Nonissue:
Cubas Mothballed Nuclear Power Plant
A
readily negotiable issue threatens to aggravate U.S.-Cuban relations
and scuttle worldwide nuclear cooperation agreements worked out over
many years
By
Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado
In
the wake of the popes visit to Cuba in January of 1998, President
Clinton took two small steps to ease sanctions against the island,
and there seemed to be some hope he might take othersalthough
limited in scope.
But
the history of Cuban-American relations over the past thirty years
is replete with examples of openings being ruined by unexpected irritants
which could have been resolved through negotiations had anyone in
Washington wished to try. One such irritant which has been elevated
into a capital case by anti-Castro politicians is Cubas longstanding
attempt to build a nuclear power plant with Russian assistance. Such
a project is scarcely unusual for an energy-poor country at Cubas
level of development, yet these politicians have sensationalized the
issue in hopes of erecting another obstacle to improved relations.
The
Center for International Policy has taken two delegations to the construction
site and we now publish this analysis by Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado,
a senior research analyst at the University of Georgias Center
for International Trade and Security. It is a specialized issue, but
one that has been monopolized by politicians who have neither the
expertise to understand it nor the political objectivity to deal with
it effectively.
Since
the mid-1930s, Cuba has attempted to deal with its chronic energy
dependence. Energy development has always been viewed as an integral
part of providing a modern life to the Cuban population. Having little
fossil fuel to power its electrical grid, Cuba has relied almost exclusively
on imported oil. By the late 1940s Cuba had formed a government agency
to explore the peaceful exploitation of nuclear energy. In 1958, Cuba
contracted American Foundry Works and Mitchell Engineering of Great
Britain to construct a nuclear reactor in Cuba. Those plans were disrupted
by the Cuban Revolution.
Throughout
the 1960s and 1970s Cuba enjoyed the benefits of a preferential trade
arrangement with the Soviet
Union.
It got oil credits at below-world-market prices and in excess of its
actual demand. It sold this excess at world market prices for much-needed
hard currency. Cuba could explore the nuclear option with little risk
because of this oil deal with the Soviets.
Beginning
in the late 1970s Cuba sought to develop a nuclear energy capability
with Soviet assistance. Named the "Project of the Century"
by Fidel Castro, Cuba envisioned a network of nuclear reactors across
the island. The completion of the project would alleviate Cubas
oil dependence once and for all and would provide a shining example
of the success of the Cuban development model. As a by-product of
the peaceful exploitation of nuclear energy, Cuba would also create
a cadre of well-trained nuclear scientists, engineers and technicians.
Cuba
would reap political benefits as well. It would lessen its energy
dependence on the Soviet Union and develop a technological expertise
in an area of considerable prestige and sophistication. It had the
option of a turnkey project from the Russians. It chose a more costly
and time-consuming technical assistance program that would provide
training for nuclear engineers and where the Soviet Union and Cuba
would be equal partners in the construction. While politically more
appealing, this option was marked by inefficiency, delays and a lack
of experience on the part of the Russians building nuclear reactors
in the Western Hemisphere. But even though the memory of the Chernobyl
accident tempered Cubas decision, it remained determined to
complete the Juragua facility.
By the
early 1990s, despite one setback after another, the facility was more
than 50 percent complete. At this time, Cuba worried whether a significantly
weaker Soviet Union could continue financing. It also faced a constant
stream of criticisms of the integrity of the construction at the site.
These claims included allegations of shoddy workmanship, lax record-keeping
and accounting, and questionable inspection regimes.
All told,
these allegations painted a picture of an accident waiting to happen
and significantly increased concerns in the region about which direction
the wind currents would take the fallout from a nuclear accident.
In 1991, in a round of congressional hearings, witnesses blasted the
project and labeled the reactor a potential "Cuban Chernobyl."
