Iran Refuses To Stop Enrichment - Again
Once again, the Iranian regime is making sure the world knows that it has no intention of giving up its quest for nuclear weapons. They have no desire to negotiate in good faith and never have.
And in a fresh show of its military might, Iran test-fired a long range radar-evading sea-to-air missile during war games it says aim to demonstrate its readiness for "any threat."
But the Islamic regime Sunday said it remained keen to hold talks on Western concerns about its nuclear programme and revealed that UN chief Kofi Annan was due in Tehran on Saturday, two days after the deadline.
"Production of nuclear fuel is one of Iran's strategic objectives," lead negotiator Ali Larijani told state radio. "Any action to limit or deprive Iran could not force Iran to give up this goal."
The Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities by August 31 amid US-led concerns that its nuclear programme is cover for an attempt to produce an atomic bomb.
A package of incentives backed by the six major powers is dependent on the regime first agreeing to suspend enrichment.
But Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Reza Bagheri insisted during a visit to key regional ally Syria that a formal moratorium on enrichment was out of the question.
"While cooperating with international institutions, we consider the suspension of enrichment as our red line," Bagheri was quoted as saying in Damascus by Iran's official news agency IRNA.
"We insist on our right because we want to utilize nuclear technology for peaceful ends," he added.
That would be the peace of the grave for those of you who aren't still clear on this.
Uncategorized | Gaius Sunday, 27 August , 2006
By Roland Hesz, Monday, 28 August , 2006 @ 6:17 am
“In the heart of Tehran stands one of Iran’s most important nuclear facilities, a dome-shaped building where scientists have conducted secret experiments that could help the country build atomic bombs. It was provided to the Iranians by the United States.”
Iran’s N-plans rely on reactor U.S. gave shah
It sucks when the same guy tells you to stop who provided you with the means. And who still support the experiments.
By Gaius, Monday, 28 August , 2006 @ 6:29 am
Roland, the reactor in quetion is a tiny one made for training and some basic experiments. The US has wanted to get it back for decades. Please try and recall that at the time that was given there was a little thing called a Cold War on and Russia was buying friends by giving them research reactors (which is how North Korea got their’s). The US did the same for countries it wanted to keep out of the Russian fold.
It was a different time with different priorities.
By Roland Hesz, Monday, 28 August , 2006 @ 9:03 am
“U.S. officials point to those activities as evidence Iran is trying to construct nuclear arms, but they do not publicly mention that the work has taken place in a U.S.-supplied facility.”
This was the part I thought about.
I don’t tell that US is the only one responsible for this situation.
Neither does the article.
“Another overlooked concern about the Tehran reactor is the weapons-grade fuel the U.S. provided Iran in the 1960s — about 10 pounds of highly enriched uranium, the most valuable material to bomb makers.”
It actually supports your point of view.