19. februar 2004

Pakistan's nuclear scandal started in Europe Pakistan's rogue scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan did not start the lucrative but dangerous trade in nuclear secrets and materials. The network really started in the heart of Europe, where a number of unscrupulous and greedy companies in Holland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, backed by their governments, were more than willing to proliferate nuclear technology to Pakistan, despite warnings. The proliferation has its roots in Europe's own postwar eagerness for nuclear independence from the United States and its lax security over potentially lethal technology. It was abetted, critics say, by competition within Europe for lucrative contracts to bolster state-supported nuclear industries. Even as their own intelligence services warned that Pakistan could not be trusted, some European governments continued to help Pakistan's nuclear program. "It was an economic consideration," said Paul Stais, a former Belgian member of the European Parliament who lobbied unsuccessfully for tighter export controls. Anyone think this will have any serious consequences for the involved parties? Maybe for some grunts, but don't expect any big fallout among those really responsible. From Spartacus. In a somewhat related development, IAEA inspectors have found parts for uranium enrichment centrifiges in Iran.Iranian officials deny they have such things. So if this report is confirmed, it is proof positive that 1) Iran lies; 2) Iran is working to develop nuclear weapons. 9:09:20 PM    comment []  trackback []

Let's hope it takes less than 800 years to develop one against Aids "Black Death vaccine developed" (BBC News headline) 7:43:21 PM    comment []  trackback []

Those dumb polls There's been a lot of press reports about a poll saying both Kerry and Edwards would beat Bush if the election was today. Except that it's rubbish. If the election was today, Bush would have started his campaign a few months ago and everything would look very different. It's like saying of my aunt had a penis, she'd be my uncle. Tim Blair has posted about some old WaPo newspaper stories related to similar polls, showing how well Carter and Mondale would do against Reagan. You get the idea. Early polls are utterly useless. During the primary process, the opposing nominees get all the exposure and a lot of free advertising. Once the incumbent starts coming out with his heavy artillery, the world becomes a very different place. The Norwegian press (e.g. VG) is predictably reporting the poll results without any sensible caveats. 5:49:00 PM    comment []  trackback []

Creationism illustrated A cute little flash film representing literalist theology (yes, really). Uses sound. 2:46:55 PM    comment []  trackback []

Yahoo! stops using Google search engine Yahoo! search no longer uses Google for users in the United States, seriously changing that market balance in the powersearch market. Yahoo! Inc. stopped using search software provided by competitor Google Inc. on its site for U.S. users and offered a new search engine developed with its own software. Yahoo! replaced the Google search engine with one based on technology acquired in its purchase of Inktomi Corp. 11 months ago, Jeff Weiner, a Yahoo! senior vice president, said yesterday. That explains a few Yahoo! search hits to this blog that I can't make head or tail off at my end. I still see Google's results when I use Yahoo! search. 8:22:51 AM    comment []  trackback []

Israel sending bombed bus to The Hague Israel has decided not to attend the hearings over the security barrier at the World Court in The Hague in the Netherlands, but in a probably futile attempt to make its point, it sends a bus. Israel's Zaka private emergency service said it was sending the charred skeleton of Bus 19, in which 11 people were killed on January 29 when a Palestinian policeman blew himself up, as grim evidence of how Israel has "suffered from terror". The bus, taken in pieces on Tuesday to Ben-Gurion airport on a flatbed truck, was to be flown out on Wednesday and displayed outside the World Court in The Hague during next week's hearings on the legality of the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank. I wonder if the salary of the policeman suicide bomber had been de facto paid by the European Union, when he was doing his day job I mean? 12:34:58 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2004 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.03.2004; 14:42:15.