Australia Ranked 1st, N. Korea Last on Nuke Safety

WASHINGTON - Australia has the tightest security controls among nations with nuclear material while North Korea poses the world's greatest risks, a new index by experts said Jan. 11.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative, in a project led by former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn and the Economist Intelligence Unit, aims to draw attention to steps that nations can take to ensure the safety of the world's most destructive weapons.

Among 32 nations that possess at least one kilogram of weapons-usable nuclear materials, Australia was ranked as the most secure. It was followed by European nations led by Hungary, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

On the bottom of the list, North Korea was ranked as the least secure of its nuclear material, edging out Pakistan.

The index, which gave rankings on a scale of 100, also listed Iran, Vietnam and India below the 50-point threshold.

"This is not about congratulating some countries and chastising others. We are highlighting the universal responsibility of states to secure the world's most dangerous materials," said Nunn, who has long been active on nuclear safety.

Nunn, a Democrat who represented Georgia in the Senate from 1972 until early 1997, voiced concern that the world had a "perfect storm" - an ample supply of weapons-usable nuclear materials and terrorists who want them.

"We know that to get the materials they need, terrorists will go where the material is most vulnerable. Global nuclear security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain," he said.

The index, timed ahead of the March summit on nuclear security in South Korea, called for the world to set benchmarks and to hold nations accountable for nuclear safety. It also urged nations to stop increasing stocks of weapons-usable material and to make public their security regulations.

North Korea has tested two nuclear bombs and in 2009 renounced a U.S.-backed agreement on denuclearization. The world has watched warily since last month as young Kim Jong-Un takes over as leader from his late father Kim Jong-Il.

Pakistan has vigorously defended its right to nuclear weapons. The father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, admitted in 2004 that he ran a nuclear black market selling secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea but later retracted his remarks.

Australia does not have nuclear weapons and supports their abolition. But it has a security alliance with the United States and holds the world's largest reserves of uranium.

Of acknowledged nuclear weapons states, Britain scored best at 10th among the 32 countries. The United States ranked 13th.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative also released a separate index of security conditions in countries without significant nuclear materials, saying they could be used as safe havens or transit points. Somalia, which is partially under the control of the al-Qaida-linked Shebab movement and has effectively lacked a central government for two decades, was ranked last among the 144 countries surveyed.

Other countries that ranked near the bottom included Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Eritrea and Chad.

On the top of the list, Finland was ranked as the most secure nation among those without nuclear material. It was followed by Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Slovenia and Romania.

Romania Ratifies U.S. Missile Shield Agreement

BUCHAREST, Romania- The Romanian parliament ratified an accord to host U.S. missile interceptors on its soil on Dec. 6, a day before a meeting of the 28 NATO members in Brussels.

The Senate unanimously adopted the draft law ratifying the Romania-U.S. agreement signed in September that would allow the establishment and operation of a U.S. land-based ballistic missile defense system in Romania as part of NATO's efforts to build a continental missile shield.

"The location of some elements of the U.S. missile shield represents a very important contribution to the security of Romania, the U.S. and the entire alliance," Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi told senators, according to Mediafax news agency.

The draft law was adopted by the lower house in November and is now set to be promulgated by President Traian Basescu.

The deployment of the missile interceptors is expected to take place in 2015 at a former airbase in southern Romania.

The missile shield, which is based on U.S. technology, is one of the transatlantic alliance's main development axes for the coming years, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.

Along with Romania, Turkey, Poland and Spain have also agreed to take part in the project.

Romania Summons Iranian Envoy Over Missile Remarks

BUCHAREST - Iran's ambassador to Bucharest was summoned by Romanian authorities on June 20 to explain claims in an interview that U.S. plans to build a missile shield were directed at Russia.

"Bajador Aminian Jazi was summoned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry and asked for clarifications," a news release said. "The Romanian side stressed that such statements are not constructive. The system is a purely defensive one and cannot therefore be aimed against any country."

In an interview with HotNews website, the diplomat had said that Iran did not see the deployment of U.S. missile interceptors in Romania as a threat.

"We believe the anti-missile shield is not aimed against us. We don't have a nuclear program targeting any other country, our missiles are defensive only," he said.

However, he added, "you are importing Russian gas. I think that in the future, given also this anti-missile system, you will have some problems with them."

Jazi said this project dated back to 1984, when it was drawn up "to annihilate the Soviet Union's supremacy."

"Yes, [it is directed] against Russia," he added.

Bucharest and Washington last month concluded talks on the deployment of 24 U.S. missile interceptors at a former airbase in south Romania, insisting on the project's purely defensive purpose.

