Iran has reached nuclear milestone: Ahmadinejad

[Praxius]

CTV.ca | Iran has reached nuclear milestone: Ahmadinejad

Iran has reached a milestone in its nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday, suggesting that the country now has 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges fully operating. "We have now reached 3,000 machines," Ahmadinejad told thousands of Iranians gathered in Birjand, in eastern Iran, in a show of defiance of international demands to halt the program that the U.S. and its allies say masks the country's nuclear arms efforts. Ahmadinejad has in the past claimed that Iran had succeeded in installing the 3,000 centrifuges at its uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. But Wednesday's claim appeared to go further, with Ahmadinejad's words and the tone and setting of his Wednesday speech suggesting he meant all 3,000 were running. An official with knowledge of Iran's nuclear activities said that Iran does now have nearly 3,000 centrifuges operating at Natanz. But that official said it would take years for all the centrifuges to run smoothly without frequent breakdowns. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive program. The number 3,000 is the commonly accepted figure for a nuclear enrichment program that is past the experimental stage and can be used as a platform for a full industrial-scale program that could churn out enough enriched material for dozens of nuclear weapons, [red]should Iran chose to go the route.[/red] Experts have estimated Iran would need only 1,500 centrifuges to produce one such warhead. In Washington, the State Department could not confirm the accuracy of Ahmadinejad's statement but said it was proof that that Iran was continuing to defy international demands. "Generally, the Iranians have followed through on doing what they said they were going to do," spokesman Sean McCormack said. "That isn't to say that I am aware that they have reached the 3,000 centrifuge mark, but they have been very consistent in pushing toward the goals they have laid out for themselves." "Whether it is 2,000 or 2,500 or 3,000 or 1,000 centrifuges, the irrefutable fact is that they are continuing to defy the international community, that they have refused the offers of negotiations and cooperation offered them," McCormack said. A recent report by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei that had put the number of centrifuges working in Natanz at close to 2,000, with another 650 being tested. Officials from the Vienna-based agency could not be reached for immediate comment Wednesday. Uranium gas, spun in linked centrifuges, can result in either low-enriched fuel suitable to generate power in a nuclear reactor, or the weapons-grade material that forms the fissile core of nuclear warheads. Tehran denies that Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover for weapons' development, insisting it is geared toward generating electricity. [red]Iran says it plans to expand its enrichment program to up to 54,000 centrifuges at Natanz in central Iran, and is fully within its rights to pursue the enrichment to produce fuel under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.[/red] Two rounds of UN Security Council sanctions have failed to persuade Iran to halt the enrichment. Ahmadinejad on Wednesday reiterated his rejection of any suspension of Iran's enrichment activities, or even a compromise over how Tehran will proceed beyond the 3,000 centrifuges. "The world must know that this nation will not give up one iota of its nuclear rights," he said. "If they think they can get concessions from this nation, they are badly mistaken."

The funny thing here is above they even admitted that When Iran says they are going to do something, they follow through..... so if they say they are not planning on nuclear weapons..... where's the contradiction in reasoning that perhaps they are truly not?

It's true most view them as always wanting to be a bigger role in the middle east, therefore if they were going to develop nukes.... don't you think they'd be like N.Korea and shoving it in our faces and egging us on to go do something about it? Seems to be the thing to do when you want to beef up your country as being tough these days.

Their refusal of any outside assistance or co-operation seems logical, since the hostage crisis and their acusations of outside forces destabalizing their nation's direction..... I wouldn't trust outside help either.

[Dieval]

Quote by: Praxius don't you think they'd be like N.Korea and shoving it in our faces and egging us on to go do something about it?

Um, NK started doing that AFTER they developed a nuclear weapon...up until then, they lied through their teeth and claimed they weren't working on it...... potentially similiar to Iran?

[Osborn F Enready]

OH NO, call out the bombers, alert the world, the end is near!

........

Yea, anyway.

[jose]

Iran is in the process of building power stations, which it is allowed to do under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which the United States and Iran (but not Israel) have signed. Under the NNPT Iran has the right to produce their own fuel

Nobody has presented any proof that Iran is doing anything other than building a power station. They do not have a weapons laboratory hidden underneath their reactor (unlike Israel, which has a no-longer-secret weapons plant underneath the reactor at Dimona). The IAEA has declared that Iran is not making weapons.

[Dieval]

Quote by: jose The IAEA has declared that Iran is not making weapons.

Just curious...when/where did they declare that?

[Praxius]

Quote by: Dieval Just curious...when/where did they declare that?

I was gonna see if there was information in regards to this, but I found something even better:

Infact this diserves it's own thread......

[jose]

Quote by: Dieval Just curious...when/where did they declare that?

Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, or even weapons-grade uranium. On March 6, 2006, Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the IAEA, reported that "the Agency has not seen indications of diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices ... however, after three years of intensive verification, there remain uncertainties with regard to both the scope and the nature of Iran's nuclear programme".

Iran and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Dieval]

Quote by: jose Iran and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wikipedia...interesting reference....

It's funny how Iran is continually trying to enrich uranium, which is needed for nuclear weapons, even though the UN and many other countries(including the US) are asking them to stop.....they could BUY enriched uranium, which the UN could monitor and be assured that it wasn't being used for nuclear weapons, cheaper than it costs to make the stuff....yet the funny thing is, they refuse....hmmmm... gotta wonder about that.

You're also siting a source that was written prior to the article that was posted??

[Osborn F Enready]

I personally, gotta wonder how a NATION that has the GNP of Indiana, the State in the U.S., is a threat to anyone.

[Dieval]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready I personally, gotta wonder how a NATION that has the GNP of Indiana, the State in the U.S., is a threat to anyone.

