Thursday, 12 March 2026

The Ninth Circle Pt.3 Nuclear Leverage: Why Israel Started a Nuclear Conflict (or how Zionism holds a knife to both America's throat and groin) #DialaRide #NuclearBunkerBusters #B61-12 #MOSSAD #Epstein #Iran #Israel #NuclearWar #UnofficialNuclearProliferation #JCPOA #IranDeal



Documenting the story of unofficial nuclear proliferation is a tour of the rogues' gallery of international villainy. To do so properly is a long-term project to which few have (apparently), felt able to devote themselves. The entanglements are clear, however, for just as the truth about the purpose and dangers of civil nuclear power have been continually obfuscated and denied the truth about the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons internationally has been carefully concealed under a cloak of secrecy that in reality represents nothing more than the emperor's new apparel.
 From my own investigations over many decades I have drawn the conclusion that there has never been a time in human history when such a large percentage of the population were so very ignorant of the kinds of weapons which may be deployed against them by either an openly hostile foreign or actively treacherous domestic state. This may well be a function of the form in the case of nuclear weapons in that the existential nightmare the use of such weapons represents tends to preclude the easy (and more commonplace), formation of rational thought, however, may I suggest that such also represents a powerful denial of the true nature of the concomitant existential nightmare represented by our diminishing unsustainable resources and the effect their use has had on our global environment? Some may argue that nuclear power represents a possible solution to the issue of the CO2 production associated with the use of fossil fuels yet this is false in several regards, quote; 

"That limited and simplistic approach is scientifically and mathematically incorrect. If we take a good hard look at the carbon-footprint of nuclear power, we discover that it has the largest carbon footprint of any energy source other than the fossil fuels. Very large carbon emissions are generated by various different stages in the production of nuclear energy, thereby increasing CO2 in the atmosphere. Tons of carbon emissions are generated by the following activities which are all necessary in the production of nuclear energy:
  1. MINING - Uranium (or thorium).

  2. MILLING – transportation to millworks, taking the raw ore and converting it to “yellowcake” uranium ore.

  3. CONVERSION - Construction of the uranium conversion facility, transportation of the uranium “yellowcake” to a conversion facility, dissolving it to form UF6, conversion of “yellowcake” to UF6.

  4. ENRICHMENT - Construction of the uranium enrichment facility, construction of the cylinders used to transport the UF6, transportation of the UF6 to the enrichment facility, enrichment of the uranium.

  5. FUEL PELLETS - Formation of uranium fuel pellets, transportation of the uranium fuel pellets.

  6. NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CONSTRUCTION - Construction of the nuclear power plant, with its massive amounts of concrete and steel, which will take several years of using heavy construction equipment to complete. Keep in mind that both steel and concrete production are carbon-intensive.

  7. SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS - Construction of the necessary infrastructure to support the nuclear power plant (roads, transmission lines, barge canals, etc.)

  8. GENERATORS - Use of heavy-duty diesel generators to run the cooling system during routine maintenance, refueling, shut downs resulting from increased summertime water temperatures, any SCRAM, and power outage emergencies.

  9. WASTE STORAGE - Building RadWaste storage facilities, building radwaste storage containers and transporting the waste to the storage facilities. Transfering RadWaste from one geographic location to another, across the country, or the ocean.

  10. WASTE PROCESSING - Building reprocessing facilities, transporting the radwaste to the reprocessing facility, reprocessing the radwaste, building storage for the radwaste generated by reprocessing.

  11. WASTE INCINERATION - Building radwaste incineration facilities, transporting the waste to the incineration facility, incinerating the RadWaste.

  12. WASTE VITRIFICATION - Building vitrification plants, transporting waste to vitrification plants, vitrifying the RadWaste involving heating the materials to very high temperatures.

  13. MONITORING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE - carbon pollution generated by monitoring and guarding the radwaste for eternity.

  14. DECOMISSIONING AND DECONTAMINATION -decontaminating and demolishing the nuclear plants, reactors, enrichment facilities, and other support infrastructure.

  15. ACCIDENTS - mitigation and clean-up efforts on nuclear accidents-huge carbon contribution.

  16. DAMAGED REACTORS AND ACCIDENTS - Building sarcophagus structures around failed nuclear power facilities. Monitoring, securing and periodically re-entombing failed nuclear power facilities for all eternity.

There are more nuclear carbon-footprint considerations than the ones stated here, but this list is a good general start. No one source has actually calculated the carbon footprint for nuclear energy taking into consideration all of the above sources of carbon emissions.": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2023/03/depleted-uranium-use-is-nuclear-war.html

It is also true that the production of nuclear weapons (because -as we have examined repeatedly on Arafel-, it is in order to produce nuclear weapons that sovereign states feel able to spend the vast sums they do on -so-called-, civilian/commercial nuclear power plants), is hugely and disproportionally expensive and in-fact represents only a loss-leader to our totalitarian systems, quote;

"Britain’s first new nuclear plant in a generation at the Hinkley Point C site will face further delay, at a cost of €2.5bn to the French utility company EDF.

EDF said the first reactor at the site in Somerset will begin operations in 2030, a year later than planned – almost 13 years after construction work began – after a series of delays to the project.

The latest delay will wipe almost £3bn from the French state-owned developer’s accounts and take the total cost of building the nuclear plant to £35bn, or almost double the estimate of £18bn when it was given the green light in 2016. However, the final cost will be far higher once inflation is taken into account as EDF gives its cost estimates in 2015 prices.": https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/20/hinkley-point-c-delayed-to-2030-as-costs-climb-to-35bn

It should be self-evident that if we are spending such vast sums on nuclear power we cannot possibly be making the same investment in sustainable energy production (Nb. anyone who thinks nuclear power is a "sustainable" industry is seriously deluded think of the amount of waste storage -and the length of time such storage will be necessary-, should we only continue production for the next 50 years).

