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VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- The U.N. atomic agency found traces of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian site linked to the country's defense ministry, diplomats said Friday, adding to concerns that Tehran was hiding activities aimed at making nuclear arms.
The diplomats, who demanded anonymity in exchange for revealing the confidential information, said the findings were preliminary and still had to be confirmed through other lab tests. But they said the density of enrichment appeared to be close to or above the level used to make nuclear warheads.
Still, they said, further analysis could show that the traces match others established to have come from abroad. The International Atomic Energy Agency determined earlier traces of weapons-grade uranium were imported on equipment from Pakistan that Iran bought on the black market during nearly two decades of clandestine activity discovered just over three years ago.
Uranium enriched to between 3.5 percent and 5 percent is used to make fuel for reactors to generate electricity. It becomes suitable for use in nuclear weapons when enriched to more than 90 percent.
Iran's refusal to give up enrichment ambitions has led to involvement by the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions but remains split on how firmly to pressure Tehran.
Key U.N. Security Council members agreed Tuesday to postpone a resolution that would have delivered an ultimatum to Tehran, giving Iran another two weeks to re-evaluate its insistence on developing its uranium enrichment capabilities.
Iran's hard-line president said Friday that his country was not afraid of possible U.S. military action over its enrichment program, but added that he thought any such strikes were very unlikely. Washington has said it favors a diplomatic end to the dispute, but it hasn't ruled out military force.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also told a local TV station that Iran would cooperate with the Security Council if it makes a decision on the escalating standoff as long as the world body acts "in line with international rules."
The Islamic republic denies accusations it wants to make nuclear arms and says it is only interested in uranium to generate power.
To argue that it never enriched uranium domestically to weapons grade, it cites the IAEA's tentative conclusion last year that weapons-grade traces collected from other sites within the country with no suspected ties to that military came in on equipment from Pakistan.
The origin of the samples now under perusal created some concern in that regard.
One of the diplomats told The Associated Press that the samples came from equipment that can be used in uranium-enriching centrifuges at a former research center at Lavizan-Shian.
The center is believed to have been the repository of equipment bought by the Iranian military that could be used in a nuclear weapons program.
The United States alleges Iran had conducted high-explosive tests that could have a bearing on developing nuclear weapons at the site.
The State Department said in 2004 that Lavizan's buildings had been dismantled and topsoil had been removed in attempts to hide nuclear weapons-related experiments. The agency subsequently confirmed that the site had been razed.
In an April 28 report to the U.N. Security Council and the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, agency head Mohamed ElBaradei said the agency took samples from some of the equipment of the former Physics Research Center at Lavizan-Shian. The diplomat said the evaluation of those samples revealed the traces in question.
Ahmadinejad's remarks on possible U.S. military action were made in Jakarta during a discussion with Indonesian Islamic leaders.
Asked whether his country was prepared to face an attack by the United States, he said "that is very unlikely because they know the Islamic Republic of Iran is a strong country."
"They are trying to frighten our country by waging a propaganda campaign using strong words. The people of Iran and the country are not afraid of them," he said to applause from the audience.
The Chinese and Russians have balked at British, French and U.S. efforts to put the resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
Such a move would declare Iran a threat to international peace and security and set the stage for further measures if Tehran refuses to suspend its uranium enrichment operations. Those measures could range from breaking diplomatic relations to economic sanctions and military action.
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Goal for 2008: Half as many penalties.
Did they actually find something this time, or is it another one of those things where "We know exactly where the enriched uranium is - it's in this region right here and if we go to war, we'll find it for sure."?
Hey, if they have this stuff and it's for sinister purposes, we should blow them off the map. I think with our location in Iraq, we can weaken them significantly with airstrikes and and missile attacks before going in and getting in over our heads. I hope the administration will listen to generals this time around, but I don't see that happening....
On a side note, do you think now is a good time to invest in oil?
