State Dept Official: Iran Could Build Nukes in 'Days'

NewsMax ^ | 13 April 2006 | Carl Limbacher

[Aussie Dasher]

Iran could build a nuclear weapon within "days" once it completes plans to beef up its uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, a State Department official said Wednesday.

"Natanz was constructed to house 50,000 centrifuges," Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, told reporters in Moscow. "Using those 50,000 centrifuges they could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 16 days."

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's deputy nuclear chief, Mohammad Saeedi, appeared on Iran's state-run TV network to announce plans for "industrial scale" uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at the Natanz facility, according to the Associated Press.

Rademaker, whose stunning "nukes-in-days" prediction was first reported by Bloomberg News, offered his comments in reaction to Saeedi's announcement.

Iran's first successful attempt to enrich uranium, announced Tuesday by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was accomplished with just 164 centrifuges. While it's not clear how quickly Iran could reach the 50,000 centrifuge mark, there are indications that the rogue nation is already much closer than indicated by Tuesday's announcement.

Last August, an exiled Iranian dissident who helped uncover nearly two decades of covert nuclear activity in 2002, told the Associated Press that Iran has already manufactured thousands of centrifuges capable of enriching uranium to weapons grade.

"4,000 centrifuge machines have not been declared to the IAEA," Alireza Jafarzadeh said. "And the regime has kept the production of these machines hidden from the inspectors while the negotiations with the European Union have been going on over the past 21 months."

In Feb. 2003, UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei visited Natanz. He reported that in a nearby building, workers were assembling parts for thousands of centrifuges.

The Natanz facility is buried 75 feet underground and has a reinforced concrete roof, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

[reagandemo]

"Iran will go first. Sneak attack like Pearl Harbor during negotiations. Then war will be demanded, and war it will be."

And the Arabs really care about the Palestinians??? Hell no they don't. You Nuke Israel and you will also be nuking the West Bank and Gaza. Arabs do not give a rat's behind about the Palestinians. They never have.

[b4its2late]

Vote YES on our proposal to convert Iranian nuclear facilities into open-pit aluminum mines.

LOL. I'm with you.

[Supernatural]

I've been waiting for the other shoe to fall for a while too.

Things are going downhill.

Watching the Stooges is a good idea. Things are out of our control. What is going to happen will happen. And it isn't going to be good.

[The Sons of Liberty]

This debate is eerily similar to the debate on whether we needed to take action against Iraq and their WMDs. The President has been savaged by the press, both here and abroad, because none have been found ( although that doesn't mean there are none ), so he may be a bit reluctant to make a move on Iran. After all, can he really trust the intelligence estimates he receives?

One thing though. When Secretary Rice was on TV yesterday, she had an expression that clearly indicated extreme concern.

[patton]

shotgun. I designed one in high school - hey, I was bored. ;)

[ThirstyMan]

Glad we agree.

Our destruction is their goal, not peaceful co-existence. Israel too. they want the Judeo-Christian influence in the world annihilated.

That sets an entirely different table for the Western mind, the survival of our civilization. Europe won't tackle this problem. There are only few left, Poland, Australia, Great Britain.

[beyond the sea]

Things are out of our control. What is going to happen will happen. And it isn't going to be good.

Let's hope that whatever happens doesn't injure the fish in Laurel Hill Creek.

I'd like to get there some day, Supernatural.

Go Stillers....

[ThirstyMan]

My theory and I desperately wish it disproven, is that this just might be the Shi'a Death Wish and their plan to purify Islam by giving Allah a clean slate. The goat-buggering SOBs want us to attack.

I share your theory. We don't comprehend this Muslim mind very well.

These fanatics are zeal without love, very dangerous.

In any case they aren't working to understand us one bit and so our actions need to be determined by our own self preservation, NOT THEIR APPROVAL!!

[Mike Darancette]

I feel like hiding in the den and watching the Three Stooges.

You mean the 3 network news organizations?

[Supernatural]

I have extra fly rods and gear.

All you need are waders and a fishing license.

[beyond the sea]

I feel like hiding in the den and watching the Three Stooges. ............... You mean the 3 network news organizations?

ROFL ..................... but no ........ I need to laugh not agonize.

;-)

[beyond the sea]

All you need are waders and a fishing license.

........... and a cooler.

;-)

[Mike Darancette]

I need to laugh not agonize.

Get some Little Rascal tapes. Seeing kids get along and playing together really helps.

[maine-iac7]

It all seems to be coming to a head. I feel like hiding in the den and watching the Three Stooges.

I keep hearing echoes of ancient prophecies that all seem to culminate around these next 6 years - for ex: the Hopi legend that adds that we better have a years supply of living essentials (food, water, heat source) and be off in the williwacks - and that it will take a good ten years to come up out of the mire -

I was raised in the back woods of a northern state - and, I gotta tell ya, I wouldn't mind having a camp and a well stocked cold cellar up there right now)

[maine-iac7]

he may be a bit reluctant to make a move on Iran

I have a gut feeling that we wont take the point on this one.

Israel, the UK, etc - are taking heed on this one - they are in the cross-hairs - in range. They haven't got enough land mass to survive more than one or two strikes -

This time, just maybe, they'll move first - and then we can join.

I'm thinking of starting a business: "Ornaments and oil lamps made from Iranian glass." (kinda like the oil lamp I have made from the volcanic ash from Mt. St. Helens.)

[beyond the sea]

I was raised in the back woods of a northern state - and, I gotta tell ya, I wouldn't mind having a camp and a well stocked cold cellar up there right now)

"a camp and a well stocked cold cellar" ---- I got it here in my northern state.............. you are invited........... bring Catherine Zeta Jones if you can when it is time.

;-)

[Wolfie]

Reading the article is for pussies.

[hummingbird]

What is the latest "profiling" on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? I need a few middle of the night studies on what makes this fella tick....would like to read what Laurie Mylroie has to say about him and the whole Iranian student movement.

[hummingbird]

But the Americans may have bought the big lie and believed that he only has a measly 164 centrifuges. So they won't attack just yet, giving him another few weeks or months to build even more bombs.

Wonder how much of whatever was in Iraq has made its way to Iran.....

[maine-iac7]

you got a deal - well, might be a delay on the C Z-J