Scots indep. faces UK with nuke impasse

A senior British MP has warned that it could take a Å“generation” to remove the countryâ„¢s nuclear weapons from Scotland in case Scots vote for independence from UK in the 2014 referendum.

The Scottish government has pledged to get rid of the nukes if it secures independence.

The Conservative chairman of the Commonsâ„¢ Intelligence and Security Committee Malcolm Rifkind said Å“it would take months, if not years to find an alternative site,” adding construction of an alternative site could take at least 10 to 15 years.

Britain has kept its Trident nuclear weapons at the Faslane naval base in western Scotland for 44 years.

Even regardless of the Scottish administrationâ„¢s nukes removal pledge, London might be faced with having to keep the nukes in a foreign country if Scotland wins the independence plebiscite.

Rifkind also referred to the case of Russian nuclear waste after Ukraine exited the former Soviet Union, saying Moscow had to keep them in Sevastopol naval base in Ukraine for 22 years before it could find a new site to place them.

Å“Look how long it has taken to find sites for nuclear waste — infinitely less controversial than where you are going to place nuclear submarines,” he added.

AMR/HE