Month: October 2006

A former PeopleSoft employee – James Hicks who blew the whistle on the company’s false price negotiations with the US government has received a $17.7m bounty (synonym: A reward, inducement, or payment, especially one given by a government for acts deemed beneficial to the state). His actions have also led to Oracle agreeing to pay the US government $98.5m to settle its liability for defective pricing disclosures made by PeopleSoft. mm..getting money from Government sounds cool.

The Nation reports that US is deploying of a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran’s western coast. So they are going to bomb Nuclear sites in Iran? Israel is sure to get involved. What other countries its going to draw in? With November mid-term elections coming in, North Korea testing international patience, least now we can expect is war. Let October go off faster, we don’t need any surprises.

North Korea with its Nuclear tests yesterday is the newest member to this existing Nuclear club in the World. Iran will follow through?

United States: More than 5,000 strategic warheads, more than 1,000 operational tactical weapons – meant for the battlefield and less powerful than the strategic arms – and approximately 3,000 reserve strategic and tactical warheads. Became the first country to carry out a nuclear test explosion on July 16, 1945.

Russia: Nearly 5,000 strategic warheads, and approximately 3,500 operational tactical warheads. In addition, it has more than 11,000 strategic and tactical warheads in storage. Exploded its first bomb in 1949.

Britain: About 200 strategic warheads. Exploded its first bomb in 1952.

France: Approximately 350 strategic warheads. Exploded its first bomb in 1960.

China: As many as 250 strategic warheads and 150 tactical warheads. Exploded its first bomb in 1964.

India: Between 45 and 95 nuclear warheads. Exploded its first bomb in 1974.

Pakistan: Between 30 and 50 nuclear warheads. Exploded its first bomb in 1998.

Israel: Refuses to confirm it is a nuclear weapons state but is generally assumed to have up to 200 nuclear warheads. Unknown when Israel might have carried out a test explosion

Sources: Arms Control Association; Nuclear Threat Initiative.