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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Towards a Confrontation with Iran |
| 2004-11-14 |
| Heavily EFL Iran's record of denial and concealment over 18 years, as described in six IAEA reports, has deepened suspicions about its aims. "We have no illusions," says a European envoy. And recent developments have intensified the worries. Iran announced that it would resume manufacturing and assembling centrifuges and that it had converted tons of "yellowcake" uranium into uranium hexafluoride gas--the feedstock for centrifuges, which spin the gas at high speeds to enrich it to yield fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs. Iran has also tried to hire away Iraqi nuclear scientists with unknown success, U.S. officials say. Iran's black-market efforts to buy nuclear parts also continue. U.S. News has learned that Iranian-linked trading companies last year attempted to acquire specialized components for the "cascade" of connected centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Iranian representatives have said it was necessary to make clandestine purchases--albeit for peaceful nuclear technology--to evade foreign efforts to thwart them. Further, says David Albright, a leading proliferation expert and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, Iran has so far refused requests by IAEA investigators to enter a munitions production and storage facility at Parchin, as well as other military sites, on the grounds that they are not nuclear facilities covered by the nonproliferation treaty. Some analysts consider Parchin a probable home for testing the high-explosive charges that can trigger a nuclear detonation. |
| Posted by:AzCat |
| #10 Our toys, their soldiers pressing the buttons. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-14 3:40:19 PM |
| #9 Not a soldier here, and I know the facilities are dispersed, but if they could take out Osirak in 1981 I would think that, given huge advances in US satellite intelligence, positioning technology etc since 1981 they should be able to take out the Iranian facilities this time around as well. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-14 3:39:41 PM |
| #8 How's Lev going to do it? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-14 3:04:00 PM |
| #7 What Paul said. Which is why it all comes down to Israel. Let the Israelis handle it with the bunker-busters we sold them for that purpose. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-14 2:51:02 PM |
| #6 Sanctions against Iran mean nothing. China needs Iranian oil big time. The Chicoms will veto any UN sanctions. If the Iranians develop nukes and give them to proxies, it's no skin off the Chicom's fore. Iranian nukes at the present are not a threat to the Chicoms. China gets Iran's oil and China can let Iran stick it to everyone else. A win-win for the Chicoms, unless the MMs are toppled and their nuke plans are smashed. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-11-14 2:49:13 PM |
| #5 Let Lev do it. Bunker-busters, coming to Iran in early 2005. Also need to buy off Russia. $5B in payments to Russia's nuke industry should do the job. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-14 2:09:00 PM |
| #4 While fairly factual, somehow this article manages to sidestep some pretty obvious issues. ... few officials doubt that strikes would be costly, inflaming anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli passions, spawning terrorist reprisals, and giving extremists a boost across the Islamic world. While no "air strikes" will result in a nuclear armed Iran whose commitment to sponsoring international terrorism is a well established fact. If everyone is so worried about "spawning terrorist reprisals," maybe they should be even more concerned about the intense likelihood of a terrorist nuclear attack being committed using a donated Iranian device. Suddenly those "reprisals" look like small potatoes, unless ulterior motives interfere. That obstacle has spawned European talk of an ad hoc coalition for punishing Iran if it opts to build weapons. The group might include the EU-3, Japan, the United States, and other countries. But with high oil prices and rising demand, there is little chance of instituting an embargo where it would really hurt: on Iranian oil. Speaking of ulterior motives. Somehow the lure of Iran's oil teat manages to overpower common sense amongst the Europeans. Russia and China have their own private agendas that ought to be better recognized as going against the interests of global security, nonetheless Europe remains heedless of the danger lurking in their own backyard. Flush with petrodollars and backed by a public that sees joining the nuclear club as a point of national pride, Iranian officials have been preparing to face U.N. Security Council censure. Says Tehran University political scientist Hadi Semati, now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, "They feel they can absorb the pressure. There's a sense of confidence." And it is precisely that "sense of confidence" that needs to be shattered, preferably with large quantities of air delivered high explosives. But Iran's record of denial and concealment over 18 years, as described in six IAEA reports, has deepened suspicions about its aims. Yet, in the midst of incessant deception along with their interminable hate-mongering and terrorism by proxy against Israel, Iran is still rewarded with continuing negotiations instead of international condemnation, trade embargoes and military intervention. Continued inaction against Iran is nothing but an ill concealed death-wish. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-11-14 2:06:13 PM |
| #3 So who takes them out? Do we leave it up to the Jews, or send in a few B2s? |
| Posted by: Weird Al 2004-11-14 11:13:32 AM |
| #2 The 'Bush Doctrine' relating to Iran was first initiated in securing Afghanistan and the old Soviet air bases on the Khorasan Iranian border. Next was the toppling of Saddam's dictatorship placing American & other 'western' forces on Iran's western oil rich border. We patrol & control the oil lanes of the Persian Gulf, only leaving Iran's northern border with Turkmenistan on the east and to the centre & north-western border, Armenia & Azerbaijan which does not allow Iran a route for transporting it's petroleum to the customers around the globe. If the White House does not swiftly deal with the Iranian nuclear threat Israel will and soon. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-11-14 5:23:49 AM |
| #1 Thx, Az! This is chock full of comic relief... Imagine: Iran worrying about "abandoning the non-proliferation treaty" and International twinkies having "deepened suspicions" and then keeping a straight face while saying "We have no illusions..." ROFL!!! Oh Lordy how those UN and Euro wankers can tell 'em! LOL! "Oh Capitan, zee sheet, sir, she is so deep!" Snorkel, anyone? LOL! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-14 3:39:21 AM |