There. Much better.
Posted on 09/24/2004 9:46:05 AM PDT by CHARLITE
Heavy water production is centered in Arak. Heavy water is used to moderate nuclear fission in reactors.
Heavy water is only required in Canadian type reactors or commonly called heavy water reactors. For US type (Westinghouse, Babcock & Wilcox, CE [ABB], and GE) and most other types of reactors, heavy water is not required. A heavy water moderated reactor does allow the use of natural uranium (that is non-enriched uranium to be used .711 percent or so U-235 - the good stuff) as opposed to enriched uranium (typically on the order of 3%+ for a standard US reactor). Therefore since Iran is manufacturing D2O, it would appear that they are keeping the option open to build reactors that wouldn't require enriched uranium to operate (in the event their enrichment facilities are "lost" or they can't get a supply of enriched uranium). You do need hydrogen isotopes (deuterium and tritium) if you are going to make a thermonuclear device (H bomb). Tritium can be made by bombarding Li - they couldn't be thinking H bomb too - could they?
A 1000-megawatt reactor on the Persian Gulf coast built by the Russians under contract. This reactor should have started by now. The used fuel from the Bushehr reactor will provide Uranium for many, many bombs and missiles.
The spent fuel from a reactor will not provide uranium, it will only provide plutonium. This means that Iran is also planning on developing plutonium weapons in addition to uranium weapons, assuming they have the reprocessing facilities and plan to run the reactor in a manner to produce the best plutonium isotope (Pu-239 versus the neutron absorbers). Uranium enrichment is used to produce U-235 that can be used in uranium weapons - which is why it is so very important that we got all of Qaddafi's equipment. You don't need a reactor to make a uranium device.
With that said however, I wasn't aware of the investment that Iran had made into their nuclear program. If they are building facilities for uranium enrichment, heavy water production, fuel reprocessing, and reactors, they are very serious about a number of paths to produce both uranium and plutonium weapons. These facilities and associated processes are not for a peaceful nuclear program in an oil and natural gas rich region. This simply can't happen. These facilities must be taken out in the short term and the government changed in the long term. We (including Israel and the remainder of the sane, free world) need to step up to the plate now. Regardless of the spread of radioactive contamination and civilian deaths, we are at this point now and it must be stopped. Iranian leadership has already stated what they will do with weapons - and they're not a real sane bunch at the top. This will lead directly to our citizens being killed in much larger scale than on 9/11.
Good article. Thanks.
Lets Roll!!!!!!!!!!!
Very comprehensive and correct analysis sir. My hat is off to you.
If I may add one detail from what I have read, I dont believe the Iranians have the fuel rod assemblies yet, because the Russian contractors havent delivered them.
If the Israelis can bomb those plants before the fuel rods are delivered, it avoids killing Russian contractors and reduces the potential for gross contamination of the region. This further tightens the time frame down to a very short and narrow attack window.
There. Much better.
Excellent! ;)
I think it would be best to wait until the reactors are fully fueled.
The fallout may reach us here. I suggest visiting http://ready.gov and following instructions about bottled water, food, and duct tape. Oh, and BLOAT.
Shhhhhhhhh! I want it to be a surprise.
Hell, if there is such a thing as a "help Israel" fund, I would be happy to contribute monetarily to this acquisition.
Why the "ho hum" attitude? Israel has not been known to commit barbaric acts agains someone who is not an active enemy. Ever. And I do not expect them ever to.
Next puzzling "crisis", please?
Yes, of course they have, and I heard on KSFO, San Francisco, that even if there is a regime change, they will still try to get nucs. Given what Israel did in 1981, I do not see any other way out of this, except for the military option. I wish it could be dealt with peacefully, but I just do not see that happening.
I will be in the Philippines from Oct 20th, to Nov 5th, but you know I will be paying attention to the news in Manila.
...sound of gun cocking...
He may be a "palaeo." I initially thought the "Chron" in "Chronwatch" meant it was affiliated with the anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, national-relativist Chronicles.
Thanks for the ping. Waiting impatiently for action. ;-) Go IDF! ;-)
Hmm, from the look of this, GW may not be able to wait until Nov. 3 or 4.
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