Libyan Authorities Introduce Captured British “Al-Qaeda” Affiliate to the Press

Libyan Authorities Introduce ‘Al-Qaeda Affiliate’ to the Press

Salah Abu Oba addressing a news conference in prison

On Tuesday, journalists were taken to to the prison to meet a man the Libyan government said was captured on the battlefield and at a conference room, an official, Ibrahim Moussa introduced a man dressed in a black sweatshirt by the name of Saleh Abu Oba, whom Moussa said, was an Al Qaeda affiliate.

“I can’t believe I’m sitting next to al-Qaida affiliate. I’m just talking as if this is just a daily thing. This is the person. His name is Saleh Abu Oba,” Moussa said as he went on with the introduction.

“When we talk about al-Qaeda, it does not have to mean affiliating yourself directly to the caves in Afghanistan,” Moussa said. “It’s a concept; it’s a theory; it’s an ideology; it’s a method of working and fighting.”

The it was Oba’s turn to talk. With Moussa acting as translatorrr, Oba explained that he was a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – well-known Islamist radicals in Libya who have long opposed Muammar Al Qathafi. As he went on, Moussa that Oba had expected to form part of a peaceful uprising, but he got disillusioned when things became violent.

Moussa went on to say, that then, Oba heard European countries, foreign countries, had their warships, and he believed that foreign military intervention was to happen. And he said, ‘I said to myself, I don’t care how much I have difference with the government, I will not allow foreign armies to come in to Libya.’”

The Libyan government set out to prove what it had been insisting all along, that is, that it wasn’t at war with its own people. The enemy is al-Qaida and that those behind the uprising are Islamist radicals from outside Libya .

Oba was said to have been arrested in Zawiyah, a city west of Tripoli. He said that until recently, he was living in Manchester, England, where his wife and children remain.

British reporters asked him to recite his ZIP code, and phone number. He quoted one, then insisted he attended the press conference of his own free will. He made no agreement he’d made with the government.

HAZARDS OF BOILING WATER REACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES–March, 1996

[It is nearly impossible, at this point, to find a reference on the "Mark 1" nuclear reactor since this Time article, but I managed to dig-up the following, including the 600+ page NRC report it is based on.  WASH-1400, Reactor Safety Study (See it in full at this link, but it is too long for a regular post.).]

HAZARDS OF BOILING WATER REACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

BACKGROUND Of the 110 operational nuclear power reactors in the United States, thirty-five are boiling water reactors (BWR). General Electric is the sole designer and manufacturer of BWRs in the United States. The BWR’s distinguishing feature is that the reactor vessel serves as the boiler for the nuclear steam supply system. The steam is generated in the reactor vessel by the controlled fissioning of enriched uranium fuel which passes directly to the turbogenerator to generate electricity. LACK OF CONTAINMENT INTEGRITY DURING A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT The purpose of a reactor containment system is to create a barrier against the release of radioactivity generated during nuclear power operations from certain “design basis” accidents, such as increased pressure from a single pipe break. It is important to understand that nuclear power plants are not required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to remain intact as a barrier to all possible accidents or “non-design basis” accidents, such as the melting of reactor fuel. All nuclear reactors can have accidents which can exceed the design basis of their containment. But even basic questions about the the GE containment design remain unanswered and its integrity in serious doubt. For example, eighteen of these BWRs use a smaller GE Mark I pressure suppression containment conceived as a cost-saving alternative to the larger reinforced concrete containments marketed by competitors. A large inverted light-bulb-shaped steel structure called “the drywell” is constructed of a steel liner and a concrete drywell shield wall enclosing the reactor vessel. The atmosphere of the drywell is connected through large diameter pipes to a large hollow doughnut-shaped pressure suppression pool called “the torus”, or wetwell, which is half-filled with water. In the event of a loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA), steam would be released into the drywell and directed underwater in the torus where it is supposed to condense, thus suppressing a pressure buildup in the containment. However, as early as 1972, Dr. Stephen Hanuaer, an Atomic Energy Commission safety official, recommended that the pressure suppression system be discontinued and any further designs not be accepted for construction permits. Shortly thereafter, three General Electric nuclear engineers publicly resigned their prestigious positions citing dangerous shortcomings in the GE design. An NRC analysis of the potential failure of the Mark I under accident conditions concluded in a 1985 report that Mark I failure within the first few hours following core melt would appear rather likely.” In 1986, Harold Denton, then the NRC’s top safety official, told an industry trade group that the “Mark I containment, especially being smaller with lower design pressure, in spite of the suppression pool, if you look at the WASH 1400 safety study, you’ll find something like a 90% probability of that containment failing.” In order to protect the Mark I containment from a total rupture it was determined necessary to vent any high pressure buildup. As a result, an industry workgroup designed and installed the “direct torus vent system” at all Mark I reactors. Operated from the control room, the vent is a reinforced pipe installed in the torus and designed to release radioactive high pressure steam generated in a severe accident by allowing the unfiltered release directly to the atmosphere through the 300 foot vent stack. Reactor operators now have the option by direct action to expose the public and the environment to unknown amounts of harmful radiation in order to “save containment.” As a result of GE’s design deficiency, the original idea for a passive containment system has been dangerously compromised and given over to human control with all its associated risks of error and technical failure. DETERIORATION OF BWR SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS It is becoming increasingly clear that the aging of reactor components poses serious economic and safety risks at BWRs. A report by NRC published in 1993 confirmed that age-related degradation in BWRs will damage or destroy many vital safety-related components inside the reactor vessel before the forty year license expires. The NRC report states “Failure of internals could create conditions that may challenge the integrity the reactor primary containment systems.” The study looked at major components in the reactor vessel and found that safety-related parts were vulnerable to failure as the result of the deterioration of susceptible materials (Type 304 stainless steel ) due to chronic radiation exposure, heat, fatigue, and corrosive chemistry. One such safety-related component is the core shroud and it is also an indicator of cracking in other vital components through the reactor made of the same material. Core Shroud Cracking The core shroud is a large stainless steel cylinder of circumferentially welded plates surrounding the reactor fuel core. The shroud provides for the core geometry of the fuel bundles. It is integral to providing a refloodable compartment in the event of a loss-of-coolant-accident. Extensive cracking of circumferential welds on the core shroud has been discovered in a growing number of U.S. and foreign BWRs. A lateral shift along circumferential cracks at the welds by as little as 1/8 inch can result in the misalignment of the fuel and the inability to insert the control rods coupled with loss of fuel core cooling capability. This scenario can result in a core melt accident. A German utility operating a GE BWR where extensive core shroud cracking was identified estimated the cost of replacement at $65 million dollars. The Wuergassen reactor, Germany’s oldest boiling water reactor, was closed in 1995 after wary German nuclear regulators rejected a plan to repair rather than replace the reactor’s cracked core shroud. Rather than address the central issue of age related deterioration, U.S. BWR operators now opt for a dangerous piecemeal approach of patching cracking parts at least cost but increased risk. Paul Gunter, NIRS, March, 1996

