Iran: Athletes form human shield (around uranium conversion facility)

News 24 (South Africa) ^ | January 21, 2006

[Stoat]

Athletes form human shield
22/01/2006 17:02  - (SA)  

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Isfahan - Iran on Sunday gave a fresh show of its determination to press on with its disputed nuclear programme, enrolling about 1 000 athletes to form a human shield in front of a key nuclear facility.

The demonstration, which took place in front of just a handful of journalists, was held under winter sunshine outside the main gate of a uranium conversion facility near the historic central city of Isfahan.

"Since we have reached this technology indigenously and with our own scientists, we will safeguard it at any cost," the director of the facility, Behrouz Samani, said at the event.

Around him were about 1 000 sportsmen and women of all ages and from across Iran, who were wearing free T-shirts brandishing the slogan: "Nuclear Energy is our Legitimate Right."

Work at the Isfahan site, where uranium is converted to gas as a precursor to the sensitive enrichment process, had been suspended as part of a deal with Britain, France and Germany in November 2004.

Reactor fuel

Iran ended the freeze in August 2005, renewing fears it could acquire the technology needed to make nuclear weapons and leading the EU-3 to push for Iran's referral to the UN security council.

Iran insists it only wants to make reactor fuel, and further backed away from the nuclear suspension earlier this month by resuming enrichment research at another facility in Natanz.

"We the athletes will defend our right to research and the activities that lead us to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes," said a statement from the athletes read out at the demonstration.

"We consider this to be our legitimate right and will not surrender it before our last breath, and in accordance to the orders of our supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), we will definitely not close down our nuclear activities and this is our red line," said the statement.

Also shouted at the gathering were the habitual chants of "Death to America, Death to Britain".

Britain, France and Germany have called an urgent meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board for February 2, with Western diplomats confident the meeting will result in Iran's case being referred to the security council despite the reluctance of Russia and China.

[Arrowhead1952]

See this thread from earlier today.

Posted on 01/22/2006 12:35:24 PM CST by HHKrepublican_2

Breaking on FNC: Iranian Children used as human chain around nuclear facility

[joesnuffy]

Stalling for time...with their allies enabling...

[Publius6961]

Nice of them to identify the "target".

However, my guess is the most critical ones are not being so conveniently identified...

Why waste a perfectly good JDAM?

[FairOpinion]

Sure the athletes formed a human chain. I am sure the Mullahs gave them a choice: human chain or be shot immediately.

This is playing to the liberal propaganda machine, who is already getting ready of accusing the US of mass murder, if we attack Iran's nuclear facilities and of course they won't blame Iran for the deaths of innocents, even though they put them there in harm's way deliberately.

[DainBramage]

BREAKING IRANIAN CARPETS AND 7-11 MANAGERS USED AS HUMAN SHEILDS!

[sandbar]

Why do people keep commenting on dead athletes and targets? Do you think anyone is going to do anything about this? Iran can do anydamnthing they want and they know it.

[jwh_Denver]

Yeah, try to catch your breath after a MOAB has exploded.

[tomnbeverly]

No worry we will do precison bombing.. and if the Iranians cannot particiapte in the Olympics due to lack of Athletes then that is their own fault...

[VOA]

Guess we know which country won't be fielding a team at the Olympics
in China, 2008.

[silverleaf]

Looks like the Iranians are ahead of the world in training for a new Olympic sport...

"Red Rover, Red Rover, send your Great Satan cruise missiles right over"

Maybe we'll luck out and Code Pink-o will go over there to join them.

[adorno]

Wow. Thats a lot of dead athletes.

Actually, I think we here have it all wrong.

Nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons or nuclear missiles can't do us harm if they're not used. So, to stop them from being used, our real targets should be the Ayatollahs and their crazy, mindless president. If we get to them (the leaders), then the war will be over a lot quicker than if we just bombed the nuclear sites. Don't get me wrong, we should still bomb their nuclear facilities. But, if we're going after our enemies, then really go after them.

[BunnySlippers]

Sure, they are there 24/7 for years.

[MizSterious]

Well, I hear CIC isn't doing that well in the ratings, and today I learned Left...er, West Wing was cancelled.

[Chode]

the big tough INAZI hiding behind women and little children... yup, you bad. NOT!!!

[festus]

;Hands Across Ground Zero?

Or weird al's Christmas At Ground Zero.

[samadams2000]

You are rigtht. We need to cut the head off. AND NO NATION BUILDING THIS TIME MR. PRESIDENT!!

[LoudRepublicangirl]

So the mullahs have athletic supporters.

[strategofr]

"I thought these people were going to rise up and get rid of the Mullahs now running Iran.

Damn, and I was holding my breath waiting for it to happen."

Maybe they would, if we supplied them with some weapons. It's not like some peaceful protest would affect the conscience of the government.

[oolatec]

Or they would turn around and use those weapons against us...

[RedMonqey]

Don't worry . If the current ratings continue to drop, it will be canceled well before the 08 elections. Just like West Wing was cancelled.