Iran Claims Nuclear Steps in New Worry

NY Times ^ | April 17, 2006 | WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER

[neverdem]

Of all the claims that Iran made last week about its nuclear program, a one-sentence assertion by its president has provoked such surprise and concern among international nuclear inspectors they are planning to confront Tehran about it this week.

The assertion involves Iran's claim that even while it begins to enrich small amounts of uranium, it is pursuing a far more sophisticated way of making atomic fuel that American officials and inspectors say could speed Iran's path to developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran has consistently maintained that it abandoned work on this advanced technology, called the P-2 centrifuge, three years ago. Western analysts long suspected that Iran had a second, secret program — based on the black market offerings of the renegade Pakistani nuclear engineer Abdul Qadeer Khan — separate from the activity at its main nuclear facility at Natanz. But they had no proof.

Then on Thursday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Tehran was "presently conducting research" on the P-2 centrifuge, boasting that it would quadruple Iran's enrichment powers. The centrifuges are tall, thin machines that spin very fast to enrich, or concentrate, uranium's rare component, uranium 235, which can fuel nuclear reactors or atom bombs.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's statements, and those of other senior Iranian officials, are always viewed with suspicion by American and international nuclear experts, because Iran has, at various times, understated nuclear activities that were later discovered, and overstated its capabilities. Analysts and American intelligence officials, bruised by their experience in Iraq, say they are uncertain whether Mr. Ahmadinejad's claim represents a real technical advance that could accelerate Iran's nuclear agenda, or political rhetoric meant to convince the world of the unstoppability of its atomic program.

European diplomats said a delegation of Iranian officials is due to arrive on Tuesday in Vienna, where the International Atomic...

[neverdem]

"NUCLEAR JIHAD: Can Terrorists Get The Bomb?" a documentary about Pakistani nuclear smuggler A.Q. Khan and his clients, including Iran, airs tonight at 8 p.m. on the Discovery Times Channel and Thursday, April 20, at 9 p.m. on CBC-TV (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Chronology: A.Q. Khan

Related Sites: Nuclear Technology and Proliferation

[King Prout]

I was about to ping you to this post :)
shoulda know'd

[MindBender26]

There are seven important questions here.

The answers to all do not begin with "Yes", "No", "Why" or "If."

The answers all begin with "When"

[cmsgop]

[nopardons]

BTTT

[SierraWasp]

I know this is shallow, but do you remember what the world's leaders were saying in the movie "Independence Day," when the aliens were threatening everything and everyone? "What do you want us to do?" They asked impatiently.

The the alien's adamant, one word reply...

DIE!!!

[Ron in Acreage]

Maybe if Iran claims it will only target blue states, the leftist pukes in this country will take them seriously.

[Salem]

How much anybody want to bet money Mahmoud Ahmadinejad knows he is dealing with a bunch of gullible, naive, timid little bureaucrats, represented in the thinking revealed here? Where's our resolve in the face of this impending Apocalypse?

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AMERICA AT WAR
At Salem the Soldier's Homepage ~
Honored member of FReeper Leapfrog's "Enemy of Islam" list.
Islam, a Religion of Peace®? Some links...  by backhoe
Mohammed, The Mad Poet Quoted....  by PsyOp
One FReeper On The Line  by SNOWFLAKE
The Clash of Ideologies - A Review

[PsyOp]

Western Politicians are going to do nothing until Iran pops a nuke somewhere. Then they will all turn to us an blame us for not doing anything. I include our own politicians in that group.

Me? I'm stockpiling ammo for the day when I or my children have to take this fight to the streets against radical Hispanic islamo/fascist mullahs.

[anonymoussierra]

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"Et tell you is coming. Get ready. Et stand of words. War is heating up. Humanity who doesn't reflect of world today is perplexed of its self.

This is not one shot of arrow; infore eto incordinuum is fight of innocent millions of all of humanity. Enemy is here, I cry out loud of my faith; whom will be able to fight was is coming?

Kremlin, Pekin, and many of many have set up traps of you, look outside of box. My words are nothing, politicians e reporters have destroyed this understanding. Eto fore destruction will turn against them.

History comes to hunt humanity of itself. We have stood by you, infore eto we will again, for a last time. Infore when is finished we all humanity of goodness will win. Have hope. Due; nothing is lost."

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thank you all