Iran agrees to suspend uranium enrichment

[Winner]

Of course - if Iran had these weapons, they would use it only as deterrent.

There is no reason to believe they will use them to attack Europe or Israel, not even talking about USA. They know, that any attack on one of this three would mean nuclear retaliation and therefore destruction of Iran.

 

[G-Man]

??? The israelis would could use american carriers to re-fuel, and re-arm of course if they needed,

While Israel has phantoms and skyhawks, they're not fitted with carrier landing equipment.

but they DO have aircraft that can easily reach iran. take a look here http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/MEast.htm
http://www.combataircraft.com/operators/is.asp

According to most estimates, the only Israeli planes that can reach there are F-15Is, and Israel has only 25 of those. They're probably not able to cover all of Iran, and in any case their number is too low to make an efficient attack.



BTW about the original subject - Iran says this is a move of good will and not a committment. Does this mean that there won't be inspections to make sure they're actually doing so?

 

[G-Man]

Of course - if Iran had these weapons, they would use it only as deterrent.

There is no reason to believe they will use them to attack Europe or Israel, not even talking about USA. They know, that any attack on one of this three would mean nuclear retaliation and therefore destruction of Iran.

But once they have such an effective deterrent what will stop their terrorists from attacking?

 

[Winner]

But once they have such an effective deterrent what will stop their terrorists from attacking?

You mean hezballah (hezbollah, whatever, in Czech is it Hizballah)?

I don't think the nukes make any difference - or do you really think your country can retaliate with nuclear weapons on some terrorist attacks (unless they don't attack with WMD)?

I guess not. If Hizballah started to attack northern Israel, you would simply blow them up with you superior military. What can Iran do with it? Nothing, unless they are willing to sacrifice themselves in nuclear war. And i am sure they aren't.

 

[G-Man]

You mean hezballah (hezbollah, whatever, in Czech is it Hizballah)?

I don't think the nukes make any difference - or do you really think your country can retaliate with nuclear weapons on some terrorist attacks (unless they don't attack with WMD)?

I guess not. If Hizballah started to attack northern Israel, you would simply blow them up with you superior military. What can Iran do with it? Nothing, unless they are willing to sacrifice themselves in nuclear war. And i am sure they aren't.

So what will Israel do if Hezbollah use its rockets in order to attack northern Israel? They have thousands of rockets, and they can kill thousands of Israelis within hours and without Israel being able to stop them. Furthermore, what will happen if hezbollah will succeed in making a sep 11th style attack, as they've appearantly tried before? Today, such moves will lead to a war with Iran. But once Iran gets nukes you can no longer have this deterrant. The situation is even worst for the US an europe, as their reaction today would probably to take over Iran, which means that they'll be in a situation where another country attacks them and they can't attack back.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

I hope everyone realizes that it's America's fault from now on if any small "rogue" states develop nuclear weapons, as with their invasion of Iraq and willingness to negotiate with North Korea, they are effectively sending the message that if you have nuclear weapons, you will be left alone.

 

[Bugfatty300]

While Israel has phantoms and skyhawks, they're not fitted with carrier landing equipment.

Doesn't Israel have airborn refuelers?

 

[amadeus]

I hope everyone realizes that it's America's fault from now on if any small "rogue" states develop nuclear weapons, as with their invasion of Iraq and willingness to negotiate with North Korea, they are effectively sending the message that if you have nuclear weapons, you will be left alone.

Moral of the story, sit down and negotiate with psychopath dictators. That policy generally doesn't work.

 

[10Seven]

Moral of the story, sit down and negotiate with psychopath dictators. That policy generally doesn't work.

Which one are you referring to as 'doesn't work'?

 

[Winner]

Moral of the story, sit down and negotiate with psychopath dictators. That policy generally doesn't work.

So why do you negotiate with North Korea?

 

[Sanaz]

Moral of the story, sit down and negotiate with psychopath dictators. That policy generally doesn't work.

Much better to become allies, like with Saudi Arabia...

 

[Winner]

So what will Israel do if Hezbollah use its rockets in order to attack northern Israel? They have thousands of rockets, and they can kill thousands of Israelis within hours and without Israel being able to stop them.

