Posted on 02/22/2007 9:28:21 AM PST by MadIvan
VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran failed to suspend uranium enrichment activity by February 21, ignoring a U.N. Security Council deadline to halt work the West fears could give Tehran an atomic weapon, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Thursday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency also said in a report that Iran had installed two cascades, or networks, of 164 centrifuges in its underground Natanz enrichment plant with another two cascades close to completion.
This represented efforts to expand research-level enrichment of nuclear fuel into "industrial scale" production.
It said Iranian workers lowered into the plant an 8.7-tonne container of uranium hexafluoride gas (UF-6) to prepare to start feeding centrifuges, which can enrich the material into fuel for power plants or, if refined to high levels, for bombs.
Iran's defiance of a 60-day deadline set by the Council when it banned nuclear technology transfers to Iran on December 23 will expose Iran to wider sanctions over its atomic energy programme, which the West fears is a front for assembling atom bombs.
Tehran says it is seeking nuclear-generated electricity.
"Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities," said the confidential IAEA report, obtained by Reuters.
"Iran has continued with the operation of the (small ground-level pilot fuel-enrichment) plant," it added.
"It has also continued with the construction of the (underground) Fuel Enrichment Plant, including installation of cascades, and has transferred UF-6 to the plant," it said.
"As of (February 17), no UF6 had been fed into the process at the (underground plant)," the report added.
Iran intends to install 3,000 centrifuge machines in its Natanz enrichment hall over coming months to lay the basis for "industrial-scale" fuel production involving some 54,000.
The six-page report said Iran had agreed to interim IAEA verification procedures at the underground plant but not to remote monitoring.
The IAEA had told Iran this restriction would violate non-proliferation safeguard rules once more than 500 centrifuges were installed, according to the report.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
It's been all over the news this morning. Looks like we are on the well-trodden path again.
Excellent! Let the Kabooms begin!
The only question is where will the Iranian nuclear bomb be detonated.
In other surprising news, the sun rose in the east this morning...
How about downtown Tehran?
graphics needed.
Another line in the sand will be drawn. Over and over until??
Peace through Strength - RWR
In no corner of the world can it be more evident than at the UN that weakness breeds contempt and conflict.
Dog bites man.
Let's (the US) quit talking about this as if we're surprised and do something once and for all!
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Hopefully in an area that will give Israel every excuse in the world to show that Iranian, hostage taking, Iraqi insurgent supporting, hero of the democrat party, Muzzie puke, the true definition of being "wiped off the face of the earth".
I think the US is just waiting for these to be fired up and operational, THEN we're going to hit them.
Radioactive, poisonous wreckage would be more than a little difficult to repair during a late ME spring or early summer.
We dont have to put boots on the ground when dealing with this situation.All we need to do is bomb them mercilessly until they yield to terms or all their nuclear sites are destroyed. If we see them build a new site bomb it.Rinse repeat until they understand.
How'd you like to be an Iranian nuclear scientist now? Talk about high risk jobs. Let's see... how many vacation days do I have?....
I do hope you're right, but OTOH the Rats aren't going to have any peace until they have us cut and run.
Nuke 'em til they glow....
Shoot 'em in the dark
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