Posted on 02/07/2008 12:59:26 PM PST by maquiladora
PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Thursday an Iranian rocket Tehran says is intended to put a satellite into orbit is in fact a missile that cannot navigate in space, and added to concerns that the technology is aimed at making weapons.
On Monday, Iran launched what it said was a rocket designed to carry a locally-made research satellite. The know-how required to make rockets can also be used to produce missiles, but analysts have been divided over the launch's significance.
Washington, Iran's arch-foe, reacted by saying Tehran's missile-testing was unfortunate. Russia, which has closer ties, said the launch raised the suspicion that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons, an allegation that Tehran denies.
"United Nations Security Council resolutions 1696, 1737 and 1747 have shown the international community's concern in the face of the development of the Iranian ballistic missile program, which can be a source of vectors of weapons of mass destruction," French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pascale Andreani told a regular online question-and-answer session.
"This new test, presented by the Iranian authorities as the illustration of a space program when the missile in question does not have extra-atmospheric capabilities, is a further source of concern," she added.
World powers including the United States, France and Russia are negotiating a third round of U.N. sanctions against Iran for failing to heed demands that it suspend sensitive technology such as uranium enrichment, a process that can produce fuel for power plants or, potentially, bombs.
Diplomats say Russia and China forced France, Britain and the United States to water down the punitive measures planned against the Islamic republic, which makes Russia's comments about the Iranian rocket launch all the more surprising.
Isn’t that waht “ballistic” means?
Mon Dieu! Quel surprise!
Well, the CIA says that Iran is harmless, so that settles that issue. /sarc
No worries. Once Hillary gets in office, Loral will get an exemption of some sort and teach them how to hit our shores, and she’ll likely get some good cash out of it for her legacy library.
I wonder what the criteria is for a rocket to operate in space. Maybe those little manouvering thrusters that point out sideways?
They also said the Maginot Line would work!
Who cares, we’re too busy feeling good about Obama.
Yeah, and the Germans just went around it through a bunch of trees and neutral Belgians...
A Strongly Worded Letter is in the offing, just you wait and see.
If I were president I wouldn’t let it reach orbit no matter what purpose it is alleged to be for.
(sniff) Nah, no bias here.
The technology required to put an object in orbit is the same technology required to land a weapon
ANYWHERE ON EARTH.
And Bill Clinton sold this technology to the ChiComs.
Never has a man said so little and said it so good.
I believe that’s what I heard about Obama’s speeches.
It was a medium range missile with the range to hit Europe and it failed after launch. It can not reach space. It will be just a few years until they start testing the real thing.
Well, knock me over with a feather. The Iranians, cheating?
It may not work in space, but it will deliver a “peaceful” nuke to Paris or Moscow.
Atlas rockets were “ground linked”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.