Posted on 09/03/2007 4:48:00 AM PDT by fweingart
September 3, 2007 -- TEHRAN - Iran's president claimed yesterday that his country is now running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its nuclear program - a long-sought goal that could add momentum to efforts to impose new U.N. sanctions on the Islamic republic. The claim is at odds with a report by the U.N. nuclear-watchdog group Thursday that put the number at close to 2,000. The International Atomic Energy Agency said enrichment had slowed and Iran was cooperating with its nuclear probe, which could fend off calls for a third round of sanctions. "The West thought the Iranian nation would give in after just a resolution, but now we have taken another step in the nuclear progress and launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines, installing a new cascade every week," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in remarks carried by the state TV Web site. Iran claimed it was operating 3,000 centrifuges in April, but the IAEA said at the time that Iran had only 328 centrifuges.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
You either shape your own destiny... or let others shape it for you.
I think the best bet is to encourage the Iranians to clean their own house. Iran has a very young population and many of these young people don't share the theocratic fervor of the 1970s revolutionaries. The ruling Mullahs and Ahmadinejad are increasingly falling out of favor among the populace. This can be evidenced by recent crackdowns on Islamic dress codes, satellite TV, and other "un-Islamic" behavior. Furthermore, despite vast petroleum reserves, Iran has had to ration gasoline thanks to trade embargoes. Finally, Iran has squandered fortunes of national treasure in their effort to build nukes, earning them the enmity of the world, much to the dismay and embarrassment of the liberal populace who are trying to strengthen Iran's ties with the West. There is a growing sentiment among young Iranians that these rulers are ruining the country.
I'd really prefer to see the Iranians themselves take care of Ahmadinejad before the United States gets backed into doing something about him. War with Iran would further stretch our Armed Forces and simply bombing them would likely unite an angry populace in solidarity with the ruling party.
We have to taake Ahmamurderijad out, sooner rather than later.
“The claim is at odds with a report by the U.N. nuclear-watchdog group Thursday that put the number at close to 2,000. The International Atomic Energy Agency said enrichment had slowed and Iran was cooperating with its nuclear probe, which could fend off calls for a third round of sanctions.”
And anyone would believe the UN why?
That ‘window of opportunity’ on that has long since passed FRiend.
Your basic points about their populace and their youth, pro-Western views, and collective disgust with their government are dead-on.
However, I disagree with the rest. They are outgunned. If we take out the military with airstrikes......then maybe, just maybe, the populace could stand a chance of uprising and overthrowing this yoke of extreme Islam.
If we take out their command and control structures (and I include the civilian “leadership” here), don’t expect the populace to be ticked about it.
They’d be thrilled.
For all the disappointments, I predict GWB will not leave office without dealing with NK and Iran in an extremely harsh and definitive manner.
They will rue the day the decided to take the course of nuclear blackmail.
I wish you were right. I have little confidence in the resolve of this administration anymore.
Our President just wants to make nice these days, it seems.
Mash the re-set button........
I wonder how hard it would be to "convince" some of the top military officers to take out Amadingynutjob and the mullahs on behalf of the populace....
Our armed forces won't be involved. It'll be an intense, targeted, and massive airstrike to destroy or cripple Iran's nuclear program. Period.
If the "angry populace" unites against American and the West, so be it. That same populace has allowed an insane religious zealot to obtain leadership, to make overtly bellicose statements which demand a response.
The UN is telling you that they are going to let Iran get away with more BS stalling tactics to give them time to complete their bomb. Why would you not believe the UN when they tell you this?
Within weeks of 9/11, attack the Taliban and Afghanistan. *Check*
Within months of 9/11, depose Saddam. *Check*
Within days of 9/11, close the southern border and reform immigration and visa procedures. *Oops*
Within months of 9/11, take out Iran’s nuclear capability and decapitate the terrorist-sponsoring leadership. *Ummm*
He’s batting 50% at most, in my opinion.
Everything I've read says this ain't gonna' happen... at least not BEFORE the mullah's have a bomb. Further... one only has to look at the history/structure of other arab states to see that this avenue is absurd.
2000 or 3000, what doth it matter?
Actually, Iran doesn't have the refining capacity sufficient to serve it's own population. They export oil and import refined product, i.e., gasoline, diesel and avgas. This is most definitely to our advantage, though. Cut off their electricity and the centrifuges stop. Cut off their gasoline and the country stops.....
Very few recent presidents and their administrations, (only one comes to mind) haven't grovelled and thrown, instead of a grenade, a parcel of cash at the problem.
This is the leftist politicians way. Our government is so stupid that instead of fighting the ecofreaks and ordering drilling to begin in the 'pristine' wildnerness for example and in our waters, they continue to allow 1 billion dollars every day to be spent by the drained US Treasury to import oil from our enemies. These billions upon billions of dollars are used, of course, to continue harrassing America, to keep us on a perpetual defensive where airport screeners waste time and more money frisking my 92 year old Uncle Ray!
Grow a spine! (Or get the hell out!)
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