"Thou Shalt not Make a Machine in the Likeness of a Human Mind!" Dune, Frank Herbert

Herbert's admonition rings very true here for when I inquired of Google as to a direct comparison between the investment profile and expenditure of the U.K government with regard to nuclear power with that of (so-called), renewables both the "AI Overview" and the source material suggested simply obfuscated the issue by not providing figures for that into the alternative industry concentrating only on the proposed expenditure on nuclear projects whilst pointedly avoiding a direct comparison with planned expenditure on renewables. This is a very common occurrence with regard to the nuclear industry whose data and public profile are policed more assiduously than (almost?), any other, quote; 

"I highly recommend that you follow the link to: https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/security/security-of-nuclear-facilities-and-material for you will discover that whilst conventional strikes against nuclear power plants are at least mentioned (although hardly discussed at any length), there is still no mention made of nuclear attacks.

 Those of us who have studied these issues are, I'm afraid, very far from surprised though, in-fact there is an aphorism within the anti-nuclear community that informs one that; "You can rely on the nuclear industry for one thing and one thing only lies!"": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2026/02/the-ninth-circle-pt2-truth-about.html

Quote; "AI Overview

UK investment in the energy sector is currently characterized by a "golden age of nuclear" policy, aimed at boosting energy security alongside massive, rapid investment in renewable energy

. While renewables like wind and solar have seen costs plummet—becoming much cheaper to deploy than nuclear—nuclear power is being funded to provide consistent "baseload" power, which renewable sources cannot do without storage. 

Investment Comparison: Nuclear vs. Sustainable Energy

  • Investment Focus & Strategy: The UK government has committed £14.2 billion to the construction of Sizewell C, aiming for it to power six million homes. A further £2.5 billion has been allocated to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Conversely, investments in renewables have driven their share of electricity generation from 3% in 2000 to 42% in 2022.

  • Costs: Nuclear projects are notoriously expensive, with Hinkley Point C estimated at £22-£23 billion and Sizewell C potentially costing up to £38 billion. In contrast, the costs of renewable energy have decreased significantly, making them generally more cost-competitive, though they require additional investment in system flexibility.

  • Economic Impact: The nuclear industry generated £6.1 billion for the UK economy in 2021 and employs over 64,000 people. Nuclear jobs are often high-skilled and long-term, with workers receiving 33% higher compensation than those in the wind and solar sectors.

  • Environmental Impact: Both are considered low-carbon. Nuclear emits 10-15g/CO2 equivalent per kWh, which is competitive with wind and solar. However, nuclear faces challenges regarding waste management, while renewable energy, particularly offshore wind and tidal, is heavily promoted for sustainability.

  • Operational Reliability: Nuclear provides a consistent baseload, making it more reliable than intermittent renewables. However, nuclear projects often suffer from significant construction delays and cost overruns, unlike renewables."

Hinkley Point

The industry is also justifiably infamous for downplaying its safety problems and the seriousness of  incidents associated with same. Has anyone heard about this for instance? Quote;

"A small fire broke out today at a partly constructed nuclear power station in northern Japan, the third blaze at the plant this month. It comes a week after an earthquake caused a radioactive spillage at another atomic plant.

The operator, Hokkaido Electric Power (Hepco), said there was no danger of a radiation leak and there were no injuries during the incident at the Tomari plant.

Two other reactors at Tomari were operating normally, it said.

The Kyodo news agency said investigators found damage to electrical wiring and suspected foul play, but the operator was unavailable to comment.

The fire came eight days after an earthquake caused radiation leaks at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant - which generates the most electricity of nuclear power stations worldwide.

International inspectors were due to visit the Kashiwazaki plant in the aftermath of the quake, in which 400 drums of low-level radioactive waste fell over, with about 40 losing their lids and spilling their contents.

The spillage was one of more than 50 malfunctions at the plant in the immediate aftermath of the quake. The operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), was criticised for failing to deal with the blaze and for initially under-reporting the scale of the radioactive leaks.

The Kashiwazaki plant has been closed indefinitely and Japan's 54 other nuclear power stations have been ordered to carry out emergency safety checks*.": https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jul/24/nuclear.japan

*Italics mine. Nb. This four years before the Fukushima disaster!


Quote; "Ask yourselves how it has come to be acceptable for, for instance; The Russian and American presidents (ostensibly -and in reality- gnashing their teeth over Poland), to cabal themselves during the recent summit in Tokyo, get their heads together on how to repair the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor (http://www.stwr.org/land-energy-water/nuclear-power-no-panacea-critics-say.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihama_Nuclear_Power_Plant http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/earthquake-fire-and-nuclear-l/  -Edited 11/12/10-), and keep the whole affair from the public?": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/07/hinkleypoint-did-you-hear-one-about.html

Israel

"It's the economy stupid!" Indeed for since the oil crisis of the 1970s when the Arab dominated Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), decided to punish the U.S and other western nations for their support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War and embargoed oil supplies to these countries one of the consequences has been that the U.S has increased its support for Zionist extremism as a means of manufacturing consent for the acquisition of major oil fields and their associated production facilities within the region. This marriage of convenience has had major consequences for all those countries once threatened by the flexing of OPEC's muscle entailing a "Zionisation" of politics that has manifested in the total corruption of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as a bulwark against bolshevism (a threat that now no longer exists), and transformed it into a security service that works on the behalf of the interests of the western elites by supporting their (unsustainable), corporate structure.
 The notion of sustainability is key here because it throws a light on the motivations and true psychological profile of those most concerned with the promotion of such conflicts. The fossil fuel resource is of-course non-renewable which presents an awful problem to post-Industrial Revolution regimes whose governmental, legislative and socio-political structures are based almost entirely on the exploitation of such (I hesitate to call them "economies" because -strictly speaking-, they are not, quote;