The southeastern United States, some witnesses claimed, would be blanketed
with nuclear fallout as far north as Washington, D.C., and Cuba would
be rendered a wasteland for all eternity. The Cubans responded to
these allegations by stating that technical data would unequivocally
prove the integrity and concern for safety on the part of the Cubans.
The international
nonproliferation community was also expressing concerns about the
Cuban program on the heels of allegations that there was a more nefarious
element to the Cuban program, that of a nuclear-weapons development
program. At that time Cuba was not a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty (NPT), nor to the regional nuclear-weapon-free zone accord,
the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Cuba maintained its opposition to these
agreements on the basis that they were discriminatory, that not all
Latin American states were signatories, and that it faced continued
U.S. hostility.
International
concerns were further exacerbated by the apparent lack of spent fuel
storage and disposal plans, and the absence of a stand-alone nuclear
regulatory body for inspections, accounting and materials control.
Nevertheless, Cuba held important positions within the U.N.s
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and pointed to these close
ties as evidence of its commitment to upholding international nonproliferation
norms and standards.
1992
suspension
In announcing
a suspension of the project in 1992, Castro stated that Russia was
now demanding $200 million for the instrumentation and control systems.1
In fact, Russia itself did not have the hard currency being demanded
by the Siemens company of Germany for the installation of these systems.
Cuba and Russia were seeking to replicate the success of a similar
facility at Loviisa, Finland where Russian design was married to German
instrumentation and control to produce a top-flight reactor. Although
Cuba was provided with $30 million in 1993 for mothballing the Juragua
site, the situation changed little until April, 1998 when Cuba and
Russia announced a renewed effort to build the plant.
In the
interim, Cuba sought in vain to attract potential Western suitors
for a joint venture. A feasibility study contracted by Cuba and Brazil
from Ansaldo SpA of Italy placed the cost to complete construction
at around $800 million. This appears to be a conservative figure.
When one considers that there may have to be back-fitting and replacement
of some systems, the costs could be significantly higher, as much
as $1.2 billion. Cubas poor credit rating probably precludes
its ability to borrow the money for the project.
Furthermore,
it is difficult to conceive of an investor willing to spend more than
a billion dollars on a questionable venture with little possibility
of return. Russias reluctance to invest any more money in the
project may be related to its own efforts to commercialize its domestic
energy sector. As of 1997, it was estimated that the Russians have
only been able to collect 1.5 cents on the dollar of energy generated
and sold to domestic customers. At this point it is difficult to conceive
of an investment plan for the project that would not either amount
to charity or transfer ownership to the investor.
In the
interim, Cuba has continued developing its legal and bureaucratic
structure to comply with international standards and has signed but
not yet ratified to Treaty of Tlatelolco. It has established a new
regulatory structure and is presently reconfiguring the legal basis
of its nuclear-related activities to comply with the requirements
of the Tlatelolco accord, especially those related to inventory of
nuclear materials, reporting procedures and inspections by international
agencies. This has been made possible because of the
cooperation
with international agencies and the commitment of the government to
uphold international standards in this area.
Even
if Cuba were conceivably to find a means to advance the project, it
will be required to subject its facility to international full-scope
safeguards, significant operational and safety inspections, and numerous
internationally monitored tests before operation could begin. Added
to this is the thirty-six-month minimum of construction time to complete
the reactor. Even if the present Russian-Cuban negotiations succeed
and funds were found for start-up, the plant could not go on line
until at least 2001. Cubas "Project of the Century"
has become a project for the next.
Russian
renewal
Although
Russian support faltered early in the decade, it revived in 1998 as
the Russian Federations atomicenergy commission, Minatom, laid
plans to export nuclear materials and technologies worth $4 billion
by the year 2000. This includes the export of uranium to the United
States, the financing of construction of the Kundankulam nuclear station
in India, a nuclear deal with Egypt, construction of the nuclear station
at Bushehr, Iran and the possible signing of a contract for the construction
of another 1,000-megawatt unit and two 440megawatt units. Russia sought
both to attract new buyers and renew old acquaintances.
