One of the main reasons for the Halliburton-built Adelaide to Darwin Railway now becomes apparent.  If the Australian Government's mooted plans come to fruition, trains of imported nuclear waste trundling to repositories in the Australian outback will soon become a reality.

Halliburton have had a dual role in Australia, creating the tracks and providing environmental impact date for nuclear waste facilities.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard is expected this week to discuss "uranium leasing" with US President Bush.   Under the plan, Australia's 40% of global uranium supplies would not be sold, but "hired out" to users, the waste returning to the Australian point of origin.

I believe that the plan will be used as a loophole  for the problem of selling Aussie uranium to India.  As that country is not a signatory to the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty,  India cannot acquire Australian nuclear fuel for fear that it it might be used in atomic weaponry against Pakistan.   However if India doesn't actually own the stuff, and the militariliy-useful waste is taken out of their hands, a fuel trade will no doubt be possible.

Any announcement will follow the visits to India of both President Bush and PM Howard, and discussions of the Indian dilemma between US Secretary of State Condileeza Rice and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaille said today that Australia had not yet been asked to utilise the uranium leasing concept.  My bet is that Howard will receive a request from Bush later in the week.

A good puppeteer can do anythng with the right strings in his hands