But Russia said it would seek legal guarantees that the shield was not directed against its strategic nuclear forces.

U.S., Romania in 'Complicated' F-16 Talks

BUCHAREST, Romania - The United States and Romania are in "very complicated" negotiations about the purchase of second-hand F-16 combat aircraft due to financing issues, the U.S. ambassador to Romania said June 2.
"This is a very complicated negotiation because at some point it requires a financial agreement," Ambassador Mark Gitenstein told a press conference.

"We are just not far enough to finalize that" at this stage, he added.
Romania announced in March 2010 it would purchase 24 F-16 aircraft currently used by the U.S. military for $1.3 billion in order to replace its ageing, Soviet-made MiG Lancer jets.
The announcement triggered criticism from European groups Eurofighter and Saab, which said authorities should have issued a call for tenders.
Then in June 2010, as Romania battled one of the worst recessions in Europe, then finance minister Sebastian Vladescu said the purchase represented 1 percent of GDP and "such an expense was downright impossible" at the moment.
Romania and the United States are close allies and agreed in May to deploy 24 missile interceptors on a military airbase in southern Romania in 2015 as part of the new U.S. defense shield

Romania, U.S. Conclude Talks on Missile Shield

BUCHAREST, Romania - Bucharest and Washington have concluded talks on the deployment of U.S. missile interceptors in Romania and will sign the agreement next autumn, Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said May 5.
"The two teams have finalized the text of the agreement on installing an American defense system in Romania," Baconschi told a press conference.

The agreement will be signed in autumn and submitted for ratification to parliament, he added.
The two countries had made important strides in the talks with the May 3 announcement of the site where missile interceptors are to be installed.
After a detailed analysis, the two sides decided a former airbase in southern Romania, Deveselu, was the best location, President Traian Basescu had said.
A total of 24 SM-3 interceptors will be deployed at the airbase, which will host a maximum of 500 U.S. troops.
"This defense system will play a double role: both protect this country and deter potential attacks," Baconschi stressed.
He added that Romania's prestige and credibility will be boosted by participation in this system.
Washington originally planned to install its anti-missile shield in Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic, aimed at countering feared attacks from Iran. But that plan, which angered Russia after it saw itself as the target for the shield system, was scrapped by U.S. President Barack Obama in September 2009.
Washington has since reworked the scheme and signed a new treaty with Moscow on reducing strategic nuclear weapons.
On May 3, Moscow said it would seek legal guarantees that the U.S. does not intend to deploy a missile defense system aimed at its strategic nuclear forces.
But Baconschi once again stressed that the shield was "purely defensive" and added that he hoped Russia would participate in a constructive way in this system.

Romania Air Base to Host U.S. Missile Shield

DEVESELU, Romania - Bucharest said May 3 that U.S. missile interceptors would be deployed in southern Romania, a key link in Europe for a defense shield, prompting Moscow to ask for "safeguards" from Washington.

Romania's Deveselu air base is seen May 3. Washington and Bucharest said May 3 that U.S. missile interceptors will be deployed at a former Soviet-built airbase in southern Romania, the first such move in Europe for a future defense shield. (Daniel Mihailescu / AFP via Getty Images)

Romania and the United States have been negotiating for more than a year about the deployment of ballistic missile interceptors, which should be operational by 2015.