I'm curious as to how you think Indiana has a NATIONAL anything? Let alone how you thought comparing a country in the middle east, (which has a completely different ideals, economy, currency, etc, etc, etc) and a STATE in the US would be even remotely valid.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Dieval Wikipedia...interesting reference.... It's funny how Iran is continually trying to enrich uranium, which is needed for nuclear weapons, even though the UN and many other countries(including the US) are asking them to stop.....they could BUY enriched uranium, which the UN could monitor and be assured that it wasn't being used for nuclear weapons, cheaper than it costs to make the stuff....yet the funny thing is, they refuse....hmmmm... gotta wonder about that.

It's called wanting independance, and perhaps in the long run, producing their own will be cheaper and they can then start their own market.

And Continually trying to enrich Uranium which you claim is needed for nuclear weapons, is also needed for nuclear energy.... and from the link and article I posted yesterday:

It says the report was wrong to say that Iran had enriched uranium to weapons-grade level when the IAEA had only found small quantities of enrichment at far lower levels.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US Iran report branded dishonest

I think the guys who actually went in and who's job it is to do these sort of things would know a bit more about what is going on, then Bush sitting in his White House listening to hearsay from his minions' speculations and Bush shooting off from his arse about things he has not only been wrong in the past about, but he's wrong about today.

[Osborn F Enready]

Dieval said: I'm curious as to how you think Indiana has a NATIONAL anything? Let alone how you thought comparing a country in the middle east, (which has a completely different ideals, economy, currency, etc, etc, etc) and a STATE in the US would be even remotely valid.

It is only valid as an issue of comparison. Iran poses NO direct threat to the U.S., except in threatening allies with whom we should not be in entangling alliances with anyway.

[Dieval]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready It is only valid as an issue of comparison. Iran poses NO direct threat to the U.S., except in threatening allies with whom we should not be in entangling alliances with anyway.

Saying that Iran's GNP is the same as Indiana doesn't in ANYWAY prove that they are not threat to us.

[Dieval]

Quote by: Praxius It's called wanting independance, and perhaps in the long run, producing their own will be cheaper and they can then start their own market.

Enriching uranium is HIGHLY discouraged by the UN, IAEA, and everyone else because it IS used in making nuclear weapons and the amounts that have been enriched aren't monitored. Even though you have a blind hatred for the US and our President, you can easily see that this is a problem.

[Osborn F Enready]

Dieval said: Saying that Iran's GNP is the same as Indiana doesn't in ANYWAY prove that they are not threat to us.

I didn't say it proved anything. I had provided it as a matter of comparison.

Nothing Iran has done or said PROVES they are a threat to the U.S.

[Dieval]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready I didn't say it proved anything. I had provided it as a matter of comparison. Nothing Iran has done or said PROVES they are a threat to the U.S.

You used an invalid comparrison to imply they're not a threat to anyone.

Quote by: Osborn F Enready I personally, gotta wonder how a NATION that has the GNP of Indiana, the State in the U.S., is a threat to anyone.

Let me give you an example using your logic:
The apple is red. The tomato is red. Therefore you're a banana.

[Osborn F Enready]

Dieval said: You used an invalid comparrison to imply they're not a threat to anyone.

I was pointing out that they are barely able to affect their own society, much less others societies.

That is a valid point.

Dieval said: Let me give you an example using your logic: The apple is red. The tomato is red. Therefore you're a banana.

I would accept your giving an example, if you did it correctly.

You have shown NO proof, nor has any government shown proof of why Iran is a threat to the U.S.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Dieval Enriching uranium is HIGHLY discouraged by the UN, IAEA, and everyone else because it IS used in making nuclear weapons and the amounts that have been enriched aren't monitored. Even though you have a blind hatred for the US and our President, you can easily see that this is a problem.

No I can't because you don't know what you're talking about, nor have you provided a shred of evidence to support any of your claims.

Enriching Uranium is a required technique for both Nuclear Energy and Weapons.... you can not have a decent nuclear power plant without enriching uranium, which you seem to be avoiding as a fact.

Allow me to educate you on this matter:

Enriched uranium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

.....Enriched uranium is a critical component for both civil nuclear power generation and military nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) attempts to monitor and control enriched uranium supplies and processes in its efforts to ensure nuclear power generation safety and curb nuclear weapons proliferation.....

Enriching Uranimum by the IAEA is monitored and controlled.... not as you put it "HIGHLY discouraged"

In fact, if you would like some pretty pie graphs to show the differences in Enriched Uranium:



As you can see there is a big difference between enriched uranium for weapons, and enriched uranium for energy.... and as the IAEA stated in their official report:

It says the report was wrong to say that Iran had enriched uranium to weapons-grade level when the IAEA had only found small quantities of enrichment at far lower levels.

Do the math, read the information and tell me.... no.... present to me your evidence that they are developing for Nuclear Weapons.

The fact is, you can't.

[Dieval]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready I was pointing out that they are barely able to affect their own society, much less others societies. That is a valid point.

That isn't quite what you said, but going on that premise, if money is such an issue for them, why are they taking the more expensive and more controversal way of enriching their own urnaium, rather than buying tightly controlled and monitored amounts that are more than sufficient for their needs?

Quote by: Osborn F Enready I would accept your giving an example, if you did it correctly. You have shown NO proof, nor has any government shown proof of why Iran is a threat to the U.S.

The IAEA is suspicious of their behaviour. Iran's actions in regards to their nuclear program are highly suspect if for no other reason then what was mentioned above.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Praxius No I can't because you don't know what you're talking about, nor have you provided a shred of evidence to support any of your claims. Enriching Uranium is a required technique for both Nuclear Energy and Weapons....

Even if Iran is seeking a weapons program, or could potentially do it, that's not an instant excuse to attack them, or any other country. It's common sense that any attack against Iran could end up killing many, many people.

Grandpa h.