Iranian Alert -- March 11, 2004 -- IRAN LIVE THREAD --Americans for Regime Change in Iran

The US media almost entirely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, “this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year.” But most American’s are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. Starting June 10th of this year, Iranians have begun taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy. Many even want the US to over throw their government.

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.

In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.

This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.

I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.

If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.

If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

IAEA Text Hits Iran Nuke Secrecy

March 09, 2004
CNN
Elise Labott

WASHINGTON -- The United States and its European allies have reached agreement on a draft resolution for the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog that criticizes Iran's secrecy on its nuclear program, a senior administration official has told CNN.

But the resolution for the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors also praises Tehran for its cooperation with the watchdog, the official said Tuesday.

The United States has been negotiating with Britain, France and Germany and other European countries on the text, but now needs to garner the support of the rest of the international community, the official said.

The text will now be sent to capitals for comments and possible revisions.

The text, according to the official, "deplores" that Iran failed to disclose sensitive weapons technologies discovered by the IAEA and "notes with the most serious concern" that Iran's past declarations on its nuclear program "did not amount to the correct, complete and final picture of Iran's past and present nuclear program."

The draft calls on Iran to meet its obligations and comply with the IAEA, but delays further action by the IAEA until June, the official said.

The IAEA claims Iran produced and experimented with polonium, a radioactive element that can be used in the chain reaction that produces a nuclear explosion.

It also charges that Iran failed to declare designs for a sophisticated P2 advanced centrifuge that can be used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

On Monday IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei criticized Iran for failing to disclose the technology and called Iran and Libya, who recently declared its nuclear program, in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

But the text also "welcomes" Iran's signature of an additional protocol allowing more intrusive inspections by the IAEA.

While the text says that Iran is "actively cooperating," it calls on Tehran to "intensify its cooperation."

It also censures Iran for continuing to hide its weapons program from the international community, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday.

"We think it's clear that Iran has not made any strategic decision to abandon a nuclear weapons effort," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

He pointed to a "pattern of Iranian behavior" that shows "grudging, partial Iranian cooperation only when confronted by the International Atomic Energy Agency with compelling evidence of an undeclared program."

"That pattern is continuing," he said. "We believe the board should adopt a strong resolution on Iran that reflects the concerns of the board and of the international community.

"We're looking for the board to state clearly that Iran has not yet addressed fully the long-standing concerns about its nuclear activities."

Britain, France, and Germany have been trying to get Iran to cooperate with the IAEA and make good on a recent pledge to fully suspend all uranium enrichment."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/03/09/us.iran.nukes/index.html

Iran Says it Will Resume Uranium Enrichment

March 10, 2004
The Associated Press
Ali Akbar Dareini

Tehran, Iran -- Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that his country will resume uranium enrichment once its problems with the U.N. atomic watchdog are resolved and warned European partners that it could end nuclear cooperation if they fail to support Tehran.

Undeclared uranium enrichment was one of the reasons behind an International Atomic Energy Agency probe of Iran's nuclear facilities.

``It's our legitimate right to enrich uranium,'' Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Tehran.

``We suspended uranium enrichment voluntarily and temporarily. Later, when our relations with the IAEA returns to normal, we will definitely resume (uranium) enrichment,'' Kharrazi said.

The IAEA is holding a meeting on Iran in Vienna, at which the United States had insisted that Iran be declared in breach of its international agreements, including uranium enrichment and plutonium processing. U.S. officials say those activities point to a nuclear weapons agenda.

The key meeting of the U.N. atomic agency moved closer to agreement Wednesday after the United States and key European powers agreed to praise Tehran's increased openness about its nuclear programs but criticize it for continuing to hide some suspicious activities.

In the draft, United States compromised with Britain, France and Germany to tone down criticism of Iran's continued nuclear secrecy and give some praise of Tehran's willingness to open its programs to outside perusal.

Kharrazi also warned that Iran could end nuclear cooperation, and called on its European partners to resist U.S. pressure at the Vienna meeting.