Vermont Yankee license on hold

VASTATION IN JAPAN

NRC says delay result of agency’s staff shortage

Critics say the design of the nearly 40-year-old Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is similar to the most compromised reactor of the plant at the heart of Japan’s crisis. (Entergy/ Associated Press)

By Beth DaleyGlobe Staff

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday put a temporary hold on a 20-year license extension for the controversial Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The commission had instructed its staff to issue the renewal last Thursday, the day before the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Spokesman Neil Sheehan attributed the delay to the fact that manpower is short while the agency focuses resources on helping Japan deal with the unfolding nuclear crisis triggered by the natural disaster.

But opponents of the nearly 40-year-old plant, who note it is the same design as the most compromised reactor in Japan, said the delay should be far longer — until the agency can assure the public the plant is safe.

Vermont Yankee, in Vernon near the Massachusetts border, has suffered a series of problems in recent years that have frayed the public trust, including the collapse of a cooling tower and leaks of tritium into groundwater from underground pipes that company officials initially said were not there.

“I think it is prudent to take a step back and say this reactor design is having serious problems in Japan,’’ said James Moore, clean energy program director for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “The last thing we should do is say it is good to go for another 20 years past its expiration date.’’

Germany yesterday shut down seven aging plants until they can be assessed for safety following the Japanese crisis. In Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered a review at all Russian nuclear facilities. India’s plants are also undergoing a review.

The Obama administration, however, has not ordered any similar review and has continued to back nuclear power through the crisis, saying it would learn lessons from Japan’s nuclear problems. President Obama has embraced nuclear power, requesting $36 billion for government-backed loans to help the nuclear industry build additional plants.

While the delay has given some hope to opponents of the Yankee plant, it is unclear whether there is any possibility, legally, of the commission reversing the decision it made last week, when it allowed staff to issue the license.

A spokesman for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has been calling for a delay in the issuing of the plant’s license because of the nuclear crisis in Japan, said last night that the short-term delay is welcome, even if it appears to be for bureaucratic reasons such as staffing shortages.

But the spokesman, Michael Briggs, said the senator still is hoping for a full reevaluation of the plant in light of the events in Japan.

He said officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are scheduled to appear at a Senate oversight hearing today and Sanders hopes to get more answers then.

Yesterday, Vermont Yankee spokesman Larry Smith said it was his understanding the delay was merely a temporary one and the license would be issued soon.

The timing of the Japanese crisis couldn’t be worse for the nuclear industry, as it attempts a broad rebirth as a green energy source to combat global warming; the reactors do not emit greenhouse gases that cause the atmosphere to warm.

Vermont Yankee provides roughly one-third of the Green Mountain State’s electricity, for the most part inexpensively.

That low cost, and the more than 600 jobs the plant provides, has won it some support in the state.

Still, antinuclear sentiment, always an undercurrent in this liberal state because of the dangers of radioactive releases and waste, grew stronger in 2006 after the plant received NRC permission to increase its power output by 20 percent.

Donovan Slack contributed to this story. Beth Daley can be reached atbdaley@globe.com.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

Experts Had Long Criticized Potential Weakness in Design of Stricken Reactor

By TOM ZELLER Jr.

Jiji Press/Agence France-Presse – Getty Images

A fuel storage pool in the Fukushima plant reactor building. Surrounding this and reactors like it is a containment vessel, the last line of defense if cooling fails.

 

The warnings were stark and issued repeatedly as far back as 1972: If the cooling systems ever failed at a “Mark 1” nuclear reactor, the primary containment vessel surrounding the reactor would probably burst as the fuel rods inside overheated. Dangerous radiation would spew into the environment.

Now, with one Mark 1 containment vessel damaged at the embattled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and other vessels there under severe strain, the weaknesses of the design — developed in the 1960s by General Electric — could be contributing to the unfolding catastrophe.

When the ability to cool a reactor is compromised, the containment vessel is the last line of defense. Typically made of steel and concrete, it is designed to prevent — for a time — melting fuel rods from spewing radiation into the environment if cooling efforts completely fail.

In some reactors, known as pressurized water reactors, the system is sealed inside a thick steel-and-cement tomb. Most nuclear reactors around the world are of this type.

But the type of containment vessel and pressure suppression system used in the failing reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant is physically less robust, and it has long been thought to be more susceptible to failure in an emergency than competing designs. In the United States, 23 reactors at 16 locations use the Mark 1 design, including the Oyster Creek plant in central New Jersey, the Dresden plant near Chicago and the Monticello plant near Minneapolis.

G.E. began making the Mark 1 boiling-water reactors in the 1960s, marketing them as cheaper and easier to build — in part because they used a comparatively smaller and less expensive containment structure.

American regulators began identifying weaknesses very early on.

In 1972, Stephen H. Hanauer, then a safety official with the Atomic Energy Commission, recommended that the Mark 1 system be discontinued because it presented unacceptable safety risks. Among the concerns cited was the smaller containment design, which was more susceptible to explosion and rupture from a buildup in hydrogen — a situation that may have unfolded at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Later that same year, Joseph Hendrie, who would later become chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a successor agency to the atomic commission, said the idea of a ban on such systems was attractive. But the technology had been so widely accepted by the industry and regulatory officials, he said, that “reversal of this hallowed policy, particularly at this time, could well be the end of nuclear power.”

In an e-mail on Tuesday, David Lochbaum, director of the Nuclear Safety Program at the Union for Concerned Scientists, said those words seemed ironic now, given the potential global ripples from the Japanese accident.

“Not banning them might be the end of nuclear power,” said Mr. Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer who spent 17 years working in nuclear facilities, including three that used the G.E. design.

Questions about the design escalated in the mid-1980s, when Harold Denton, an official with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, asserted that Mark 1 reactors had a 90 percent probability of bursting should the fuel rods overheat and melt in an accident.

Industry officials disputed that assessment, saying the chance of failure was only about 10 percent.

Michael Tetuan, a spokesman for G.E.’s water and power division, staunchly defended the technology this week, calling it “the industry’s workhorse with a proven track record of safety and reliability for more than 40 years.”

Mr. Tetuan said there are currently 32 Mark 1 boiling-water reactors operating safely around the globe. “There has never been a breach of a Mark 1 containment system,” he said.

