Posted on 03/05/2005 4:57:43 AM PST by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
Iran Constructing the 40 MW Heavy Water Reactor at Arak Despite Calls Not to Do So by the European Union and the IAEA Board of Governors
March 4, 2005
Institute for Science and International Security
February 29, 2004
Space ImagingFebruary 17, 2005
Space ImagingFebruary 27, 2005
DigitalGlobe
Click on Each Picture to View Larger Image in a New Window
In his briefing to the IAEA Board of Governors on March 1, 2005, Pierre Goldschmidt, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards, said Iranian officials have, "indicated that the Heavy Water Research Reactor (IR-40) project is progressing." The IAEA board, in its September 2004 resolution, called on Iran "as a further confidence-building measure, voluntarily to reconsider its decision to start construction of a research reactor modified by heavy water."
New satelllite imagery obtained by ISIS from Space Imaging and DigitalGlobe supports the Iranian statement and other statements of unnamed sources that, "Iran has laid the foundations for the research reactor at Arak," as reported by Reuters on March 3, 2005.
The construction complicates negotiations currently underway between the European Union and Iran. The Europeans are asking that Iran abandon all uranium enrichment activities, reprocessing-related activities, and the heavy water reactor project. The Europeans have offered to replace the heavy water reactor with a light water research reactor that would be more proliferation resistant. The spent fuel from this imported reactor could be sent out of Iran, a step that Iran has agreed to do with the fuel from the Russian-supplied Bushehr power reactors.
Adjacent to the reactor construction site is the heavy water production plant, which is anticipated to supply the necessary heavy water for the heavy water reactor. The Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Dr. Hasan Rowhani, said on February 7, 2005 on Iranian television, "We may be able to produce heavy water soon, within the next few weeks."
No evidence of any reprocessing facilities can be seen in the satellite images.
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You make atomic fuel and we make you a parking lot!
And from the lead article in yesterday's Thread....
"David Albright, who heads ISIS and was formerly a U.N. weapons inspector, said he had also seen photographs of what appeared to be steam coming out of the Arak heavy water plant.
"We think they have been testing it," Albright said. "
"Iran warned on Saturday it would return to making nuclear fuel and that the Middle East would get even more unstable if the Islamic Republic was sent to the U.N. Security Council over its atomic program."
Some threat. Like they ever stopped......
"If the Americans succeed in referring Iran's case to the Security Council, Iran will immediately suspend all its voluntary confidence-building measures," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani told a conference"
"confidence-building measures" ... LoL
I'll bet he said that with a straight face.
The Mullahs of Iran have completely missed the point. Possession of nuclear weapons will only enter them into the MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) Club, and Club members can only survive if they have the ability to completely destroy their enemies’ civilian population. As Iran does not possess this capability, all they have done is to assure the complete destruction of their own population.
"all they have done is to assure the complete destruction of their own population"
You must be under the mistaken impression that they care.
Their blackmail would be far more effective if they actually had the reactor operational. This is exactly why these folks can never, ever be allowed to have nukes.
"all they have done is to assure the complete destruction of their own population"
Some of the mullahs have been quoted saying that the nuclear destruction of Israel would be worth the "martyrdom" of Tehran.
MAD isn't really mad to the mad mullahs.
....as long as they're not one of the martyrs.
The insanity goes on at the expense of innocent Iranian souls. These Mullah's care NOTHING for the precious Persians. :-(
Colin Powell would roll over.
We need to whup out a bomb and throw a monkey wrench in the works. Or Israel could do that.
March 4, 2005
Institute for Science and International Security
February 29, 2004
Space ImagingFebruary 17, 2005
Space ImagingFebruary 27, 2005
DigitalGlobeClick on Each Picture to View Larger Image in a New Window
March has been pretty good!
Works for me! :^DHappy birthday.
What amazes me about this whole episode...which the media, the US administration, and even the Middle East Mullahs don't discuss...is that if Iran is allowed to continue, then we have to arm Iraq to the bone, and even help them develop their own nuclear weapons. Hint: Yes, that means helping them to develop Weapons of Mass Destruction, which is what invited us to invade Iraq in the first place. And if both Iraq and Iran are allowed down this road, then Turkey and Syria will both have to eventually develop their own weapons too. This is how this mess develops...and unless GW halts it...its as bad as you could guess.
If the UN security council doesn't get it...and the EU doesn't understand it...then its the moral responsibilty of the US to make a stand. We need to pay off some Mullah Bob character, and arrange for a massive nuclear accident at the facility...enought to scare the Mullahs into thinking that Muhammid himself set this accident to occur, to halt the nuke race.
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