Iran expands uranium enrichment program

Iran has begun installing 6,000 centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, according to its president.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the work on state television Tuesday.

Iran already has about 3,000 centrifuges operating in Natanz. The new announcement is seen as a show of defiance regarding international demands that Iran halt its nuclear program.

The United States and its allies say the program is aimed at building nuclear weapons. Iran denies those allegations.

"The president announced the start of the phase of installing 6,000 new centrifuges in Natanz," the television reported.

Centrifuges are machines that can enrich uranium to a low level to produce nuclear fuel or a high level for use in a weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is solely focused on the peaceful production of energy.

Ahmadinejad made Tuesday's announcement as he toured the Natanz facility in central Iran. The television also quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that "other activities have been carried out" in Natanz that he would announce later Tuesday.

The president's trip was scheduled to coincide with Iran's National Day of Nuclear Technology, marking the second anniversary of when Iran first enriched uranium on April 8, 2006.
Faster enrichment in advanced centrifuges

Ahmadinejad is widely expected to confirm for the first time that Iran has installed hundreds of more sophisticated centrifuges that can enrich uranium faster.

The workhorse of Iran's enrichment program is the P-1 centrifuge, which is run in cascades of 164 machines. But Iranian officials confirmed in February that they had started using the IR-2 centrifuge, which can churn out enriched uranium at more than double the rate.

Iranian state television didn't say if the installation of the 6,000 new centrifuges included the older P-1 or the advanced IR-2 centrifuges.

Diplomats in Vienna told the Associated Press on Thursday that Iran has assembled hundreds of advanced centrifuges at Natanz.

One diplomat said more than 300 of the centrifuges have been linked up in two separate units in Iran's underground enrichment plant and a third was being assembled. He said the machines apparently are more advanced than the thousands already running underground, suggesting they could be the sophisticated IR-2 centrifuge.

But a senior diplomat said that while the new work appeared to include advanced centrifuges, they were not IR-2s. Both diplomats are linked to the Vienna-based International Agency for Atomic Energy, the UN nuclear watchdog, but asked for anonymity because their information was confidential.

A total of 3,000 centrifuges is the commonly accepted figure for a nuclear enrichment program that is past the experimental stage and can be used as a platform for a full industrial-scale program that could churn out enough enriched material for dozens of nuclear weapons.

Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that ultimately will involve 54,000 centrifuges.

The UN has passed three sets of sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend enrichment.

Quote: Originally Posted by Praxius

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/0...ntrifuges.html



All of their allies or just a select few? God I love generalizations.

Quote: Originally Posted by Colpy

Uh-huh.

Gettin' bloody close to time to whack this bunch of morons.

At the very outset, NAM would like to recall its principled positions on this issue, as reflected in the Statement on the Islamic Republic of Iran's Nuclear Issue adopted in the 14th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Havana, Cuba, on 15 and 16 September 2006.
The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed the basic and inalienable right of all States, to develop research, production and use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, without any discrimination and in conformity with their respective legal obligations. Therefore, nothing should be interpreted in a way as inhibiting or restricting this right of States to develop atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
They furthermore reaffirmed that States' choices and decisions in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and its fuel cycle policies must be respected.
The Heads of State or Government recognized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the sole competent authority for verification of the respective safeguards obligations of Member States and stressed that there should be no undue pressure or interference in the Agency's activities, especially its verification process, which would jeopardize the efficiency and credibility of the Agency.
The Heads of...

Quote has been trimmed

Quote: Originally Posted by Colpy

Uh-huh.

Gettin' bloody close to time to whack this bunch of morons.

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeyDB

....And by the way, what's the difference between them saying it's time for Israel to go and the west to pay for its corruption and you saying that this nation needs to be destroyed?

Quote: Originally Posted by Zzarchov

1.) If Iran needs to be destroyed its from a purely pragmatic standpoint. They don't like us, they will have nuclear capability. Righteous in their wrath or not, even MikeyDB doesn't really want to die with western civilization (or he'd have hung himself for his sins long ago), ergo..prudence might suggest taking their toy away from them (and killing many of them in the process..because thats what wars mean).

Doesn't exactly speak highly of us to act in such a manner though.

2.) Iran really has no reason to suspend enrichment, hell, morally and legally they have no reason not to build nuclear weapons, all five members of the UN security council are conveniently in breach of the NPT already. The treaty isn't really worth anything at this put but a show screen for a use of force against people who become a threat to you.