But this was a peaceful program, remember?
We have been told for the past couple of years by Iran that their nuclear program is for peaceful, energy purposes only. There are also a few critics of our increasing sanctions that are defending Iran's right to have such a power supply in their nation. But the The New York Times ran a story early this morning -- buried, mind you -- that Iran has turned something over that casts further doubt on their peaceful boasts:
Iran has met a key demand of the U.N. nuclear agency, handing over long-sought blueprints showing how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads, diplomats said Tuesday.
Iran's decision to release the documents, which were seen by U.N. inspectors two years ago, was seen as a concession designed to head off the threat of new U.N. sanctions.
But the diplomats said Tehran has failed to meet other requests made by the International Atomic Energy Agency in its attempts to end nearly two decades of nuclear secrecy on the part of Iran.
The diplomats spoke to The Associated Press as IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei put the finishing touches on his latest report to his agency's 35-nation board of governors for consideration next week. While ElBaradei is expected to say that Iran has improved its cooperation with his agency's probe, the findings are unlikely to deter the United States, France and Britain from pushing for a third set of U.N. sanctions.
The agency has been seeking possession of the blueprints since 2005, when it stumbled upon them among a batch of other documents during its examination of suspect Iranian nuclear activities. While agency inspectors had been allowed to examine them in the country, Tehran had up to now refused to let the IAEA have a copy for closer perusal.
Diplomats accredited to the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were divulging confidential information, said the drawings were hand-carried by Mohammad Saeedi, deputy director of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and handed over last week in Vienna to Oli Heinonen, an ElBaradei deputy in charge of the Iran investigations.
Iran maintains it was given the papers without asking for them during its black market purchases of nuclear equipment decades ago that now serve as the backbone of its program to enrich uranium -- a process that can generate both power or create the fissile core of nuclear warheads. Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment has been the main trigger for both existing U.N. sanctions and the threat of new ones.
So, they supposedly got these blueprints when they bought the black-market, AQ Khan nuclear tech, and they didn't turn them over then. they didn't turn them over to the IAEA in 2005 when their inspectors found them. They waited until now, on the cusp of a third set of more stringent sanctions, to hand them over. Anyone want to bet that the IAEA and the UN agree that Iran has abided by their demands, and they'll try to stave off those sanctions? Seems very likely given that they're following the Saddam Hussein playbook when he dealt with the UN.
And about those critics, what excuse do they offer us about this? They kept the blueprints for years, and likely made copies of them; acting "reluctant" to hand over this set. This is an alarming development with Iran's nuclear program. Given the fact that last Wednesday Iran announced they were at 3000 working centrifuges. (The IAEA tried to cover up for them then, too, claiming all 3000 weren't online and working, but Iran has since come out and reinforced their point.) Today, they conveniently hand over blueprints that showed them how to make warheads.
If there was anymore proof needed that Iran's moving towards nuclear weapons, save one being launched from Iran itself, I don't know what it would be. It's clear they're moving in that direction, and it's more than clear that the UN is incapable of dealing with this threat. If it means that the US must band together with her allies to stop Iran, then so be it. The Western powers will once again show how ineffectual and incompetent the UN is. And if needs be, Iran will be made to pay for it's clandestine activity, and their attempt to blackmail and subjugate their region.
Publius II
Iran has met a key demand of the U.N. nuclear agency, handing over long-sought blueprints showing how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads, diplomats said Tuesday.
Iran's decision to release the documents, which were seen by U.N. inspectors two years ago, was seen as a concession designed to head off the threat of new U.N. sanctions.
But the diplomats said Tehran has failed to meet other requests made by the International Atomic Energy Agency in its attempts to end nearly two decades of nuclear secrecy on the part of Iran.
The diplomats spoke to The Associated Press as IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei put the finishing touches on his latest report to his agency's 35-nation board of governors for consideration next week. While ElBaradei is expected to say that Iran has improved its cooperation with his agency's probe, the findings are unlikely to deter the United States, France and Britain from pushing for a third set of U.N. sanctions.
The agency has been seeking possession of the blueprints since 2005, when it stumbled upon them among a batch of other documents during its examination of suspect Iranian nuclear activities. While agency inspectors had been allowed to examine them in the country, Tehran had up to now refused to let the IAEA have a copy for closer perusal.
Diplomats accredited to the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were divulging confidential information, said the drawings were hand-carried by Mohammad Saeedi, deputy director of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and handed over last week in Vienna to Oli Heinonen, an ElBaradei deputy in charge of the Iran investigations.
Iran maintains it was given the papers without asking for them during its black market purchases of nuclear equipment decades ago that now serve as the backbone of its program to enrich uranium -- a process that can generate both power or create the fissile core of nuclear warheads. Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment has been the main trigger for both existing U.N. sanctions and the threat of new ones.
So, they supposedly got these blueprints when they bought the black-market, AQ Khan nuclear tech, and they didn't turn them over then. they didn't turn them over to the IAEA in 2005 when their inspectors found them. They waited until now, on the cusp of a third set of more stringent sanctions, to hand them over. Anyone want to bet that the IAEA and the UN agree that Iran has abided by their demands, and they'll try to stave off those sanctions? Seems very likely given that they're following the Saddam Hussein playbook when he dealt with the UN.
And about those critics, what excuse do they offer us about this? They kept the blueprints for years, and likely made copies of them; acting "reluctant" to hand over this set. This is an alarming development with Iran's nuclear program. Given the fact that last Wednesday Iran announced they were at 3000 working centrifuges. (The IAEA tried to cover up for them then, too, claiming all 3000 weren't online and working, but Iran has since come out and reinforced their point.) Today, they conveniently hand over blueprints that showed them how to make warheads.
If there was anymore proof needed that Iran's moving towards nuclear weapons, save one being launched from Iran itself, I don't know what it would be. It's clear they're moving in that direction, and it's more than clear that the UN is incapable of dealing with this threat. If it means that the US must band together with her allies to stop Iran, then so be it. The Western powers will once again show how ineffectual and incompetent the UN is. And if needs be, Iran will be made to pay for it's clandestine activity, and their attempt to blackmail and subjugate their region.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 2:39 PM
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