Australia may delay ratify uranium sale treaty with Russia

Melbourne, Sept 19 (PTI) Fearing that Russia may use the
uranium from Australia for its nuclear weapons program,
Federal Parliament's Treaties Committee Friday advised the
government to delay ratifying the treaty with the nation.

Australia is expected to review a report by the committee
which advised against uranium sale to Russia before its makes
a final decision on the matter.

The Treaty, worth about 1 billion dollars for sale of
uranium to Russia, was signed by the Howard government last
year.

"Obviously the global situation in relation to the
Russian Federation is now complex as a result of what we have
seen in Georgia and most particularly in Southern Ossetia,"
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said, according to A.B.C.
report.

"We will be working closely with international
governments on the best response to the Russians. This is
again a very difficult challenge for the global order," he
added.

After examining the proposal, the majority Labor members
on the Treaties Committee have said it should be torn up if
eight stringent conditions cannot be met, including the
separation of Russia's civil and military nuclear facilities
and the resumption of International Atomic Energy Agency
(I.A.E.A.) inspections of facilities that will take Australian
uranium.

Committee members had earlier expressed fears that Russia
could use Australian uranium as part of its nuclear weapons
program, though Coalition Senators have issued a dissenting
report saying that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
provides safeguards against Russia's use of uranium for
military use.

They also said nuclear power might help Russia lower its
greenhouse gas emissions.

Committee chair Kelvin Thomson said Liberal Party was
having a bet each way with the I.A.E.A.

"When we went to war in Iraq, the Liberal Party insisted
that we were at risk from weapons of mass destruction and
advanced the notion of preventive war," he said adding "This
was a massive vote of no confidence in the I.A.E.A. But now
this same Liberal Party says the I.A.E.A. will ensure that
nothing goes wrong, and this despite the I.A.E.A. not having
carried out any inspection in Russia since at least 2001.

"The Liberal Party is so hungry for the uranium export
dollars that they want to believe nothing can go wrong. They
are prepared to turn a blind eye to what happens after we sell
the uranium to Russia," he added.

Russians have already sensed that Australia was having
second thoughts on the agreement with the country's ambassador
paying a visit to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith earlier this
month, and saying that Australia's economic interests could be
harmed if the deal was not ratified.

The tabling of the report led to some difference of
opinion in Senate.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham criticised government
for taking different stands with different countries.

"China is okay. Well, we'd expect that from the Prime
Minister that China would be an OK destination for uranium.
India though, no, no, no, certainly not India, India wouldn't
be OK at all. And yet now today we discover today with the
tabling of this treaty Russia, we're not sure. That's right
we're not sure," he said.

"China's OK, India's not and Russia, well, it seems the
Government is having a bob each way. Because the left wing-
dominated members of this Treaties Committee, they've said no,
they've said no way," Senator Birmingham added, calling for
clarification from the Government.

The committee also pointed to Russia's recent conflict
with Georgia, saying that action underlines concerns that
Moscow cannot be trusted, even though it is a signatory to the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. PTI NC