Several utilities and plant operators also threatened to sue G.E. in the late 1980s after the disclosure of internal company documents dating back to 1975 that suggested that the containment vessel designs were either insufficiently tested or had flaws that could compromise safety.

The Mark 1 reactors in the United States have undergone a variety of modifications since the initial concerns were raised. Among these, according to Mr. Lochbaum, were changes to the torus — a water-filled vessel encircling the primary containment vessel that is used to reduce pressure in the reactor. In early iterations, steam rushing from the primary vessel into the torus under high pressure could cause the vessel to jump off the floor.

In the late 1980s, all Mark 1 reactors in the United States were also retrofitted with venting systems to help reduce pressure in an overheating situation.

It is not clear precisely what modifications were made to the Japanese boiling-water reactors now failing, but James Klapproth, the chief nuclear engineer for General Electric Hitachi, said a venting system was in place at the Fukushima plants to help relieve pressure.

The specific role of the G.E. design in the Fukushima crisis is likely to be a matter of debate, and it is possible that any reactor design could succumb to the one-two punch of an earthquake and tsunami like those that occurred last week in Japan.

Although G.E.’s liability would seem limited in Japan — largely because the regulatory system in that country places most liability on the plant operator — the company’s stock fell 31 cents to $19.61 in trading Tuesday.

Did Saudis broker a deal to repair Pakistan-US ties, In Exchange for Saudi Troops In Bahrain?

Will S. Arabia broker a deal to repair Pakistan-US ties?

 

With the U.S.-Pakistan dispute over CIA contractor Raymond Davis stuck in Pakistani courts, newspapers are reporting that the two countries’ common ally, Saudi Arabia, may step in to defuse the deepening crisis between them.

The high court in Lahore, where Davis shot dead two people in what he said was an act of self-defence in January, on Monday declined to rule on whether he  has diplomatic immunity. The court referred the question of immunity to a criminal court which is dealing with murder charges against him.

Given Pakistan’s cumbersome legal system which takes years to resolve disputes, something which both the United States and Pakistan would like to avoid, Pakistani newspapers say  Saudi Arabia is playing a behind-the-scenes role to find an out of court settlement.

“All eyes on Saudi role in resolving Davis row,” read a headline in daily The News on March 9.

According to the report, the Saudi government would try to resolve the issue in line with Qisas — an Islamic injunction which allows the settlement of murder cases through payment of blood-money to the relatives.

The News said Marc Grossman, the new U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan who replaced Richard Holbrooke, discussed the issue of payment of Qisas with Saudi authorities on the sidelines of an international conference in Jeddah earlier this month.

Titled “Saudi ambassador comes up with ‘Raymond offer’, daily The Nation reported that Saudi envoy to Pakistan, Abdul Aziz bin Ibrahim al Ghadeer, discussed the issue separately with Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Malik last week.

Quoting unnamed “informed sources”, the paper said the Saudi government had offered to take the families to Mecca for a religious pilgrimage in an attempt to persuade them to accept the blood money in return for pardoning Davis.

The paper said a senior Saudi official neither confirmed nor denied the reports and said, “There are certain things that can’t be commented on, not even tentatively.” The government is tight-lipped over these reports though Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was quoted as saying that Saudi role could not be ruled out if issue was to be resolved through Qisas law.

The Davis case has fuelled anti-Americanism in Pakistan and the weak government of President Asif Ali Zardari has been under tremendous pressure, particularly from hardline Islamist groups, to put Davis on trial for murder despite U.S. assertions that he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

The case has also strained relations between the CIA and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which says it was unaware Davis was working in Pakistan.

But despite rising anti-Americanism and the ISI’s grievances, many analysts believe the issue can be resolved if the Saudi government, venerated as the custodian of Islam’s two holiest places, intervenes.

“The military is miffed with the CIA for taking them for a ride but they also realise the gravity of the situation if the standoff between Islamabad and Washington continues,” The News quoted a diplomat as saying.

“It is the clergy which has the street power but once the Saudi clergy prevails upon the mullahs here, a lot of give and take can take place.”

Paraded on Libyan TV, the rebel ‘Al Qaeda fighter’ from Britain

By NICK MCDERMOTT

 

A British citizen captured in Libya has been branded an Islamic terrorist by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Salah Mohammed Ali Aboaoba was paraded in front of the world press yesterday by officials who claim he has been helping Al Qaeda fuel unrest in the country.

Flanked by officers, the father-of-four said he was a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a terrorist organisation banned in Britain.

Confession? Salah Mohammed Ali Aboaoba, right, on Libyan state TV yesterday

Terrorist? Mr Aboaoba claimed he raised money for his group at the Didsbury Mosque in Manchester, but last night a spokesman for the centre said they had never heard of him

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Aboaoba said he moved from Yemen to Britain in 2005 and travelled to Libya late last year.

He claimed he had been granted asylum in the UK and lives with his family in Manchester, where he raised funds for his jihadist group.

‘I do indeed have British nationality,’ he said. ‘I was not involved in any terrorist activity against Britain, apart from my funding involvement with the LIFG.’

More…

• In full retreat, Libya’s ‘Mad Max’ rebel army as they flee the wrath of Colonel Gaddafi
• Capital of Bahrain deserted as 1,000 Saudi Arabia troops enter and king declares state of emergency
• Libyan rebels defeated in last enclave west of Tripoli as Gaddafi forces advance on Benghazi
• PETER MCKAY: What do we do about Gaddafi? Let Arabs take him out

He claimed to have raised money for his group at the Didsbury Mosque in Manchester, but last night a spokesman for the centre said they had never heard of either Mr Aboaoba or the LIFG.

At his home in the city, his pregnant wife Ebitsam Salagh said she was unaware of his whereabouts and did not know he had been arrested. She said she thought he had been visiting family in Libya.

BAHRAIN ADOPTS MARTIAL LAW TO CRUSH PROTESTS

Bahrain declared a three-month state of emergency yesterday to try to end weeks of pro-democracy protests.

The armed forces in the tiny island kingdom have been given the powers of martial law to crush a Shiite-led campaign against the Sunni monarchy.

On Monday, the security forces were reinforced by 1,000 troops from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and a further 500 from the United Arab Emirates.

The unrest shows no sign of ending and medics reported yesterday that hundreds of protesters had been wounded and one killed.

Thousands have marched on the Saudi embassy in the capital Manama, protesting against the arrival of troops and calling them a ‘force of occupation’.

Foreign affairs analysts say Riyadh fears that concessions in Bahrain could inspire the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia.

