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Russia confirms further delays to Iran`s nuke plant
GatewayToRussia ^ | 8SEP04 | GatewayToRussia

Posted on 09/08/2004 2:03:15 PM PDT by familyop

A senior Russian nuclear official said on Wednesday that an atomic reactor Moscow is building for Iran, long a stumbling block in Russian-U.S. relations faced further delays. Diplomatic sources and experts in Moscow have said President Vladimir Putin's growing recognition of Washington's concerns over Iran's nuclear programme have pressured the Kremlin into delaying until a United Nations body declares Iran clean.

But the Russian official, speaking just days before U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meets in Vienna to discuss Iran, said the delay was of a technical nature and had nothing to do with U.S. pressure on Russia to ditch the Bushehr project. "It won't be launched till 2006. Unfortunately the launch is again facing delays, and the delays are for objective reasons," said the Russian Atomic Energy Agency official. "There are certain technicalities remaining to be settled."

In August, Asadollah Sabouri, a senior Iranian nuclear official, said the plant would not start working until October 2006, but Russia's atomic authority then swiftly rebuffed the statement, saying the plant would go on stream in 2005 as previously planned. Russia has been building the plant in southern Iran since the early 1990s despite strong criticism from Washington which says Tehran can use Russian know-how to make atomic arms.

Washington, which says Iran seeks weapons of mass destruction, also fears Iran would use the 1,000-megawatt, $800 million plant as a cover for the transfer of other sensitive nuclear technology. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, speaking after his recent meeting with Putin, called Iran's nuclear activities "extremely alarming" and said Russia would help to ensure Iran did not acquire nuclear weapons.

Iran says it has no atomic weapons plans. Moscow also denies any suggestion that Tehran could make a bomb on the basis of the power station's technology. Despite U.S. fears, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in June it was unconcerned by Russia's construction of the plant.

To allay U.S. concerns Iran could extract plutonium, which can be used in atomic bombs, from spent fuel at Bushehr, Russia has pledged to sign a deal with Iran to oblige it to return all fuel to Russia after a decade of use. Russian Atomic Energy Agency chief Alexander Rumyantsev is due to sign the document in Iran later this year.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: arab; chechen; chechnya; expansionism; grozny; human; iaea; iran; irannukes; islam; israel; muslim; nuclear; nuke; nukes; president; proliferation; putin; russia; shields; vladimir
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It's not delayed. It's delayed. It's delayed for technical reasons. No, it's delayed for political reasons. ... ...a decade?
1 posted on 09/08/2004 2:03:18 PM PDT by familyop
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To: yonif

Ping!


2 posted on 09/08/2004 2:03:53 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: familyop

Hopefully, the Russians are smart enough to build this plant so that it stops working 15 minutes after they get paid.


3 posted on 09/08/2004 2:04:39 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: familyop

Maybe this is the reason State is disinterested in Russia's terrorist problems.


4 posted on 09/08/2004 2:05:31 PM PDT by RightWhale (Withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and establish property rights)
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To: familyop

Putin should say "delayed? did I say delayed? I meant bombs away!"


5 posted on 09/08/2004 2:05:54 PM PDT by tractorman (A mosque is a mask.)
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To: familyop

One can only beleive that Mr. Putin is wondering how many nukes Iran will give to the terrorists that carried out the attack over the weekend to use on Moscow.


6 posted on 09/08/2004 2:06:39 PM PDT by stockpirate (Dick Morris; Before he spoke, supporting Bush was a duty one owed to the fallen. Now, it is an honor)
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To: familyop

This is the opening Mr. Powell. Russia backs off the Iran nuke plants and we back off our moral support for Chechnya. Lets make a deal and hope that it becomes a foundation for cooperation in the future. We should make a pact with the Russians that neither of us will play the Jihadi's against the other. I've gotta go study up on the Chechan history now. It appears they are another Bosnia / Kosovo ... where cold war history may have us on the wrong side of the war with Jihadistan. Lets get it right and make sure the Rusky's do the same.


7 posted on 09/08/2004 2:13:17 PM PDT by cdrw (Freedom and responsibility are inseparable)
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To: familyop

(delaying until a United Nations body declares Iran clean.)

This is big news IF it's true.


8 posted on 09/08/2004 2:14:23 PM PDT by edchambers (Where are we going and why am I in this hand-basket?)
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To: RightWhale
"Maybe this is the reason State is disinterested in Russia's terrorist problems."

Well, yeah, the State Department's very interested, but I know what you mean. Anywaaaaaaayyyy, close enough!

[Golden glow shines through the window on RightWhale, the man!]

You seeeee the light! I say, all, can we see the light? Yaayyuss, we seeee the light! Signify!

Alright! Hallelujah, brother! RightWhales sees the light!

Dance, everybody!
9 posted on 09/08/2004 2:15:26 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: Brilliant; Poohbah; section9; veronica

Actually, there may be some "technical modifications" to that reactor due up...

Kinda like those the Brits slipped into plans for the Concorde that the Russians stole. Or the blueprints for some turbines we allowed the Russians to purchase.

I recommend ear protection for those in the area of Bushehr.

*makes a mental note to go short on real estate futures in that vicinity*


10 posted on 09/08/2004 2:15:27 PM PDT by hchutch (I only eat dolphin-safe veal.)
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To: RightWhale

[Familyop dancing down the isle, now!]


11 posted on 09/08/2004 2:18:11 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: familyop

Trust, but verify.


12 posted on 09/08/2004 2:20:22 PM PDT by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: Alouette; Salem

Ping!


13 posted on 09/08/2004 2:21:02 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: familyop

I wonder if those 325 new headstones in Belsan have anything to do with this.


14 posted on 09/08/2004 2:21:05 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn't be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: familyop

Why, imagine that.

I wonder if certain Islamic Terrorists with Chechen passports will enjoy a sudden visit back to their homeland soon.


15 posted on 09/08/2004 2:22:08 PM PDT by Westbrook
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To: familyop

After the events of last Friday in Russia anything with a muslim/arab flavor has the taste of ashes. And Vladimir just had hisself what is known in religious circles as an epiphany. I almost can bring myself to almost feel sorry for the mohamadens, but then I think about how the back shooters & bayonet killers of children are acting & agree that it is high time to go medieval on Abdul & Mustafah and company.


16 posted on 09/08/2004 2:22:22 PM PDT by Nebr FAL owner (Here's to Abdul seeing the light ,preferably from a 20 megaton nuke up close & personal)
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To: 1bigdictator; 1st-P-In-The-Pod; 2sheep; 7.62 x 51mm; A Jovial Cad; a_witness; adam_az; af_vet_rr; ..
Note to Israel: destroy it now and delay it permanently.

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel ping list.

WARNING: This is a high volume ping list

17 posted on 09/08/2004 2:23:33 PM PDT by Alouette (Pray for the Children of Russia, Israel and the USA)
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To: Brilliant

they can build into the structure...shall we say oopsies, that can be commanded to er, fail, from a remote location, very remote location. Such a mishap would then be blamed on the operator's lack of safety and not an external force.


18 posted on 09/08/2004 2:24:56 PM PDT by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: Brilliant
Hopefully, the Russians are smart enough to build this plant so that it stops working 15 minutes after they get paid.

The Israelis will blow it up 15 minutes after it's delivered.

19 posted on 09/08/2004 2:25:28 PM PDT by Zeroisanumber
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To: familyop

It is possible that this is simply a diplomatic means of saving face.

The timing of these technical delays are suspicious :)


20 posted on 09/08/2004 2:31:37 PM PDT by kidd
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