Iran Blocks Probe Into Atom Bomb Work: IAEA
IMHO: They have them already. Their going to use them. When they do (Even though to late to save anyone they are aimed at) Iran will no longer exist.
VIENNA, Sep. 15, 2008 (Reuters) — Iran has blocked a U.N. inquiry into whether it researched ways to make a nuclear bomb, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday, as Britain said it would push hard for tougher sanctions against Tehran.
A confidential IAEA report said Iran had raised the number of centrifuges enriching uranium by 500 to 3,820 since May and was stepping up development of an advanced model able to refine nuclear fuel 2-3 times faster, in defiance of U.N. resolutions.
But a senior U.N. official familiar with the International Atomic Energy Agency findings said Iran seemed a good two years away from enriching enough uranium for an atomic weapon, if it eventually chose to do so.
Iran denies its nuclear work is aimed at developing a bomb.
“On the issue of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme, we have arrived at a gridlock. Without Iran’s assistance and cooperation, we cannot move forward,” said a second senior U.N. official.
Iran blamed the IAEA for the impasse. A senior Iranian official, who declined to be named, called on the IAEA to change its approach and work in a “legal and logical” manner.
Britain accused Iran of showing “contempt for the IAEA by continuing to refuse to respond” to IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei’s serious concerns about possible covert bomb work.
“We will therefore push hard for further U.N. sanctions in the coming weeks,” a British Foreign Office statement said.
Iran has withstood limited sanctions imposed so far and may count on Russia, at odds with Western powers over Georgia, to hold up harsh action by the U.N. Security Council, analysts say.
DEBATING THE REPORT
The IAEA report will be debated by the body’s 35-nation board of governors at talks starting on Sept 22, with the possibility Western powers might seek a resolution against Iran.
Iran had stockpiled 480 kg (1,050 pounds) of low-enriched uranium so far, the report by the Vienna-based IAEA said.
It would need 1,700 kg (3,740 pounds) to convert into high-enriched uranium (HEU) for fuelling an atom bomb, said U.N. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“That would be a significant quantity, one unit of HEU, and would take on the order of two years,” said one official.
Still, the report showed Iran had markedly accelerated its pace of enrichment, with centrifuges now running at around 85 percent capacity compared with 50 percent in May, U.S. nuclear analyst David Albright said in a commentary.
Iran appeared to have largely overcome a high rate of centrifuge breakdown that seriously restricted output, he said.
“Iran is making significant progress in developing and operating its centrifuges,” said Albright.
Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff but has not ruled out military action as a last resort. Iran, the No. 4 oil exporter, says its nuclear programme is a peaceful drive for an alternative source of electricity.
FULL DISCLOSURE
In its last report in May, the IAEA said Iran appeared to be withholding information needed to explain intelligence that it had linked projects to process uranium, test high explosives and modify a missile cone in a way suitable for a nuclear warhead.
ElBaradei called on Iran then for “full disclosure” — namely, going beyond flat denials without providing access to sites, documentation or relevant officials for interviews to substantiate their stance.
The report said nothing to that end had been done by Iran, which has acknowledged some of the activity cited but said it was for conventional military purposes only.
“Regrettably the agency has not been able to make any substantial progress on the alleged (weaponization) studies and other associated key remaining issues which remain of serious concern,” the report said.
It said IAEA investigators had stressed to Iran that the intelligence documentation was detailed and consistent enough “that it needs to be taken seriously” by Iran.
But, in a nod to Iranian objections, U.N. officials said Iran was understandably worried about divulging information it felt could compromise its security as tensions fester between Iran and the United States and Israel.
They said another obstacle was the refusal of Western powers to let the IAEA provide Iran hard copies of the intelligence for perusal. Iran has said it has seen only electronic versions that could easily have been doctored.
Iran’s IAEA ambassador, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told Reuters Tehran would not offer further explanations before “the agency delivers the documents to us.” He said IAEA demands went way beyond Iran’s legal obligations to cooperate and “we have done more than enough to explain these baseless allegations.”
The report said the IAEA was trying to break the deadlock by urging Iran to specify what information was wrong and what was right in its view, but Tehran had not responded so far.
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How many will die because we twiddled our thumbs? How many of our children are going to die at the hands of islamic bastards?
If we let Iran get nukes, everything we have done in the war on terror was a waste of life and treasure. All we will have done was rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic while wasting the lives of over 4,600 American troops.
If President Bush fails on this before the change of power he will go down as a fool, who pissed away the troops lives under his command.
September 15th, 2008 at 7:46 pmBomb Tehran now, while there is still time. This is the coming WW3 and it may already be too late. You can believe a world where nuclear bombs go off is a world of death, destruction, and nuclear poison.
Why are we allowing our country to be duped by this Iranian regime. Our government must realize that what we are seeing in the middle east, Europe, and the US is only the beginning of what Islam and the muslims are planning. Stop them now where they stand for the sake of our future generation of children.
This is madness. Th current regime in Iran does not really represent the people there. They are fascists reborn in Arabia. They have come back to finish what Hitler started. Why do they persecute the Jews? Bring our soldiers home now. Redeploy and protect the USA. Stop sending money to our enemies. Protect and defend our country. Do it for our children.
The Iranians are lying. They are hell bent on America’s and Israel’s destruction. All in the name of a mad murdering child molester and woman abuser. Kill the bastards before they kill us.
September 15th, 2008 at 7:58 pmWell, yes, of course they’re going to use them.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:46 amNot only on Israel.
I’m sure several American cities will be hit, those
close to water, as the bombs will be brought by stealth, on private
sailing vessels.
New York, obviously, London and Paris too.
I don’t think Obama as CIC would retaliate.
His agenda, as a muslim, is to allow the destruction of the West.
Whether or not the Joint Chiefs of Staff would then rise to depose
him, in our first ever coup, I guess that’s possible.
It would be better not to test it, hope McCain wins.
They told us over and over that the return of the 12 or missing imam
is now due. They sent Bush a dawa, formally asking him to
surrender to islam, which the press didn’t tell the truth about.
Everybody flappin’ about the economy now, because a bunch of
BANKERS went bust, have no idea.
Obama is looking more and more like the Anti-Christ isn’t he…
September 16th, 2008 at 4:47 am