More Stupid Headlines From AP

Today the headline reads: "Defying U.N., Iran opens nuclear reactor" (until they change it - which I bet they will). The article goes on to explain that Iran began operating a heavy water production plant.

KHONDAB, Iran - An Iranian plant that produces heavy water officially went into operation on Saturday, despite U.N. demands that Tehran stop the activity because it can be used to develop a nuclear bomb.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the plant, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.

The announcement comes days before Thursday's U.N. deadline for Iran to stop uranium enrichment — which also can be used to create nuclear weapons — or face economic and political sanctions. Tehran has called the U.N. Security Council resolution "illegal" and said it won't stop enrichment as a precondition to negotiations.

Mohammed Saeedi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the heavy water plant is "one of the biggest nuclear projects" in the country, state-run television reported. He said the plant will be used in the pharmaceutical field and in diagnosing cancer.

The plant's top official, Manouchehr Madadi, said the facility has the ability to produce up to 16 tons of heavy water a year.

Iran has been a building a heavy water reactor near the plant for two years, but the reactor is not scheduled for completion until 2009.

If the AP would please, please, please just put a reporter and a headline writer on this story who actually knew what they were talking about, maybe embarrassments like this wouldn't keep happening.

What Iran opened is a plant to produce heavy water. This is an industrial facility. The product it produces is what is known as heavy water - this is separated from regular water where it naturally occurs as a tiny percentage. Heavy water contains deuterium oxide - all that means is that there is an extra neutron in the nucleus of the hydrogen molecule. The heavy water is useful in certain types of nuclear reactors, which are oddly enough, known as heavy water reactors. But the plant that produces heavy water is not a nuclear reactor in any way shape or form.

This is unpardonably stupid conflation of a number of different elements of a nuclear program. On the other hand it shows that Iran has absolutely no intention whatsoever of stopping it's program to build bombs.

UPDATE: The BBC has it somewhat better.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has inaugurated a new phase of a heavy water reactor project despite Western fears about its nuclear programme.

He said Iran posed no threat to other states, not even its "enemy" Israel.

Heavy water made at Arak will be used to cool a reactor being built that will create a plutonium by-product that could be used to make atomic warheads.

Observers say Iran's move aims to send a signal of defiance days ahead of a UN deadline to halt uranium enrichment.

The US says Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, while Iran says it is building a reactor to supply the country with nuclear power.