``We recommend the three European countries to remain committed to their obligations (toward Tehran) and resist U.S. pressures if they want the project of cooperation between Iran and them to lead to results,'' Kharrazi said.

He warned that Iran would stop cooperating with the three nations if they fail to support Iran.

``Cooperation is a two way street. If they don't fulfill their obligations, there is no reason for us to cooperate,'' he said.

The draft made available to The Associated Press noted ``with the most serious concern'' that past declarations made by Iran ``did not amount to the correct, complete and final picture of Iran's past and present nuclear program.''

It criticized Iran for ``failing to resolve all questions'' about uranium enrichment, which can be used to make weapons, saying it ``deplores'' this lapse.

Kharrazi accused the IAEA of giving in to U.S. pressure.

``The U.S. wants to use every opportunity to pressure Iran and pursues its own strategy. Despite the fact that we have offered maximum cooperation with the IAEA ... unfortunately, the agency is sometimes influenced by the U.S., while it should maintain its technical and professional identity,'' Kharrazi said.

The United States insists Iran wants to make nuclear weapons and wanted the meeting to condemn it for not fully living up to pledges to reveal all past and present nuclear activities. But the Europeans wanted to focus on Iranian cooperation that began after the discovery last year that Tehran had plans to enrich uranium and secretly conducted other tests with possible weapons applications over nearly two decades.

An enrichment program would be necessary for producing nuclear weapons, which Iran repeatedly has said is not its intent. Low enriched uranium is used as a fuel for electricity generating in nuclear power plants.

http://cbsnewyork.com/international/Iran-Nuclear-ai/resources_news_html

Iran: U.S. Seeks Revenge for Iraq Failures

March 10, 2004
The Associated Press
Andrea Dudikova

VIENNA, Austria --- Iran's chief delegate to the U.N atomic agency said Wednesday that U.S. failures in Iraq are prompting Washington to seek revenge against his country by persisting with accusations about its nuclear program.

Also Wednesday, the 35-nation board of governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution praising Libya for fully meeting its pledge to scrap its nuclear weapons program, clearing the stage to focus on what to do about Iran.

Libya also signed an agreement opening up its nuclear activities to pervasive IAEA perusal, a step that both agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and Libyan Science Minister Matouq Mohamed Matouq said reflected Tripoli's commitment to scrap its weapons of mass destruction.

That left the focus on Iran, and a draft resolution trying to meld U.S. demands for tough language because of continued evidence of secrecy and European wishes to praise Tehran for the substantial — but not full — openness it has shown.

Iranian delegate Pirouz Hosseini reiterated that Iran's nuclear programs are purely peaceful, despite American assertions to the contrary.

"We have never been involved in any nuclear weapons program ... and the Americans don't want to accept the fact," he told reporters. "The Americans have failed in Iraq, and it seems that it will be very difficult for them to accept a second failure."

The U.N. nuclear watchdog appeared to have moved closer to agreement on Iran Tuesday after the United States and major European powers agreed to praise Tehran's increased openness about its nuclear programs but criticize it for continuing to hide some suspicious activities.

Hosseini criticized the draft, saying the Americans had put "too much pressure" on the Europeans to toughen its language. Additional complications loomed with Iran's announcement Wednesday that it would resume uranium enrichment once its problems with the IAEA are resolved.

"It's our legitimate right to enrich uranium," Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Wednesday after a Cabinet meeting in Tehran.

Iran also acknowledged that some centrifuges it produced for enrichment were built by its military industries but asserted this was normal, with the same sector producing parts for television sets and other nonmilitary applications.

Undeclared Iranian enrichment of uranium was one of the reasons behind an IAEA probe of the country's nuclear program. The United States insists uranium enrichment programs conducted clandestinely until their discovery last year, along with plutonium processing and other undeclared tests, point to a nuclear weapons agenda.

Kharrazi also warned that Iran could end nuclear cooperation and called on the Europeans to oppose U.S. efforts to come down hard on Tehran at the Vienna meeting.

