Israeli warning, nuclear Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said Iran's nuclear programme must be stopped by "all possible means".

Speaking during a visit to Washington, he said Tehran must be made to see it would suffer devastating repercussions if it pursued atomic weapons. The US and others have accused Iran of building nuclear arms capability. Tehran says its programme is peaceful.

Mr. Olmert's US visit comes as he faces pressure at home over corruption allegations, which he denies. "The Iranian threat must be stopped by all possible means," Mr. Olmert said in his speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee - a lobby group.

"The international community has a duty and responsibility to clarify to Iran, through drastic measures, that the repercussions of their continued pursuit of nuclear weapons will be devastating," he added.

Is it just me or this is a déjà vu? Didn’t they say the same things about Iraq? Where all these led with Iraq is …known, what remains is to see where they are going to lead Iran!

North Korea nuclear negotiators

Progress has been made on what North Korea will receive from the US in exchange for disclosing its nuclear activities, negotiators have said.

Pyongyang's foreign ministry said consensus had been reached on US political compensation for the declaration by North Korea. A top US diplomat said progress had been made, but would not give a time-line for a possible breakthrough.

The issue has prevented a deal being clinched in disarmament talks. In February 2007 North Korea had agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in return for aid, in a six-nation deal with the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia. The US had accused Pyongyang of missing a year-end deadline to make a full nuclear declaration as promised.

When I hear …progress with North Korea I have a problem, I feel there is something they don’t tell me and usually this is either when they are going to bomb them or when North Korea is going to bomb …Tokyo!

Pakistani nuclear waste into afghan soil!

The Afghan government says it has evidence that nuclear waste from Pakistan was dumped in Afghanistan during the reign of the Taliban.

Parliamentary affairs minister Faruq Wardag said the waste was buried in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. The minister added he did not know how much waste was dumped or for how long the practice had gone on.

Pakistan said it would comment only after Kabul approaches it officially. Mr. Wardag said he did not know the exact nature of the evidence. He said the government was setting up a commission to investigate the matter.

A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman said he could not comment until the Afghan government made an official statement about the allegations. The Taliban were in power in Afghanistan from 1996 until they were overthrown in 2001.

Why I am not surprised to read things like that?

Nuclear inventory?

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a full inventory of US nuclear arms after parts of ballistic missiles were mistakenly sent to Taiwan.
He said a report, that would also include checks of related materials, should be completed within 60 days. The US sent nuclear fuse triggers to Taiwan instead of helicopter batteries in 2006. The mistake was only discovered last week.

The arms issue is sensitive as China regards Taiwan as a renegade province. Beijing vehemently opposes US arms sales to Taiwan and has threatened to attack the island if it declares independence.

Right, things like this make me worry, inventory? You mean you re not exactly sure what you have in your storage? Man, we are talking about nuclear, you know …boom …the end!