Russia forges ahead with Iran reactor (THANKS FOR NOTHING ALERT)

BBC News ^ | December 26, 2002 | BBC News

[MadIvan]

Russia and Iran have agreed to speed up the construction of the Islamic republic's first nuclear reactor, in the face of strong American criticism.

Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev and the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Gholamreza Aqazadeh, finalised details in Tehran on Wednesday.

Mr Rumyantsev brushed aside the concerns of Washington - which sees Iran as part of a global "axis of evil" - saying the project met all international regulations and was for civilian use only.

"We always tell our American colleagues that all co-operation between Iran and Russia conforms to international regulations and the resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he told a news conference.

Russia began work building a reactor worth $800m near the south-western port of Bushehr this autumn - the plant is due to be commissioned at the end of 2003.

It says that the project will not enable Iran to create nuclear weapons as all spent fuel will be returned to Russia but questions remain over the safeguards for this procedure.

New sites

Mr Aqazadeh said the two countries had also agreed to carry out feasibility studies for a second power-generation unit within a few months.

The United States recently released satellite photographs of Bushehr and two other sites in Iran which have been earmarked for nuclear facilities: Arak and Natanz.

The construction of the plant at Bushehr is taking place under IAEA supervision.

But the agency's inspectors are not due to visit Arak and Natanz until late February, when a delegation led by IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei is due to arrive.

Both sites, US officials say, are both of a type that could be used to build nuclear warheads.

Russia's nuclear deal with Iran has raised questions in Washington and elsewhere.

Last week, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States questioned why oil-rich Iran needed to pursue a nuclear energy programme.

[MadIvan]

Iran really should be generating its electricity from natural gas, which they have in plentiful quantities. This is thoroughly fishy. Pooty-poot has some explaining to do.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Destro]

The construction of the plant at Bushehr is taking place under IAEA supervision.

The IAEA is primarily American funded and staffed.

[cake_crumb]

Way to go Pukin', ol Clintonista Third Way buddy.

[cake_crumb]

"The IAEA is primarily American funded and staffed."

The IAEA is a UN organization. The UN does NOT have the best interests of anyone not a fellow socialist at heart.

[ffusco]

Time to manipulate the price of gold and upset the ruble as Reagan did so effectively 20 years ago. Next refuse to forgive loans to Russia. Then penalize them for every piece of equipment they sell to China such as Kiev class helicopter carriers. Then impose huge tariffs on Russain oil after prohibiting US firms from Jointly developing in Nigeria and Kazakistan. Use political pressure to cause huge cost overruns on Russian built gas pipelines.

LETS PLAY FOR KEEPS, AMERICA!

[Destro]

And who do you think funds and approves of the staff of this UN organization? How many nations on this planet produce qualified nuclear scientists and have the resources to support them?

[cake_crumb]

"Time to manipulate the price of gold and upset the ruble as Reagan did so effectively 20 years ago. Next refuse to forgive loans to Russia. Then penalize them for every piece of equipment they sell to China such as Kiev class helicopter carriers. Then impose huge tariffs on Russain oil after prohibiting US firms from Jointly developing in Nigeria and Kazakistan. Use political pressure to cause huge cost overruns on Russian built gas pipelines"

Hardball BUMP!!

[cake_crumb]

"And who do you think funds and approves of the staff of this UN organization? How many nations on this planet produce qualified nuclear scientists and have the resources to support them?"

We all know the US pays the most dues to the UN. As far as staff, perhaps the Inspector General of the IAEA Secretariat, Dr. Mohmmad ElBaradei has something to do with the choosing of staff? Anyway, it's a given that Americans. particularly those employed by the UN, are not necessarily loyal to their country of origin.

[cake_crumb]

BTW...isn't Russia going to the Euro?

[Destro]

Saying nuclear power plant does mean nuclear weapons production. I have yet to see one authoritative article that states that this Russian nuclear reactor unlike North Korea's plant will be able to produce weapons grade fuel. Dirty radiation bombs? Yup. The kaboom kind? I don't think so.

[cake_crumb]

"Saying nuclear power plant does mean nuclear weapons production."

Oh, agreed absolutely. As far as "kaboom"...perhaps not as a consiously made weapon. Airliners weren't considered bombs, either. It's the rabid Islamists I'm worried about. Iran has more than it's share still. Agents of Saddam could also be a problem. Can a country with a government as schizophrenic as Iran's provide security to prevent such a structure from being sabotaged from within?

[Bobby777]

This is thoroughly fishy. Pooty-poot has some explaining to do.

that's why many are viewing the Scythians as descendents of Magog (Flavius Josephus) aligning with Persia in Ezekiel 38 ... which occurs after Israel re-enters her land in Ezekiel 37 ... in 1999 there was an article (though many have reaffirmed) showing a top Russian General meeting with a top Iranian General and affirming military ties ... wish I could come up with that picture of the two generals and their names ... I didn't capture it at the time ...

although it seems many of the Iranian people are more moderate, one has to wonder, given Chechnya, why Putin would give support to what is still considered by many to be the progenitor of Islamic terrorism (Iran) though Saudi Arabia cannot be far behind ... granted, the Russians need money but selling oil to the West has got to be a better option than nuclear reactors for Iran ...

[Bobby777]

Time to manipulate the price of gold

IIRC, gold hit nearly $800 per ounce in 1979 ... a year before Reagan took office ... this was in response to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, among other things ... probably the 1979 Iranian Revolution being another factor ... I was selling gold at the time and had some Iranian students as customers (they opposed the Ayatollah's policies / diatribe) ...

[Bobby777]

Airliners weren't considered bombs, either

most, if not all, and probably all, U.S. reactor domes (not cooling towers of course) were built to survive the impact of a 727 ... I think most are 6+ feet of reinforced concrete ...

[Destro]

All I am saying is does this nuclear reactor mean a possibility Iran will be able to build a kaboom bomb?

[Destro]

The Iranians kill Chechens on sight. While the USA via Turkey was providing aid and comfort to the Chechens Iran was helping Russia combat Waahabist rebels. If you are going to use the Bible in this way, what force of Biblical evil are we that we align ourselves with the Waahabist Saudis? You know the ones that mostly carried out 9/11.

[Bobby777]

it's not an isolated interpretation ... indeed dates back before the beginning of the century ... 1917 being significant to some but not fulfillment of course ...

Biblical? Saudis? ... you're trying to prove a link or what? ... American policy isn't Biblical ... neither is any secular gov't ...

[Bobby777]

what force of Biblical evil

what? ... there's a military alignment of Magog's descendents (this doesn't mean all people of course, but Russia's had more than a few militaristic leaders, Stalin, Andropov, etc) and Iran ... noting that it's in Scripture is what I'm saying ... so don't be surprised by Russian-Iranian military cooperation ... if that includes nuclear reactors where they are unnecessary, well, one must drawn their own conclusions ...

[Destro]

I can't make any conclusions because what you wrote makes no sense wither Biblically or geopolitically.