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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran Atomic Shopping Deepens Bomb Fears |
| 2004-07-16 |
| Western diplomats say recent intelligence reports show Iran has been attempting to buy items that could be used to build nuclear weapons -- a charge Tehran dismisses as baseless. The diplomats cited European customs information and intelligence gathered in the Middle East showing Tehran had tried to buy, among other things, high-speed switches that could potentially be used in a nuclear weapon and high-speed cameras the Iranians might use to test a nuclear explosion. "They appear to be working on the planning for a high-speed nuclear implosion device," the diplomat said, adding that Iran had also been experimenting with "high explosive that would be appropriate for the core of a nuclear weapon." A senior U.S. official told Reuters in Washington that these procurement efforts were part of an effort that has been going on for a long time. He declined to confirm the specific items mentioned, but said they were not "all new" to Washington. "This is an ongoing procurement process. I fully believe that they're still at it, but I can't say that there is some new list that they're out buying right now," the official said. The diplomats said their motivation for briefing Reuters was concern that France, Britain and Germany were enabling Iran to play for time while the trio struggle to find a way of enticing Tehran into fully suspending its uranium enrichment program. Iran agreed with the Europeans last October to suspend its enrichment program, which the United States believes is aimed at making fissile material for atomic weapons. But Tehran never fully suspended the program and recently said it would resume production, assembly and testing of enrichment centrifuges. "There is a recognition here that time is a very critical factor," said a non-Western diplomatic source. "The red line is not when they (the Iranians) get the bomb, but when they don't need any more external assistance." A senior European diplomat said there was a lot of evidence that what Iran sought was "break-out capability" that would stop short of building a nuclear weapon but give it the ability to do so rapidly if it chose to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The United States is bound to seize on the new intelligence as further proof of its belief that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear power program. But analysts and diplomats say Washington will have trouble persuading skeptics that Iran wants the bomb given that U.S. and British intelligence about pre-war Iraq's alleged stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) -- a key justification for the decision to invade Iraq -- turned out to be grossly inaccurate. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 "But we still don't have the smoking gun," A gun doesn't smoke until after it's been used, you fucking jackass. |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2004-07-16 4:13:47 PM |
| #5 IMHO, Syria is a puppet - a side show. Think about it. If Al Rooters & Co keep reporting on Iran, the body of evidence will be sufficient to convince everyone short of Cynthia McKinney, Eddie Bernice Johnson, and the other LLL / terrorist enablers who've infiltrated the Congress that this is one of those pivotal moments - and the Bad Guyz have to be "handled" - period - and now. I'll try to find a link, but to back that last statement up is this: the Good News is that a U.S. House of Representatives resolution last May 6 authorized "all appropriate means" to end Iranian nuclear weapons development. That should cover Dubya should he be forced to act (whether directly or in support of Israel) prior to the election. Afterwards, they are definitely toast. One way or another, if Bush is re-elected, the stated goals of the Mad Mullahs has forced the US hand - they'll be taken out. If Skeery is elected, he'll prolly put on his patented knee-pads and back EU3 sanctions which aren't worth warm spit. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-16 3:12:45 PM |
| #4 Can we bomb them now. |
| Posted by: djohn66 2004-07-16 1:52:29 PM |
| #3 Calm down. Europe has committed to monitoring their program. They'll take care of everything. NOT! |
| Posted by: Brutus 2004-07-16 12:46:19 PM |
| #2 Bigger threats are harder to deal with. Bigger threats have huge collateral issues that come into play when you confront them. Moving into Iraq WAS a confrontation of Iran. |
| Posted by: too true 2004-07-16 12:10:01 PM |
| #1 Why have we or the Israelies not done anything, said anything, or made and move in relation to this? I really think they might already have 1 or 2 stolen from Kazikstan back in the early 90's. How in the hell could Saddam have been more dangerous then these people? I've never bought into the whole "Iraq is a bigger threat than Korea or Iran". I think W just wanted to get Saddam because he tried to kill his Dad. /rant off. Does anyone have an answer why we are pussy-footing around with Iran and Korea? This seems like one helluva bigger threat than Saddam. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2004-07-16 10:46:02 AM |