Iran Vows to Block Nuke Inspections Over U.N. Threat

ABC News ^ | January 13, 2005 | Jonathan Karl and Linda Albin

[The Turbanator]

That's exactly what I was thinking about when I posted my comment.

[Specialist90]

There are only three isotopes of fissionable material out there. Any of those materials can be used in making a nuclear weapon when the material is sufficiently enriched. There are also two processes for the enrichment of nuclear material. One which the United States uses extensively in its nuclear armaments is the gaseous diffusion method, but it is very expensive and it takes a long time to sufficiently enrich the material in question to the point that it could be used as a weapon The other method is the centrifuge method which is less costly, but also takes a long time and requires a refinement of the process in order to achieve the desired result. It was pretty clear to me that Saddam also was looking to enrich nuclear materials when the military uncovered the centrifuges and I believe it justifies our invasion. In any case, the Iranians just should simply not even be allowed to have a reactor at all. It is just stalling the inevitable: A nuclear armed Iran bent on destruction of the infidels of the west.

If anyone thinks that the Iranians are somehow rationale - I would suggest that they set the way back machine to the Iranian Hostage Crisis - how logical was that move and what did it achieve! Absolutely nothing! I believe the same logic is true if Iran's nuclear ambitions are fulfilled.

One other additional item of significance - president Carter was not only weak with the Iranians but also shut down our breeder reactor program which would extend the life of our naturally occurring Uranium supply. The basis of closing the Clinch River Breeder Reactor and the Argonne National Laboratory Heavy Metal research reactor was to prevent the stockpiling of PU-239 which could be used in creating nuclear weapons. This was a pin head move since it has only created a greater waste problem for us, and the proliferation of nuclear arms continues none the less.

We need to wake up people and get off this oil wagon, and not let our nation be extorted by radical elements in the middle east. I would hope that someday we could just say go ahead and cutoff your oil - we do not need it. We very well may not need it one day since shale oil research is coming along nicely when I actually think about it and we can also convert coal to a gasoline suitable for our use. Germany did this in WWII - so many ideas and so little space.

I hope you agree with me.