Did they actually find something this time, or is it another one of those things where "We know exactly where the enriched uranium is - it's in this region right here and if we go to war, we'll find it for sure."?....
What makes this story remarkable is that its coming from the U.N. atomic agency ...not the U.S. "intelligence" agency's...or this administration. Big difference between messengers.
It will be interesting to see their report.
I bet Stinky is just slapping his subordinates in letting the U.N. catch this one from one of their military bases.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeds Of Hate
...On a side note, do you think now is a good time to invest in oil?
Last week I saw a photo of a downtown Tehran bus with a full-length banner saying "Israel must be wiped off the face of the Earth." As someone in NATO said, "That's not just rhetoric. It's a plan."
I read last night that the suicide rate in Iran is five times the world rate, and 75% are women -- that they mainly set themselves on fire, because it is the only lethal means still available to them. That women are arrested and sentenced to 80-100 lashes if a lock of hair slips out from under their head covering -- Iran is just as bad for women as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia (...but then, our ally Jordan has the highest rate of Honor-murders in the world.) That Iranian student protests in the last 5 years have resulted in military repression that makes Tienamen Square look pretty mild. This is all under the auspices of Khameini, regardless who has been president.
The recent 18-page letter from Stinky to Shrub asked at one point if Bush wasn't ready to leave behind the failed experiment of liberalism (!) and democracy and come to God (after a long discussion of Christ as a prophet of the one God) -- which some Islamic scholars say was intended as a clear statement that Bush should convert to Islam (!) and a few suggested this is the kind of thing that could indicate a gearing up for attack -- sort of 'OK, I offered the infidel a way out before we got rough.'
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oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities, and he in effect advised them to take a hostage - Israel.
Retired Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg said he suggested their government "make it clear that if anything happens to Iran, if anyone attacks it - it doesn't matter who it is or how it is attacked - that Iran's answer will be to hit Israel; the only target will be Israel."
Since Beg spoke in an interview with The Associated Press, echoes of his thinking have been heard in Iran, though whether they result directly from his advice isn't known.
Mohammad Ebrahim Dehghani, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, was quoted last week as saying that if "America does make any mischief, the first place we target will be Israel." The threat was disavowed the next day by Brig. Gen. Alireza Afshar, deputy to the chief of Iran's military staff, who said it was Dehghani's "personal view and has no validity as far as the Iranian military officials are concerned."
And on Tuesday, Israel's vice premier, Shimon Peres, warned that "Those who threaten to destroy are in danger of being destroyed."
In the AP interview that took place several weeks before these threats were exchanged, General Beg said a delegation from the Iranian Embassy in Pakistan had come to his office in January, seeking advice as Western pressure mounted on Iran to abandon its nuclear effort. Beg said he offered lessons learned from his experience dealing with India's nuclear threat.
He said he told the Iranians, whom he did not identify, that Pakistan had suspected India of collaborating with Israel in planning an attack on its nuclear facilities. By then, Pakistan had the bomb too. But both countries had adopted a strategy of ambiguity, he said, and Pakistan sent an emissary to India to warn that no matter who attacked it, Pakistan would retaliate against India.
"We told India frankly that this is the threat we perceive and this is the action we are taking and the action we will take. It was a real deterrent," he recalled telling the Iranians.
He said he also advised them to "attempt to degrade the defense systems of Israel," harass it through the Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority and the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, and put second-strike nuclear weapons on submarines.
Beg also detailed nearly 20 years of Iranian approaches to obtain conventional arms and then technology for nuclear weapons. He described an Iranian visit in 1990, when he was army chief of staff.
"They didn't want the technology. They asked: 'Can we have a bomb?' My answer was: By all means you can have it but you must make it yourself. Nobody gave it to us."
Although Beg insisted his government never gave Iran nuclear weapons, Pakistan now acknowledges that Khan sold Iran centrifuges to produce weapons-grade uranium, though without his government's knowledge.
