Defying U.N., Iran Opens Nuclear Reactor

The Washington Times ^ | Aug 26,2006 6:09 AM EDT | ALI AKBAR DAREINI

[kellynla]

KHONDAB, Iran (AP) -- An Iranian plant that produces heavy water officially went into operation on Saturday, despite U.N. demands that Tehran stop the activity because it can be used to develop a nuclear bomb.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the plant, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.

The announcement comes days before Thursday's U.N. deadline for Iran to stop uranium enrichment - which also can be used to create nuclear weapons - or face economic and political sanctions. Tehran has called the U.N. Security Council resolution "illegal" and said it won't stop enrichment as a precondition to negotiations.

Mohammed Saeedi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the heavy water plant is "one of the biggest nuclear projects" in the country, state-run television reported. He said the plant will be used in the pharmaceutical field and in diagnosing cancer.

The plant's top official, Manouchehr Madadi, said the facility has the ability to produce up to 16 tons of heavy water a year.

Iran has been a building a heavy water reactor near the plant for two years, but the reactor is not scheduled for completion until 2009.

Nuclear weapons can be produced using either plutonium or highly enriched uranium as the explosive core. Either substance can be produced in the process of running a reactor.

Reactors fueled by enriched uranium use regular - or "light" - water as a "moderator" in the chain reaction that produces energy. Reactors using "heavy water" contain a heavier hydrogen particle, which allows the reactor to run on natural uranium mined by Iran, foregoing the enrichment progress.

[Abathar]

I guess Slim Pickens knew what will eventually have to be done...

[pennboricua]

I wonder if Israel is waiting until the UN force is in place prior to demolishing the Iranian sites, the Syrians would be hard pressed to start a fight with countries representing the U.N.

[tet68]

He said the plant will be used in the pharmaceutical field and in diagnosing cancer, baby milk will also be produced.

[tet68]

the Syrians would be hard pressed to start a fight with countries representing the U.N.

I don't think it would stop them for a minute, if they
knew their ally had a nuclear weapon.

[TomGuy]

I wonder if Israel is waiting until the UN force is in place prior to demolishing the Iranian sites,

Israel is still stinging from their recent fiasco. They have become impotent. I doubt they do anything until they are hit with an Iranian first strike.

[Abathar]

Having them there sort of like a buffer? Interesting theory, but would it really matter in reality?

Most of those forces would just yell OLE`! as the troops streamed past them, especially the French. the Italians might put up some resistance, but they would be caught between a rock and a hard place - Namely Syria, Iran and the E.U. diploweenies screaming at them if they fire so much as a single round.

I think that it will be up to us to make sure Israel has everything it needs to do this and still be safe afterwords, and they have to know that in order to guarantee that it has to happen before the 2008 election or else all bets are off for them.

[CertainInalienableRights]

the Syrians would be hard pressed to start a fight with countries representing the U.N.

IMHO, department store mannequins dressed in U.N. uniforms would be more effective than the actual U.N. troops that will be deployed.

[pennboricua]

This is an international force, representing Government that are maintaining peace between Israel and Lebanon, they have a mandate that is to maintain hostileties from taking place between those two countries, if Israel strikes Iran, Syria via way of Lebanon would have been a front Israel would have to deal with, now it will fall to the UN to avoid that, no matter how incapable the forces appear they represent Governments that would view any incursions or transfer of weapons from Syria via Lebanon as an act of war, that is how I see it anyways.

[Heartland Mom]

I think the UN is the #1 supporter of terrorism on the planet. It needs to be dismantled and we need to stop pretending it helps the world be safer. We need to stop funding (a/k/a lining the pockets of Kofi) the UN. When is the last time they accomplished anything? What have they done to help the Sudanese? How exactly did their presence in Lebanon dissuade the Hizbots? How is a mere chastisement sufficient to stop the raving nut job in Iran from launching a nuke?

No, the UN is obsolete and irrelevant and needs to be abolished because reformation is unlikely - corruption is systemic and too entrenched.

[nuconvert]

The headline is false, according to the story itself.

"Iran has been a building a heavy water reactor near the plant for two years, but the reactor is not scheduled for completion until 2009. "

It was the heavy water plant that opened, not the reactor.

Another report I read was confused also.

[ANGGAPO]

I am sure that is what should happen. But I sure wouldn't want to bet on it.

[Colorado Doug]

Lebanon would have been a front Israel would have to deal with, now it will fall to the UN to avoid that, no matter how incapable the forces appear they represent Governments that would view any incursions or transfer of weapons from Syria via Lebanon as an act of war, that is how I see it anyways.

Oh! Kind of like the last resolution worked out huh?