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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran Resumes Building Nuclear Centrifuges |
| 2004-08-01 |
| A defiant Iran on Saturday said it had resumed building nuclear centrifuges, saying the move was retaliation for the failure of three European powers to get its file closed at the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. The announcement by Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi hardened the lines between Iran and the United States, which has been pushing to take Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council. Kharrazi told a press conference that Iran has not resumed enriching uranium but was manufacturing centrifuges in response to the failure in June of Britain, Germany and France to help close Iran's file of possible nuclear nonproliferation violations at the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We still continue suspension on uranium enrichment, meaning that we have not resumed enrichment," Kharrazi said. "But we are not committed to another agreement with them (Britain, Germany and France) on not building centrifuges." Diplomats said this week that Tehran had resumed building equipment used to make uranium hexaflouride which — when processed in centrifuges — can be enriched to low levels for power generation or high levels for nuclear weapons. In Paris talks, officials from Iran and the European powers are seeking to reach a consensus on Tehran's nuclear program. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 I know everyone says that we can't bomb all the nuclear targets in Iran -- too many of them, too dispersed, too well guarded by defense systems, buried too well into civilian areas. Nope, nope, can't be done. Sounds like a challenge for some Tomahawks and VERY precision guided weapons. Lots of them. Which we happen to have. Hmmmm ...... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-08-01 9:34:12 PM |
| #3 Iran also serves as a truth test for Kerry. He ignored it in his acceptance speech. Can he address the Iran issue credibly or even coherently when he's asked about it? |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-08-01 4:09:56 PM |
| #2 Possibly, more than any single issue, Iran serves as the perfect bellwether for Europe's complete inability to act in their own interest. This crippling degree of inaction in the face of a massive threat mandates unilateral action by those with detectable blood concentrations of testosterone. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-01 3:10:35 PM |
| #1 I am sure that the US and Israel have made plans for a raid on the Iranian nuclear facilities. Waiting still increases my anxiety level, though. I worry especially about the Black Turbans giving enriched U235, either raw, or or in the form of a device to proxies for their use in blackmail. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-08-01 2:46:17 PM |