitions were delivered to the Standing Committee looking at the bill and now they have decided to hold a public consultation.

    The bill in its current form lets the foreign corporations get away by paying a meagre amount in case of a nuclear accident in India. The major chunk of the expenses will be borne by the Indian tax payers. But now we have a chance to change this bill and make it stronger.

    Greenpeace, an NGO working on this issue, has prepared an open letter which states the changes required in the bill. Just like the petition, this letter will stand a chance of being considered if lots of us sign it. We have less than two weeks to change the bill and prevent another Bhopal in the making.
    This is not for Indians alone.Right thinking people of the world,please sign in the name of humanity
    I have already added my signature.

    Can you add your signature to this letter?
    ( My comment along with my signature. Please add your own in the site).1.Liability ,in case of accidents involving processes must also include manufacture, design and maintenance of equipments.It is the natural process wherein the process depends mostly on the equipment.As one sees, the agreement has been made only because the Equipments are of critical importance and we needed them .Hence natural justice demands that the major liability must rest with manufacturers.
    2.As the equipment is being purchased from other countries, the insurer of the company in that country is to cover the risk
    Link for signing the petition.
    http://www.greenpeace.org/india/change-the-liability-bill?tyf=1
    Petition.

    To
    Dr. T Subbarami Reddy,
    Chairperson
    Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology
    Room No 202.
    Parliament House Annexe
    Parliament Street
    New Delhi

    Dear Sir,
    The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010, currently with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology for recommendations, not only has profound impacts on the democratic and constitutional rights of the people of our country, but also, affects the compensation payable, in case of a nuclear accident. The meager amount of compensation laid down in case of a nuclear accident in the proposed bill, is capped at $ 450 million, which is way below the much criticised compensation of $470 million, provided to victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (which was not a nuclear accident).

    It undermines the fundamental rights enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India which guarantees’ “Right to life” and includes right to enjoyment of pollution free water and air for full enjoyment of life with dignity.

    If one examines the various issues raised with the bill they largely relate to the following clauses:

    1. The Bill lays down a cap for the maximum financial liability at rupee equivalent of 300 million Special Drawing Rights (SDR), which is equal to $458 million (Rs. 2.087 crores). This is a meager amount when compared to the Price Anderson Act in the United States, which has created a pooled fund of $10.5 billion (Rs. 50,000 crores appox).
    2. The Bill restricts the channeling of compensation. The bill lays down for legal channeling of liability according to which only the operator is responsible in case of a nuclear accident. No civil suits can be initiated against the suppliers or any other person for faulty design or faulty construction. However, countries like the United States lay down for the economic channeling of liability, which makes it possible for law suits to be initiated against anyone in the entire supply chain.
    3. The Bill lays down that the operator is not liable for any damage in case the damage is caused by terrorism. This will limit the very purpose for which the Bill is being put in place that is to provide relief to victims of a disaster. Under the Vienna convention and the original Paris convention terrorism is not a ground for exoneration.
    4. The Bill limits the timeframe within which a claim can be initiated to 10 years. However, nuclear incidents can have trans generational effects which manifest over decades in future. In such cases it would become impossible to initiate claims if the 10 years cut off period is put in. The Paris Convention for example lays down 30 years as the cut off period.
    5. Clause 17(b) of the Bill initially laid down the right of recourse for the operator in case of a nuclear accident against the suppliers for gross negligence. There is a recommendation from the department of Atomic Energy to dilute the clause further. This appears to be the government appearing to indemnify the supplier while burdening the taxpayer.

    The above concerns are not exhaustive, however they clearly point to the fact that there is a need for exhaustive, holistic consultations before this committee performs its onerous task of making recommendations. In the light of the Bhopal case, it becomes our duty not to allow another Bhopal to hap