In the draft, agreed on Tuesday in Vienna, the United States compromised with Britain, France and Germany to tone down criticism of Iran's continued nuclear secrecy and offer some praise of Tehran's record in opening activities to outside perusal.

The United States had wanted the meeting to condemn Iran for not fully living up to pledges to reveal all past and present nuclear activities. But the Europeans wanted to focus on Iranian cooperation with the IAEA that began only after the discovery last year that Tehran had plans to enrich uranium and secretly conducted other tests with possible weapons applications over nearly two decades.

"We recommend the three European countries ... resist U.S. pressures if they want the project of cooperation between Iran and them to lead to results," Kharrazi said, alluding to agreement that foresees the three providing technology to the Islamic Republic in exchange for a stop to uranium enrichment.

When the issue first came up before the board last year, the United States pushed to have Tehran dragged before the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions, arguing that Iran had violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. But it has found little board support for that. The draft text, made available to The Associated Press, made no direct mention of the Security Council, but noted "with the most serious concern" that past declarations made by Iran "did not amount to the correct, complete and final picture of Iran's past and present nuclear program."

It criticized Iran for "failing to resolve all questions" about uranium enrichment, saying it "deplores" this lapse.

Still, it praised Iran for signing an agreement throwing open its nuclear programs to full and pervasive IAEA perusal and for signs of Iran's cooperation with agency investigations.

The resolution on Libya noted that for more than a decade, Libya violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in running a weapons program but lauded it for volunteering to have it destroyed under IAEA supervision.

An IAEA report last month accused Tehran of continuing to hide evidence of nuclear experiments and mentioned finds of traces of polonium, a radioactive element that can be used in nuclear weapons. It also expressed concerns with the discovery of a previously undisclosed advanced P-2 uranium centrifuge system.

While praising Tehran for some cooperation, ElBaradei said he was "seriously concerned" about Iran's refusal to declare plans and parts for the P-2 enrichment system, calling it a "setback to Iran's stated policy of transparency."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=3&u=/ap/20040310/ap_on_re_mi_ea/nuclear_agency_iran

Iran Threatens to End Cooperation with IAEA

March 10, 2004
AFP
Khaleej Times

TEHERAN -- Iran will halt its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog if European states fail to counter US pressure on the Islamic republic over its atomic programme, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi threatened Wednesday.

The minister also said Iran intended to end its suspension of uranium enrichment -- a key step in producing both nuclear weapons and atomic energy -- once relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were “normalised.”

“Unfortunately, the agency allows itself to be influenced by the Americans,” Kharazi told reporters here after a cabinet meeting.

“We are engaged in cooperation (with the IAEA), and for this to continue the cooperation has to be bilateral. If one side does not respect its obligations, the cooperation will end,” he added.

The foreign minister asserted that he expected European states -- which have brokered Iran’s continued cooperation with the IAEA -- to counter mounting US pressure over the Islamic republic’s suspect bid to generate atomic energy.

“We advise the Europeans to respect their obligations and to resist American pressure, otherwise there is no reason for cooperation to continue,” he warned.

The minister also suggested that the Islamic republic was becoming increasingly impatient to resume its controversial work of making its own enriched uranium instead of importing it.

“In order to build confidence we decided to voluntarily suspend, for a limited time, our enrichment activities. When relations with the IAEA are normalised, we will resume enrichment,” Kharazi said.

He spoke after the United States and western European countries reached tentative agreement on a draft resolution criticising Iran for failing to declare sensitive parts of its nuclear program but putting off seeking any sanctions until at least June.

The resolution is to be submitted to the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors, which is meeting this week at its headquarters in Vienna.

Regarding the draft resolution, Kharazi only said that Iran “has no problem with some articles but does have problems with others.”

The United States, which claims Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons, along with Canada and Australia, has been pushing for a tough text against Iran but Britain, France and Germany wanted a milder draft in order to keep Iran cooperating with the IAEA.

The so-called Euro 3 had in October struck a deal with Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, and are stressing the path of “constructive engagement”.