In this
context, Russia also wants to restore its trade with Cuba. After a
series of high-level meetings in 1997, Russia and Cuba negotiated
an oil-for-sugar swap and the expansion of Russian cooperation in
nickel mining and nuclear energy. Furthermore, Evgeny Reshetnikov,
deputy minister of the Russian ministry of atomic energy, described
the Cuban nuclear plant project as mutually advantageous: "On
the one hand Cuba is in desperate need of self-sufficiency in electrical
supply, and on the other, operation of the reactor will be the only
way for Russia to get from Cuba the enormous debts it owes our country."2
This
resumption by Russia came after the failure, noted above, of Cuban
attempts to attract partners such as Fiat, Ansaldo and Siemens. Their
decision not to go ahead may have been prompted by the lack of hard
currency and both Russia and Cubas poor credit rating in the
world financial markets. Given that situation, the Russians proposed
installing Russian-built instrumentation and control systems in the
Juragua units.3
That,
apparently, is one of the goals of the negotiations undertaken by
the Russians and Cubans in April, 1998. Rather than an international
consortium, the idea now is to set up a Russian-Cuban joint venture.
Funding remains a real problem, but the successful completion of a
reactor in Cuba would be good advertising for Russias nuclear
industry. It would demonstrate to other potential buyers of Russian
nuclear reactors that Moscow can deliver the goods. But whether Moscow
is willing to invest a billion dollars in such a public-relations
gambit remains to be seen.
Helms-Burton
and monster creation
After
the downing of the Brothers to the Rescue planes off the Cuban coast,
the pending Helms-Burton legislation swept through both houses of
Congress and was quickly and triumphantly signed into law by President
Clinton. Even if previous Cuban-American missions had violated Cuban
air space, the Cuban choice of a military response was inappropriate
and ultimately regrettable for a number of reasons. The Clinton administration
had been opposed to the Helms-Burton legislation. But with the shoot-down,
it felt compelled to sign.
Helms-Burton
violates international law, is extraterritorial and has caused problems
with our closest friends and trading partners. It also reflects a
growing trend in American foreign policythe demonization of
foreign-policy adversaries.
As the
German peace researcher Kinka Gerke has put it:
Monster-creation
. . . serves to simplify complex foreign-policy situations . . . it
helps in formulating clear foreign policy lines, in providing moral
justification for U.S. foreign policy, and in mobilizing public support
. . . As a result, interest groups that revive old enemy images either
by creating new monsters or restoring old ones that were gathering
dust off-stage are getting a disproportionate hearing.4
This
is the essence of what has happened to Cuba with the February 1996
downing serving as the catalyst.
Prominent
in the Helms-Burton legislation are provisions to limit Cubas
ability to complete construction of the nuclear reactors at Juragua.
Specifically, these provisions aim at deterring Cubas would-be
nuclear partners, most notably the Russian Federation, from helping
the Cubans in any meaningful way. Helms-Burton calls for the "withholding
from assistance allocated for any country an amount equal to the sum
of assistance or credits . . . in support of the completion of the
Cuban nuclear facility at Juragua"5
One could
argue that the mostly symbolic nature of Cuban-Russian nuclear cooperation
in the postCold War period is indicative of the success of this
approach. A much more reasonable appraisal would point to the chronic
shortages of hard currency for both partners that have brought this
project to a standstill. Yet, these provisions aim to limit the possibilities
of this cooperation with the threat of a reduction in foreign aid
to the Russians.
Ironically,
under the 1993 Comprehensive Threat Reduction Act or "Nunn-Lugar
Act" (Public Law 103-160), Russias nuclear infrastructure
was earmarked to receive assistance to stabilize its nuclear assets.
