Bush on warpath over UN's shock report on Iran A-bomb (Dubya is Angry!)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | 09/07/2003 | Con Coughlin

[Pubbie]

America will tomorrow demand that the United Nations takes urgent action to prevent Iran acquiring the atom bomb as fears mount that Teheran is on course to develop a nuclear weapons capability within two years.

United States officials will make the demand at a special meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna that has been arranged to consider a 10-page report by Mohammed al-Baradei, the agency's director-general, into the state of Iran's nuclear programme.

Washington has already expressed deep concern about the discovery of traces of weapons grade uranium found in soil samples taken from one of Iran's top secret nuclear facilities last July.

In his report, a copy of which has been obtained by The Telegraph, Mr al-Baradei lists serious concerns raised by UN weapons inspectors about the scope of Iran's nuclear programme, which Teheran continues to insist is aimed at developing a nuclear power industry.

Inspectors are particularly concerned about activity at a nuclear complex at Natanz, in central Iran, which has sophisticated equipment for enriching uranium to weapons grade standard.

Even though the complex was built five years ago, the Iranian authorities only confirmed its existence to the IAEA earlier this year after its location was revealed by Iranian exiles.

The report also details the inspectors' concerns about the development of a heavy water facility at Arak, which they believe could help Iran to manufacture weapons grade uranium.

Mr al-Baradei writes in the report's conclusion that "there remain a number of important outstanding issues, particularly with regard to Iran's enrichment programme, that require urgent resolution".

US officials, however, are concerned that Mr al-Baradei, who this year argued in favour of UN inspectors being given more time to locate Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, will try to play down the significance of the recent discoveries made in Iran.

One American closely involved in monitoring Iran's nuclear programme said: "The big difference between Iraq and Iran is that the Iranians now have the ability to develop an atom bomb within two years. The time has come to force the Iranians to come clean about their real intentions."

Although Mr al-Baradei admits that the Iranians have deployed a variety of delaying tactics to prevent UN inspectors gaining access to secret nuclear facilities, he believes that they should be given more time to comply with their obligations under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

American officials fear that many Europeans on the IAEA's 35-member board of governors, some of whose countries have lucrative trade ties with Teheran, will back Mr al-Baradei's position.

[putupon]

So what's GW going to do...send Powel up to the UN with a harsh letter?

Yes.

And announce he giving 15 Billion dollars each to South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Antartica to cure all those who infected each other with AIDs.

Then all the world will live in peace and harmony (if Israel shows some restraint.)

[Beck_isright]

It's really quite simple, yet we don't have any leadership to solve the problem. Announce a unilateral blockade of Iran and North Korea and if any nation wishes to try to continue trade with those nations, all of their assets are seized in the U.S. Bet the results would be quick and dramatic.

[TongRat]

Howdy ! and Welcome back to God's Country !

Yup..ain't it nice to have grandkids big enough to do the handcrank style of ice cream making ? I remember,back when I was a youngun, our parents and grandparents would set up the ice cream maker-then let us kids take turns-even making a contest of who could last the longest..lol..daggum..I miss them days.

Have a good one...TongRat

[anniegetyourgun]

Pipe dreams on kicking the U.N. out of the U.S. are fun, eh? Heck, the Prez can't even get an up or down vote in the Senate on a judicial nominee......

[FreeAtlanta]

Some day, a major city is going to go up in a mushroom cloud. I wonder how the frenchy french men will feel, if it is Paris?

[Lord_Baltar]

"You have nicely illustrated Ann Coulter's point about liberals from her book, "Treason.""

Wow, Ask a question, get accused of Treason...

Amazing....

[Lord_Baltar]

To be honest Clancy, the very idea that the nuclear Genie was ever released from the bottle should be troubling for everyone, world wide. The idea that there are Scientists, right now, sitting in labs, in this country included, producing weapons meant solely to wipe out civilians, should trouble us all.

The point I was making, all the hyberboli directed at me for simply asking the question asside, is this, as long as we maintain an arsenal of WMD (Nuclear/Biological/Chemical) we are hardly in any position to act "Holier than Thou" when others seek to develop the same. If WMD are Bad, then how are We Good continuing to produce them?

Do I like the idea that these rogue countries are developing WMD? No, not in the slightest. However, Mankind, as a whole, has NEVER developed a weapon that it hasn't eventually used. There's no escaping that grim reality.

The longer we keep upping the ante, rattling our sabres, and demanding other countries fit their cultures into our ideals, the closer we get to our worst fears coming to pass. Everytime we pre-emtively strike another country, regardless of our "justifications", we lower the bar.

Think I'm wrong? Look at how some around here address ANYONE who even slightly disagrees with Bush. They are accused of Treason, or hating America, and thereby committing Treason.

Where does this sort of thinking eventually lead? Draw it out to it's natural conclusion.

[RusIvan]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/977433/posts

You see Russia stands strictly for expartriation of all hot fuel from Iran. So iranians cann't use it as raw matherial for plutonium extruction (also that task are more complicated then just enriching of uranium).

[ClancyJ]

So, with your theory, we - the superpower of the world and the richest country - are to be unprotected?

We cannot change history. The weapons were developed, then the nuclear race was on. We had to protect ourselves from the Russians.

We also cannot change the fact that all these small nations will try and get nuclear weapons for the same reasons we did - or to attack us.

Yet, we cannot afford to trust these people that are set on killing us. We cannot afford to take a first strike any longer either - unless you are willing to ante up 100,000 American lives to prove to those that hate us and never believe any good of us that we are justified in fighting back. Of course, they will still not think we are justified - no matter what we do. So, we have thrown away 100,000 lives, and wrecked havoc on some cities in the U.S. to make others think well of us.

Sounds crazy to me. I would prefer to be a realist and protect ourselves. We have been the "good" guys over all these years and the hate mongerers out there spred lies that were believed.