Posted on 01/08/2007 4:53:59 PM PST by Flavius
ENVIRONMENTAL contamination could affect the region if Israel goes ahead with reported plans to attack Iran's uranium enrichment facilities or if there is an earthquake, a Bahraini expert warned yesterday.
However, Bahrain University physics professor Dr Waheeb Alnaser said things could be much worse if Israel decides to attack the power plant in Bushehr.
He said alleged plans by Israel to attack facilities in Natanz, Arak and near Isfahan would result in limited damage to the environment.
This is because neither the weapons that would be used nor the uranium located there is highly active.
But Dr Alnaser fears that Israel may go even further by attacking Iran's power plant in Bushehr, describing this as a major disaster for the whole region.
"I'm not saying there would be no environmental damage from attacking these uranium enrichment plants, but the danger is 100 times worse if they attack an active nuclear reactor - especially after three or four years of operation when the uranium will be highly active," he said.
"Israel hasn't named the plant as one of its targets, but you never know with Israel. War is all about lies, they may say one thing and do another."
Dr Alnaser said that winds would carry the pollution to the GCC countries, potentially making them uninhabitable.
From an environmental standpoint, destroying uranium before it becomes radioactive is much better than when it is in operation in a nuclear plant, he explained.
"This type of uranium when not radioactive can be handled wearing gloves and you can stand next to it safely without being harmed," he said.
"It is much safer than when it is in the core of a nuclear power plant."
Dr Alnaser said destroying inactive uranium, while harmful to the environment, might be no more dangerous than waste products - including gases that may be emitted by Iran in its usage of the material for nuclear energy.
"At least this way the pollution would be one-off, instead of having continuous nuclear activity at our doorstep," he continued.
He added that he did not support military action against Iran.
Dr Alnaser was responding to a report in the Sunday Times that Israel had drawn up plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities in a tactical nuclear strike.
The Jewish state has denied the report, although Iran warned that it would hit back if attacked.
Dr Alnaser said Iran needed to become more transparent with its nuclear policies.
He also severely criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency for failing to uncover Iran's heavy water plant, which can be used to produce Tritium, a main ingredient in atomic bombs.
"The Americans had been warning of this, but we dismissed it because they often lie about such things," he explained.
"It turns out, however, that they were speaking the truth. The agency failed to uncover this and we only found out after Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced it himself."
Dr Alnaser said Iran could have very easily built its nuclear power plant on the Arabian Sea, where there are no countries nearby, but insisted on building it in Bushehr - which is closer to the Gulf countries than it is to Tehran.
"If Iran wants the rest of the world to care about its environment in the event of a nuclear strike, it should also take into consideration the concerns of neighbouring countries. It didn't do this," he continued.
Dr Alnaser said a regional nuclear disaster could occur as a result of unforeseen events such as an earthquake.
"How can we trust a country that was unable to help its own people during the 2004 earthquake in Iran? They had to rely on help from their enemies, the Americans," he said.
"An earthquake in the location of the nuclear power plant could very well cause a disaster.
"We don't have sufficient information about what precautions are being taken because there is no transparency."
Dr Alnaser called on all GCC countries to purchase devices that would detect radioactive pollutants in the air that could drift from Iran.
"Qatar has bought such equipment and I understand that Kuwait is planning to. We should have had these in place a long time ago," he said.
"This pollution could be a major factor in causing cancer. Instead we are only concentrating on local industries and other sources."
If the Arabs are wanting another 6 day arse kicking , give it to them. This time, it will be in one day.
Dr Alnaser = Ed Asner!
Oy Vey!!!
Maybe the Iranians should have thought of this (environmental damage) before they built a nuclear weapons program. Perhaps the Europeans will allow the Israelis to buy "carbon credits" and then attack Iran.
Somebody look at a map. Then tell me how far from Tel Aviv to Tehran. Then tell me how many hostile countrys one must fly over.
Then tell me air defenses in hostile countrys not counting Iran. Then fill me in on air defenses on Iran.
Add all those questions up and I suspect, but do not know, this is a no go operation cooked up in some journalist's brain.
Everyone in the ME wants Iran taken apart. Everyone is scared to death of them.
Why couldn't we just do it with a Stealth and then let Israel take the credit for it?
If I were Israel, I wouldn't give a rat's ass which.
I predict an earthquake in the region.
Semper Fi
An Old Man
Have they put out any of the burning wells to date? (/s)
Earthquakes and Iran go hand in hand, like al-Qaeda and hell.
Israel has to do what it needs to protect itself before it's too late.
If I were Israel, I'd be damned sure the later didn't happen.
Fortunately for the environmental pinheads, when Iran detonates a nuc.............that won't cause any environmental damage.............right.
Watching that PBS special on anti-Semitism in the 21st century right now...
Sub launched missles....
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