Moreover, assistance to Russia and other states of the former Soviet
Union was exempted from these sanctions in the areas of political,
economic and humanitarian aid. This would have given Russias
Minatom a free hand to continue cooperating with Cuba and pursue reactor
sales in the international nuclear markets. Furthermore, under the
provisions of international nuclear accords and as a member of the
IAEA, Cuba is entitled to pursue a nuclear energy capability so long
as it adheres to provisions of full safeguards and nuclear safety
protocols. Helms-Burton simply ignores all that.
Since
the 1980s, Cuba has been a very active member of the IAEA. During
the 1980s Cuba held a seat on the agencys board of governors
and Cubans have served as international safeguards inspectors. The
IAEA has provided a number of Cubans with advanced training in the
areas of safety assessments, designing and implementing training programs
for personnel involved in the operational safety and maintenance of
nuclear installations, and projects to assist in licensing the reactor
and providing quality assurance for them. It has also sponsored regional
informational seminars in Cuba for the exchange of information on
applications of nuclear energy.
Most
recently, Cuba hosted an IAEA co-sponsored International Symposium
on Nuclear Related Technologies in Agriculture, the Environment, and
Radiochemistry in Havana in late October 1997. Over 31 nations were
represented with 450 scientists, technicians and nuclear engineers
participating. This can be viewed as a complimentary function to the
wider international norms and standards related to the peaceful exploitation
of nuclear energy. Additionally, there is a strong linkage between
Cuban and Soviet/Russian nuclear scientists and engineers. This consists
of a sort of "nuclear brotherhood" of a cadre of specialists
who were educated and trained under the old Soviet system. Few can
argue with the quality of this process and it substantiates Cuban
claims of technical competence.
In February
1997, NBC Nightly News reported that funds contributed by the United
States to the IAEA were being used to fund training programs in Cuba.
A subsequent GAO study of the issue indicated that indeed a portion
of the voluntary contribution by the United States was earmarked for
technical assistance programs for the Cubans.6
But a
closer inspection of the figures behind this news story indicates
that there was more smoke than substance. In 1996, the United States
contributed $16 million (about 30 percent) to the IAEAs technical
cooperation fund. Cuba for its part contributed $45,150 (or 0.7 percent)
to the same fund. The IAEA has approved $1.7 million in technical
assistance for projects for Cuba for 1997 through 1999. By extrapolation,
the United States contribution to the fund over this same period of
time would be around $48 million of the $159 million total. The amount
of technical assistance for Cuba, $1.7 million, is 3.5 percent of
the total US contribution. That assistance from the IAEA coffers to
Cuba represents 1.06 percent of the total contributions of the fund
for 1997 through 1999. The reduction of the 3.5 percent that goes
to Cuba from the US contribution to the fund would only amount to
a paltry $59,500. This would hardly disable Cuban cooperation with
the IAEA, nor could it be conceived as an impediment to the provision
of assistance to Cuba from the agency. Symbolically, opponents of
the Cuban program could point to the non-involvement of the US for
assistance programs from the IAEA. Whether it is $59,500 or $1.7 million
matters little. The IAEA will most likely push forward with the assistance
and training programs that ultimately benefit the United States as
well as Cuba.
Yet,
in July 1997 a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives
by Congressman Robert Menendez to withhold U.S. assistance for programs
and projects of the IAEA in Cuba. H.R. 2092, known as the IAEA Accountability
and Safety Act of 1997, is clearly designed to wash American hands
clean of any involvement in Cubas nuclear program. A similarly
worded amendment was included in the 1997 Foreign Relations Authorization
Act for 1998 and 1999. These bills are essentially toothless and violate
the spirit of international nonproliferation cooperation. Like the
Helms-Burton law, these proposed pieces of legislation render themselves
moot by the nature of the exceptions to their provisions. Sec. 2 (2)(b)(i)
states that the law would not apply to IAEA programs for "safety
inspection
of nuclear facilities or related materials, or for inspections and
similar activities designed to prevent the development of nuclear
weapons" by Cuba. This sounds very much like the mission of the
international organization under which all these activities would
take place.