On Tuesday, Kharazi had warned that Iran, which claims its atomic programme is strictly peaceful, will “not accept” being declared as having violated nuclear safeguards agreements.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2004/March/middleeast_March277.xml&section=middleeast&col=

Iran, N. Korea to Jointly Build Machinery for Enriching Uranium

March 10, 2004
AFX News
Ample

TOKYO -- North Korea and Iran are working on a project to build an underground factory in the Stalinist state to produce machinery for enriching uranium, the Sankei Shimbun reported.

The two countries have agreed to jointly build a plant to make a centrifugal separator in Kusong, 40 kilometers northwest of Anju, a site known for nuclear development by Pyongyang, the Japanese newspaper said, citing an unnamed military source.

Under the accord, reached during the visit by a senior Iranian military officer to Pyongyang in late January, both nations will use the machinery, with Iran planning to import it as "industrial goods" through a third country, the Sankei said.

South Korea detected more than 70 test explosions by the North at Kusong, the paper said.

Washington has accused the North of a program to enrich uranium in defiance of a 1994 anti-nuclear pact while Pyongyang has denied having an enriched uranium program but admits it has plutonium bombs.

The Sankei reported earlier this year that North Korea and Iran were involved in the development of weapons of mass destruction in Libya.

http://www.iii.co.uk/shares/?type=news&articleid=4920063&action=article

Iran Slams Europeans for Bowing to U.S.

March 10, 2004
AFP
Yahoo News

VIENNA -- Iran criticized European states for bowing to US pressure to condemn Tehran's atomic program before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and threatened to stop cooperating with the United Nations ' nuclear watchdog.

Britain, Germany and France "have tried their best, but we expected more from our European colleagues" Iranian ambassador Pirooz Hosseini told reporters at a meeting of the IAEA in Vienna. He was referring to a draft IAEA resolution that lists Iranian failures to report sensitive nuclear activities.

Hosseini said there was "too much pressure, unconstructive pressure, by the Americans".

The IAEA has been verifying since February 2003 whether Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, or devoted to secretly developing atomic weapons, as the United States maintains.

In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said the Islamic Republic threatened to end cooperation with the IAEA unless it stopped being "influenced by the Americans".

"We are engaged in cooperation (with the IAEA) and for this to continue the cooperation has to be bilateral. If one side does not respect its obligations, the cooperation will end," Kharazai added after the Iranian government's weekly cabinet meeting.

In Brussels, the European Commission issued a veiled warning to Iran not to end cooperation with IAEA, noting that Europe's trade dialogue with Tehran was linked to the nuclear issue.

And IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei urged Iran not to renew its uranium enrichment activities, as Tehran had threatened to do earlier Wednesday.

"Iran has been in breach of its (nuclear non proliferation) obligations for many years and we need to build confidence," ElBaradei said.

"I think suspension (of uranium enrichment) is a confidence-building measure and, as I said, Iran needs to do everything possible right now to create the confidence required."

The IAEA's 35-nation board of governors is meeting in Vienna this week has not yet voted on the draft resolution on Iran.

But Hosseini said the text, drafted by the US and the three European states, was "an act of bullying and putting pressure on the others".

"This is against the statute of the IAEA and not fruitful anyway," he said.

The United States, which wants to take Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, agreed on a compromise text Tuesday with Britain, France and Germany, which have stressed the need to get Iran to cooperate with the international community over nuclear non-proliferation.

The compromise text, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, condemns Iran for failing to report such crucial technologies as advanced P-2 centrifuge designs for enriching uranium, possibly to weapons grade.

But it puts off any immediate reaction, such as declaring Iran to be in non-compliance with the international nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a move that would mean the issue being taken up by the UN Security Council and pave the way towards possible sanctions.

Britain-France and Germany struck a deal with Iran in October 2003, under which the latter agreed to cooperate with the IAEA, and were currently stressing the need to maintain "constructive engagement", a Western diplomat said.

In Washington, a senior State Department official warned late Tuesday that Iran was likely to be referred to the Security Council eventually unless it radically altered its attitude on matters relating to its nuclear program.

