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.

Poor Choice for a Fake Casus Belli

When the Warsaw Pact disintegrated in 1989 – and the Soviet Union two years later – most of us heaved a humongous sigh of relief. The Cold War was over! Our "containment" strategy had worked. Now we could begin dismantling thousands of "battlefield" nukes and the scores of overseas bases that had encircled the "Evil … Continue reading “Poor Choice for a Fake Casus Belli”

Bonkers Bolton Threatens Iran

What’s going on at the State Department? Can’t Colin Powell keep Undersecretary John Bolton in his cage? Apparently, not, because last week Bonkers Bolton made a mind-boggling presentation at the Hudson Institute – which was carried live on CSPAN – entitled "Preventing Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons." Virtually every paragraph in the inflammatory 2,800-word address … Continue reading “Bonkers Bolton Threatens Iran”

From Megatons to Megawatts

Last week John Kerry promised that if he is elected president, Yucca Mountain – the zillion-dollar high-level nuclear waste interim depository in Nevada, whose initial operation Congress approved back in 2002 – would not be allowed to open. "Not on my watch," Kerry said. The Democrats see Nevada – which went for Bush in 2000 … Continue reading “From Megatons to Megawatts”

Whose Loose Nuke Are You?

With the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact in 1989 – and the prospect of massive land battles in Central Europe ended – both the Soviet Union and the U.S. began to dismantle tens of thousands of tactical "battlefield" nukes. Two years later, with the Soviet Union about to come unglued, Russian officials came to "lobby" … Continue reading “Whose Loose Nuke Are You?”

Non-Lethal Nukes?

A couple of weeks ago, the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack delivered its final report to Congress. The Commission was asked to assess – among other things – “the nature and magnitude of potential high-altitude EMP threats to the United States from all potentially hostile states or … Continue reading “Non-Lethal Nukes?”

Allah Is the Greatest

Once you’ve been terrorized – attacked without warning by an unknown attacker for no apparent reason – you’ll want to know what the terrorists hoped to accomplish by terrorizing you. The 9/11 Commission attempted to answer that question by focusing on the evolution of al-Qaeda, the organization unquestionably responsible for the terrorist events of Sept. … Continue reading “Allah Is the Greatest”

Decision 2004: Iran or Sudan?

Well, now we know that no matter who wins in November, we’re going to stay in Iraq as long as it takes and do whatever it takes to achieve final victory – whatever “victory” means. The election will, however, decide which country is next to have its “regime changed.” If Kerry is elected, it’ll be … Continue reading “Decision 2004: Iran or Sudan?”

Iran’s Next

For at least two years the Bush-Cheney administration has been demanding that the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors judge Iran to be in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Should the IAEA Board make such a judgment, it would then be obliged to report that to the UN Security Council. It would … Continue reading “Iran’s Next”

Fun with Bio-Terror

On the same day the “Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States” [pdf] was released, President Bush signed into law the Project Bioshield Act of 2004. Project BioShield is authorized to spend $5.6 billion over a five-year period to buy and stockpile vaccines and drugs to fight anthrax, smallpox … Continue reading “Fun with Bio-Terror”