Even
more perplexing is the inclusion of a provision in the 1997 defense-appropriations
bill to construct a network of early-warning radiation detectors along
the gulf coast of south Florida at a cost of $3.2 million. The detection
system would purportedly provide warning of radioactive fallout emanating
from a nuclear reactor accident at Juragua. Yet this is a power plant
that cannot possibly go into operation for at least another three
years and that may never go into operation.
The restrictions
specific to the Juragua facility and the nuclear research center at
Pedro Pi would be lifted by the United States if Cuba: ratifies the
Treaty of Tlatelolco or the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty; negotiates
full-scope safeguards with the IAEA not later than two years after
ratification of the accord; and incorporates internationally accepted
nuclear safety standard into practice. Interestingly enough this has
been the focus of Cubas nuclear activities for some time. In
1996, the Cubans embarked on a new nuclear law project to complement
the passage of Decreto-Ley No. 208Regarding the National
System of Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials. Cuban nuclear
officials have indicated that the reason for delay in the ratification
stems from the need to alter the existing legal basis of nuclear law
so that it will more easily comply with the provisions of agreements
with which they fully intend to comply with. Decreto-Ley No.
208 represents part of that effort.
Cuban
nuclear officials are clearly cognizant of the shortcomings of the
Soviet-based systems of accounting, control and materials handling.
They have sought to design legislation that conforms to internationally
recognized standards and norms of nuclear materials handling and storage.
They have modeled the system in spirit to the scope and objectives
contained in U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission standards. Reaching
that standard is another question altogether. But they have sought
to make this system amenable to the requirements of the full-scope
safeguards agreements that Cuba intends to sign when the treaty comes
into force.
On a
larger scale the new nuclear law project, under the direction of the
Agencia de Energia Nuclear and the Centro Nacional de Seguridad Nuclear,
seeks to place all of Cubas nuclear activities under a system
of laws and practices that correspond to existing and future international
nuclear standards.6 Should this come to pass, and by all
indications, it appears that it will, there will be very little that
the United States can do to impede the progress of the Cuban nuclear
project.
U.S.
interests in perspective
Given
Cubas progress in meeting international nuclear standards and
its eventual ability to construct the plant, what is to be gained
from unreasoning U.S. opposition? As previously detailed, the demonization
of Fidel makes it easy domestically. But what does the United States
stand to gain by alienating our allies and trading partners over issues
of little or no importance? Where does it end?
In the
present environment of U.S.-Cuban relations, Cuban ratification of
the Tlatelolco accord would soften the U.S. position not at all. Were
Cuba to resume construction of Juragua, the call for action in Congress
would be almost immediate. One can easily imagine the introduction
of legislation that would call for the removal of the United States
from certain international or regional organizations because those
organizations treated Cuba as a sovereign and independent nation.
Moreover, the imposition of unilateral sanctions against any state
cooperating with Cubas nuclear program would be almost certain.
We have seen elements of the more radicalized opposition to the Castro
regime call for "surgical strikes" against Cuban nuclear
installations, and in a major U.S. newspaper no less.
There
can be no argument that the Cuban nuclear program does raise concerns
regarding the safety and integrity of a Cuban- and Russian-built installation.
This is especially so when we consider the significant resource constraints
that the project has faced over the past six years. As a close neighbor,
we, as well as the Cubans, have a responsibility to be sure that the
nuclear facility at Juragua would pose no threat to the environment.
The United States has and continues to coordinate and consult with
the other national civilian nuclear agencies in the region.
But by
consistently threatening would-be participants in the Cuban program,
we already are treading on thin international legal ice. The United
States has over the past two decades expended vast amounts of diplomatic
capital in garnering support for international agreements on all aspects
of the exploitation of nuclear energy. Many of these agreements were
the result of measured confidence-building initiatives and based on
the promise of reciprocity. We are now fairly confident that these
agreements provide a stable base for peaceful nuclear commerce and
a reduced threat of weapons of mass destruction.