But Hosseini responded: "We think that the Americans do not want to accept the fact that Iran is not looking for nuclear weapons programs. This is a fact but they don't want to accept this fact."

The 13 non-aligned states on the IAEA board of governors were Wednesday examining the compromise text for the first time. Several diplomats from those countries said they were "uncomfortable" that the draft had been leaked to the press before it had been given to them.

Meanwhile, Libya took a further step towards cooperation with the IAEA, signing an additional protocol to the NPT which allows IAEA inspectors to carry out wider, unannounced inspections of its nuclear facilities.

This came after the IAEA board adopted a resolution to notify the UN Security Council that Tripoli had violated its nuclear non-proliferation commitments but had since cooperated in remedying this, so that sanctions would not be called for.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1512&ncid=1276&e=1&u=/afp/20040310/wl_afp/iran_libya_nuclear_iaea

Protest demo rocks Tehran

SMCCDI (Information Service)
Mar 10, 2004

Another spontaneous protest demonstration is rocking, as of 20:15 IR local time, parts of northern, western and eastern Tehran where groups of young people have gone into the streets and shouting slogans against the regime and its leaders. The largest gathering has been reported to be in Madar Square (formerly Mohseni) and on Mirdamad Avenue in northern Tehran.

The number of protesters is increasing, despite the massive presence of the regime's security forces. Security forces and their plainclothesmen perimeters are getting close to the demonstrators, but people are managing to join the demonstrators by alternate routes and detours.

Violent clashes are expected which will further increase pressure on the regime as internal and international fronts demand that the government show its' ability to control both situations. Less ideologically oriented supporters have been, reportedly, withdrawing important sums of money from their bank accounts as the spread of the teachers and students strikes expands nationwide

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_5286.shtml

Systematic Repression, Fear Stifle Freedom in Iran

March 10, 2004
AFP
IranMania

GENEVA -- A UN expert has warned that systematic repression is creating a climate of fear in Iran, where hardliners have gained a stranglehold over government and the judiciary in the country.

Ambeyi Ligabo, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, said in a report obtained Wednesday that unelected institutions run by hardliners had effectively locked out reformers even though they participated in the highest spheres of Iranian government.

The UN expert underlined that there was a "climate of fear induced by the systematic repression of people expressing critical views against the authorised political and religious doctrine and the functioning of institutions".

Coupled with the "severity and disproportion" of sentences imposed on alleged offenders, tha pervasive fear led to self-censorship on the part of journalists, intellectuals, politicians, students and "the population at large", he added in the report.

Ligabo said the Expediency Council, the Council of Guardians, the Supreme Council for Culture and the head of the judiciary exercised "institutional locks on governmental, parliamentary, and judicial processes".

Many of the people whom Ligabo met in Iran told him that "there is freedom of expression but there is no freedom after expression," the report said.

The Kenyan lawyer's report, which is due to be presented to the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission beginning next week, was based on an unprecedented mission to the country last November.

The Iranian student news agency (ISNA) reported the day after Ligabo left on November 11 that a prominent Iranian student activist, who had met the envoy while on prison leave, had gone missing.

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=23302&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

Unfair Trial and Illegal Imprisonment

March 10, 2004
Reporters Without Borders
RSF

Reporters Without Borders has condemned a one-year jail sentence against journalist Mohsen Sazgara as unfair and contrary to international legal norms. It also spoke out against the arbitrary imprisonment of three journalists since nine months.

Sazgara learned from his lawyer on 8 March that his appeal trial had been heard while he was abroad seeking urgent medical attention, the international press freedom organisation said.

"Yet again this is a completely illegal procedure," Sazgara told Reporters Without Borders. "The Iranian authorities gave me permission to leave the country and waited until I was no longer in Iran to announce this so-called verdict in a trial held in the absence of both the lawyer and the person being sentenced." "I intend to return to Iran as soon as possible to respond to this farce," he added.

Sazgara was imprisoned on 15 June and then released on bail of six billion rials (about 580,000 euros) on 6 October 2003. A week before his release he had been charged with "undermining national security", "insulting the Guide of the Islamic Revolution" and "making propaganda against the state" and sentenced to one year in prison. During his 110 days of imprisonment he twice went on hunger strike for 56 and then 23 days to protest against government repression.

