http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/irannukes/ en-us Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:39:18 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2459556/posts Western efforts to halt Iranian nuclear weapons work continue to fail. Russia and China block any efforts in the UN to impose severe (banking and oil) sanctions that would cripple the Iranian economy. The Iranian government has kept its restive population under control, using its secret police and paramilitary forces to shut down any public protest or serious disruption. In the past year, the government has sped up its crackdown on the media, arresting nearly a hundred journalists and shutting down over a dozen media outlets. Hundreds of outspoken government opponents have been arrested since the demonstrations last June, and... Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2459556/posts#comment Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:39:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2451003/posts Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today used the annual celebration of the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution to announce that Iran has become a “nuclear state.” Although the bombastic dictator has made this claim before, his exultant announcement came shortly after Iran had announced that it would enrich uranium to the 20 percent level that it claims it needs to fuel a research reactor that is scheduled to run out of fuel later this year. Ahmadinejad proclaimed: “I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 percent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists.”... The Heritage Foundation http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2451003/posts#comment Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:45:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2448877/posts Statements out of Washington and other Western capitals suggest a shift from engagement to confrontation with Iran over its nuclear programme. "What we are going to be working on over the next several weeks is developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them how isolated they are from the international community as a whole," President Barack Obama told journalists earlier this week. The president sounded not unlike his predecessor George W Bush, who worked for years to contain Iran, a sign that Mr Obama's policy to engage with the Islamic Republic has failed. The question now is... BBC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2448877/posts#comment Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:31:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2447424/posts Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. WITH Iran having notified the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency on Monday that any day now it will begin enriching its stockpile of uranium in order to power a medical reactor, we should admit that Washington’s approach to countering the Islamic Republic is leading nowhere. What’s needed, however, may be less of a change of plan than a change in how we view the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. Believe it or not, there are some potential benefits to the United States should Iran build a bomb. (I’m speaking for myself here, and in no... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2447424/posts#comment Tue, 9 Feb 2010 13:06:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2447348/posts Iran will make the political decision to enrich uranium to military-grade levels once it has accumulated enough fissionable material for a small arsenal of three to four nuclear devices, according to latest intelligence assessments. Iran, according to the recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, has already accumulated 1.8 tons of uranium enriched to four percent. Iran has announced plans to begin enriching uranium to 20% levels for use as fuel in a research reactor it has in Teheran, which is expected to exhaust its present stock within the year. Although material for the fissile core of a nuclear warhead... The Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2447348/posts#comment Tue, 9 Feb 2010 08:56:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2446866/posts Mottaki says 'Zionist regime is in its weakest position' following Goldstone Report, Lebanon and Gaza wars, but warns entire region 'must be prepared for crazy operations against us' Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday referred to Israel as "a mad nation led by insane people". In an interview to the al-Jazeera network, Mottaki said that the Islamic Republic was not taking the Jewish state's threats to launch a military attack on its nuclear facilities seriously, but stressed that Tehran must be prepared for an Israeli attack. According to the Iranian minister, "The Zionist regime in the region is in... Yediot Ahranot (YNet) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2446866/posts#comment Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:54:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2444813/posts An Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program will neither completely stop Teheran’s nuclear march, nor bring down the ayatollahs’ regime, according to former Swiss ambassador to Iran Tim Guldimann. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on the sidelines of this week’s Herzliya Conference, Guldimann, who knows the Iranian way of thinking well, expressed – as a personal opinion – his deep concern about the military option against Iran. Guldimann was Swiss ambassador to Iran and Afghanistan from 1999 to 2004. As ambassador to Teheran, Guldimann – now senior adviser and head of the Middle East Project at the Center for Humanitarian... The Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2444813/posts#comment Fri, 5 Feb 2010 06:14:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2443072/posts TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the U.N. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the decision in an interview with state Iranian television. He said Iran will have "no problem" giving the West its low-enriched uranium and taking it back several months later when it is enriched by 20 percent. The decision could signal a major shift in the Iranian position on the issue. The Washington Post (article from The Associated Press) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2443072/posts#comment Wed, 3 Feb 2010 01:44:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419880/posts The Obama administration says the internal unrest in Iran and signs of unexpected delays in their nuclear program make the Iranian government especially vulnerable to swift and serious sanctions, the New York Times reported on Sunday. An administration official said current circumstances "give us a window to impose the first sanctions that may make the Iranians think the nuclear program isn't worth the price tag." Despite the political unrest, Iran's political and military leaders are remaining steadfast in their determination to develop nuclear weapons, advisers to U.S. President Barack Obama said. But the unrest coupled with the Iranian government's internal... Haaretz http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419880/posts#comment Sun, 3 Jan 2010 08:53:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415248/posts John Kerry lost the Secretary of State sweepstakes to Hillary Clinton, but that hasn't lowered his diplomatic ambitions. The Journal reported Thursday that the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman is mulling a trip to Iran, and with the blessing of the Obama Administration. If the mullahs had any sense, they'd send him a government plane. Beset by almost daily demonstrations by a democratic opposition that has been growing despite beatings and arrests since the stolen June election, Mr. Kerry would arrive from Washington to show the Iranian people that at least someone still favors the regime. He would be the most... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415248/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:28:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414310/posts Iran recently conducted another successful test of its long range (2,000+ kilometers) solid fuel ballistic missile (the Sejil II). Apparently, Iran plans to build hundreds of Sejil IIs, and even longer range missiles, over the next six years. There are apparently also plans to build up the supply of mobile launchers for many of these, to make them even more difficult for anyone to spot, and destroy. Solid fuel missiles can be launched without preparation. This is critical, as the liquid fueled missiles take hours to prepare for launch, and spy satellites pass over Iran frequently enough to spot this.... Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414310/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:28:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411510/posts In the face of mounting international pressure to suspend its nuclear activity, Iran flexed its muscles on Wednesday and test-fired its most advanced ballistic missile, capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe. The missile tested, according to Iranian reports, was an upgraded version of the Sajjil 2, a sophisticated ballistic missile that has a range of close to 2,000 kilometers, can carry a nuclear warhead and is powered by a solid-fuel propellant which gives it greater accuracy and range. With solid fuel, the missile can be stored in underground silos, making it more difficult to detect before launch. "This... The Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411510/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:17:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411484/posts December 16, 2009: Iran has successfully tested today an 'optimized' version of the solid-fuel Sejjil-2 ballistic missile. The recent test builds on the first successful launch conducted in May 2009 (below). Iran has tested several combinations of propellant compounds to achieve reliable operation. Iranian sources indicate that the current missile has been configured to carry different warheads and uses stealth attributes ('anti-radar material coating'). The use of solid propellant dramatically reduces pre-launch preparations, enabling the missile to be fired immediately after being erected by the mobile launcher. The Iranians claim the solid-powered Sejill-2 is faster during the powered ascent as... Defense Update http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411484/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:58:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410140/posts When massive numbers of Iranians took to the streets following the sham election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June, the regime hoped to quash the protests with intimidation and force. It has failed. The latest evidence of the democratic movement's force? Student Day earlier this month. The roots of Student Day go back to Dec. 7, 1953, when Iranian students protested the coup that ousted Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. The Shah's regime responded by attacking Tehran's Polytechnic University, murdering three students. Every year since, Iranian students have observed "16 Azar" (Dec. 7) to commemorate the three students killed by the Shah.... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410140/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:56:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407568/posts A statement in support of the Iranian people and signed by a number of officers and commanders of the Iranian army was released on December 10. December 12, 2009 - by Afshin Ellian Leading commentators and diplomats have been pondering for quite some time why the Iranian leader is not prepared to act against the revolution in a major way. The “China model” could be applied, a brutal, fast, and extremely violent strike against the opposition. According to conventional wisdom, tyrants will use all means to eliminate their opponents. So why havenÂ’t the mullahs adopted Chinese methods? Tanks and soldiers... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407568/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:34:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404378/posts Saudi Arabia rebuffed charges that the US kidnapped a Iranian nuclear scientist on a pilgrimage to Mecca, a Saudi newspaper said Wednesday, while a leading Iranian politician branded the act "terrorist behaviour." Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Nugali told Asharq Alawsat that he was "stunned by the declarations and allegations" from Tehran, which he "deplored." Nugali said that nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri's disappearance earlier this year had sparked an extensive investigation by the Saudi government. "After having been informed of his disappearance by the Iranian delegation (in Mecca), Saudi authorities undertook an intensive search in Medina as well as in... SpaceWar http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404378/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:31:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403777/posts TEHRAN (Reuters) -- Iran accused Saudi Arabia today of handing over to the United States an Iranian nuclear scientist missing since June, the semi-official Mehr news agency said. Shahram Amiri, a university researcher working for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, disappeared during a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in June. Some media reports said he wanted to seek asylum abroad. "Riyadh has handed over Iran's nuclear scientist Amiri to America," Mehr quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast as saying. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403777/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 16:32:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395091/posts The director of the United Nations nuclear watchdog warned Thursday that its investigation into Iran’s nuclear program had “effectively reached dead end” after more than a year of stonewalling by Tehran. Mohamed ElBaradei, the departing director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued an unusually direct rebuke of Iran’s intransigence in a speech in Vienna, saying that it had been more than a year since Iran had answered questions about the extent of its nuclear ambitions, including suspicions that it is pursuing nuclear weapons. “It is now well over a year since the agency was last able to engage Iran... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395091/posts#comment Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:40:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2394959/posts International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, is usually an Iran apologist, but even ElBaradei has had it up to here with the rogue regime.The United Nations nuclear watchdog said today that his probe into allegations Iran tried to make nuclear arms has reached a dead end because Tehran is not cooperating. He was also critical of Iran for trying to change a plan endorsed by six world powers - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - that would stymie Tehran's ability to make nuclear weapons. The proposal calls for Iran to ship out most of its enriched... CBS News/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2394959/posts#comment Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:21:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370700/posts TEHRAN, Iran — U.N. inspectors entered a once-secret uranium enrichment facility with bunker-like construction and heavy military protection that raised Western suspicions about the extent and intent of Iran's nuclear program. The visit Sunday by the four-member International Atomic Energy Agency team, reported by state media, was the first independent look inside the planned nuclear fuel lab, a former ammunition dump burrowed into the treeless hills south of Tehran and only publicly disclosed last month. The inspectors are expected to study plant blueprints, interview workers and take soil samples before wrapping up the three-day mission. No results from the inspection... The Associated Press (hosted on Google) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370700/posts#comment Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:10:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2369446/posts President Obama's policy of diplomatic engagement with Iran is close to collapse as Tehran backtracks on a crucial deal aimed at cutting its stockpiles of nuclear fuel. Tehran's latest move comes straight from a well-thumbed Iranian playbook and looks like yet another stalling tactic to test the West's resolve and buy time to avert new sanctions. UK Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2369446/posts#comment Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:23:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2369134/posts VIENNA — Pressure mounted on Iran to agree a UN-brokered nuclear deal Friday after Russia approved a proposal under which it would enrich uranium for the Islamic Republic. Friday is the deadline for Iran to agree to a deal, drafted by the International Atomic Energy Agency after talks between France, Iran, Russia and the United States this week, aimed at breaking the seven-year deadlock on the Iran's suspect nuclear programme. Russia was the first of the four countries to formally back the proposal. "We agree with these proposals," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow. And diplomats... AFP (hosted on Google) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2369134/posts#comment Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:50:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2364358/posts The Islamic hard-liners are trying to convince the public that a plot in a form of a "velvet revolution" is threatening to bring down the Islamic government. The fundamentalists' regime has long feared a foreign-inspired upheaval. Ironically, they seem to have accomplished what their ubiquitous foreign "enemies" could not: They have planted the seeds for their own, homegrown velvet revolution. Whether it makes any sense, or is even believed by those putting it forward, Kourosh Zaim, (one of the leaders of the Iran's National Front who has just been released from prison) answers in an interview with Somayyeh Falsafi. (This... Right Side News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2364358/posts#comment Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:32:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354504/posts nternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei held talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other officials on Iran's nuclear drive. Mr ElBaradei told a news conference after the meetings that UN inspectors would check Tehran's new uranium enrichment plant near the holy city of Qom on October 25. He also announced that officials from the United States, Russia, France and Iran would hold talks in Vienna on October 19 on the possible enrichment abroad of Iran of Tehran's uranium. In Geneva last week, six world powers and Iran held the first such talks for 15 months over Tehran's nuclear... Telegraph.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354504/posts#comment Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:08:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2349301/posts TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran test-fired missiles on Sunday to show it was prepared to head off any military threat, four days before the Islamic Republic is due to hold rare talks with world powers worried about its nuclear ambitions. The missile maneuvers coincide with escalating tension in Iran's nuclear row with the West, after last week's disclosure by Tehran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant. News of the nuclear facility south of Iran added a sense of urgency to a crucial meeting in Geneva on Thursday between Iranian officials and representatives of six major powers, including the... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2349301/posts#comment Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:59:54 GMT