‘People are angry. We want this occupation to end. We don’t want anybody to help the Al Khalifa or us,’ said a protester, who gave his name as Salman, referring to the Bahraini ruling family.

 

A close family friend, Hedi Saeed, said Mr Aboaoba was an unlikely candidate for jihad.

‘I can assure you that he has nothing to do with any specific groups. I know him,’ he said. ‘He is not non-Islamic, we are all Islamic by nature.

‘But when you put him in a specific group for fighting, banned or unbanned, I never knew Salah was [involved] in there.’

Meanwhile, Britain sought to keep up the pressure for a no-fly zone over Libya last night by tabling a draft resolution at the UN Security Council.

David Cameron authorised formal proposal of the text, which contains a ‘menu’ of options for restraining Gaddafi’s regime.

Accused: Salah Mohammed Ali Aboaoba is an ‘unlikely candidate for jihad’ close family friend Hedi Saeed said

A rebel fighter fires his anti-aircraft gun as they flee from Ajdabiyah, on the road to Benghazi

The UK and France have been pushing for military intervention to stop the dictator using his air power to bombard towns held by opposition rebels.

Fighting was raging around the eastern town of Ajdabiya last night as forces loyal to Gaddafi pushed into the rebel-held east of Libya.

Amid fading hopes of a Nato no-fly zone, the rebels yesterday launched their own airstrikes against regime ships.

Ajdabiya is the first significant rebel-held population centre in the east to be attacked by Gaddafi. Just 140 miles of empty coast road lie between it and the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

The dictator told Italian newspaper Il Giornale yesterday that the rebels’ options were closing and the people were behind him: ‘There are only two possibilities: Surrender or run away.’

And in a speech to supporters in Tripoli, he denounced the rebels as rats and said the West wanted to steal Libyan oil.

Hard life: Rebel fighters sit on a sofa at a check point in Ajdabiyah

Rebel fighters flee in cars after a tank explodes in Ajdabiyah. Libyan state television claimed that forces loyal to Gaddafi had cleared rebels out of the town which was heavily bombarded before government troops moved in

Evacuation of Chinese Nationals from N.E. Japan To Begin

China prepares to pull its citizens from North-East Japan

AP

Firefighters inspect the damage on a building ruined by Friday’s earthquake and tsunami in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

China’s announcement came as Japan’s nuclear crisis took a dramatic turn for the worse following an explosion and a fire at reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex

China became the first government to organize a mass evacuation of its citizens from Japan’s northeast on Tuesday, while other foreigners left the country following radiation leaks at an earthquake—damaged nuclear power plant.

France recommended that its citizens leave the Japanese capital, while the U.S. government advised Americans to avoid travel to Japan.

China’s announcement came as Japan’s nuclear crisis took a dramatic turn for the worse following an explosion and a fire at reactors at the Fukushima Dai—ichi complex. Japanese authorities said the fire caused radiation to spew into the air and told people living nearby to stay indoors.

The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo said on its website that it was preparing to send buses to remove its nationals from Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki and Iwate prefectures, the hardest—hit provinces.

The embassy said the evacuation was necessary “due to the seriousness of and uncertainty surrounding the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant at present.”

Chinese diplomats were visiting the area to assist Japanese officials, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, in Beijing. She gave no other details of the operation.

The number of Chinese in Japan’s northeast was unclear, but the newspaper Beijing News, citing Japanese government data, said it might be as high as 30,000. Many Chinese work in factories in Japan, and the area around Fukushima is home to numerous small manufacturers.

Tokyo, which is about 170 miles (270 kilometers) from the stricken nuclear complex, reported slightly elevated radiation levels, but officials said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital.

Liezel Strauss, a South African art consultant in Tokyo, decided to leave on Tuesday after her husband and mother called from abroad and said they were very concerned about her.

“Up to this point I was adamant to stay,” Ms. Strauss, 32, said in an exchange of Twitter messages from her mobile phone as she rushed to the airport for a flight to Singapore. She thought the foreign press was overdramatizing, she added, but “now I’m not so sure anymore. Maybe it was time to get out.”

Due to the risk of more earthquakes and uncertainty about the nuclear question, said an e—mail from the French embassy to its citizens, “it seems reasonable to advise that those who have no particular reason to stay in the Tokyo region leave … for a few days.”

Thierry Tropee, a French IT engineer who lives in suburban Tokyo, said he and his Japanese wife took their three—year—old son to her hometown of Nagoya over the weekend, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) west of the capital. The couple plans to join him this week.

Mr. Tropee, 41, said six of his friends – three Indian, two French and one British – are thinking about leaving.

“Right now, I don’t feel comfortable with the situation. It keeps changing every hour,” he said.

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said Americans “should avoid travel to Japan at this time.”

Indian outsourcing firm Infosys Technologies, which has a work force of 250 in Japan, was making arrangements for Indian employees to go home after they asked to leave, spokeswoman Sarah Gideon said.

But a group of 16 global banks including Citigroup, Bank of America and Societe General issued a joint statement saying they were operating normally. They denied what they said were rumours they had evacuated staff.

“It’s business as usual for us,” said a JP Morgan spokeswoman, Sachiko Hasegawa.

Beijing’s evacuation comes just weeks after turmoil in Libya prompted the Chinese government to send planes and ferries with military escort to bring home more than 32,000 workers from the North African nation.

Other foreign nationals said they were staying put, for now.

“We are keeping our eye on the situation, but it doesn’t seem it has reached the point that we have to pack up and run,” said John Ricciardi, a 35—year—old New Yorker who translates foreign video games into Japanese. He noted conflicting rumours “flying around – what’s legit and what’s not.”

Fukushima Plant Workers Return To Job After Radiation Spikes Had Forced Work Stoppage

[In the report below, it is claimed by the Defense Ministry that helicopters making water-drops was not being considered, even though this report from The Hindu states that high radiation levels had scuttled previous attempts.]

Japan prepares to restart work at nuclear plant

By ERIC TALMADGE and SHINO YUASA Associated Press © 2011 The Associated Press

 

FUKUSHIMA, Japan — Surging radiation levels forced Japan to order emergency workers to temporarily withdraw from its crippled nuclear plant Wednesday, losing time in a desperate operation to cool the overheating reactors — the most urgent crisis from last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The technicians were dousing the nuclear reactors with seawater in a frantic effort to cool them when they had to retreat in the late morning. The plant’s operator ordered the technicians back to the site in the evening after radiation levels subsided.

In the hours in between, it was not clear what if any operations continued. Officials gave only sparse information about reactors.

