Iran moves closer to nuke warhead capacityTells UN it will enrich uranium to higher levels! By George Jahn (AP) [OH MY GOD! IRAN IS GOING TO WIPE ISRAEL OFF THE MAP!]
VIENNA, Austria — Iran moved closer to being able to produce nuclear warheads Monday with formal notification that it will enrich uranium to higher levels, even while insisting that the move was meant only to provide fuel for its research reactor.
Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh told The Associated Press that he informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the decision to enrich at least some of its low-enriched uranium stockpile to 20 per cent, considered the threshold value for highly enriched uranium.
Soltanieh, who represents Iran at the Vienna-based IAEA, also said that the U.N. agency's inspectors now overseeing enrichment to low levels would be able to stay on site to fully monitor the process. And he blamed world powers for Iran's decision, asserting that it was their fault that a plan that foresaw Russian and French involvement in supplying the research reactor had failed.
"Until now, we have not received any response to our positive logical and technical proposal," he said. "We cannot leave hospitals and patients desperately waiting for radio isotopes" being produced at the Tehran reactor and used in cancer treatment, he added.
Western powers blame Iran for rejecting an internationally endorsed plan to take Iranian low enriched uranium and return it in the form of fuel for the reactor - and in broader terms for turning down other overtures meant to diminish concerns about its nuclear agenda.
At a news conference with French Defence Minister Herve Morin, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates praised President Barack Obama's attempts to engage the Islamic Republic diplomatically and chided Tehran for not reciprocating.
"No U.S. president has reached out more sincerely, and frankly taken more political risk, in an effort to try to create an opening for engagement for Iran," he said. "All these initiatives have been rejected."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had already announced Sunday that his country would significantly enrich at least some of the country's stockpile of uranium. Still, Monday's notification to the IAEA was important as formal confirmation of the plan, particularly because of the rash of conflicting signals sent in recent months by Iranian officials on the issue.
Although material for the fissile core of a nuclear warhead must be enriched to a level of 90 per cent or more, just getting its stockpile to the 20 per cent mark would be a major step for the country's nuclear program. While enriching to 20 per cent would take about one year, using up to 2,000 centrifuges at Tehran's underground Natanz facility, any next step - moving from 20 to 90 per cent - would take only half a year and between 500-1,000 centrifuges.
Achieving the 20-per cent level "would be going most of the rest of the way to weapon-grade uranium," said David Albright, whose Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security tracks suspected proliferators.
Soltanieh declined to say how much of Iran's stockpile - now estimated at 1.8 tons - would be enriched. Nor did he say when the process would begin. Albright said enriching to higher levels could begin within a day - or only in several months, depending on how far technical preparations had progressed.
Apparent technical problems could also slow the process, he said.
Iran's enrichment program "should be like a Christmas tree in full light," he said. "In fact, the lights are flickering."
Legal constraints could tie Iran's hands as well. A senior official from a member nation of the 35-country IAEA board said he believed Tehran was obligated to notify the agency 60 days in advance of starting to enrich to higher levels.
The official asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. The IAEA had no immediate comment.
On Sunday, Iranian officials said higher enrichment would start on Tuesday.
The Iranian move came just days after Ahmadinejad appeared to move close to endorsing the original deal, which foresaw Tehran exporting the bulk of its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment and then conversion for fuel rods for the research reactor.
That plan was welcomed internationally because it would have delayed Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapons by shipping out about 70 per cent of its low-enriched uranium stockpile, thereby leaving it with not enough to make a bomb. Tehran denies nuclear weapons ambitions, insisting it needs to enrich to create fuel for an envisaged nuclear reactor network.
The proposal was endorsed by the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - the six powers that originally elicited a tentative approval from Iran in landmark talks last fall. Since then, however, mixed messages from Tehran have infuriated the U.S. and its European allies, who claim Iran is only stalling for time as it attempts to build a nuclear weapon.
Even before Iran's formal notification of the IAEA, some of those nations criticized the plan and suggested it would be met by increased pressure for new penalties on the Islamic Republic.
Iran has defied five U.N. Security Council resolutions - and three sets of U.N. sanctions - aimed at pressuring it to freeze enrichment, and has instead steadily expanded its program.
Iran's enrichment plans "would be a deliberate breach" of the resolutions, the British Foreign Office said. In Berlin, Ulrich Wilhelm, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Germany and its allies were watching developments and were prepared to "continue along the path of raising diplomatic pressure."
Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London, Anne Flaherty in Paris and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh told The Associated Press that he informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the decision to enrich at least some of its low-enriched uranium stockpile to 20 per cent, considered the threshold value for highly enriched uranium.
Soltanieh, who represents Iran at the Vienna-based IAEA, also said that the U.N. agency's inspectors now overseeing enrichment to low levels would be able to stay on site to fully monitor the process. And he blamed world powers for Iran's decision, asserting that it was their fault that a plan that foresaw Russian and French involvement in supplying the research reactor had failed.
"Until now, we have not received any response to our positive logical and technical proposal," he said. "We cannot leave hospitals and patients desperately waiting for radio isotopes" being produced at the Tehran reactor and used in cancer treatment, he added.
Western powers blame Iran for rejecting an internationally endorsed plan to take Iranian low enriched uranium and return it in the form of fuel for the reactor - and in broader terms for turning down other overtures meant to diminish concerns about its nuclear agenda.
At a news conference with French Defence Minister Herve Morin, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates praised President Barack Obama's attempts to engage the Islamic Republic diplomatically and chided Tehran for not reciprocating.
"No U.S. president has reached out more sincerely, and frankly taken more political risk, in an effort to try to create an opening for engagement for Iran," he said. "All these initiatives have been rejected."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had already announced Sunday that his country would significantly enrich at least some of the country's stockpile of uranium. Still, Monday's notification to the IAEA was important as formal confirmation of the plan, particularly because of the rash of conflicting signals sent in recent months by Iranian officials on the issue.
Although material for the fissile core of a nuclear warhead must be enriched to a level of 90 per cent or more, just getting its stockpile to the 20 per cent mark would be a major step for the country's nuclear program. While enriching to 20 per cent would take about one year, using up to 2,000 centrifuges at Tehran's underground Natanz facility, any next step - moving from 20 to 90 per cent - would take only half a year and between 500-1,000 centrifuges.
Achieving the 20-per cent level "would be going most of the rest of the way to weapon-grade uranium," said David Albright, whose Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security tracks suspected proliferators.
Soltanieh declined to say how much of Iran's stockpile - now estimated at 1.8 tons - would be enriched. Nor did he say when the process would begin. Albright said enriching to higher levels could begin within a day - or only in several months, depending on how far technical preparations had progressed.
Apparent technical problems could also slow the process, he said.
Iran's enrichment program "should be like a Christmas tree in full light," he said. "In fact, the lights are flickering."
Legal constraints could tie Iran's hands as well. A senior official from a member nation of the 35-country IAEA board said he believed Tehran was obligated to notify the agency 60 days in advance of starting to enrich to higher levels.
The official asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. The IAEA had no immediate comment.
On Sunday, Iranian officials said higher enrichment would start on Tuesday.
The Iranian move came just days after Ahmadinejad appeared to move close to endorsing the original deal, which foresaw Tehran exporting the bulk of its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment and then conversion for fuel rods for the research reactor.
That plan was welcomed internationally because it would have delayed Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapons by shipping out about 70 per cent of its low-enriched uranium stockpile, thereby leaving it with not enough to make a bomb. Tehran denies nuclear weapons ambitions, insisting it needs to enrich to create fuel for an envisaged nuclear reactor network.
The proposal was endorsed by the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - the six powers that originally elicited a tentative approval from Iran in landmark talks last fall. Since then, however, mixed messages from Tehran have infuriated the U.S. and its European allies, who claim Iran is only stalling for time as it attempts to build a nuclear weapon.
Even before Iran's formal notification of the IAEA, some of those nations criticized the plan and suggested it would be met by increased pressure for new penalties on the Islamic Republic.
Iran has defied five U.N. Security Council resolutions - and three sets of U.N. sanctions - aimed at pressuring it to freeze enrichment, and has instead steadily expanded its program.
Iran's enrichment plans "would be a deliberate breach" of the resolutions, the British Foreign Office said. In Berlin, Ulrich Wilhelm, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Germany and its allies were watching developments and were prepared to "continue along the path of raising diplomatic pressure."
Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London, Anne Flaherty in Paris and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
AP Article Fuels Iran War Hysteria
Article Speculates Medical Uranium Enrichment a Weapons Plot
Article Speculates Medical Uranium Enrichment a Weapons Plot
UPDATE: The Associated Press has pulled the original article by George Jahn and it is being replaced by a more benign article called “Iran to stop enrichment if given nuclear fuel” by Nasser Karimi. (2/9/2010)
In a widely-circulated article which has further fueled Western hysteria about the prospect of an imminent war with Iran, the Associated Press today claimed that Iran’s uranium enrichment program move, an effort to produce medical isotopes which are rapidly running out in the nation, was a secret plot to build nuclear weapons.