Scuttling
these agreements and their resulting norms over our domestic imperatives
regarding Cuba would be appallingly counterpreductive. These international
and regional nuclear cooperation agreements were worked out over many
years and have served us well. Under them, Cuba like any other state
in the international system is entitled to develop a peaceful nuclear
energy capability, whether we like it or not. By enacting domestic
legislation that ostensibly diminishes that ability we violate the
very international accords we worked so hard to obtain.
Does
this mean that we must idly stand by and let Cuba move forward on
this project with nary a word? Not in the least. There are already
well-established international protocols for review and oversight
of civilian nuclear installations and programs. What this project
in particular is in need of is direct U.S. cooperation in all areas
of the program. What would be required is the insertion or reinsertion
of the American scientific and technical community in this discussion.
Given that Cuba is a member in good standing of the international
nonproliferation community by virtue of its de facto participation
and progress in the activities of that community, there should
be direct contact between American and Cuba officials at this level.
It is
noteworthy that Cuba, unlike its other regional partners, will not
receive any of the rewards commonly associated with the accession
to regional and international nonproliferation accords. Argentina
and Brazil, for instance, got nuclear cooperation agreements and commercial
contracts as a result of their accession to the Tlatelolco accord.
Cuba is already a member of the IAEA, the American Nuclear Society,
the World Association of Nuclear Operators and numerous other international
nuclear organizations. Moreover, it continues making progress toward
ratification and compliance with the Treaty of Tlatelolco as evidenced
by the passage of Decreto-Ley No. 208 of 1996, and the new
nuclear law project.
American
nuclear cooperation with post-revolutionary Cuba would not be new.
During the 1980s Cuban and American officials conducted informational
and technical exchanges on the nuclear program. Duke Power of North
Carolina, under the leadership of William Lee, hosted a delegation
of Cuban nuclear officials at McGuire Nuclear Power Station outside
of Charlotte, North Carolina. Both sides viewed these visits and exchanges
as essential components for assuring that Cuba could successfully
and safely exploit nuclear energy. Moreover, the 1997 GAO study affirmed
that safety and technical cooperation with Cuban nuclear officials
should continue for the time being.
Therefore
it is puzzling why in the face of progress in these areas, and with
the legitimate concerns regarding the development of nuclear energy
in Cuba, that U.S. legislators would be seeking to limit Cuban access
to advancement in these areas. Those officials now seated in positions
of importance within Cubas energy bureaucracies, and who will
likely remain after a transition in leadership, need to know that
the concerns raised by the United States are legitimate and that we
are prepared to discuss these matters in a sober and objective manner.
It is
precisely this type of cooperation that could enlarge one other neglected
avenue for resolving the nuclear- power-plant issue: development of
alternative energy sources. In January, 1997 Castro announced that
Cuba would be seeking other energy alternatives, displacing the nuclear
project as the energy-policy priority. This marked a significant shift
in policy. The past year has witnessed a sea change in Cubas
energy priorities as it is de-emphasizing the nuclear option to explore
modernization of the existing energy generating capability and new
means of energy generation such as wind and solar power.
As a
future political, commercial and environmental consideration, it is
in the interest of the United States to establish scientific and technical
ties within Cubas nuclear and energy community to encourage
such alternatives. Casting aspersions and the threat of impending
nuclear disaster across the Straits of Florida provides no real means
of prudently addressing those concerns.
Furthermore,
the domestication and politicization of international scientific and
technical matters only serve to cloud the reality of what is occurring
in Cuba in this area. This has forced individuals within this country
to rely on secondary interpretations of the facts.