But conditions at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant appeared to be worsening. White steam-like clouds drifted up from one reactor which, the government said, likely emitted the burst of radiation that led to the workers’ withdrawal. The plant’s operator reported a fire at another reactor for the second time in two days.

At one point, national broadcaster NHK showed military helicopters lifting off to survey radiation levels above the complex, preparing to dump water onto the most troubled reactors in a desperate effort to cool them down. The defense ministry later said those flights were a drill, and it had no plans to make an airborne water drop.

“The anxiety and anger being felt by people in Fukushima have reached a boiling point,” the governor of Fukushima prefecture, Yuhei Sato, fumed in an interview with NHK. He criticized preparations for an evacuation if conditions worsen and said centers already housing people moved from nearby the plant do not have enough hot meals and basic necessities.

The nuclear crisis has triggered international alarm and partly overshadowed the human tragedy caused by Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent tsunami, a blast of black seawater that pulverized Japan’s northeastern coastline. The quake was one of the strongest recorded in history.

Millions of people struggled for a fifth day with little food, water or heat, and already chilly temperatures turned to snow in many areas. Police say more than 452,000 people are staying in temporary shelters, often sleeping on the floor in school gymnasiums.

Nearly 3,700 people are officially listed as dead, but officials believe the toll will climb over 10,000 since several thousand more are listed as missing.

In an extremely rare address to the nation, Emperor Akihito expressed condolences and urged Japan not to give up.

“It is important that each of us shares the difficult days that lie ahead,” said Akihito, 77, a figure deeply respected across the country. “I pray that we will all take care of each other and overcome this tragedy.”

He also expressed his worries over the nuclear crisis, saying: “With the help of those involved I hope things will not get worse.”

Since the quake and wave hit, authorities have been struggling to avert an environmental catastrophe at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, 140 miles (220 kilometers) north of Tokyo. The tsunami knocked out the backup diesel generators needed to keep nuclear fuel cool at the plant’s six reactors, setting off the atomic crisis.

In the city of Fukushima, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) inland from the nuclear complex, hundreds of harried government workers, police officers and others struggled to stay on top of the situation in a makeshift command center.

An entire floor of one of the prefecture’s office buildings had been taken over by people tracking evacuations, power needs, death tolls and food supplies.

In one room, uniformed soldiers evaluated radiation readings on maps posted across a wall. In another, senior officials were in meetings throughout the day, while nuclear power industry representatives held impromptu briefings before rows of media cameras.

Wednesday’s radiation spike was believed to have come from Unit 3, where workers are struggling with a fuel storage pond believed to be leaking radiation, as well as possible damage to the containment vessel — the thick concrete armor built around the reactor — that would allow radiation to escape.

“The workers cannot carry out even minimal work at the plant now,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Wednesday morning at briefing aired on television, as smoke billowed above the complex. “Because of the radiation risk we are on standby.”

With no workers on site, efforts to cool the reactors likely ceased altogether, said Michael Friedlander, a former nuclear power plant operator who worked at a General Electric boiling water reactor in the United States similar to the stricken ones in Japan.

“They’re in right now is what’s called a feed-and-bleed mode. In order to keep the core covered and keep the reactor cool they have to feed in water,” said Friedlander, who is currently based in Hong Kong. “It’s something that they physically have to be present to do.”

Elevated levels of radiation were detected well outside the 20-mile (30-kilometer) emergency area around the plants. In Ibaraki prefecture, just south of Fukushima, officials said radiation levels were about 300 times normal levels by late morning.

A little radiation was also detected in Tokyo, triggering panic buying of food and water.

Given the reported radiation levels, John Price, an Australian-based nuclear safety expert, said he saw few health risks for the general public so far. He was concerned for the workers, who he said were almost certainly working in full body suits and breathing through respirators. The workers at the forefront of the fight — a core team of about 180 — had been regularly rotated in and out of the danger zone to minimize their radiation exposure.

Price said he was surprised by how little information the Japanese were sharing.

“We don’t know even the fundamentals of what’s happening, what’s wrong, what isn’t working. We’re all guessing,” he said. “I would have thought they would put on a panel of experts every two hours.”

Edano said the government expects to ask the U.S. military for help, though he did not elaborate. He said the government is still considering whether to accept offers of help from other countries.

There are six reactors at the plant. Units 1, 2 and 3, which were operating last week, shut down automatically when the quake hit. Since then, all three have been rocked by explosions. Compounding the problems, on Tuesday a fire broke out in Unit 4′s fuel storage pond, an area where used nuclear fuel is kept cool, causing radioactivity to be released into the atmosphere.

Units 4, 5 and 6 were shut at the time of the quake, but even offline reactors have nuclear fuel — either inside the reactors or in storage ponds — that need to be kept cool.

Meanwhile, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency estimated that 70 percent of the rods have been damaged at the No. 1 reactor.

Japan’s national news agency, Kyodo, said that 33 percent of the fuel rods at the No. 2 reactor were damaged and that the cores of both reactors were believed to have partially melted.

___

Yuasa reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach in Tokyo, David Stringer in Ofunato and Jocelyn Gecker in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Court frees CIA contractor accused of murder: Rana Sanaullah

Agencies

(37 minutes ago) Today

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court on Wednesday freed CIA contractor Raymond Davis, who was accused of murdering two men in Lahore, after blood money was paid in accordance with sharia law, the Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said.

“The family members of the slain men appeared in the court and independently verified they had pardoned him (Davis),” provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah told a private television.

“He has been released from jail. Now it is up to him. He can go wherever he wants,” he added.

The lawyer representing the victims, Asad Manzoor Butt, said he was not allowed to appear for the hearing. The lawyer alleged that Davis possibly escaped from the prison with the consent of the authorities, DawnNews reported.

The lawyer further claimed that he was  kept in unlawful confinement, according to DawnNews.

PML-N spokesman Pervez Rasheed the Punjab government was not involved in the release of Davis, DawnNews reported.

Moreover, Ayesha, the sister of Shumaila Kanwal, the wife of victim Faheem Ahmed, said “we are not aware of any such settlement and we did not opt for any…we want justice.”

The January shooting sparked a diplomatic row with the United States, who persistently claimed Davis was an embassy employee and enjoyed diplomatic immunity, particularly after it emerged he was working for the CIA.

RAYMOND DAVIS A FREE MAN?

Pakistan court acquits CIA contractor of double murder

Raymond Davis was acquitted and released today after a deal to pay “blood money” to the victims’ families was reached, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told Reuters.

From Reuters

A CIA contractor indicted earlier in the day on two murder charges in Pakistan was acquitted and released on Wednesday after a deal to pay “blood money” to the victims’ families was reached, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told Reuters.

