Iran expands uranium enrichment program

[Praxius]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/04/08/iran-centrifuges.html

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.

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

"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.

 

[Colpy]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/04/08/iran-centrifuges.html



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

Uh-huh.

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

 

[MikeyDB]

Colpy

Maybe they think it's past due for Western society to get whacked...?

What has any Iranian done to you? If we're going to focus on hostages... then the royal "we" seems approprate so I'm wondering if we are so focused on hating Iran because they've said something to the effect that Israel should be wiped-out or is it the on-going "Hate everything we tell you that it's right to hate..." coming out of those wonderful chaps in the Petagon and the Whitehouse...?

I don't hate Iranians and I don't hate Israel but it seems to me that Israel has done more since its creation to stir up conflict than Iran ever has...

So is it your favoritism for Israel that compels you to kill people in Iran or is it just free-floating hatred of what you've been told to believe...?

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?

 

[#juan]

Uh-huh.

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

Colpy you seem to have forgotten that the last democratically elected government in Iran was overthrown by the CIA with help from Britain. That government was tossed out so the Shah could be installed. Remember the shah? Remember the shah's secret police, who put that country through nightmares for twenty years or so? Americans all conveniently forget about the shah when they talk about those bad Iranians. Ten 911s wouldn't pay back what was done to Iran in the name of big oil.

 

[earth_as_one]

How many centrifuges Iran possesses is beside the point. How they are configured determines whether they are a NPT violation. Right now they are verifiably configured to make reactor grade fuel, which makes them within legal as per the NPT.

Regarding: "All of their allies or just a select few?"

The answer is a select few. Non-Aligned Movement countries for example support Iran's development of peaceful nuclear technology.

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 State or Government welcomed the cooperation extended by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the IAEA including those voluntary confidence-building measures undertaken, with a view to resolve the remaining issues. They noted the assessment of the IAEA Director-General that all nuclear material declared by Iran had been accounted for. They noted, at the same time, that the process for drawing a conclusion with regard to the absence of undeclared material and activities in Iran is an ongoing and time-consuming process. In this regard, the Heads of State or Government encouraged Iran to urgently continue to cooperate actively and fully with the IAEA within the Agency's mandate to resolve outstanding issues in order to promote confidence and a peaceful resolution of the issue.

The Heads of State or Government emphasized the fundamental distinction between the legal obligations of States to their respective safeguards agreements and any confidence building measures voluntarily undertaken to resolve difficult issues, and believed that such voluntary undertakings are not legal safeguards obligations.

The Heads of State or Government considered the establishment of nuclear-weapons-free zones (NWFZs) as a positive step towards attaining the objective of global nuclear disarmament and reiterated the support for the establishment in the Middle East of a nuclear- weapon-free zone, in accordance with relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. Pending the establishment of such a zone ,they demanded Israel to accede to the NPT without delay and place promptly all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards.

The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed the inviolability of peaceful nuclear activities and that any attack or threat of attack against peaceful nuclear facilities -operational or under construction- poses a great danger to human beings and the environment ,and constitutes a grave violation of international law, principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and regulations of the IAEA. They recognized the need for a comprehensive multilaterally negotiated instrument, prohibiting attacks, or threat of attacks on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The Heads of State or Government strongly believed that all issues on safeguards and verification, including those of Iran, should be resolved within the IAEA framework, and be based on technical and legal grounds. They further emphasized that the Agency should continue its work to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue within its mandate under the Statute of the IAEA.

The Heads of State or Government also strongly believed that diplomacy and dialogue through peaceful means must continue to find a long term solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. They expressed their conviction that the only way to resolve the issue is to resume negotiations without any preconditions and to enhance cooperation with the involvement of all necessary parties to promote international confidence with the view to facilitating Agency's work on resolving the outstanding issues.

NAM welcomes the efforts made by Iran and the IAEA Secretariat in the implementation of the of the Work Plan as contained in INFCIRC/711 on Understanding of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Agency on the Modalities of resolution of the Outstanding Issues, which was reflected in the Summary of the previous report of the Director-General as a significant step forward. NAM believes that these steps will facilitate the negotiation between Iran and the concerned parties in order to have a peaceful settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue.

In these regards NAM is pleased to note that the Report of the Director-General establishes, inter alia, the following progress in the implementation of the Work Plan:

The Agency has been able to conclude that answers provided by Iran on the declared past P-1 and P-2 centrifuge programme are consistent with its findings.
Iran has provided sufficient access to individuals and has responded in a timely manner to questions and provided clarifications and amplifications on issues raised in the context of the Work Plan.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7430

NAM represents a clear majority of nations (over 100)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement#Member_Countries_and_Representatives

The IAEA has no mandate to stop illegal nuclear research/technology let alone legal research and technology. Technically the IAEA's mandate obliges it to assist Iran to develop peaceful nuclear technology.

Iran has allows been and continues to be in full compliance of its NPT obligations. Iran had no obligation to submit to the voluntary protocols. Hence their description as "voluntary".

By the way Iran is even in compliance with the voluntary protocols. They do so voluntarily, not because they are obligated.

 

[einmensch]

Gettin' bloody close to time to whack this bunch of morons.Who is going to wack them? The USA? Israel certainly doesn't ahve the ability and they seem to be the only ones concerned.
One moron should not call another a moron.

 

[Praxius]

Uh-huh.

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

Based on what? Assumptions? Yeah, we all seen how well that's worked so far :roll:

 

[Praxius]

....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?

Indeed, a tad hypocritical if you ask me.

 

[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.

 

[Avro]

Iran is merely the next enemy to keep the industrial military complex employed.

 

[earth_as_one]

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.

You mean like how the US pre-emptively invaded Iraq before Iraq had a chance to invade the US? Remember how scared we were just before the US invaded and occupied Iraq. Remember the clandestine mobile chemeical weapon factories, which turned out to be mobile weather stations, barrels of chemical weapons turned out to be pesticides and bioweapon labs ended up being milk processing plants.

Z, it seems like your preferred solution to every problem involves killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

 

[Zzarchov]

I didn't say preferred, I said pragmatic. I actually stated right in there that that isn't exactly an enviable way to act.

As for Iraq, in the end, regardless of media hype, Iraq is going to be a better place long term for 80% of the population, while I doubt the Sunni Arabs will have it as good, the Kurds have it better already and the Shia will too.

My preferred solution would be a stream of well placed bullets into some dictators in Iran. Screw the invasion, take out the dictatorial elements and the infrastructure and support for a fair, multi-party democratic elections (real one where even minorities can run) will fix itself.

Iran is a fairly western nation, minus a tiny percentage of the population who use violence and strong arm tactics.