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a The Soviet Union has discovered a way to test nuclear weapons without exploding them and has offered the secret to Washington, a senior Kremlin official said in February. "We think that we have another method to check on our nuclear arsenal,” said Mr Gennady Gerasimov, head of the Foreign Ministry's information department. He also noted that the Soviets were free to resume nuclear testing as a result of the US continuing with nuclear testing in Nevada. Moscow stopped all nuclear test explosions 18 months earlier in a_ self-imposed moratorium which America declined to join because, it said, Russia was winning the ARCTIC ARCTIC MYSTERY a CLOUDS Strange clouds have been ising in inexplicably huge, icy plumes over the Soviet Union's Arctic coastline for several years. The clouds are similar in appearance to volcanic plumes and disappear within a few hours of their mysterious arrival, baffling Westem experts. Many periodically bloom over Novaya Zemlya, a Soviet island long used for Arctic nuclear tests, but scientists can find no correlation between their appearances and Soviet weapons’ tests (which are usually detected seismically). There is no volcanic activity in the area. The plumes grow to 300 km in length and are larger than could be produced by any detectable nuclear explosion. They were first spotted by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1984, who speculate that we may be witnessing Soviet research into nuclear winter effects or “weather modification" experiments. or 10 SOVIETS OFFER NUCLEAR SECRET The Soviet Union has discovered a way to test nuclear weapons without exploding them and has offered the secret to Washington, a senior Kremlin official said in February. "We think that we have another method to check on our nuclear arsenal,” said Mr Gennady Gerasimov, head of the Foreign Ministry's information department. He also noted that the Soviets were free to resume nuclear testing as a result of the US continuing with nuclear testing in Nevada. Movexno stopped all nuclear test explosions aie Go i ld —— ee \2 A Ace. Pie ate Sheed of siuteetnenselicieeteteteneelinenendinetd sanded 18 months earlier in a_ self-imposed A Foreign Affairs Deparunent moratorium which America declined to join NUCLEAR spokesman said Australia would be because, it said, Russia was winning the ANTARCTIC THREAT “gravely concemed” if South Africa planned arms race. Antarctic nuclear tests. Asked if renewed Russian testing would South Africa has decided to build an South Africa, which has not ratified the ensure that their nuclear stockpiles worked, airstrip on Marion Island, 2,000km south- Nuclear Proliferation Treaty, is reported to Mr Gerasimov said; east of Cape Town in a plan claimed in be able to produce two nuclear hombs each “We even said that if the United States Britain to be designed to prepare the site for year at a ‘secret’ nuclear plant at Pelindaba cites this particular reason (checking testing nuclear missiles in the Antarctic. near Pretoria, which, unlike the country's stockpiles) for their testing, we are ready to "South Africa probably exploded a other three reactors, is out of bounds to give them all our secrets - how we manage nuclear test device in the area in 1979 and International Atomic Energy Agency to test our muciear weapons without the airstrip is very likely to have military inspectors. actually having nuclear explosions.” implications,” said Mr Frank Barnaby, a Despite satellite observations to the oe eee British nuclear expert and former director of contrary, South Africa neither confirms nor ARCTIC the Stockholm International Peace denies it detonated a test device in 1979 but MYSTERY Research Institute. has denied having nuclear weapons. The The airstrip will be large enough to Israelis deny that they have nuclear CLOUDS handle C-130 Hercules transport planes and weapons as well, but experts clarify that is claimed by South Africa to be important Israel is technically telling the truth in that Strange clouds have been rising in for the well-being of 24 scientists stationed their weapons are not fully assembled. inexplicably huge, icy plumes over the on Marion Island and as a site for search Assembling the weapons would take a Sovriae Veiou's Asctie constiine fbr sewesal and rescue operations. The scientific station few minutes. years itself was surprised by the news and deemed The clonds are similar in appearance to the airstrip unnecessary.. Experts doubt the WHAT GOES UP (1) volcanic plumes and disappear within a few runway will be used for civil purposes. NUCLEAR ANTARCTIC THREAT oo The good news about the Challenger disaster is that the next space shuttle flight was a military project designed to carry, among other things, forty pounds (18kg) of plutonium into orbit for use in orbital x-ray lasers (generated by nuclear detonation in a spherical screen with a ~gun barrel’ pointing at the target). These contravene the Space Weapons treaty of the early 1960s. One millionth of one gram of plutonium is lethal if inhaled, Both South African and Israeli military officers have visited the island over the past two years, fuelling speculation about Israeli - South African nuclear weapons co- operation. (Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli nuclear technician who is on trial in Jerusalem, claims that Israeli nuclear scientists regularly visit South Africa). SOVIETS OFFER — NUCLEAR SECRET WHAT GOES UP (1) Nexus New Times