"..we can see how closely related the notions of ecology and economics really are, this seems to indicate that the Industrial Revolution (esp.), saw a perversion of the language describing transaction/exchange in order to underpin a Social-Darwinist model of human evolution, allow this exploitative model to gain ascendancy and fulfil (esp.), capitalism’s imperial and “manifest destiny”. It may, therefore, be the case that a misapprehension of the nature of economic theory has stemmed directly from the exploitation of non-renewable resources.": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2021/06/a-dangerous-conflation-socialism.html ).

The position our post Industrial Revolution states are now in is, therefore, increasingly desperate in nature something that is shown most clearly by the apparently indeterminate nature of the U.S administration's raison d'etre for their current aggression towards Iran*, quote; 

"Regime change, nuclear threat – or something else? US officials seem unable to land on one coherent reason for war.

When the United States launched Operation Epic Fury last Saturday, the Trump administration had a major communications question to figure out: how to explain to the American public, Congress, and the world why it had just started a war with Iran.

During war time, talking points and propaganda reflexively fly in every direction, but the Trump administration still hasn’t been able to land on one coherent answer.

Some contradict each other, and some contradict Donald Trump himself. Some – delivered hours apart by senior officials – are flatly incompatible.": https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/07/trump-rationale-war-iran-story

*Although many suspect that the primary motive force on this particular occasion is far more personal in nature, quote;

"According to this report, the video recording of Bill Clinton raping this 13-year-old girl child was “created/engineeredby Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (MOSSAS), “Clothing Shop Network(Магазин/одежды/חנות בגדים) whose main “organizer/facilitatoris the "international man of mystery” Jeffrey Epstein...

"MOSSAD'S “Clothing Shop Network, this report explains, was originated in the early 1980’s by one of the most secretive billionaires in American named Leslie Wexner and whose father (Harry Wexner—changed from Hagan Wexelstein) emigrated to the United States in the late 1930’s from/the former Soviet Union.
The “Clothing Shop Networkname itself, this report continues, was derived from Leslie Wexner being one of America’s top clothiers—and who owns the US-based fashion retailers L.Brands and Victoria's Secret.": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/10/the-horrible-cant-possibly-be-true.html


 
No matter how distasteful to those who haven't already sold-their-souls the truth is that such activities are considered legitimate tools of statecraft especially by the administrations of those countries who posses atomic weapons.

Entanglement

As with the exploitation of the fears of mankind with regard to alien invasion the fear of nuclear war has enabled the most Machiavellian of policies to be quietly instituted within the regimes of those states who posses nuclear weapons (concomitantly affecting all the other states and peoples on the planet), resulting in an almost ubiquitous Pentagon Paper Mentality establishing and reproducing itself within their populations. 

Quote; "Today Drop Site News is publishing a landmark investigation about the BBC’s coverage of Israel’s unrelenting assault on Gaza by British journalist Owen Jones. His report is based on interviews with 13 journalists and other BBC staffers who offer remarkable insights into how senior figures within the BBC’s news operation skewed stories in favor of Israel’s narratives and repeatedly dismissed objections registered by scores of staffers who, throughout the past 14 months, demanded that the network uphold its commitment to impartiality and fairness. Jones’s investigation of the BBC has three main components: a deeply reported look into the internal complaints from BBC journalists, a quantitative assessment of how the BBC characterizes the year-long siege on Gaza, and a review of the histories of the people behind the coverage—and, in particular, one editor, Raffi Berg": https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bbc-civil-war-gaza-israel-biased-coverage


Meanwhile the license payers cower under their stones hoping that the "inconvenient truth" will somehow magically disappear ("It's on account of all the Al-Gore-isms dear!").


It is the concern that oil supplies be assured to the west that has enabled Israel to not only develop but also acquire nuclear weapons, quote;

"..the Obama administration confirmed  "that it is reserving the right to use nuclear weapons against Iran" for its non-compliance with US demands regarding its alleged (nonexistent) nuclear weapons program. (U.S. Nuclear Option on Iran Linked to Israeli Attack Threat - IPS ipsnews.net, April 23, 2010). The Obama administration has also intimated that it would use nukes in the case of an Iranian response to an Israeli attack on Iran. (Ibid). Israel has also drawn up its own "secret plans" to bomb Iran with tactical nuclear weapons:
"Israeli military commanders believe conventional strikes may no longer be enough to annihilate increasingly well-defended enrichment facilities. Several have been built beneath at least 70ft of concrete and rock. However, the nuclear-tipped bunker-busters 
would be used only if a conventional attack was ruled out and if the United States declined to intervene, senior sources said." (Revealed: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran - Times Online, January 7, 2007) Obama's statements on the use of nuclear weapons against Iran and North Korea are consistent with post 9/11 US nuclear weapons doctrine, which allows for the use of tactical nuclear weapons in the conventional war theater.* 