Sorry, I am not familiar with this. I've never heard about hezbollah armed with "thousands of rockets". I am sure that if they had had them, they would have used them already.

Furthermore, what will happen if hezbollah will succeed in making a sep 11th style attack, as they've appearantly tried before? Today, such moves will lead to a war with Iran. But once Iran gets nukes you can no longer have this deterrant. The situation is even worst for the US an europe, as their reaction today would probably to take over Iran, which means that they'll be in a situation where another country attacks them and they can't attack back.

IF that happens, we can talk about this. Terrorist threat can possibly be everywhere. But you need proof to accuse someone. Strike against Iran will solve nothing.

And just to make things clear - I don't like the idea of nuclear-armed Iran either. But it is less dangerous allowing that than impose sanctions, impoverish Iranian people and make them hate us. We only need to wait until Iranians overthrow their oppresive government. AFAIK situation in Iran is similar to Czechoslovakia in late 80's.

 

[Quasar1011]

Report: Iran has
secret nuke plant
Tehran defying international inspectors with facility 'making enriched uranium'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 17, 2004
8:33 p.m. Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Iran has assembled a secret nuclear plant being used to enrich uranium and defy international inspectors, an Iranian opposition group said today.

The National Council for Resistance, a grass-roots Iranian organization, said Tehran was producing enriched uranium and testing biological and chemical warfare projects at a secret plant in northeast Iran which had not been disclosed to United Nations inspectors. They said the plant is housed in a covert Iranian Defense Ministry facility known as the Modern Defensive Readiness and Technology Center and covers about 60 acres of land.

A senior official of the National Council, Muhammad Mohaddessin, said the group had shared the new information "very recently'' with the International Atomic Energy Agency. But he and other officials of the group said it had not yet discussed the matter with the U.S. government.

Mohaddessin said inspection of the site his group revealed would demonstrate that Iran is secretly trying to produce nuclear weapons even while promising to freeze a critical part of its declared nuclear program, which it claims is intended for civilian purposes only.

U.N. inspectors "should not be fooled or deceived by the Iranian regime,'' Mohaddessin said.

The development comes after the European Union announced this weekend it brokered a deal in which Iran pledged to halt uranium enrichment.

The IAEA said it could still not rule out the possibility that Iran was conducting covert activities.

"All the declared nuclear material in Iran has been accounted for, and therefore such material is not diverted to prohibited activities," the agency said in a report, referring to possible Iran nuclear weapons activity. "The agency is, however, not in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran."

The National Council, based in Paris, is the political arm of the People's Mujahedeen which is listed by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization because of its involvement in attacks on Americans in the 1970s. But the group has in the past accurately revealed the location of several secret nuclear sites in Iran, and is taken very seriously by U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies.

If the disclosure proves accurate, it may increase pressure on America and Israel to take decisive action against Iran.

In July, Israel conducted military exercises for a preemptive strike against several of Iran's nuclear-power facilities and is ready to attack if Russia supplies Iran with rods for enriching uranium.

An Israeli defense source said, "Israel will on no account permit Iranian reactors – especially the one being built in Bushehr with Russian help – to go critical."

The source also said any strike on Iran's reactors would probably be carried out by long-range F-15I jets, flying over Turkey, with simultaneous operations by commandos on the ground.

 

[Quasar1011]

Iran Said Trying to Fit Missiles for Nukes

By ALAN CLENDENNING, Associated Press Writer

SANTIAGO, Chile - The United States has intelligence indicating Iran is trying to fit missiles to carry nuclear weapons, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) said Wednesday.

Powell partially confirmed claims by an Iranian opposition group that Tehran is deceiving the United Nations (news - web sites) and is attempting to secretly continue activities meant to give it atomic arms by next year.

"I have seen intelligence which would corroborate what this dissident group is saying," Powell told reporters as he traveled to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (news - web sites) summit in Santiago. "And it should be of concern to all parties."

Pressed by reporters on the intelligence reports, Powell said the intelligence indicates that Iran "had been actively working on delivery systems" capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.

Powell said there is no evidence to suggest that Iran has developed the technology to make a nuclear weapon, but suggested that the regime is working to adapt missiles for nuclear warheads.

"I'm talking about information that says that they not only had these missiles, but I'm aware of information that suggests they were working hard as to how to put the two together," Powell said.

