U.N. Nuke Inspectors: No Access in Brazil

[struggle4progress]

Posted on Thu, Sep. 23, 2004
GEORGE JAHN
Associated Press


VIENNA, Austria - Brazil has emphasized that its commitment to an international treaty meant to stop the spread of nuclear weapons may not be open-ended, and it continues to resist giving U.N. inspectors access to its technology that can make such weapons, diplomats said Thursday. <snip>

Brazil signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1997 and said its own atomic program had peaceful objectives.

But Eduardo Campos, Brazil's minister of science and technology, told the IAEA session Wednesday that his country approved the treaty on condition of a "cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date, and to the complete elimination of all atomic weapons." <snip>

The diplomats, who are familiar with Brazil's nuclear program, said the IAEA has concerns over Brazil's emphasis of the link between total nuclear disarmament and its own commitment to the treaty. <snip>

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/world/9744986.htm

The Bushista drive for new generation nuclear "bunker busters" seems to be undoing the NPT ...

[Mr_Spock]

1. Bush has a self-fulfilling prephesy to destroy the world while pretending

to give it "tough love". People who vote for this moron deserve what they get - I just wish they would leave.

[Ediacara]

2. This is disconcerting

South America has been a relatively peaceful continent for the last part of the 20th century, so I'm unclear why Brasil feels a need to have nukes.

The only thing I can think of is that with nukes, Brasil feels it will be taken seriously on the world stage.

[fujiyama]

3. It may partly be

a fear of the US. What is Brazil's relationship with the US? If I remember correctly, the leader of their country doesn't like Bush very much. I think they have a left of center government..Another thing I am unsure of is their relationship with Venezuela.

Either way, Bush has alienated so many nations (that too nations that shouldn't have any problems with the US, like Brazil), that they feel the need for nuclear weapons just for protection.