Through a propaganda campaign which has enlisted the support of "authoritative" nuclear scientists, mini-nukes are upheld as an instrument of peace, namely a means to combating "Islamic terrorism" and instating Western style "democracy" in Iran. The low-yield nukes have been cleared for "battlefield use". They are slated to be used against Iran and Syria in the next stage of America's "war on Terrorism" alongside conventional weapons.
"Administration officials argue that low-yield nuclear weapons are needed as a credible deterrent against rogue states. [Iran, Syria, North Korea] Their logic is that existing nuclear weapons are too destructive to be used except in a full-scale nuclear war. Potential enemies realize this, thus they do not consider the threat of nuclear retaliation to be credible. However, low-yield nuclear weapons are less destructive, thus might conceivably be used. That would make them more effective as a deterrent." (Opponents Surprised By Elimination of Nuke Research Funds Defense News November 29, 2004)
The preferred nuclear weapon to be used against Iran are tactical nuclear weapons (Made in America), namely bunker buster bombs with nuclear warheads (e.g. B61.11), with an explosive capacity between one third to six times a Hiroshima bomb. The B61-11 is the "nuclear version" of the "conventional"  BLU 113. or Guided Bomb Unit GBU-28. It can be delivered in much same way as the conventional bunker buster bomb. (See Michel Chossudovsky, http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO112C.html, see also http://www.thebulletin.org/article_nn.php?art_ofn=jf03norris) . While the US does not contemplate the use of strategic thermonuclear weapons against Iran, Israel's nuclear 
arsenal is largely composed of thermonuclear bombs which are deployed and could be used in a war with Iran. Under Israel's Jericho‐III missile system with a range between 4,800 km to 6,500 km, all Iran would be within reach." Go to: https://www.alainet.org/en/active/40327   

for full and extensive article. 

*Italics/underline mine."..


"As the U.S has spread the B-61 "bunker-buster" around Europe Israel's stick-to-beat the Americans with has been the Israeli nuclear program, the supply of smaller U.S designed bombs has no doubt been intended to ensure both "correct" somewhat "limited" use by Israel and to limit the possibility of either failure or explosive accident (which is how the U.S has unofficially justified supplying them to the Israelis to the international community -the implication also being that these bunker-busting weapons are primarily considered as for use against Iran-).": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2018/03/update-on-unofficial-nuclear.html 

Quote; "AI Overview

the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb is a "dial-a-yield" weapon, allowing the military to adjust its explosive yield before launch

. This redesigned bomb, intended for both strategic and tactical use, features variable yield technology with a range of approximately 0.3 to 50 kilotons of TNT. It is designed to be highly accurate. 

Key Details About the B61-12:

  • Variable Yield: Operators can select from multiple yield options to tailor the destructive force for specific targets.

  • Purpose: As a modern iteration of the B61 series, it is designed for precision, potentially lowering collateral damage compared to higher-yield, older weapons.

  • Capability: It is designed for external carriage by high-speed aircraft.

  • Testing: The B61-12 has undergone extensive testing, including with the F-15E Strike Eagle, confirming its functionality, arming, and targeting capabilities. 

The B61-12 is part of a broader U.S. nuclear modernization effort, with some debate regarding its impact on non-proliferation*."

*Italics mine.


Cut Throats Walking the Razor's Edge

It seems it was not in the interests of the corporate elite to make terms with Iran regarding its nuclear program, quote;


"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the "Iran nuclear deal" or the "Iran deal".

The JCPOA ended some of the sanctions on Iran while suspending others, subject to waivers. These include waivers of oil sanctions implemented in January 2012, which require periodic re-certification. Throughout 2017 Trump contemplated not re-certifying, and thus effectively pulling out of the deal.[25] According to Jarrett Blanc of the Obama administration, since the JCPOA is not a treaty but an agreement between several countries, it has no formal provisions for withdrawal, but a member of the deal could stop complying with its obligations.[25]

Following Trump's denial of the deal, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the JCPOA was a firm decision and that no single country could break it. She proposed a "collective process" to preserve the deal, saying, "This deal is not a bilateral agreement ... The international community, and the European Union with it, has clearly indicated that the deal is, and will, continue to be in place."[26] French President Emmanuel Macron warned Trump not to withdraw from the deal, and told German magazine Der Spiegel that doing so "would open the Pandora's box. There could be war."[27] The Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, wrote that America's reputation as a major power would be undermined in the eyes of the world if it reneged on a deal simply because of a transition in government.[28]

Political influences and decisions

Some reports suggest that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "Iran Lied*" presentation influenced the withdrawal.[29][30] A little more than a week after Netanyahu's presentation, Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the deal.[31][30] He announced the withdrawal during a speech at the White House on May 8, 2018, saying, "the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction: that a murderous regime desired only a peaceful nuclear energy program."[32]": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_withdrawal_from_the_Joint_Comprehensive_Plan_of_Action

*It's possible I don't trust nuclear powered states any further than I can run away from them, however, proportionality is certainly an issue here if, as all the evidence suggests, Israel has already facilitated the use of its own nuclear weapons by supplying them to the Saudis under the (get this), "Good Neighbour Policy" and allowing them to be used on the poor Yemenis (no coincidence of-course that the Yemeni Houthis are supported by the Iranian regime).

I strongly urge you to view the video evidence for yourselves:






Nb. The type of pixilation seen on much of this footage is a result of ionizing radiation interacting with the technology of digital capture, quote;

Quote; "AI Overview

Atomic blasts (and high radiation environments) cause a "static-like" pixelation or "dancing white dots" effect on digital cameras (digicams) because high-energy ionizing radiation (gamma rays, particles) hits the image sensor directly.

How Radiation Causes Pixelation:

  • Sensor Saturation: Digital camera sensors (CMOS/CCD) detect light by converting photons into electrical charge. High-energy radiation acts like an intense, invisible light, overwhelming individual pixels and forcing them to maximum brightness, creating white or coloured spots on the image.

