Gordon Prather

Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. -- ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico.

Whoops! Bolton’s Bad

Three years ago, in deciding to adhere to an Additional Protocol to their Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency in advance of its ratification, the Iranians voluntarily “declared” certain activities many months before they were obligated to do so under their existing Safeguards Agreement. And, on 27 April, 2006, the Iranians informed the … Continue reading “Whoops! Bolton’s Bad”

Cooking Intelligence Again

Four years ago, President Bush ordered Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet to prepare a National Intelligence Estimate to be used to "justify" to Congress the preemptive war against Iraq we now know he had already decided to launch. Two years later, the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded that "Most of the major key judgments in … Continue reading “Cooking Intelligence Again”

Nuking Safeguarded Facilities

According to the Jerusalem Post a “high-ranking [Israeli] defense official” told them that “there is growing consensus within the [Israeli] defense establishment that the United States will not attack Iran, and that Israel might be forced to act independently to stop the Islamic republic from obtaining nuclear weapons.” But, after more than three years of … Continue reading “Nuking Safeguarded Facilities”

The Brits Want to Split

According to a poll conducted a week after the arrest of 24 Brits of Pakistani origin suspected of being involved in an alleged plot to blow up American airliners in-flight, by a margin of more than five to one the Brits want Prime Minister Tony Blair to "split" with President George Bush over his conduct … Continue reading “The Brits Want to Split”

Bush’s Gift to Jong Il

According to ABC News, US intelligence officials have told the White House there is “a real possibility” that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] is preparing to conduct an underground test of a nuclear weapon. In particular, the Koreans have been observed unloading “large reels of cable” outside an underground facility in Northeast DPRK, … Continue reading “Bush’s Gift to Jong Il”

Homegrown Islamic Fascists

British authorities claim to have thwarted a "homegrown" plot wherein suicide bombers were to simultaneously destroy 10 American airliners en route to the United States. Although British residents, those arrested appeared to be "of Pakistani origin," and Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman claimed that "Pakistan played a very important role in uncovering and breaking this international … Continue reading “Homegrown Islamic Fascists”

Bolton Gets Sandbagged?

A funny thing may have happened to Bonkers Bolton on his way to getting Senate confirmation as ambassador to the United Nations. While Bonkers was busy (a) preventing the UN Security Council from calling for a temporary lull in the killing of Lebanese civilians by Israelis in "self-defense" and (b) strong-arming the Security Council into … Continue reading “Bolton Gets Sandbagged?”

The UN on Trial

Last week, thousands of angry demonstrators attacked United Nations headquarters in Beirut in an outpouring of grief, anger, and frustration at yet another Qana massacre. Although not a demonstrator herself, refugee Sawsan Ali from southern Lebanon said she wished the UN would “disappear because its presence is as useless as its non-presence.” “The UN never … Continue reading “The UN on Trial”

Clandestine – Not Illegal

Gotthard Lerch, a German businessman specializing in the manufacture and sale of industrial vacuum systems, has been on trial, charged with violating German export-control laws by participating in a scheme to clandestinely supply Libya with “support systems” for a plant that could enrich uranium. According to an article by Steve Coll in the current issue … Continue reading “Clandestine – Not Illegal”

NSG Consensus – or Not?

The U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act [.pdf], just overwhelmingly passed by the House, perversely begins by declaring that “it is the sense of Congress” that “sustaining” the Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and “strengthening its implementation, particularly its verification and compliance” is the “keystone of United States nonproliferation policy." Furthermore,”the NPT has been … Continue reading “NSG Consensus – or Not?”