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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

lchic - 02:44pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4342 of 4349)

Nuclear ships sail into storm of protest
11:10 16 September 02 NewScientist.com news service

Two armed British freighters carrying enough plutonium for up to 50 bombs are sailing into a storm of protest in the Irish Sea on Monday. They will be confronted by a flotilla of over 20 boats and closely monitored by the Irish navy.

The state-owned company that operates the boats, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), has confirmed that the ships are expected to dock at Barrow in Furness at around 0900 BST on Tuesday.

BNFL also said that the boats, the Pacific Teal and the Pacific Pintail, were heading into the Irish Sea from the south. Greenpeace had alleged the ship would take the longer northern route, which would have had the advantage of avoiding Irish waters. The Irish government is fiercely opposed to the shipment.

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior is leading the protest flotilla and Shaun Burnie, on board, said: "The flotilla boats represent the views of countries around the world which are saying this trade in nuclear bomb material has to stop before a disaster happens.

Captain Malcolm Miller, head of BNFL's marine transport business, said: "We recognise that individuals and groups have the right to peacefully and lawfully protest about our activities. I very much welcome the public assurance repeatedly given by Greenpeace that they will not interfere with the safe navigation of our ships."

The protesters claim that the plutonium cargo could be hijacked and made into a bomb by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. "The UK government are making it easier for terrorists to make that attack by shipping nuclear material around the world," said Des Llewellyn on the Elkstone with the flotilla.

However, BNFL reject this, saying the plutonium is "inaccessible" and could not be recovered without a major reprocessing effort.

The Teal and the Pintail are nearing the end of a 18,000-mile journey bringing rejected nuclear fuel containing 255 kilogrammes of plutonium oxide back around the world from Japan.

The two boats are each equipped with two 30 mm cannons and crewed by armed police officers. After docking, the plutonium fuel will be transported to the Sellafield nuclear complex in Cumbria for storage.

Rob Edwards

bbbuck - 02:45pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4343 of 4349)

You've lost your mind l(oonie)chic.
george johnson.

lchic - 02:49pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4344 of 4349)

So George, little seen this week, must be busy at the office of DISinformation. Did you say your payments were sent in gruby brown paper bags ... or are they direct from GWB himself, via the CIA, or one of those "non-political (taxRebate) Foundations" set up there in Washington?

Come on - disclose your paymaster!

lchic - 02:56pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4345 of 4349)

Talk Thread GU - "Who thinks the GU board is riddled with government agents? "

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?50@@.3ba73dee/0

bbbuck - 02:59pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4346 of 4349)

Been busy setting up a 24 hour monitoring system for rshow55.
We're using telstat 15 and 16 and intelli-monkeys attached to neuro detecters.
Keep poking fun of me and we'll start monitoring you.
George's buddy (george carlin) - george johnson.

lchic - 03:05pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4347 of 4349)

Talk Thread GU - "Who thinks the GU board is riddled with government agents? "

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?50@@.3ba73dee/0

click the moniker on post 62 ... why George you do care and have been busy ... does your other half (as per post 24) shop at Fortnam and Mason when in London :)

lchic - 03:08pm Sep 16, 2002 EST (# 4348 of 4349)

Pretty desperate there in Ye Olde USA ... should have stuck with GeorgeIII and paid the taxes!

So many 'Georges' your way .... even today!

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