  • "Hot Pixels" and Noise: The radiation causes "noise" that resembles static, where the intensity of the noise increases with the strength of the radiation field.

  • Bit Flips: In extreme environments, the gamma radiation can cause "bit flips" in the camera's memory, corrupting the image file or creating random, distorted pixels.

  • Visible Tracks: If particles hit the sensor at an angle, they can create short, bright streaks or lines, rather than just single-pixel dots. 

  • Chernobyl/Nuclear Sites: Footage taken inside high-radiation areas, such as the Chernobyl sarcophagus, frequently shows this dancing, pixelated static because the radiation is constant and intense.

  • Nuclear Test Films: Early nuclear test films often appear black and white because they used specialized, heavily filtered, and slow-acting film to prevent the intense light of the blast from destroying the image (or the camera).

  • Space/High Altitude: Similar effects are seen in cameras in space due to cosmic rays hitting the sensors. 

This phenomenon is not a failure of the digital zoom, but a physical interaction between ionizing radiation and the camera's imaging technology."

Profiling

Quote; "Explaining Israel's aberrant behaviour is not that difficult either, spoiled children who are rewarded when they behave like mavericks develop an inflated opinion of themselves 
and they make mistakes. No matter how hard the Deep State attempts to obscure the use of tactical nukes by the "Israel ibn Saud" alliance (incl. indulging in the wholesale breach of the human rights of the people of Yemen by trapping them within a war zone the Powers that Be don't want the prying eyes or open ears of aid agency workers or journalists to penetrate -an apparently somewhat desperate and panicked reaction-), the truth will out but let's hope it does so before another and bigger theatre of war is opened in either Korea or Iran and the initial flash of the Yemen strike is obscured by the fog of a larger nuclear war.
 There is however a more subtle but equally plausible narrative, clearly the opinion analysts and manufacturers (both inside and outside), of The State Dept. have been exercised by the questions (and this for some time); "Does the public (both at home and abroad), now consider a limited nuclear exchange (or the asymmetrical use of such weapons in specific circumstances), to be a different animal to that of a full strategic exchange?" ..(and), .. "Can we make the limited "battlefield" (a somewhat loose term as applied here), use of lower yield nuclear weapons acceptable?" So perhaps the PtB thought; "We'll let the Israelis drop one of theirs on Yemen and see if anyone jumps!" Outlandish? Not really when one considers just how much time and energy has gone into both the continuing Korean War and preparing for possible conflict with Iran, to put it in cold economic terms; "It's worth a lot more than are a few more dead or outraged civilians in one of the poorest countries in the world" (that's "to them" of-course). Maybe it's a bit of both though (as usual in-fact when it comes to U.S foreign policy), with the right-hand not really knowing what the left-hand is doing. 
 Politicking is just that, however, 
international law states that if the Saudis and Israelis dropped a tactical nuke on Yemen this was a criminal act and a case should be brought against them and heard under the fullest of international and public scrutinies.": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2018/03/update-on-unofficial-nuclear.html

Alamagordo

This is not the first time that nuclear proliferation has driven a clandestine international agenda either, quote;

"..it is necessary to examine the chronology of the events which lead to the first Gulf conflict. Saddam Hussein (a former ally of The West), had undoubtedly been attempting to develop a viable nuclear weapon prior to “Desert Storm”, his reactors (with the French technicians still in them!), were bombed by the trigger happy Israelis precisely in order to prevent him from doing so.  America (“as usual” terrified of their Frankensteinian creation and anxious to secure the oil supply they were being denied by his regime),  were at that time being thwarted in their ambitions by an international community which was far less subservient than the “United Nations” which are now living far more deeply in the shadow of the post Yugoslavian conflicts effect on the notion of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of nation states that has so coloured international relations in recent decades (esp. with regard to The Middle East).  Even George Bush senior  had been unable to break the deadlock, however if one can “suspend disbelief” one can imagine that both The Pentagon and the CIA had been devising strategies with which to remove such obstacles to action (of which Mr. Bush was of-course fully aware), one of which was to provoke or “encourage” an attack on one of his oil rich neighbours (something that Saddam would “jump at” at the time in order to refill his treasury following Iraq’s bloody and costly war with Iran). In order to facilitate this it would be necessary to somehow deceive Saddam as to America’s true interests in the region as not even he would risk direct conflict with the most powerful military machine on the planet. Such a deception would however risk showing America’s hand to the international community in a way that even Bush senior felt unable to justify and therefore these plans remained shelved until such time as the political climate became more favourable. Around this time however certain documents were stolen from the United States which were to provide precisely the right impetus with which to change the weather. It seems that although America had secured the necessary technical documents which would enable one to produce a viable fusion weapon (something Saddam did not have the industrial or financial ware-withal to do in any-case), the original Alamogordo trinity test specifications for a fission bomb were not held under such tight security and were stolen  (“rumour has it” by an Asian “freelancer”), and then sold to the Iraqi regime. Bush senior then “green-lighted” the operation that would lead to “Desert Storm” (go to: http://rense.com/general69/41.htm  “How Bush Tricked Saddam into Invading Kuwait “The April Glaspie Interview”). As you can see this information is extant (thank you Adel Darwish and Gregory Alexander –“Unholy Babylon” Gollancz 1991-).": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2013/09/desert-storm-saddam-bomb-and-almagordo.html

Paper Tigers?