Beg became army chief of staff in 1988, a year after Pakistan confirmed CIA estimates that it had nuclear weapons capability. He served until 1991 and now runs his own think tank. He speaks freely and in detail about the nuclear issue, but many critical blank spots remain and the subject remains one of great sensitivity, clouded by revelations in 2004 that A. Q. Khan, who pioneered Pakistan's nuclear bomb, sold nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.
Khan has been pardoned by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and Pakistan has refused to hand him over to the United States or the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency for questioning.
According to Beg, Iran first sent emissaries to Pakistan in the latter years of its 1980-88 war with Iraq with a shopping list worth billions of dollars, mostly for spare parts for its air force. It offered in return to underwrite the development plan of Gen. Zia-ul Haq, then Pakistan's ruler.
"Gen. Zia did not agree," he said.
Much of what Beg says cannot be independently confirmed, and the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency did not respond to repeated requests for comment on Beg's version of events.
If one was to take this at face value, it sort of implies that Iran HAS second-strike nuclear weapons to put on subs, right? Esp interesting since they were doing sub-based missile games and maneuvers 6 weeks ago.
Wonder whether Israel's policy of never, ever deal with terrorists over hostages applies when its your whole country. And I wonder if the Palestinians are scratching their kaffiyehs over the idea of Iran nuking 'their' land.
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oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
If one was to take this at face value, it sort of implies that Iran HAS second-strike nuclear weapons to put on subs, right? Esp interesting since they were doing sub-based missile games and maneuvers 6 weeks ago.
Wonder whether Israel's policy of never, ever deal with terrorists over hostages applies when its your whole country. And I wonder if the Palestinians are scratching their kaffiyehs over the idea of Iran nuking 'their' land.
I think it's pretty obvious you don't send that kind of letter unless you already have a bomb/bombs I think the genie is done out of that bottle, the way they've been acting isn't like someone who's 10 years away but someone who's already there and more than likely has a few.
I think the whole we need to nuke them debate or supposed debate that got leaked, or the planning for it whatever, was probably a theory posited on the assumption we are already too late.
The nuke idea wouldn't be bandied about unless it was to obliterate a bomb that already exists.
That letter was basically a slap in the face, it wasn't to influence the UN, the UN dosen't matter if they have a bomb, IMO they act like it's already done.
Again, they may be crazy but they can't be that stupid, this kind of cat and mouse game they have been playing is the sort of thing someone with a new chip on their shoulder and a big ole axe to grind does.
I wouldn't doubt for a second that they already have it, no way would anyone necessarily know but taking into account the premium centrifuges they probably got some time ago it's reasonable to assume they worked like mad to get it done.
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At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
~Abraham Lincoln Lyceum Address
Last edited by conraddobler; May 12th, 2006 at 11:39 PM.
Yes you have at least another 2 years o make $ on oil. Try STO, AES, and Petro China. Those 3 will make a killing.
Swd, I have very little money, but I will soon be able to save a little bit each month, and I'm petrified of when I need to start paying off my student loans starting in December. Is there a way to get into the game, make a solid, low-investment and make enough to help out with student loans? Probably not with the low amounts I'm talking about investing, but I am curious.
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Veni, vidi, vici--this goes out to all our NFC West chums
Thank you for breaking the circle of suck, Bidwill--Stout, December 7 2008.
Swd, I have very little money, but I will soon be able to save a little bit each month, and I'm petrified of when I need to start paying off my student loans starting in December. Is there a way to get into the game, make a solid, low-investment and make enough to help out with student loans? Probably not with the low amounts I'm talking about investing, but I am curious.
Well you'd need a cheap stock which are all speculative. But here are 3 that can make you some good money if they go as planned.
KRY - owns largest unmined gold mine in the world. Its in Venezuala. Just hope the socialist Chavez doesnt take the mine for himself. He already said he wouldnt. 4.80/share
DYN - Greatest turnaround ever by a company. 5/share
and a stock that is a little more expensive, 14/share - GT
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Goal for 2008: Half as many penalties.
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