German $$$ to Purchase Smuggled Plutonium-NPT

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> GERMANY SPENDS FOUR TIMES MORE ON SMUGGLED PLUTONIUM THAN


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> GERMANY SPENDS FOUR TIMES MORE ON SMUGGLED PLUTONIUM THAN
TOTAL IAEA SAFEGUARDS BUDGET - NO REAL COMMITMENT TO NON-
PROLIFERATION - GREENPEACE

UNITED NATIONS, New York May 3, 1995 (GP) Greenpeace today
condemned Germany for disregarding non-proliferation controls on
nuclear material and for established a fund totalling 275 million
dollars to purchase smuggled plutonium. This amount of money is
equivalent to more than four times the budget spent each year by
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on
global nuclear safeguards. A German Commission of Enquiry is soon
to be established to investigate the role of German
intelligence and government in a setting up a plutonium
smuggling case last year. The criticism came as countries
continued to meet at the Review and Extension Conference of the
NPT.


"It now appears that Germany has deliberately created a
blackmarket for plutonium in disregard of nuclear non-
proliferation controls. This case removes Germany's legitimacy to
talk about the threat of proliferation at this Conference."


For the past two and half weeks, countries at the NPT have
expressed their concern about nuclear smuggling, even German
Foreign Minister Kinkel raised the issue in his address to the
NPT Conference on April 18th. In one of the most dramatic
cases in 1994, German intelligence agents seized 560 grammes of
plutonium fuel at Munich airport in August after a flight from
Moscow. However, documents revealed in the German press over the
past few weeks, show that the same German
intelligence agency, BND, made available in bank credits
hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase the plutonium
seized at Munich. The German Parliamentary Control Commission
(PKK) is not satisfied that the BND had acted within the law, and
intends now to hold a full-scale parliamentary enquiry.


In a briefing made available to delegates attending the NPT,
Greenpeace accuse Germany of violating international nuclear
safety controls, specifically the Convention on the Physical
Protection of Nuclear Material. In addition they charge
Germany of ignoring its own large scale commercial plutonium
programme, which will mean the acquisition of more than
840,000 kilograms of weapons-usable plutonium fuel (or Mixed
Oxide - MOX) over the next 10-15 years. The material is to be
supplied through contracts with the UK, France and Belgium.


"Whilst the German government expressed outrage at grammes of
plutonium seized at Munich, which it turns out their own
agencies acquired illegally, it has sanctioned the acquisition of
over 1.6 million times that amount by German companies. The
hypocrisy of their concern for non-proliferation appears
unlimited," said Burnie.

ENDS

For more information:

Shaun Burnie - New York - 212 486 9325 or 212 941 0994