The problem with Pentagon Paper Mentalities though is that they are not paper-tigers! They are extraordinarily dangerous and should they be allowed to continue (esp. beyond any "laissez-faire" sell-by-date), they invariably dish out severe maulings to those who ignore their presence and a nuclear mauling is something that should terrify all of us, furthermore, as is understood by many, any open nuclear confrontation on any scale will irreversibly change the nature of both national and international socio-political landscapes. That this might further enable oppression (esp. within the nuclear armed states), is a factor we cannot afford to overlook when attempting to prevent such an eventuality. "Qui bono?" 




Arafel Nuclear Archive: https://www.arafel.co.uk/2012/02/threat-fromtsunamis-re-new-nuclear.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2012/06/fukushima-consequences-and-responses.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2012/06/fukushima-intial-posts-and-medical.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2012/06/depleted-uranium-progressive-review.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2013/09/desert-storm-saddam-bomb-and-almagordo.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2013/10/hinkley-point-least-suitable-site-for.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2014/06/japan-under-sword-continued.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2014/08/the-philosophy-of-loss-leader-re.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2014/08/do-electro-magnetic-pulse-weapons-make.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2014/11/a-new-cold-war.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/06/is-this-really-possible-how-much-do-we.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/06/saudi-arabia-israel-iran-and-bomb.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/07/is-waste-from-israels-nuclear-programme.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/07/the-war-on-yemen-americas-plans-to-use.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/07/if-israel-did-nuke-yemen.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/07/un-backs-iran-deal-infuriating-both.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/07/continuing-discussion-and-comment-on.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/08/leaked-israels-plans-to-strike-iran.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/08/israeli-army-blocked-netanyahus-plans.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/09/faslane-investment-announcement-pre-emp.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/09/typhoons-recontaminate-japanese.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/10/kazakhstan-is-now-americas-top-supplier.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/11/extreme-radiation-on-california-beach.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/11/international-atomic-energy-authority.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/11/flush-greenwash-nuclear-powers-true-co2.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2015/11/is-travel-in-and-out-of-yemens-conflict.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/07/yemen.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/07/hinkleypoint-did-you-hear-one-about.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/08/unofficial-nuclear-proliferation-little.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/09/war-on-poorest-proxy-war-in-yemen.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2016/09/barbarism-and-rank-hypocrisy-allies.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/01/further-video-of-yemen-tactical-nuke.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/02/undeclared-nuclear-war-allies-crime.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/03/more-footage-of-massive-explosions-in.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/05/citizen-gamma-sponge-sailor-victims-of.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/05/yet-more-footage-from-several-different.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/06/the-real-star-wars-maxspiersrip-reagan.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/07/welcome-to-21st-century-empweapons.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2017/07/new-raw-footage-of-yemen-bunker-buster.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2018/03/update-on-unofficial-nuclear.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2023/03/depleted-uranium-use-is-nuclear-war.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2023/05/depleted-uranium-use-is-nuclear-war.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2023/08/depleted-uranium-use-is-nuclear-war.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2026/02/the-ninth-circle-coldwardiaries-ptsd.htmlhttps://www.arafel.co.uk/2026/02/the-ninth-circle-pt2-truth-about.html

 
Petition; "I oppose the ongoing attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, which have killed thousands and risk unleashing a devastating war across the Middle East.": https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/no-war-on-iran-2?source=twitter&

Wednesday, 18 February 2026

The Ninth Circle Pt.2 The Truth about the Effects of Nuclear War on Nuclear Facilities #ColdWarDiaries #comeGabrielblowyourhorn

 A recent documentary concerning the Chernobyl disaster prompted me to do some more research concerning the relationship between commercial nuclear power stations and the production of fissile materials for use in nuclear weapons. It is claimed that the Chernobyl RBMK-1000 (Reaktor Bolshoy Moshchnosty Kanalny, or High-Power Channel Reactor) reactors were of a type specifically designed to produce weapons grade material and that this was one of the disclosure issues which contributed to the culture of secrecy that led to the disaster, the Western propaganda bias always ensuring that blame for the disaster be laid squarely at the door of the soviet state and not at that of the nuclear industry in general, a highly contentious viewpoint. 

 Whilst it is true that many nuclear reactors do not produce the kind of weapons grade material commonly used by states whose weapons programs are well established the fuel rods from these reactors can and very often are used to to produce weapons grade material in other facilities.

Quote; "The materials, technology, and expertise needed for enrichment can be used to both generate nuclear power and develop nuclear weapons. Once a country is capable of enriching uranium for nuclear purposes, even peaceful ones, it usually can produce enough material for a nuclear weapon*. For that reason, monitoring proliferation is exceptionally difficult.”...“Enriching uranium in its natural state to between 3 and 5 percent U-235, the LEU enrichment level used in most nuclear power plants, takes a lot of time and resources. It's relatively easier and quicker to then enrich LEU to 90 percent needed for weapons-grade uranium. Once a country can enrich uranium at all, its breakout time is often just months*."..."Depending Depending on the level of the isotope Pu-239, plutonium can be differentiated into

reactor-grade plutonium, containing between 55 and 70 percent Pu-239, which is extracted from spent fuel that has been irradiated, or exposed to radiation, for years in a nuclear reactor; and

weapons-grade plutonium, containing at least 90 percent Pu-239, which is extracted from spent fuel that’s been transferred to a special plutonium production reactor. That special reactor only needs weeks or months to produce weapons-grade plutonium.

Although the two kinds are created by different methods, both come from spent uranium fuel in reactors.": https://education.cfr.org/learn/reading/how-do-countries-create-nuclear-weapons

*Italics mine.