In a widely-circulated article which has further fueled Western hysteria about the prospect of an imminent war with Iran, the Associated Press today claimed that Iran’s uranium enrichment program move, an effort to produce medical isotopes which are rapidly running out in the nation, was a secret plot to build nuclear weapons.
The article, entitled “Iran moves closer to nuke warhead capacity,” claims that Iran had informed the IAEA that it “will increase its ability to make nuclear warheads,” an allegation which is not only unsupported by fact but even goes beyond the ample bellicose Western statements quoted in the piece.
In fact the IAEA’s own confirmation of the Iranian statement says simply that Iran is planning to begin efforts for “production of less than 20 percent enriched uranium,” noted by the AP piece as “just below the threshold for high enriched uranium” but actually well short of the 90 percent plus needed for weapons grade material.
Iran has made it clear than the approximately 20 percent enriched uranium will be used in an effort to produce fuel rods for its US-built Tehran reactor, needed in the creation of medical isotopes. The move came as efforts for a third party enrichment deal, which would provide Iran with access to fuel rods from overseas, has stalled amid international ire.
But the AP piece glossed over Iran’s acceptance of the third party enrichment deal last week, a move which it claims was “welcomed internationally” but which was actually roundly condemned by Western officials who claimed that accepting their own demands was an effort to “stall.”
In fact this was the key to Iran’s move, as German officials insisted that Iran’s acceptance couldn’t be accepted, and that they would have to start a new round of negotiations, something Western officials have repeatedly rejected. With the prospect for a third-party enrichment deal at best speculative going forward, Iran was left with the choice of abandoning nuclear medicine treatments for thousands of patients or pushing forward with efforts to become self-sufficient in the process.
In fact the IAEA’s own confirmation of the Iranian statement says simply that Iran is planning to begin efforts for “production of less than 20 percent enriched uranium,” noted by the AP piece as “just below the threshold for high enriched uranium” but actually well short of the 90 percent plus needed for weapons grade material.
Iran has made it clear than the approximately 20 percent enriched uranium will be used in an effort to produce fuel rods for its US-built Tehran reactor, needed in the creation of medical isotopes. The move came as efforts for a third party enrichment deal, which would provide Iran with access to fuel rods from overseas, has stalled amid international ire.
But the AP piece glossed over Iran’s acceptance of the third party enrichment deal last week, a move which it claims was “welcomed internationally” but which was actually roundly condemned by Western officials who claimed that accepting their own demands was an effort to “stall.”
In fact this was the key to Iran’s move, as German officials insisted that Iran’s acceptance couldn’t be accepted, and that they would have to start a new round of negotiations, something Western officials have repeatedly rejected. With the prospect for a third-party enrichment deal at best speculative going forward, Iran was left with the choice of abandoning nuclear medicine treatments for thousands of patients or pushing forward with efforts to become self-sufficient in the process.
And while British officials insisted, and the AP was quick to point out, that they doubt Iran’s capability to actually produce the fuel rods, other experts said they would likely be able to, and Iran seemed to have few options but to try.
At the end of the day though, the biggest problem with the piece was the reference to “nuke warheads,” a technology which Iran isn’t even accused of moving forward. If Iran isn’t even capable of making fuel rods for medical reactors out of 20 percent enriched uranium it is hoping to produce, it is absolutely absurd and irresponsible to claim that Iran is nearing the capability of producing nuclear-capable warheads, which would require not only weapons-grade uranium which they are not producing, but advanced delivery systems.
With Iran’s enrichment facilities under 24-hour IAEA surveillance, they will be able to confirm that neither Iran’s current 3.5 percent uranium or its speculative 20 percent uranium is diverted to anything but civilian purposes. The surveillance would also instantly confirm if Iran began enriching uranium beyond 20 percent, meaning the threat of Iran suddenly acquiring a nuclear weapon is entirely illusory. Western officials, and some writers at the Associated Press, however, see fit to look beyond the lack of concrete threats and instead rely on public fear of the unknown to make the case for escalating tensions beyond all reason, and bringing the West ever closer to a needless war with Iran.