The deal ends a long-simmering diplomatic standoff between Pakistan and the United States.

“The court first indicted him but the families later told court that they have accepted the blood money and they have pardoned him,” Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told Reuters. “The court acquitted him in the murder case.”

Raymond Davis, 36, shot dead two Pakistanis in the eastern Punjab city of Lahore on Jan. 27 following what he described as an attempted armed robbery. He said he acted in self-defence and the United States says he has diplomatic immunity and should have been immediately repatriated.

Turkmenistan Gets First ADB Loan for Regional Rail Link

NCA

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 15 March 2011 (nCa) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing $125 million in its first ever loan to Turkmenistan for a rail link that will expand economic opportunities at home and support increased trade in Central Asia and beyond.

The ADB Board of Directors today approved the financing for the North-South Railway Project which will be used to fund power, signaling, and telecommunication systems on 311 km of the 934 km-long planned North-South Railway Corridor. The line will improve Turkmenistan`s access to neighboring Kazakhstan, as well as Persian Gulf Countries, the Russian Federation and South Asia.

The track itself is being financed by the Government of Turkmenistan and the Islamic Development Bank and is expected to become an important part of a transcontinental transport corridor being developed under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, supported by ADB.

“This line will become the region`s main rail route for transporting bulk goods such as oil, agricultural products and textiles, which will give regional trade a significant boost and provide new sustainable economic growth and opportunities at home,” said Shakeel Khan, the ADB project officer.

Turkmenistan, which is bordered by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran, has large reserves of oil and gas and the new line is expected to cut the current distance for transporting goods from Central Asia to Persian Gulf ports by about 680 km. Along with reducing travel time and costs it will provide direct employment, support the development of small businesses, and open up opportunities for tapping coal, gold and other minerals in areas alongside the route.

As well as power and communication systems, the project will fund track maintenance and safety equipment. Support will also be given to help the Ministry of Railway Transport develop the capacity to effectively manage the project and its overall assets and finances.

The loan from ordinary capital resources will make up 75% of the total project cost of $166.7 million, with the Government of Turkmenistan funding the balance. The loan will have a 25-year term, with a five year grace period, and ADB is considering two options for the pricing of the funds. The Ministry of Railway Transport is the executing agency for the project which is expected to be completed by September 2012.

ADB Press Release

Russia – Ukraine trade threatened

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Photo: RIA Novosti

Russia will be forced to shut down its customs border with Ukraine, if Ukraine creates a free trade zone with the EU, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a press conference in Minsk.

According to the Prime Minister, if this is happens goods will enter the Russian market, bypassing the established level of customs protection, and this is unacceptable.

Kazakhstan and Belarus, which are members of the Customs Union with Russia, also raised the issue of closing the border with Ukraine. Prime Minister Putin stressed that a truly “bad” scenario had developed.

Turkish Air Force Forces Iranian Plane En Route to Syria to Land in Turkey for Weapons’ Inspection

[Evidently Turkey and Iran have kissed and made up, after that nasty little commando assault of last year.  Why else would Turkey be enforcing Zionist demands?]

Iranian Plane En Route to Syria Forced to Land in Turkey

An Iranian cargo plane en route to Syria was forced to land in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakir airport for an inspection, security sources said Wednesday.

The plane landed following an order from the Turkish foreign ministry citing suspicion of military or nuclear related cargo onboard, the sources said.

The plane was still grounded at Diyarbakir airport on Wednesday where the search was ongoing, according to an Agence France Presse correspondent at the scene.

The plane took off from Tehran on Tuesday night bound for the Syrian city of Aleppo, Anatolia news agency reported.

Two Turkish F-16 fighter planes were put on standby to intervene if the Iranian plane did not obey the orders of Diyarbakir airport officials, security sources said.(AFP)

Oil Rises as Bahrain Violence Spurs Concern Middle East Supplies at Risk

By Christian Schmollinger

Oil rose from a two-week low in New York as escalating violence in Bahrain stoked concern turmoil may spill into neighboring Saudi Arabia, threatening supplies from the world’s biggest crude exporter.

Prices advanced as much as 1.5 percent as riot police cleared anti-government protesters from a central square in Bahrain’s capital. The country declared a state of emergency yesterday as Saudi-led military intervention failed to end demonstrations. Oil dropped 1 percent earlier today as Japan battled to prevent a nuclear meltdown that threatens to worsen damage to the economy from last week’s earthquake.

“Had it not been for the disaster in Japan, with the Saudi troops moving into Bahrain the oil price should have moved toward $120,” said Victor Shum, a senior principal at energy consultants Purvin & Gertz Inc. in Singapore. “The contagion effect on oil prices is still present.”

Crude for April delivery rose as much as $1.49 to $98.67 a barrel in electronic trading on theNew York Mercantile Exchange and was at $98.42 at 9:25 a.m. London time. Yesterday, prices fell to $97.18, the lowest settlement since Feb. 28.

Brent oil for April settlement was up $1.53, or 1.4 percent, at $110.05 a barrel after rising as high as $110.54 on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London. Yesterday, the contract lost $5.15, or 4.5 percent, to $108.52, the biggest one-day drop since Feb. 4, 2010.

Manama Cleared

Bahrain security forces used tear gas to drive protesters from their rallying point at the central Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama. The mostly Shiite Muslim demonstrators fled into nearby backstreets as military vehicles were deployed near the area and helicopters flew overhead. Gunfire was heard in the capital. Riot police put out fires with water cannons and fanned out into the city streets. The stock market suspended trading.

A state of emergency was declared yesterday as a second contingent of troops from Gulf nations poured into the kingdom. Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, by a 25-mile causeway.

In Libya, forces loyal to leader Muammar Qaddafi advanced toward Benghazi yesterday after taking the gateway city of Ajdabiya yesterday. The north Africa nation’s crude exports may be halted for “many months” because of damage to facilities and international sanctions, theInternational Energy Agency said yesterday.

Japan Closures

Japan continues to suffer aftershocks after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11 shut factories and refineries. Workers at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were struggling to cool reactors at the plant and prevent the spread of further radiation.

The earthquake closed about 1.3 million barrels of the country’s 4.52 million barrels a day capacity, based on data from the Petroleum Association of Japan. JX-Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. idled refineries in Sendai and Kashima in the northeastern Tohoku region. A fire at the Sendai plant was extinguished at about 2:30 p.m. local time yesterday. The Negishi plant near Tokyo is also shuttered.

TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. has restarted “portions” of its 335,000 barrel-a-day Kawasaki plant near Tokyo and expects to be at full operations in a few days, it said in a statement late yesterday. Kyokuto Petroleum Industries Ltd. is preparing to start bringing its 175,000-barrels-a-day facility in Ichihara, near the capital, back on line, said TonenGeneral, a joint venture partner in Kyokuto.