 Thus the nature of the murky relationship between the (so-called) "commercial" nuclear industry and nuclear weapons production becomes more apparent; "Oh we employ nuclear power for peaceful purposes! Nothing to see here, move along!"

 According to "Fissile Material.Org", quote; "Production of military fissile materials continues in India, which is producing plutonium for weapons and HEU for naval propulsion, Pakistan, which produces plutonium and HEU for weapons, Israel, which is believed to produce plutonium. North Korea has the capability to produce weapon-grade plutonium and highly-enriched uranium.

France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and India operate civilian reprocessing facilities that separate plutonium from spent fuel of power reactors. China is operating a pilot civilian reprocessing facility.

Fourteen countries - Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands (all three are in the URENCO consortium), China, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran* - operate uranium enrichment facilities.": https://fissilematerials.org/

*According to fm.org April 28th 2025.

 It is, therefore, asinine to claim that commercial nuclear power stations are not (and would not be in the event of a nuclear exchange), legitimate targets. For the most part the industry and its associated institutions (both civil and military), avoid making such claims (and inviting challenge), by simply ignoring the reactor vulnerability issue completely. This despite the fact that at various times (and depending on the wind direction), efforts have been made by the nuclear armed states to quantify the scale of the devastation due to and long-term effects of various nuclear exchange scenarios ranging from "limited" to "total". It is, however, blindingly obvious when one peruses the official estimates which are available that such are partial in many ways, so much so in-fact that since the end of the 70s there has clearly been a policy of almost total non-disclosure.

Quote; "With rare exceptions, nuclear casualty estimates from the 1980s or later years are unavailable. Indeed, in some instances, the Defense Department has refused to declassify estimates in reports from the 1960s and 1970s*. While NGOs have produced approximations, the degree to which official estimating continued into the post-Cold War period is unclear. That the U.S. under President Obama began to apply new international rules of war criteria (such as proportionality or civilian-military target distinctions) may have led to estimates of losses under restrictive targeting options, but that is also unclear.": https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault/2022-07-14/long-classified-us-estimates-nuclear-war-casualties-during

*Italics mine.

Quote; "The original purpose of this paper was to assess the systemic effects of a limited nuclear war and offer some thoughts regarding the potential health care complications that might result. As work progressed, it became increasingly apparent that research into the direct and immediate impact of war has been, and continues to be, the subject of considerable effort. However, a review of the literature on the consequences of nuclear war revealed few references to social science research. The citations that were uncovered appeared to be confined almost entirely to the application of economic theory to problems of reconstruction. Much of the work was performed in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s and is therefore dated. To our knowledge, little has been done on such subjects as social response to a warning of nuclear attack; willingness of health care organizations to administer aid under postattack conditions; ability of a moneyless economy to rebuild without the aid of other nations and without a heavy reliance on fuel oils. There is, on the other hand, no shortage of assumptions regarding the nation's institutions, individual behavior, and the likelihood of social change, none of which have been seriously questioned. As a result, published projections that implicitly adopt current economic and social arrangements should be questioned": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219185/

The Obvious Child

 It may be the stating of the obvious to observe that it has never been in the interest of the military-industrial complex to reveal the true nature of the dangerous game we have been playing since we first decided to exploit atomic physics yet as seems invariable in such cases the finest tool that can be employed to control a frightened population is to keep them uninformed whilst simply ignoring the elephant in the room. Thus the marginalisation of the effects of nuclear war (esp. with regard to the consequences of nuclear strikes against nuclear power plants), has been a "necessary" underpinning of an increasingly totalitarian global system.

 The 2025 report on the safety of nuclear reactors from the World Nuclear Association is grimly humorous in this regard as it lists most (if not all), of the possible scenarios concerned with the vulnerability of commercial nuclear sites without ever mentioning the possibility of a nuclear strike.

Quote; "See also information page on Nuclear Security of Nuclear Facilities and Material.

Since the World Trade Centre attacks in New York in 2001 there has been increased concern about the consequences of a large aircraft being used to attack a nuclear facility with the purpose of releasing radioactive materials. Various studies have looked at similar attacks on nuclear power plants. They show that nuclear reactors would be more resistant to such attacks than virtually any other civil installations – see Appendix. A  thorough study was undertaken by the US Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) using specialist consultants and paid for by the US Dept. of Energy. It concludes that US reactor structures "are robust and (would) protect the fuel from impacts of large commercial aircraft".

The analyses used a fully-fuelled Boeing 767-400 of over 200 tonnes as the basis, at 560 km/h – the maximum speed for precision flying near the ground. The wingspan is greater than the diameter of reactor containment buildings and the 4.3 tonne engines are 15 metres apart. Hence analyses focused on single engine direct impact on the centreline – since this would be the most penetrating missile – and on the impact of the entire aircraft if the fuselage hit the centreline (in which case the engines would ricochet off the sides). In each case no part of the aircraft or its fuel would penetrate the containment. Other studies have confirmed these findings.

Penetrating (even relatively weak) reinforced concrete requires multiple hits by high speed artillery shells or specially-designed "bunker busting" ordnance – both of which are well beyond what terrorists are likely to deploy. Thin-walled, slow-moving, hollow aluminium aircraft, hitting containment-grade heavily-reinforced concrete disintegrate, with negligible penetration. But further (see Sept 2002 Science paper and Jan 2003 Response & Comments), realistic assessments from decades of analyses, lab work and testing, find that the consequence of even the worst realistic scenarios – core melting and containment failure – can cause few if any deaths to the public, regardless of the scenario that led to the core melt and containment failure. This conclusion was documented in a 1981 EPRI study, reported and widely circulated in many languages, by Levenson and Rahn in Nuclear Technology.