The only
way one can know what is really going on in Cuba is to directly engage
Cuban officials. In place of that we have vengeful politicians tampering
with elements of our national security policy about which they are
mostly uninformed and less than qualified to understand. As a result,
we rely on mostly symbolic measures to address what are legitimate,
but ultimately exaggerated concerns. U.S. threats are not likely to
succeed. One or more partners might be frightened off, but it is an
educated guess that the majority, as in the case of Helms-Burton,
would resist any attempts to have the United States dictate their
trade with Cuba.
Finally,
the prospect of a democratic Cuba is one that would be welcomed by
most everyone. Our actions today affect how smoothly the transition
might be. Cuba is attempting to deal with its future by putting in
place a reliable source of energy and electricity to fuel its continuing
development. Nuclear energy, for all of its inherent failings, is
a legitimate option for the Cubans. Cuba also needs to explore viable
alternatives that correspond to its economic reality. The future Cuba,
the Castro-less Cuba, the Cuba of the twenty-first century, will desperately
need energy.
The United
States can play a part in ensuring that Cuba can and will develop
its energy sector for the future. The notion of a democratic life
would ring hollow without any light by which to read or any power
to turn the wheels of commerce and industry. Promoting the "economic
asphyxiation" of Cubathe declared goal of U.S. legislationis
both immoral and in conflict with U.S. interests.
Conclusion
The alarm
bells being rung in Congress are decidedly premature. The plant is
mothballed and may never go on line. Russian-Cuban negotiations on
the possibility of resuming construction which began in April, 1998
remain in doubt. But even if they succeed and construction should
resume, the plant could not possibly go into operation until the year
2001, and probably several years after that.
Second,
the best way for the United States to assure itself of the plants
safety is to work through the IAEA to make sure all the international
safety conventions are fully observed. The absolutely worst way is
the approach now being pushed by some in Congress, i.e., to work against
the IAEA and in violation of various conventions on nuclear safety.
To threaten to cut funds to the IAEAthe very agency we should
be relying on to supervise Juraguas construction and operation
if it should ever reach that pointis simply illogical and counterproductive.
Finally,
but perhaps most importantly, the United States cannot deny Cuba the
right to build a nuclear power plant. To do so would violate a whole
series of international conventions on the subject to which the United
States and Cuba are signatories. All nations which have signed the
conventions and committed themselves to safe construction and operation
have a right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. What
the United States can doindeed, would be expected to dois
to make certain those conventions are upheld.
Notes
1. There
has never been a consensus of the figures that are often quoted in
relation to the Cuban nuclear program. Additionally, until such time
as there is a "verifiable" accounting of aspects of the
nuclear program by independent analysts all figures should be treated
with doubt.
2. Sergey
Rybak, "Russians To Resume Juragua Construction Alone, Minatom
Says." Nucleonics Week, Vol. 38, No. 7, Pg. 2.
3. Russias
Minatom is in direct competition with U.S. and other Western nuclear
firms, especially now since the signing of the U.S.-China nuclear
cooperation accords for a market estimated to be worth $60 to $70
billion in potential sales.
4. See
Kinka Gerke, "Unilateral Strains On Trans-Atlantic Relations:
U.S. Sanctions Against Those Who Trade with Cuba, Iran, and Libya
and Their Effects on World Trade Regime." PRIF Reports No. 47
(Frankfurt: Peace Research Institute, April 1997), pp. 67. See
also Gebhard Schweigler, "Elemente der Irrationalität: Historiche
Traditionen und innenpolitische Faktoren," in Zur weltpolitischen
Rolle der USA (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik: Ebenhausen, 1994),
pp. 21-31.
5. Title
1, Sec.111.
6. See
International Atomic Energy Agencys Nuclear Technical Assistance
for Cuba (GAO/RCED-97-72) March 1997.
7. Jonathan
Benjamin-Alvarado, "The Cuban New Nuclear Law Project" The
Monitor: Nonproliferation, Demilitarization and Arms Control.
Vol. 3, No. 3 (Summer 1997), p. 41.
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