CND Press Round-Up - 9th March 2021
Posted: 9th March 2021
Please find today’s press round up below.
Nuclear Weapons
Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency has produced a monitoring report which says Iran has begun enriching uranium at the Natanz underground site using the prohibited IR-2m centrifuges, according to Reuters. Iran is believed to be using the facility to enrich uranium up to 5% fissile purity, more than the 3.67% purity allowed under the previous agreement. This comes in the context of the continued standoff between the Biden administration and the Iranian government over the partial collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran wishes to see the U.S. lift the rolling programme of sanctions imposed as part of Donald Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign since 2018 before returning to direct negotiations.
Plutonium Disposal
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists carries a piece today on the long-term problems of plutonium disposal. Robert Alvarez of the Institute for Policy Studies tracks how plutonium in spent nuclear reactor fuel continues to pose serious security risks, with the U.S.A. alone maintain a stockpile of 824 metric tons, with Barack Obama having cancelled the arguably preferable strategy of geologic disposal in 2010.
Anti-war
South Korea-U.S. Relations
The U.S. and South Korea are reducing the scale of their annual joint military training exercise, which was scheduled for later this month. The Military Times reports that both the pandemic and diplomatic rationales over continued efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula have been given as the stated reasons for the move. The North Korean leadership has previously said that it views such exercises as invasion practices.
In related news, Seoul and Washington have come to an agreement over the fiscal burden of supporting relatively large numbers of American service personnel in South Korea. The cost of the so-called U.S. security umbrella had been a particular bugbear of Donald Trump, who referred to it frequently in public speeches. South Korean media is reporting that agreement was reached in principle on the 11th South Korea-U.S. Special Measures Agreement (SMA), the mechanism which regulates South Korea’s contribution.
China’s Armaments Industry
China has cleared its HQ-17AE field air defense missile system for export, according to Chinese state media. A prototype had previously appeared in public at a 2019 military parade in Beijing. From the promotional material accompanying the announcement, it would appear that the producer of the weapon, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, is seeking to market and sell it to foreign governments.
Turkey Missile Defence
The Middle East-specialist site Al-Monitor features an article today examining how Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system is at at the root of the NATO member’s continued crisis of relation with its ostensible U.S. ally. Mooted solutions to the crisis from Turkey’s perspective include introducing joint monitoring arrangements or utilising the system purely for NATO training purposes.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power-United Arab Emirates
The Emirati nuclear regulator has issued an operating license for the expansion of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, according to local press. The UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a laudatory press statement, saying that this was ‘another historic moment’ for the country, ‘being the first Arab country in the region to operate a nuclear power plant’.
Nuclear Power-the Czech Republic
German public service media is reporting that the Czech nuclear regulator has granted permission for the construction of new reactor units at the Dukovany nuclear power plant, which is located around two hours’ drive north of Vienna. The costs for the project are conservatively estimated at around €7.5 billion ($8.9 billion). The wider project has attracted staunch resistance from opposition parties and one of the governing coalition’s junior partners.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament