Wreckin’ America's defenses so the enemy'l bomb ya.
Posted on 09/27/2009 7:50:11 PM PDT by Cindy
Note: The following text is a quote:
NEWS ARTICLE
‘No Doubt’ New Iranian Nuke Facility is ‘Illicit,’ Gates Concludes By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2009 – Revelations that Iran has covertly been building an underground nuclear-fuel processing plant belie the Iranian-government’s denials that it is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on the Sunday TV talk show circuit today.
“We’ve been watching the construction of this facility for quite some time and one of the reasons that we’ve waited to make it public was to ensure that our conclusions about its purpose were right,” Gates told host John King on CNN’s State of the Union program.
President Barack Obama said yesterday in his weekly address that intelligence data has convinced the United States, the United Kingdom and France “that Iran has been building a secret nuclear facility to enrich uranium.”
The Iranian’s actions, Obama said, present “a serious challenge to the global nonproliferation regime, and continues a disturbing pattern of Iranian evasion.”
The United States and other members of the international community suspect that Iran is processing nuclear fuel to be used to construct nuclear weapons. Iran already has a uranium processing plant in Natanz.
Earlier this week at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, Obama noted that the Iranians have been covertly constructing a new nuclear-fuel processing plant near Qom. That information and corroborating evidence of the Iranians’ actions, he said, have been provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Intelligence officials have been monitoring activities around Qom “at least a couple of years,” Gates said today on CNN.
“And, I think that certainly the intelligence people have no doubt that this is an illicit nuclear facility, if only because the Iranians kept it a secret,” Gates told King. “If they wanted it for peaceful nuclear purposes there is no reason to put it so deep underground; no reason to be deceptive about it and keep it a secret for a protracted a period of time.”
Gates was asked by King about possible military options against Iran, in view of Iran’s apparent determination to acquire nuclear arms despite U.N. sanctions already in place to persuade it not to do so.
While the military option isn’t off the table, Gates said, the reality is “there is no military option that does anything more than buy time – the estimates are one-to-three years, or so” before Iran develops a nuclear weapon.”
And, “the only way you end up not having a nuclear-capable Iran,” Gates said, “is for the Iranian government to decide that their security is diminished by having those weapons, as opposed to (being) strengthened.”
There’s still room left for diplomacy, Gates said on CNN, as he noted the slated Oct. 1 negotiations in Geneva between Iran and the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany.
“The Iranians are in a very bad spot now because of this deception, in terms of all of the great powers,” Gates told King, “and there obviously is the opportunity for severe additional sanctions and I think we have the time to make that work.”
The United States is in close contact with its ally Israel, Gates said, noting the U.S. continues to urge the Israelis “to let this diplomatic economic-sanctions path play out.”
New U.N.-levied sanctions against Iran, Gates told King on CNN, could involve banking, particularly sanctions on equipment and technology for Iran’s oil and gas industry.
Gates also appeared on ABC’s “This Week” TV program hosted by George Stephanopoulos. Gates gave Stephanopoulos his personal view that the Iranian government has the intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, but it may not yet have made a formal decision to move toward the development of nuclear weapons.
What’s critical now, Gates told Stephanopoulos, as he told King earlier, is persuading the Iranians that their security will be diminished by trying to get nuclear weapons rather than enhanced.
And, Iran’s contested presidential election, Gates said, has revealed political and societal “fissures in Iran” that haven’t been witnessed since the Islamic Revolution there 30 years ago.
If the Oct. 1 meeting “doesn’t work” to persuade Iran to jettison its desire for nuclear arms, Gates told Stephanopoulos, then “you begin to move in the direction of severe sanctions.”
And, imposing tougher sanctions against Iran, Gates said, would “have the potential” of causing the Iranians to change their policies.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil//news/newsarticle.aspx?id=55985
Obama: Iran Must Face Responsibilities Over Nuclear Issue
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2009 – Iran’s leaders must come clean with the international community about evidence that Iran has been secretly constructing another nuclear-fuel processing plant, President Barack Obama said today in his weekly address.
“This week, we joined with the United Kingdom and France in presenting evidence that Iran has been building a secret nuclear facility to enrich uranium,” Obama said in his address. “This is a serious challenge to the global nonproliferation regime, and continues a disturbing pattern of Iranian evasion.”
Revelations about Iran’s actions, Obama said, make more urgent the slated Oct. 1 negotiations in Geneva between Iran and the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany.
Yesterday at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, Obama, accompanied by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, stated that the day before in Vienna, the United States, the United Kingdom and France had “presented detailed evidence to the IAEA demonstrating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been building a covert uranium enrichment facility near Qom for several years.”
Iran already has a uranium processing plant in Natanz.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, based in Vienna, is a U.N.-sponsored organization that cooperates with its member states and partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies.
The United States and other members of the international community suspect that Iran is processing nuclear fuel to be used to construct nuclear weapons.
In his address today, Obama said he’s still open to “meaningful dialogue” to resolve the Iran nuclear issue.
“But, Iran must cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Obama said, “and take action to demonstrate its peaceful intentions.”
Iran’s leaders must make a decision, he said.
“Iran’s leaders must now choose – they can live up to their responsibilities and achieve integration with the community of nations,” Obama said. “Or, they will face increased pressure and isolation, and deny opportunity to their own people.”
Related Sites:
International Atomic Energy Agency
President’s Weekly Address
Statements in Pittsburgh
This isn’t the same “intelligence data” that convinced us that Iraq had WMDs, is it?
Note: The following text is a quote:
THE BRIEFING ROOM
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 25, 2009
STATEMENTS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA,
FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZY,
AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BROWN
ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITY
Pittsburgh Convention Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
8:43 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good morning. We are here to announce that yesterday in Vienna, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France presented detailed evidence to the IAEA demonstrating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been building a covert uranium enrichment facility near Qom for several years.
Earlier this week, the Iranian government presented a letter to the IAEA that made reference to a new enrichment facility, years after they had started its construction. The existence of this facility underscores Iran’s continuing unwillingness to meet its obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions and IAEA requirements. We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information, and to report to the IAEA Board of Governors.
Now, Iran’s decision to build yet another nuclear facility without notifying the IAEA represents a direct challenge to the basic compact at the center of the non-proliferation regime. These rules are clear: All nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; those nations with nuclear weapons must move towards disarmament; those nations without nuclear weapons must forsake them. That compact has largely held for decades, keeping the world far safer and more secure. And that compact depends on all nations living up to their responsibilities.
This site deepens a growing concern that Iran is refusing to live up to those international responsibilities, including specifically revealing all nuclear-related activities. As the international community knows, this is not the first time that Iran has concealed information about its nuclear program. Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people. But the size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program. Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow — endangering the global non-proliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world.
It is time for Iran to act immediately to restore the confidence of the international community by fulfilling its international obligations. We remain committed to serious, meaningful engagement with Iran to address the nuclear issue through the P5-plus-1 negotiations. Through this dialogue, we are committed to demonstrating that international law is not an empty promise; that obligations must be kept; and that treaties will be enforced.
And that’s why there’s a sense of urgency about the upcoming meeting on October 1st between Iran, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and Germany. At that meeting, Iran must be prepared to cooperate fully and comprehensively with the IAEA to take concrete steps to create confidence and transparency in its nuclear program and to demonstrate that it is committed to establishing its peaceful intentions through meaningful dialogue and concrete actions.
To put it simply: Iran must comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions and make clear it is willing to meet its responsibilities as a member of the community of nations. We have offered Iran a clear path toward greater international integration if it lives up to its obligations, and that offer stands. But the Iranian government must now demonstrate through deeds its peaceful intentions or be held accountable to international standards and international law.
I should point out that although the United Kingdom, France, and the United States made the presentation to Vienna, that Germany, a member of the P5-plus-1, and Chancellor Merkel in particular, who could not be here this morning, wished to associate herself with these remarks.
I would now like to turn to President Sarkozy of France for a brief statement.
PRESIDENT SARKOZY: (As translated.) Ladies and gentlemen, we have met yesterday for a meeting — a summit meeting of the Security Council on disarmament and nuclear disarmament. I repeated my conviction that Iran was taking the international community on a dangerous path. I have recalled all the attempts that we have made to offer a negotiated solution to the Iranian leaders without any success, which what has been revealed today is exceptional. Following the enriching plant of Natanz in 2002, it is now the Qom one which is revealed. It was designed and built over the past several years in direct violation of resolutions from the Security Council and from the IAEA. I am expecting from the IAEA an exhaustive, strict, and rigorous investigation, as President Obama just said.
We were already in a very severe confidence crisis. We are now faced with a challenge, a challenge made to the entire international communities. The six will meet with the Iranian representatives in Geneva. Everything — everything must be put on the table now.
We cannot let the Iranian leaders gain time while the motors are running. If by December there is not an in-depth change by the Iranian leaders, sanctions will have to be taken. This is for the peace and stability. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER BROWN: America, the United Kingdom, and France are at one. Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent proliferation challenge that the world faces today.
As President Obama and President Sarkozy have just said, the level of deception by the Iranian government, and the scale of what we believe is the breach of international commitments, will shock and anger the whole international community, and it will harden our resolve.
Confronted by the serial deception of many years, the international community has no choice today but to draw a line in the sand. On October the 1st, Iran must now engage with the international community and join the international community as a partner. If it does not do so, it will be further isolated.
And I say on behalf of the United Kingdom today, we will not let this matter rest. And we are prepared to implement further and more stringent sanctions.
Let the message that goes out to the world be absolutely clear: that Iran must abandon any military ambitions for its nuclear program. Thank you.
END
8:51 A.M. EDT
Not if you have a President who has decided not to interfere in other countries business except Honduras. Gates needs to get up to speed.
Call Captain Obvious.
Note: The following text is a quote:
THE BRIEFING ROOM
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 24, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL SUMMIT
ON NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION AND NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
9:36 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: The 6191st meeting of the Security Council is called to order. The provisional agenda for this meeting is before the Council in document S/Agenda/6191, which reads, “Maintenance of international peace and security, nuclear proliferation, and nuclear disarmament.” Unless I hear any objection, I shall consider the agenda adopted. Agenda is adopted.
I wish to warmly welcome the distinguished heads of state and government, the General — the Secretary General, the Director General of the IAEA, ministers and other distinguished representatives present in the Security Council chamber. Your presence is an affirmation of the importance of the subject matter to be discussed.
The Security Council summit will now begin its consideration of item two of the agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2009/473, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I wish to draw Council members’ attention to document S/2009/463 containing a letter dated 16 September 2009 from the United States of America, transmitting a concept paper on the item under consideration. In accordance with the understanding reached earlier among members, the Security Council will take action on the draft resolution before it prior to hearing statements from the Secretary General and Council members. Accordingly, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. Will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document S/2009/473 please raise their hand? The results of the voting is as follows: The draft resolution is received unanimously, 15 votes in favor. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as Resolution 1887 of 2009.
I want to thank again everybody who is in attendance. I wish you all good morning. In the six-plus decades that this Security Council has been in existence, only four other meetings of this nature have been convened. I called for this one so that we may address at the highest level a fundamental threat to the security of all peoples and all nations: the spread and use of nuclear weapons.
As I said yesterday, this very institution was founded at the dawn of the atomic age, in part because man’s capacity to kill had to be contained. And although we averted a nuclear nightmare during the Cold War, we now face proliferation of a scope and complexity that demands new strategies and new approaches. Just one nuclear weapon exploded in a city — be it New York or Moscow; Tokyo or Beijing; London or Paris — could kill hundreds of thousands of people. And it would badly destabilize our security, our economies, and our very way of life.
Once more, the United Nations has a pivotal role to play in preventing this crisis. The historic resolution we just adopted enshrines our shared commitment to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. And it brings Security Council agreement on a broad framework for action to reduce nuclear dangers as we work toward that goal. It reflects the agenda I outlined in Prague, and builds on a consensus that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have the responsibility to move toward disarmament; and those without them have the responsibility to forsake them.
Today, the Security Council endorsed a global effort to lock down all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years. The United States will host a summit next April to advance this goal and help all nations achieve it. This resolution will also help strengthen the institutions and initiatives that combat the smuggling, financing, and theft of proliferation-related materials. It calls on all states to freeze any financial assets that are being used for proliferation. And it calls for stronger safeguards to reduce the likelihood that peaceful nuclear weapons programs can be diverted to a weapons program — that peaceful nuclear programs can be diverted to a weapons program.
The resolution we passed today will also strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We have made it clear that the Security Council has both the authority and the responsibility to respond to violations to this treaty. We’ve made it clear that the Security Council has both the authority and responsibility to determine and respond as necessary when violations of this treaty threaten international peace and security.
That includes full compliance with Security Council resolutions on Iran and North Korea. Let me be clear: This is not about singling out individual nations — it is about standing up for the rights of all nations who do live up to their responsibilities. The world must stand together. And we must demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that treaties will be enforced.
The next 12 months will be absolutely critical in determining whether this resolution and our overall efforts to stop the spread and use of nuclear weapons are successful. And all nations must do their part to make this work. In America, I have promised that we will pursue a new agreement with Russia to substantially reduce our strategic warheads and launchers. We will move forward with the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and open the door to deeper cuts in our own arsenal. In January, we will call upon countries to begin negotiations on a treaty to end the production of fissile material for weapons. And the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May will strengthen that agreement.
Now, we harbor no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons. We know there are plenty of cynics, and that there will be setbacks to prove their point. But there will also be days like today that push us forward — days that tell a different story. It is the story of a world that understands that no difference or division is worth destroying all that we have built and all that we love. It is a recognition that can bring people of different nationalities and ethnicities and ideologies together. In my own country, it has brought Democrats and Republican leaders together — leaders like George Shultz, Bill Perry, Henry Kissinger, and Sam Nunn, who are with us here today. And it was a Republican President, Ronald Reagan, who once articulated the goal we now seek in the starkest of terms. I quote:
“A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. And no matter how great the obstacles may seem, we must never stop our efforts to reduce the weapons of war. We must never stop until all — we must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of the Earth.”
That is our task. That can be our destiny. And we will leave this meeting with a renewed determination to achieve this shared goal. Thank you.
In accordance with the understanding reached among Council members, I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry on its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate the text in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the chamber.
I shall now invite the distinguished Secretary General, His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, to take the floor.
END
9:45 A.M. EDT
Note: The following text is a quote:
THE BRIEFING ROOM
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 23, 2009
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA
AND PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV OF RUSSIA
AFTER BILATERAL MEETING
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
New York, New York
4:26 P.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of all, I want to welcome President Medvedev to the United States and New York. As you all know, I had the great pleasure of visiting him in Moscow, and he extended extraordinary hospitality to both myself and my family. More importantly, we got a lot of work done that I think will be bearing fruit in the months and years to come.
And I have to say publicly how much I appreciate the excellent working relationship that President Medvedev and I have been able to develop during our meetings, not only bilaterally but also at the various summits that we’ve attended.
We’ve had an excellent discussion that touched on a number of areas that our teams have been working on together over the last several months. In particular, we discussed the progress that’s being made on the START treaty. And both of us are confident that we can meet our self-imposed deadline to get an agreement that substantially reduces our nuclear missiles and launchers by the end of the year.
So we spent the bulk of our time talking about Iran. As I said in my speech today, the United States is committed to a strong non-proliferation regime. And we are committed to upholding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that strikes a bargain with all countries. That bargain says that countries are able to pursue peaceful nuclear technology; that they commit not to pursuing nuclear weapons; and those nations that have nuclear weapons make commitments to start reducing their stockpiles.
As the two major nuclear superpowers, we have made a commitment that we will reduce our nuclear stockpiles and move forward on our part of the bargain. And many other countries are abiding by the international commitments and norms that have been established by the NPT.
Unfortunately, Iran has been violating too many of its international commitments. So what we’ve discussed is how we can move in a positive direction that resolves a potential crisis, not just in the Middle East but that can cause enormous problems to the non-proliferation regime worldwide.
I believe that Russia and the United States shares the strategic objective that Iran can pursue peaceful energy sources but that it should not pursue nuclear weapons. I believe we also share the view that this should be resolved diplomatically, and I am on record as being committed to negotiating with Iran in a serious fashion to resolve this issue.
Russia, as a major leader, I think believes that such an approach is possible, as well. But I think we also both agree that if Iran does not respond to serious negotiations and resolve this issue in a way that assures the international community that it’s meeting its commitments, and is not developing nuclear weapons, then we will have to take additional actions and that sanctions, serious additional sanctions, remain a possibility.
We have an opportunity for a P5-plus-1 meeting with Iran in October. I hope that Iran seizes the opportunity to follow the path that both the United States and Russia would prefer in making a decision to live up to its international commitments, abandon nuclear weapons, and to fully join the international community in a way that I think will ultimately enhance the peace of the region and the prosperity of the Iranian people.
And once again, I just want to personally thank President Medvedev, but also the Russian people, for the leadership that they’re showing on the world stage. I’m confident that when the United States and Russia work on critical issues like nuclear non-proliferation, that the world rallies behind us and that we will be able to bring about the kind of international peace and security that I think we all want.
PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV: (As translated.) I’ll try to make my comment briefer because, unlike my colleague, President Barack Obama, I still have to deliver my statement from the United Nations rostrum.
I agree that indeed recently we have witnessed very positive changes in our relations, with established, constructive, friendly working relations that allow us to tackle difficult issues that not only the two countries face, but also the entire world.
Today we’ve discussed a range of issues — Mr. President listed them. Indeed, we communicate on regular basis. We personally meet quarterly and we talk on the phone regularly. So those personal contacts are not an exotic prank, but rather a manifestation of good working relations.
Indeed, we discussed new START treaty. We are satisfied with the current pace of work. The teams that were tasked to work on this matter work very successfully, we’re satisfied with the work. We believe that they will be able to stick to the time schedule and that in due time we will have every (inaudible).
We talked about missile defense with my colleague, President Obama. We talked that the decision that he took was reasonable and that reflected the position of the current U.S. administration on missile defense, and also takes into consideration our concerns on the missile defense which is needed for Europe and for the world. And we are ready to continue this work with our U.S. colleagues in this direction, as well as with our European colleagues, of course.
We also discussed other issues, we have devoted lots of our time to the Iranian problem my colleague, Mr. President, rightly mentioned. Our task is to create such a system of incentives that would allow Iran to resolve its fissile nuclear program, but at the same time prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. That’s why we, as responsible members of international community and, indeed, two nuclear superpowers, should send great signals in that direction.
I told His Excellency, Mr. President, that we believe we need to help Iran to take a right decision. As to also have sanctions, Russia’s belief is very simple, and I stated it recently. Sanctions rarely lead to productive results. But in some cases sanctions are inevitable.
Finally, it is a matter of choice. And we’re prepared to continue and to work together with the U.S. administration both on Iranian peaceful program and on other matters.
Most importantly, we’ve learned to listen to each other once again. And that is of great importance both to the future of relations of the two countries and the two peoples.
That is why I would like to give special thanks to you, Barack, for your cooperation on these matters.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you, everybody.
Q What’s been the response to your speech?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, I’ve been in too many meetings. I don’t know. But I’m looking for your review, Jake.
END
4:42 P.M. EDT
What were the WMDs that Iraq didn’t have?
Saddam had already used chemical and biological on his own people.
He did not have a nuke, but was progressing nicely the way Iran is today.
Stating the obvious alert
You and I know this but does the state run “media” and the commie DemocRATS know it? Even after the U.S. military transported tons of Saddam’s “yellowcake” from Iraq to Canada, the liberal whiners are still asking where are the WMDs.
Gates needs to get up to speed.
Has anybody else noticed that Gates is running cover for Obama?
His opinion on taking out Iran’s weapons is that it would only delay their weapons program by 3 years.
He is holding back the report for more troops in Afgan.
If Iran gets the bomb, so will terrorists. And we all know what that means.
You forgot the /sarc tag
Making a version portable enough to smuggle out would be another story, but yes that’s a danger.
I do that a lot.
Wha?
I think Gates has PROVEN he was an infiltrator in the Bush Admin.
“Call Captain Obvious.”
Even the Captain took a pass on this one ;-)
Anyone have good UTM (GPS) or, even, Lat-Long coordinates on the new Qom site yet?
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