"We have decided that the anti-missile shield will be deployed at the former airbase at Deveselu," Romanian President Traian Basescu said in a televised address.
Moscow, which fears the shield could be turned against Russia, swiftly demanded assurances from Washington.
"In this situation, U.S. legal guarantees on their intention not to deploy a missile defense system aimed at the strategic nuclear forces of Russia is becoming even more relevant," Russian Foreign ministry said quoted by news agencies.
The Romanian airbase, located in an agricultural region 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Bulgarian border, was built nearly 60 years ago with assistance from the Soviet Union.
In 1952, the first Soviet-made MiG-15 aircraft landed on the 700-hectare (1,700-acres) base.
Nearly a third of it will be used by American troops, whose number could go from 200 to a maximum of 500.
Closed down in 2002, the airbase will need investment worth 400 million dollars to become operational again, officials said.
An "American district" will be built in the 3,300-inhabitant village, the mayor Gheorghe Bece told Mediafax news agency.
"We are confident that Deveselu will be an excellent site and will prove to be the optimal location" for the interceptors, Lt. Gen. John Gardner, deputy commander of the U.S. Europe Command, told journalists.
The choice was made after a detailed analysis of security requirements, Basescu stressed.
"This place used to be a lot better when the military base was operational. Now all we have is agriculture," Nicolae Nutescu, a 53-year-old farmer, told AFP.
"I hope that the village will be bustling with activity again" when the U.S. troops arrive, he added.
Washington originally planned to install its anti-missile shield in Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic, aimed at countering feared attacks from Iran. But that plan, which angered Russia after it saw itself as the target for the shield system, was scrapped by U.S. President Barack Obama in September 2009.
Washington has since reworked the scheme and signed a new treaty with Moscow on reducing strategic nuclear weapons.
Russia has said it reserves the right to withdraw from the treaty if Washington presses ahead with missile defense systems in Eastern Europe in a way that Moscow opposes.
But Basescu stressed May 3 that the shield was "purely defensive and not directed against Russia."
"The U.S. missile shield has been discussed for a long time at both a political and a military level. So I don't think Russia still has doubts about its defensive nature," former foreign minister Cristian Diaconescu told AFP.
The deployment of the U.S. European-based Phased, Adaptive Approach for Missile Defense (EPAA) system started with the presence since March in the Mediterranean of a guided missile cruiser equipped with Aegis radar, the USS Monterey.
The second phase is to include the deployment of 24 SM3-type interceptors in Romania, followed in 2018 by a similar deployment in Poland.
"This is the highest level of security Romania can attain," Basescu said.
Analysts said the agreement marked a step further in the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Romania, a former communist country seen today as one of Washington's closest European allies.
Basescu's announcement coincided with the start of a visit by Ellen Tauscher, U.S. Undersecretary of State for arms control and international security affairs, who went to Deveselu on May 3.
Basescu also said U.S. troops and military equipment bound for Iraq and Afghanistan would be allowed to transit through its main port of Constanta on the Black Sea as well as the local airport.
"We have approved the use of the Mihail Kogalniceanu airport and of the harbor of Constanta for the transit of U.S. troops and equipment going to Iraq and Afghanistan and back to Europe," Basescu said in his televised address.
"Kogalniceanu and Constanta will thus become two strategic sites for the U.S. as well as for Romania."

Romania, U.S. Agree on Shield Site: Official

BUCHAREST - The United States and Romania announced plans Tuesday to install missile interceptors at a former air base in the south of the Balkans country for a future defense shield, the first such deployment in Europe.
The two governments have been negotiating for more than a year about the deployment of ballistic missile interceptors, which should be operational by 2015, and the announcement came in a televised address.

"We have decided that the anti-missile shield will be deployed at the former airbase at Deveselu, in Olt County," Romanian President Traian Basescu said.
The airbase, which will remain under Romanian command, will host an average of 200 U.S. troops and up to a maximum of 500.
The choice was made after a detailed analysis of some 120 parameters that should meet the highest security requirements, Basescu stressed.
Washington originally planned to install an anti-missile shield in Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic, aimed at countering feared attacks from Iran.
In September 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama scrapped that project, which had been pushed by his predecessor George W. Bush and enraged Russia.
Washington has since reworked the scheme and signed a new treaty with Moscow on reducing strategic nuclear weapons. Russia has said it reserves the right to withdraw from the treaty if Washington presses ahead with missile defense systems in Eastern Europe in a way that Moscow opposes.
But Basescu once again stressed that the shield was "purely defensive and not directed against Russia."
He added that the interceptors would be part of a missile shield that NATO plans to develop in the coming years.
"This is the highest level of security Romania can attain," Basescu said.
Romanian officials had previously said that the Balkan country was to host 24 SM3-type interceptors.
Basescu's announcement coincided with the start of a visit by Ellen Tauscher, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security affairs. Tauscher and Romanian officials were to visit the airbase later in the day.
The U.S. official said after meeting with Basescu that Washington was grateful for help from allies such as Romania in the fight against terrorism.
Basescu also announced that U.S. troops and military equipment bound for Iraq and Afghanistan would transit a Romanian airbase and a harbor on the Black Sea.
"We have approved the use of the Mihail Kogalniceanu airport and of the harbor of Constanta for the transit of U.S. troops and equipment going to Iraq and Afghanistan and back to Europe," Basescu said in his televised address. "Kogalniceanu and Constanta will thus become two strategic sites for the U.S. as well as for Romania."
Constanta is the main Romanian sea harbor.
Basescu said the Kogalniceanu airbase, used by U.S. troops during the war in Iraq, will also temporarily shelter four U.S. tankers and four Hercules C-17 aircraft.
A close ally of the U.S., Romania was among the first countries to join the international forces deployed in Iraq and currently has 1,770 troops in Afghanistan.