Cosmo Oil Co.’s 220,000-barrel-a-day Chiba refinery remains shut following fires at liquefied petroleum gas storage tanks after the March 11 temblor.

Japan was responsible for 5.2 percent of global oil demand in 2009, according to BP Plc, which publishes its BP Statistical Review of World Energy each June. Japan is the third-biggest crude-consuming country after the U.S. and China.

U.S. crude oil supplies climbed 91,000 barrels last week, according to the industry-funded American Petroleum Institute. An Energy Department report today may show stockpiles rose 1.3 million barrels last week from 348.9 million, according to the median of 15 analyst estimates in a Bloomberg News survey.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christian Schmollinger in Singapore atchristian.s@bloomberg.net;

Bahrainis Focus Anger Upon Pakistani Expatriates Working Security

Pakistanis in Bahrain come under attack

By Syed Rashid Husain

Bahraini anti-government protesters wait at barriers they’ve set up for Saudi forces to arrive Monday, March 14, 2011, in Manama, Bahrain. – Photo by AP

RIYADH: Pakistanis in Bahrain are feeling the heat. The death of Pakistani national Abdul Malik Qualam, 34, who was attacked when he was going to buy food in Manama, scared the Pakistanis living there.

He was reportedly stabbed during a brawl with youths in a market.

A senior Pakistani engineer based in Manama told this correspondent that at least four Pakistanis had been beaten to death. However, no official confirmation of the above could be obtained.

Scores of Pakistanis gathered outside the Pakistan Embassy in Hoora asking the mission to arrange protection for the community.

Eight injured workers, who were reportedly attacked by unruly youths, also met embassy officials.

Several other Pakistanis came forward to say they were also attacked.

“These youths come to our house or flats and attack us with swords, knives and other lethal objects,” Gulf News quoted one Zafar Iqbal as saying.

Bakht Amin Khan, 30, was still wearing a blood-stained shirt because he said he was afraid of returning to his flat on the Shaikh Hamad Road, near the Police Fort.”

They knocked on the door and attacked me with a sword on my back,” he claimed.”

Another person had an iron rod, which he used to hit him.

“It was a group of about 50 youths who went on attacking people in the neighbourhood. We kept dialling 999, but no one picked up.”

In view of the situation in some areas, there were discussions within the community to shift families to the Pakistan Urdu School, while bachelors could be housed in the Pakistan Club.

“This is an option that embassy officials are discussing but are yet to finalise,” a community elder said.

The group of Pakistani workers also marched to the United Nations House in Hoora to file a complaint about the breach of their human rights.

Zahid Suleiman told the GDN they would not return to their homes because they could be attacked any time.

“Give us an assurance that no one will be attacked by these youths,” he said. “We left our families back in Pakistan and came here to earn a good living.”

Because of the situation, expatriates prefer to stay at home rather than go to work or venture outside amid fears for their safety.

Some said they were staying home because they were too scared they would be attacked by protesters or others in the street.

Those who went to their offices, not in the main financial centre of Manama, also returned after a couple of hours. Schools were technically closed and most children were staying home.

“People fear to go out and are only going for urgent things, my company gave me (time) off and we are all staying inside,” he said.

The beleaguered Prime Minister of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, stressed on Monday his country’s resolve to protect the expatriate community.

“Expatriates have legitimate rights, but above all personal security,” he said. India is reported to be closely monitoring the situation in Bahrain and has asked its nationals to keep low profile, stay indoors and avoid all non- essential travel within the country.

Saudi Forces In Bahrain Using Tanks and Helicopters in Lulu Roundabout

Very Urgent: Saudi Forces Start to Massacre Protesters in Lulu Roundabout, Equipped with Tanks and Copters / Photos Sources in Manama confirmed that Saudi military forces equipped with tanks, jeeps and copters have received in the Lulu Roundabout and Financil Harbor.

 

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Sources in Manama confirmed that Saudi military forces equipped with tanks, jeeps and copters have received in the lulu roundabout and financial harbor.

According to eyewitnesses police is attacking unarmed people with tear gas on Lulu Roundabout.

Now (8:10 AM) electricity is still disconnected in capital.

Massacre in Lulu and Financial Harbor is going to start by Saudi aggressors.

Army are firing from a far distance, only the tear gas is reaching demonstrators.

Now lulu is messy, is on fire, electricity is cut off in the whole area and nearby. Lulu is full of ambulances, military forces and copters ….

Bahraini people who gathered in Lulu Roundabout asked all citizens to get out of their homes and immediately join them there.

Something had to light the fuse

[SEE: What Happens To US Economy If Japan Can No Longer Prop Us Up?]

Wall Street fights back as Japan fuels global sell-off

Wall Street fought back to record losses of just over 1pc as a global stock market sell-off intensified on Japan’s growing nuclear crisis.

The damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where more explosions occurred . Photo: Getty

5:30PM GMT 15 Mar 2011

The leading US index closed down 137.74.49 points – 1.15pc – at 11,855.42. Intel (-3pc), Cisco (-2.4pc) and Bank of America (-1.7pc) led the fallers.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average had earlier dropped 1.74pc – 209.04 points – to 11,784.12, with shares seen as exposed to the disaster sliding. Insurer AIG fell 4pc and General Electric fell 5pc. This was a slight recovery following a 2pc fall on opening.

European bourses were dragged lower. Britain’s FTSE 100 closed down 1.38pc to 5,695,28. the blue-chips had earlier fallen to a fresh year low of 5622.53, wiping around £32bn off the value of the index. Germany’s DAX plunged 3.19pc, recovering from a 4.8pc fall, and France’s CAC ended the day 3.9pc lower, following on from a 2.5pc drop.

The FTSE was led lower by Fresnillo (-4.4pc), International Consolidated Airlines (-4pc) and Essar Energy (-3.6pc). Energy companies have been hit hard by explosions at a Japanese nuclear facility.

“The global equity markets are posting solid losses following reports of rising nuclear radiation levels in Japan after more explosions hit an already damaged nuclear power facility,” Charles Schwab analysts wrote.

The fall in the blue-chips followed a 10.6pc dive – 14pc at one stage – in Japan’s Nikkei after the government warned of dangerous levels of radiation following a third explosion at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant. The benchmark index ended down 1,015.34 points at 8,605.15, while the broader Topix plunged 9.5pc in its worst two-day fall since 1987.

This caused a ripple effect through Asia, Europe and the United States as investors reassessed the impact of last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami and the growing nuclear disaster on a fragile global economy.