He was one of the founders of the reformist press in Iran and was publisher of the dailies Jameh, Neshat and Tous, now banned and the creator of the site: www.alliran.net (shut down after his arrest). A courageous political analyst, he wrote, "the past five years have shown that the country's religious rulers are neither reformable nor effective". He also called the Guide of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei "dictatorial", which earned him several stays in Iranian prisons.

On the eve of Sazgara's arrest, on 14 June 2003, three other journalists - Taghi Rahmani, of the weekly Omid-e-Zangan, Reza Alijani, editor in chief of the monthly Iran-e-Farda and winner of the Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France 2001 press freedom award, and Hoda Saber, a manager of Iran-e-Farda were jailed for "holding secret meetings with students". Held for months in solitary confinement, deprived of visits from their lawyers and families, they passed the legal deadline for temporary detention on 6 December 2003.

Narges Mohammadi, the wife of Taghi Rahmani, has spoken about her distress at the situation that violates the most basic principles of law. "They are in prison illegally, without charge, without sentence and without trial," she told Reporters Without Borders. "When we try to get information about their cases, we get no reply and their lawyers do not even have access to their files."

The organisation also condemns ongoing harassment of the press, with the banning of the weekly Kalam-e Moalem accused of carrying news about a major teachers' strike, and of the weekly Vaght for "offending against good morals". The managing editor Shahram Mohammad Nia, was given a six-month suspended sentence.

With 11 journalists behind bars, Iran is the Middle East's biggest prison for journalists.

http://www.rsf.org/content.php3

http://www.augustachronicle.com/iraq/graphics/weapon_centrifuge.gif

Of course Iran only wants to make a flakier pastry with such apparatus and more sophisticated follow-ons.

Yet the imperialist warmongering bully cowboy in Amerika wants to crush such progressive ventures.

And we are disappointed that the good money we paid in bribes to Galloway in the UK, Chirac in france, and Schroeder in Germany didn't buy more cooperation.

If the UN pushes us too hard, we will hold our breath until we turn a cerulean blue.

And, eat worms, and wear a long face like Mr. Ed Kerry, and other extreme dire measures too ominous to enunciate.

~~~

What is a Gas Centrifuge?

In nature, uranium contains less than 1 percent of the fissile isotope uranium 235 (U-235). A nuclear explosive needs uranium enriched to at least 20 percent U-235. Ideally greater than 90% U-235 is used. In order to increase the percentage of U-235 in relation to the more prevalent U-238 the uranium must be processed, or “enriched.” One technique to enrich uranium uses gas centrifuges.

A gas centrifuge (diagrams below) comprises an evacuated casing containing a cylindrical rotor which rotates at high speed in an almost friction-free environment. The uranium is fed into the rotor as gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF6)2 which also rotates.

The centrifugal forces push the heavier uranium 238 (U-238) closer to the wall of the rotor than the lighter U-235. The gas closer to the wall becomes depleted in U-235 whereas the gas nearer the rotor axis is enriched in U-235.

The arrows in the first illustration depict the gas flowing within the rotor. The gas flow can be produced by a temperature gradient over the length of the centrifuge. UF6 depleted in U-235 flows upwards adjacent to the rotor wall, while UF6 enriched in U-235 flows downwards close to the axis. The two gas streams are removed through small scooped pipes, called "scoops."

The enrichment effect of a single centrifuge is small, so they are linked together by pipes into cascades. Passing through the successive centrifuges of a cascade, the U-235 is gradually enriched to the required level. For civil applications, natural uranium containing about 0.7 percent U-235 is enriched to about 3-5 percent U-235 and the depleted uranium contains typically about 0.2-0.3 percent U-235. For military applications, highly enriched uranium (HEU) containing greater than 20 percent U-235 is usually produced.

Once started, a modern centrifuge runs for more than 10 years with no maintenance. An advantage of the centrifuge process is its low energy consumption.

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