At the end of the day though, the biggest problem with the piece was the reference to “nuke warheads,” a technology which Iran isn’t even accused of moving forward. If Iran isn’t even capable of making fuel rods for medical reactors out of 20 percent enriched uranium it is hoping to produce, it is absolutely absurd and irresponsible to claim that Iran is nearing the capability of producing nuclear-capable warheads, which would require not only weapons-grade uranium which they are not producing, but advanced delivery systems.
With Iran’s enrichment facilities under 24-hour IAEA surveillance, they will be able to confirm that neither Iran’s current 3.5 percent uranium or its speculative 20 percent uranium is diverted to anything but civilian purposes. The surveillance would also instantly confirm if Iran began enriching uranium beyond 20 percent, meaning the threat of Iran suddenly acquiring a nuclear weapon is entirely illusory. Western officials, and some writers at the Associated Press, however, see fit to look beyond the lack of concrete threats and instead rely on public fear of the unknown to make the case for escalating tensions beyond all reason, and bringing the West ever closer to a needless war with Iran.
AP Pulls Iran Nukes Story After Antiwar.com Exposé
Associated Press issued a story yesterday (Monday) entitled “Iran moves closer to nuke warhead capacity.” It was full of inaccurate and misleading information implying that Iran had admitted trying to enrich weapons-grade nuclear material. The story appeared on a wide variety of media.
Last night, Antiwar.com news editor Jason Ditz issued a story refuting the AP story.
This morning, Associated Press recalled the story without explanation and replaced it with another, much less inflamatory story written by a different author.
It is important to question the mainstream media and not let them get away with helping the warmongers with their agenda.
Last night, Antiwar.com news editor Jason Ditz issued a story refuting the AP story.
This morning, Associated Press recalled the story without explanation and replaced it with another, much less inflamatory story written by a different author.
It is important to question the mainstream media and not let them get away with helping the warmongers with their agenda.
The Israeli's and their hawk allies are having a connniption fit over the prospect Iran is building nukes!http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/conniption_fit
Last night on WABC radio [am 770] out of NYC, NY-host John Batchelor had a line up of pro Israel guests on his show. I thought I was listening to radio Tel Aviv. They denounce the Goldstone report which is highly critical of Israel's "Operation Cast Lead", the Gaza incursion which killed hundreds of woman and children and destroyed over 10,000 buildings.
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The CBS radio network has Robert Berger working in Israel as the networks' jewish propaganda specialist. All of his stories on Israel are pro-Israel.
(CBS) Robert Berger has been reporting for CBS Radio News since 1989. Based in Jerusalem, he has covered major news events, including the First Gulf War in 1991, the Israeli-PLO Accords in 1993, the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, the Second Palestinian Uprising from 2000-2005, the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and the Gaza War in 2009.He has also been with US forces in the Persian Gulf during confrontations with Iraq and covered the funeral of Jordan’s King Hussein and terrorist bombings in Amman and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Berger has reported for CBS News on major stories outside the Middle East as well. He covered the US intervention in Haiti in 1994, the deployment of US peacekeepers in Bosnia in 1996, the funeral of Mother Teresa in Calcutta in 1997, the US embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998, the earthquakes in Turkey (1999) and Pakistan (2005), and the tsunami in Indonesia in 2005. Berger has been honored with a number of journalism awards, beginning with a Gold Medal New York Festivals Award in 1994 for “Best Coverage of an Ongoing News Story” from Haiti. His live coverage of the Rabin assassination earned a Peabody, an Edward R. Murrow, the New York Festivals, and the Sigma Delta Chi bestowed by the Society of Professional Journalists. In 1996, Berger won Sigma Delta Chi and New York Festivals Awards for his reports from the scene of Israeli-Palestinian gun battles in the West Bank. He won Sigma Delta Chi and Murrow awards for his coverage of the US Embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998. His coverage of the Turkey earthquake in 1999 earned an additional Murrow award for “Best Use of Sound.” Most recently, his coverage of the Lebanon War in 2006 brought additional Murrow and Sigma Delta Chi awards. In addition to his radio reporting, Berger has contributed television pieces to various CBS News broadcasts. He was born and raised in Kansas City and attended Brandeis University in the Boston area. He is married and has three daughters.
The Pro Israeli "AJC" and its' spokeweasle David Harris buy plenty of air time to rattle the sabres and exploit the paranoia over Iran.
LOOK AT THIS PRO WAR, PRO ISRAEL SITE-
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