US presses Japan to hand back 300 kg of plutonium

Business Standard ^ | January 27, 2014

[TigerLikesRooster]

US presses Japan to hand back 300 kg of plutonium

IANS | Tokyo January 27, 2014 Last Updated at 04:34 IST

Japan's key ally the US has been pressing the country to return more than 300 kg of mostly weapon-grade plutonium that it exported to Japan for research purposes during the Cold War era, media reported.

The plutonium that is stored at a fast critical assembly in Tokaimura in Japan's Ibaraki prefecture could be used to produce 40-50 nuclear weapons, reported Japan's Kyodo News, citing unnamed Japanese and US government officials, according to Xinhua.

Japan has strongly resisted the demand raised by US President Barack Obama's administration, but it finally gave in to repeated demands, Kyodo said.

The two countries since last year have been seriously discussing the issue as the US plans to reach an accord with Japan at the third nuclear security summit in March in the Netherlands, according to the report.

The fast critical assembly belonging to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency is the country's only critical assembly designed to study characteristics of fast reactors.

The Japanese ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology and other researchers have argued that the plutonium in question is needed for research and vital for producing good data, said Kyodo.

At present, Japan has another estimated 44 tonnes of plutonium, but its quality is not on par with the plutonium used for research purposes, Kyodo quoted a Japanese expert as saying.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

That would set Red China back about 500 MILLION People, more or less.

I like it!

[helpfulresearcher]

It’s a trade to China in exchange for propping up the US Dollar.

You keep the Dollar as reserve currency, and we will take care of that pesky Japan for you by disarming it.

The Senkaku islands would be more easy to take.

[KoRn]

"That would set Red China back about 500 MILLION People, more or less."

That would barely be enough to make China mad. lol

[2001convSVT]

Japan's response:
“Okay. As soon as you return all of Germany's gold.”

Perfect response!

[Moltke]

I was thinking more along the lines of "we'll trade you for all of Germany's gold."

Why would Japan care whether Germany got its gold back, after all?

[Jewbacca]

Japan needs to build nukes, as does Taiwan.

[Paladin2]

The US should stockpile U and Pu at Fort Knox (as these is likely no Au there anymore.).

[DemforBush]

I suspect this has something to do with Project Gojira...

[TheDandyMan]

Here, here.

Let them build some decent missiles and put the Chinese on watch.

[Gay State Conservative]

No way will Japan be allowed a nuke but Iran? “What difference does it make”?

[PapaBear3625]

The plutonium that is stored at a fast critical assembly in Tokaimura in Japan's Ibaraki prefecture could be used to produce 40-50 nuclear weapons,

And Japanese F-15 pilots can deliver them to China.

[Diggity]

China told him to do it.

[RitchieAprile]

and they’ll be singing “..We are gentlemen of Japan..”