Romania and weapons of mass destruction

"Romania started building a peaceful nuclear program in the mid-1950s, when the Soviet Union, responding to the United States’ Atoms for Peace program, loosened its restrictions on nuclear cooperation"[1]. What drove Romania towards negotiating with the West was that the USSR initially rebuffed its requests for a power reactor[1]. This program's intentions were made clearer in phases, and advanced as Romania negotiated with multiple countries on the open market.[1]

Some examples of the progression of intentions and developmental stages are as follows: the Soviet-styled research reactor, meant for training purposes at Măgurele[1], the subcritical reactor, HELEN, from the UK, and declarations of potential military nuclear cooperation endeavours with the Israeli Communist Party to build an atomic weapon.[1]

Some scholars believe the Romanian military nuclear program to have started in 1984, however, others have found evidence that the Romanian leadership may have been pursuing nuclear hedger status earlier than this, in 1967 (see, for example, the statements made toward Israel, paired with the minutes of the conversation between the Romanian and North Korean dictators, where Ceauşescu said, "if we wish to build an atomic bomb, we should collaborate in this area as well")[2].

The program was dismantled after the Romanian Revolution and currently, Romania is considered free of weapons of mass destruction using nuclear power just for civilian purposes.[3]

Nuclear program

While Romania had a nuclear research program since 1949, for the first decades, it focused on the usage of radioactive isotopes in medicine and industry. Some have interpreted Romania's actions in nuclear technology and facilities' programs to mean that it had a dedicated, military nuclear program, which started in 1978. The WMD research program (Programul Dunărea - Danube Program) was conducted at the Măgurele Nuclear Research Institute, under the strict supervision of the Securitate.[4]

According to Mihai Bălănescu, the former director of the research institute, the program had three departments: one which dealt with the development of nuclear weapons, one for the development of medium-range missiles and a third which dealt with chemical and biological weapons.[4]

The defection of Securitate general Ion Mihai Pacepa was, according to Lucia Hossu Longin, at least in part related to the order given to him by Ceauşescu, to obtain the technology for a certain element needed in the development of nuclear weapons.[5]

In July 1989, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Horn accused Romania of posing military threats to Hungary, through its nuclear program and a medium-range missiles development program. Horn claimed that high-level Romanian officials announced that Romania is capable of building such weapons, but the Romanian Government denied such claims.[6]

Other scholars have claimed that Romania was seeking to become a nuclear hedger, where this would be defined as "states standing at the threshold of weaponization" [1]. Hedging entails the pursuit of nuclear technology and know-how of a state, with the scope of gaining the ability to assemble a nuclear weapon in a short amount of time (around 6 months), should the need arise.

This perspective tends to see Ceauşescu speaking more openly of his nuclear aspirations, not as a reflection of a dedicated military nuclear program, but as a dual-use program, where the military option could eventually take a more tangible form.

Anti-nuclear rallies

Despite this secret program, Ceauşescu's government did organize massive rallies against nuclear proliferation. For instance, at one such rally in December 1981, he addressed a crowd of 300,000 arguing that people in both East and West should "stop those who are preparing atomic war."[7] He also urged the US and USSR to end the arms race which led to the placement of medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe, arguing that only by stopping this race could "humanity ... be saved from a catastrophe".[8]

In 1989, Ceauşescu claimed that Romania had the technology to build nuclear weapons, but that he remained "firmly resolved to fight against nuclear weapons".[9]

Deals with other countries

Romania was also involved in negotiations with multiple states on the open market of nuclear technology and materials.[1] After receiving Soviet assistance through the "Peaceful Atom" program, Romania saw its requests for a nuclear power plant rebuffed by Moscow. The Soviet Union, which was worried by China's October 1964 nuclear test, tried to curtail Romania's nuclear aspirations by offering a light-water reactor, with strings attached, in December 1967.[1] However, the Soviets then kept postponing delivering the technology, and Romania started "to employ a strategy of supplier manipulation" with the West until 1978.[1]

"In addition to playing Britain and France off against each other in the mid1960s, Romania negotiated for nuclear power plants with Canada, Italy, Sweden, the United States, and West Germany."[1] It also engaged in negotiations with France and the US simultaneously, pitting one against the other to obtain better nuclear technology and less strict conditions, as they did with other countries.[1]

This strategy included separate deals regarding a subcritical assembly from the UK (HELEN), a research reactor from the Gulf Corporation, in 1974, hot cells (which are "shielded nuclear radiation containment chambers" [1]) from the US (not concluded) and from France (concluded in 1978), and 5 CANDU power reactors from Canada, in 1976.[1]

After 1989, it was revealed that in 1986, the Ceauşescu Government improperly diverted a supply of 14 tonnes[10] of heavy water originating in Norway to India.[11] Heavy water is an important ingredient in the creation of nuclear weapons and the shipment to India was another violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

After the 1989 Revolution

After the 1989 Romanian Revolution, Romania announced to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it had 100 mg of plutonium separated in 1985 at the Piteşti Nuclear Research Institute and it allowed the IAEA full access to its facilities for inspection and monitoring of other violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.[3] According to a 1992 article in Nucleonics Week, the plutonium was made using a TRIGA research reactor, given to Romania by the United States in the 1970s.[3]

In 2003, Romania handed over to the IAEA 15 kg of highly enriched uranium fuel for the research reactor.[3]

See also

• Radu (weapon)

References

1. Gheorghe, Eliza (2019-04-01). "Proliferation and the Logic of the Nuclear Market". International Security. 43 (4): 88–127. doi:10.1162/isec_a_00344. hdl:11693/53197. ISSN 0162-2889.
2. Wilson Center (May 23, 1975). "Minutes of Conversation taken on the Occasion of the Romanian – Korean Discussions from May 23, 1975". Wilson Center Digital Archive International History Declassified. Obtained and translated by Ioana M. Niculescu and Eliza Gheorghe. Archived from the original (PDF) on |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help).
3. Tracking Nuclear Proliferation – Romania at PBS, May 2, 2005
4. "'Baietelul' lui Ceausescu, mort in fasa", Evenimentul Zilei, 10 December 2002
5. "Pacepa a fugit din ţară pentru că Ceauşescu l-a obligat să obţină un element pentru fabricarea bombei atomice, spune L. Hossu Longin", Realitatea TV, July 5, 2009
6. Hungary Accuses Rumania of Military Threats", The New York Times, July 11, 1989
7. "300,000 in Romania Protest Nuclear Weapons", The Washington Post, December 6, 1981, p. A19
8. "End the arms race, Romanian leader says", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 16, 1984, p. 12
9. "Romanian Nuclear Claim", San Jose Mercury News, April 16, 1989, Page 19A
10. "India is pressed on atom project", New York Times, February 12, 1992
11. "Romania Is Reported in Nuclear Deal With India", New York Times, April 30, 1990

External links

• "Proliferation and the Logic of the Nuclear Market"
• How to Become a Customer: Lessons from the Nuclear Negotiations between the U.S., Canada and Romania in the 1960s
• http://adevarul.ro/cultura/istorie/ceausescusi-programul-nuclear-romaniei-1_510eb9c04b62ed5875d0aaba/index.html