A senior official for the National Council for Resistance in Iran said Tuesday that a bomb diagram — along with an unspecified amount of weapons-grade uranium — was provided to Iran by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the disgraced former head of Pakistani's nuclear development which was tied to both Iran and Libya.

He said the designs were handed to the Iranians between 1994 and 1996, while Khan delivered HEU — highly enriched uranium — in 2001.

Banned in the United States as a terrorist organization, the group was instrumental in 2002 in revealing Iran's enrichment program in the central city of Natanz, based on what it said was information provided by sources in Iran.

The opposition group says a facility at Lavizan-Shian northeast of Tehran was part of a secret nuclear weapons program.

Powell declined comment on Khan, but said "for 20 years the Iranians have been trying to hide things from the international community."

Iran says its sole interest is to generate nuclear fuel through low-level uranium enrichment, but the United States suspects Iran wants to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium.

Enrichment does not violate the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty but the International Atomic Energy Agency and most of its members want Iran to scrap enrichment plans as a confidence building measure.

Iran announced suspension of enrichment last week, and the agency said it would police that commitment starting next week, in advance of a Nov. 25 IAEA board meeting.

The pledge reduced Washington's hopes of having the board refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for alleged violations of the Nonproliferation Treaty.

Tehran has not dropped plans to run 50,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for what it says will be the fuel requirements of a nuclear reactor to be finished next year.

It currently possesses less than 1,000 centrifuges. But if it added 500 centrifuges, experts say Iran would be able to make enough weapons-grade uranium to make a bomb annually.

 

[amadeus]

So why do you negotiate with North Korea?

I don't and neither do my elected officials. The United States never agreed to two-party talks with NK. It was always six or zero.

Russia and China do have a vital stake in the failure of Little Kim.

 

[amadeus]

Much better to become allies, like with Saudi Arabia...

I hate the Saudi dictators as much as you do, Sanaz.

 

[Winner]

I don't and neither do my elected officials. The United States never agreed to two-party talks with NK. It was always six or zero.

Russia and China do have a vital stake in the failure of Little Kim.

One would expect that US liberate North Korean people first, according to brutality of NK regime...

 

[Winner]

BTW as a student of IR, i am really surprised that so many people around the world actually believe, that US invaded Iraq to liberate it's people and their intentions were only humanitarian.

I guess the world isn't so bad at all - still there is some idealism and optimism in hearts of humans

 

[Quasar1011]

Report: Scientist gave Iran nuke material
Group reveals Tehran closer than ever to building nuclear weapon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 18, 2004
4:50 p.m. Eastern

By Aaron Klein
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Iran obtained weapons-grade uranium and the specific design for a nuclear bomb from an exiled Pakistani nuclear scientist, an Iranian opposition group said today.

The National Council for Resistance, a grass-roots Iranian organization that yesterday disclosed what they said was the secret location of an illegal uranium-enriching facility in Iran, revealed today that Abdul Qadeer Khan, who ran a nuclear black market that supplied Libya with nuclear technology, provided Iran weapons-grade material.


"Khan gave Iran a quantity of HEU [highly enriched uranium] in 2001, so they already have some," Farid Soleiman, a senior spokesman for the National Council told reporters.

Soleiman said Khan also gave Iran a Chinese-developed warhead design sometime between 1994 and 1996.

The National Council, based in Paris, is the political arm of the People's Mujahedeen, which is listed by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization because of its involvement in attacks on Americans in the 1970s. The group has in the past accurately revealed the location of several secret nuclear sites in Iran and is taken very seriously by U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies.

If the disclosure proves accurate, it may increase pressure on America and Israel to take decisive action against Iran.

Since Bush's re-election, the U.S. has increased exponentially their rhetoric against Iran.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said today the U.S. has intelligence indicating Iran is trying to fit missiles to carry nuclear weapons.

''I have seen intelligence which would corroborate what this dissident group is saying,'' Powell told reporters today on a trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago. ''And it should be of concern to all parties.''

 

[eyrei]

No wonder they agreed to stop building nuclear weapons...I'm starting to think that Powell has his own contacts and possibly his own agenda. He often says things that the rest of the administration won't back up.