Regards, Ivan
Posted on 02/27/2005 11:42:04 PM PST by MadIvan
RUSSIA signed a nuclear supply deal with Iran yesterday, against the wishes of the United States, which suspects Tehran of secretly developing atomic weapons.
The agreement, signed at the Bushehr plant in southern Iran, paves the way for Iran to start up its first atomic reactor next year.
Iran, OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, has received strong backing from Moscow, which is keen to play a major role in expanding Iran’s nuclear energy programme.
But a key part of yesterday’s agreement obliges Tehran to return all spent nuclear fuel to Russia. Moscow hopes this will allay fears in Washington that Iran may use the spent fuel to create weapons-grade plutonium.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been investigating Iran’s nuclear programme for more than two years, said it would also keep a careful eye on Tehran’s use of the fuel.
Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the IAEA, said inspectors would "monitor closely the use of the fuel and where it goes" as part of the agency’s safeguards aimed at ensuring no nuclear materials are diverted to any covert weapons activities.
Alexander Rumyantsev, the head of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency, said: "This is a very important incident in the ties between the two countries, and in the near future a number of Russian experts will be sent to Bushehr to equip the power station."
Mr Rumyantsev said Bushehr would start operating in late 2006. Once operational, it will generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity.
The US and the European Union want Iran to scrap its uranium enrichment plans entirely.
Iran has refused, but has suspended enrichment while it tries to reach a negotiated settlement with the EU.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Dear Presiden Bush: Please bomb the living day-lights out of the Iranian nuclear program. We don't care what the has-beens in Europe have to say.
I know. "Is my new knife big enough to impress Dubya?"
It's a sad day when Russia fails to recognize its potential to bring peace and stability to the world simply by standing the west against proliferation and terrorism. It's too bad that old habits die hard. Perhaps the Russian people need to get more involved with moving their nation forward instead of backward in history. Putin can never be trusted after this. Some would have said that much earlier, but it's definite now.
Money. And power I suppose.
He's not. Not in any classic sense anyway.
You never know maybe iran is building a chernobyl power plant...
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