In 1988 Sandia National Laboratories in USA demonstrated the unequal distribution of energy absorption that occurs when an aircraft impacts a massive, hardened target. The test involved a rocket-propelled F4 Phantom jet (about 27 tonnes, with both engines close together in the fuselage) hitting a 3.7m thick slab of concrete at 765 km/h. This was to see whether a proposed Japanese nuclear power plant could withstand the impact of a heavy aircraft. It showed how most of the collision energy goes into the destruction of the aircraft itself – about 96% of the aircraft's kinetic energy went into the its destruction and some penetration of the concrete – while the remaining 4% was dissipated in accelerating the 700-tonne slab. The maximum penetration of the concrete in this experiment was 60 mm, but comparison with fixed reactor containment needs to take account of the 4% of energy transmitted to the slab. See also video clip.

As long ago as the late 1970s, the UK Central Electricity Generating Board considered the possibility of a fully-laden and fully-fuelled large passenger aircraft being hijacked and deliberately crashed into a nuclear reactor. The main conclusions were that an airliner would tend to break up as it hit various buildings such as the reactor hall, and that those pieces would have little effect on the concrete biological shield surrounding the reactor. Any kerosene fire would also have little effect on that shield. In the 1980s in the USA, at least some plants were designed to take a hit from a fully-laden large military transport aircraft and still be able to achieve and maintain cold shutdown.

The study of a 1970s US power plant in a highly-populated area is assessing the possible effects of a successful terrorist attack which causes both meltdown of the core and a large breach in the containment structure – both extremely unlikely. It shows that a large fraction of the most hazardous radioactive isotopes, like those of iodine and tellurium, would never leave the site.

Much of the radioactive material would stick to surfaces inside the containment or becomes soluble salts that remain in the damaged containment building. Some radioactive material would nonetheless enter the environment some hours after the attack in this extreme scenario and affect areas up to several kilometres away. The extent and timing of this means that with walking-pace evacuation inside this radius it would not be a major health risk. However it could leave areas contaminated and hence displace people in the same way as a natural disaster, giving rise to economic rather than health consequences.

Looking at spent fuel storage pools, similar analyses showed no breach. Dry storage and transport casks retained their integrity. "There would be no release of radionuclides to the environment".

Similarly, the massive structures mean that any terrorist attack even inside a plant (which are well defended) and causing loss of cooling, core melting and breach of containment would not result in any significant radioactive releases.

However, while the main structures are robust, the 2001 attacks did lead to increased security requirements and plants were required by NRC to install barriers, bulletproof security stations and other physical modifications which in the USA are estimated by the industry association to have cost some $2 billion across the country.

See also Science magazine article 2002 and Appendix.

Switzerland's Nuclear Safety Inspectorate studied a similar scenario and reported in 2003 that the danger of any radiation release from such a crash would be low for the older plants and extremely low for the newer ones.

The conservative design criteria which caused most power reactors to be shrouded by massive containment structures with biological shield has provided peace of mind in a suicide terrorist context. Ironically and as noted earlier, with better understanding of what happens in a core melt accident inside, they are now seen to be not nearly as necessary in that accident mitigation role as was originally assumed.": https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/safety-of-nuclear-power-reactors

 I highly recommend that you follow the link to: https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/security/security-of-nuclear-facilities-and-material for you will discover that whilst conventional strikes against nuclear power plants are at least mentioned (although hardly discussed at any length), there is still no mention made of nuclear attacks.

 Those of us who have studied these issues are, I'm afraid, very far from surprised though, in-fact there is an aphorism within the anti-nuclear community that informs one that; "You can rely on the nuclear industry for one thing and one thing only lies!"

 Thankfully The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), that represents one of the very few organisations with anything like a decent public profile, does feel able to tell it like it is, quote; "The blast and heat impacts of  even a small nuclear weapon (e.g. 10kT) would blow apart a nuclear reactor, and any containment buildings in the vicinity. The radioactive components within the reactor and stored fuel rods would be highly fragmented, and in some cases vaporised, and would contribute additional radioactive particles to the smoke and debris transported downwind from the blast centre. It is estimated that 100% of the Cesium-137 contained in reactor cores and spent fuel pools would be released into the environment following a nuclear attack on a nuclear power plant*. The combined impact could release tens of millions of curies of Cesium-137, and it is estimated that 2,000 square kilometres are rendered uninhabitable by every million curies released.": https://www.icanw.org/what_about_attacks_on_nuclear_facilities?__cf_chl_tk=9uZAVxYnpGm6_hY3x4aJVTW4o9_PnvCeqXDUtcWcoXQ-1771404556-1.0.1.1-XjBVGlm3NctNeT9b239OGfR34M8FtMKQdjRE8jhj8nc

 Lets also not forget that all sizeable energy, manufacturing and resource extraction facilities would in any case be targeted during a major exchange regardless of their immediate military significance.

*Italics mine. Also see The Ninth Circle Pt.1 #ColdWarDiaries #PTSD #shellshock #truama #socialscience #coldcollationagain #comeGabrielblowyourhorn, quote; "although a worse betrayal has been (in my opinion), perpetrated by those "liberals" who failed to see-the-wood-for-the-trees because they were too timid to fully embrace a non-nuclear future and have been happy to live a lie, to this very day of publication, entangled in an indulgent web of such wish-fulfillments": https://www.arafel.co.uk/2026/02/the-ninth-circle-coldwardiaries-ptsd.html

https://www.channel5.com/show/the-chernobyl-disaster/season-1/the-chernobyl-disaster-meltdown