“Friday’s earthquake in Japan has created additional uncertainty for financial markets already confronted by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and North Africa,” said SEB currency strategist Richard Falkenhall.

In early trading Brent crude dropped $4.80 to $108.93 a barrel in London and fell below $100 in New York as markets bet on a dramatic loss of demand for oil from the world’s third largest economy. By 5:30pm, Brent was trading $3.35 lower at $110.32.

“Last night’s move was the third worst decline in the Nikkei’s history and there’s fear that there could be more to come,” said Simon Denham, the managing director of Capital Spreads.

Earlier, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.86pc, China’s Shanghai Composite lost 1.4pc, South Korea’s Kospi fell 2.4pc, Australia’s ASX slid 2.1pc. Markets in New Zealand, India, Taiwan and Jakarta all fell between 1pc and 3.3pc.

Investor selling had intensified after Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced that radioactive material had leaked from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in and that more leaks were possible.

“There has been a fire at the No. 4 reactor and radiation levels in the surrounding area have heightened significantly. The possibility of further radioactive leakage is heightening,” Mr Kan said in an address to the nation.

“We are making every effort to prevent the leak from spreading. I know that people are very worried but I would like to ask you to act calmly.”

The Nikkei’s losses followed a 6pc tumble on Monday — the first trading day since a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the northeastern coast, washing away towns and likely killing more than 10,000 people.

Losses on Monday and Tuesday have sent the Nikkei spiraling downward 20pc since the beginning of the year.

Tuesday’s stock sell-off in Japan hit nearly every business sector, with electric companies under intense pressure again.

Tokyo Electric Power, which operates the crippled nuclear plant, was overwhelmed with sell orders and had yet to trade. Toshiba Corp, a maker of nuclear power plants, was also untraded.

Other companies with nuclear power-related businesses faced a second day of free-falling losses. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries tumbled 19pc, Kobe Steel dived 17pc, and Hitachi shed 8.5pc. Cosmo Oil, whose refinery caught fire after the quake, slid by 18pc.

Car makers declined partly because quake-stricken northeastern Japan is a major center for auto production, complete with a myriad of parts suppliers and a network of roads and ports for efficient distribution.

Major vehicle manufactures halted production after the quake, and their shares continued to slide. Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, fell 11pc. Honda lost 7.4pc and Nissan dropped 10.2pc. Mitsubishi Motors lost 14.4pc and truck-maker Isuzu plunged 8.6pc.

Fears about the safety of nuclear power weighed on the shares of companies involved in uranium mining. Energy Resources of Australia, one of the world’s largest uranium producers, fell 13.2pc in Sydney.

Even the rare stocks that did well on Monday — industrial and materials companies, which gained due to expectations that they would benefit when Japan rebuilds — tumbled.

Brent crude, which had edged higher on Monday on continued Middle East tension, fell $2 to $111.61 in Far East trading as traders worried about the loss of demand from Japan.

Attempts by the Bank of Japan to inject more liquidity into the banks and the extension of its asset purchase scheme failed to calm nerves.

The Bank of Japan had made a record 22 trillion yen (£166bn) available to banks on Monday and doubled its asset buying scheme to 10 trillion yen (£76bn) to shore up confidence in the economy and maintain financial stability.

What Happens To US Economy If Japan Can No Longer Prop Us Up?

[The following chart is from the US Treasury

MAJOR FOREIGN HOLDERS OF TREASURY SECURITIES

(in billions of dollars) HOLDINGS 1/ AT END OF PERIOD

 

Jan     Dec     Nov     Oct     Sep     Aug     Jul     Jun     Jun     May     Apr     Mar     Feb     Jan
Country               2011    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010    2010
                     ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------  ------

China, Mainland      1154.7  1160.1  1164.1  1175.3  1151.9  1136.8  1115.1  1112.1   843.7   867.7   900.2   895.2   877.5   889.0

Japan*                885.9   882.3   875.9   873.6   860.8   832.5   817.3   799.9   801.2   784.8   793.8   783.3   768.2   765.2*

United Kingdom 2/     278.4   272.1   242.5   209.2   190.5   181.0   107.2    94.5   363.7   350.9   321.1   279.0   233.5   208.3

Oil Exporters 3/      215.5   211.9   204.3   207.8   215.4   211.7   209.3   210.2   216.3   228.6   232.9   223.4   211.9   211.9

Brazil                197.6   186.1   189.8   183.0   181.0   170.5   167.7   163.8   158.5   161.5   164.4   164.5   170.9   169.0

Carib Bnkng Ctrs 4/   166.5   168.1   158.8   146.3   157.7   172.6   164.1   178.9   165.9   166.3   153.2   148.2   144.4   143.6

Taiwan                157.2   155.1   154.4   154.5   153.3   153.4   153.8   151.9   128.6   126.2   126.9   124.8   121.4   119.6

Russia                139.3   151.0   167.3   176.3   173.3   173.7   175.7   168.2   123.4   126.8   113.1   120.1   120.2   124.2

Hong Kong             128.1   134.2   134.9   135.2   131.9   133.9   131.2   137.0   141.0   145.7   151.8   150.9   152.4   146.6

Switzerland           107.6   107.0   107.0   107.7   110.0   113.0   111.8   106.5   100.1    84.4    80.0    78.8    81.8    84.4

Of which:
 For. Official       3149.7  3156.1  3181.1  3202.1  3167.2  3119.2  3074.4  3046.5  2690.3  2690.8  2715.1  2703.3  2670.3  2674.6
  Treasury Bills      438.9   462.3   499.2   531.3   495.4   486.9   473.5   454.4   454.4   466.9   498.5   501.3   496.5   502.0
  T-Bonds & Notes    2710.8  2693.8  2681.9  2670.8  2671.8  2632.4  2600.9  2592.1  2235.9  2223.8  2216.6  2202.0  2173.8  2172.6

Department of the Treasury/Federal Reserve Board
March 15, 2011

 1/  Estimated foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury marketable and non-marketable bills, bonds, and notes
     reported under the Treasury International Capital (TIC) reporting system are based on annual
     Surveys of Foreign Holdings of U.S. Securities and on monthly data.
 2/  United Kingdom includes Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
 3/  Oil exporters include Ecuador, Venezuela, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
     Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Gabon, Libya, and Nigeria.
 4/  Caribbean Banking Centers include Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Netherlands Antilles and Panama.
     Beginning with new series for June 2006, also includes British Virgin Islands.
 5/  New series reflect new benchmark survey taken in this month.  Estimated positions based on the
     previous survey are shown for comparison.