Iran Nuke Official Denies Centrifuge Claim
An Iranian nuclear agency official has denied claims made by a top lawmaker that the Islamic Republic had begun installing 3,000 centrifuges at an uranium enrichment plant, Iran's state-run news agency reported late Saturday.
Hossein Simorgh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization public relations department, said "no new centrifuges have been installed in Natanz," referring to the nuclear facility in central Iran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Earlier Saturday, lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Iran was currently installing the 3,000 centrifuges, underlining that the country would continue to develop its disputed nuclear program despite U.N. sanctions.
It was not immediately clear why the two officials made contradicting statements. Iranian officials have in recent weeks said the country was moving toward large-scale enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges, which spin uranium gas into enriched material.
The U.N. Security Council last month voted unanimously in favor of imposing limited sanctions on Iran after it ignored earlier demands to halt enrichment. Iran faces the prospect of additional sanctions unless it stops enrichment by the end of a 60-day period that ends next month.
Enriched uranium is used to fuel nuclear reactors and to make nuclear weapons, and large scale use of centrifuges makes it possible to produce more enriched uranium in a shorter period.
The United States and its allies believe that Iran is using its nuclear program as a cover to produce an atomic weapon. Iran has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying its program is only for peaceful purposes including generating electricity.
International Atomic Energy Association head Mohamed ElBaradei said recently he believed Iran planned to begin work in February on a uranium enrichment facility underground. The subterranean facility is intended to protect the nuclear project from attack.
There has been speculation that Iranian leadership might launch the centrifuges installation at Natanz next month to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that brought the clerical leadership to power. Iran ultimately plans to expand its program to 54,000 centrifuges.
A senior U.S. State Department official warned Iran against accelerating its atomic program.
"If Iran takes this step, it is going to confront universal international opposition," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said on Friday. "If they think they can get away with 3,000 centrifuges without another Security Council resolution and additional international pressure, then they are very badly mistaken."
In enrichment plants, centrifuges are linked in what are called cascades. For now, the only known assembled centrifuge cascades in Iran are above ground at Natanz, consisting of two linked chains of 164 machines each and two smaller setups.
Meanwhile, three inspectors from the IAEA who arrived in Iran on Saturday were scheduled to visit Natanz, Iranian state-television reported.
Iran last week barred 38 inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog because they came from countries that voted for sanctions on Iran. State television did not give the nationalities of the three inspectors, and the IAEA could not immediately confirm their arrival in Iran.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran's decision last week to bar the entrance of the IAEA inspectors from countries whose governments voted in favor the U.N. sanctions resolution was within Iran's legal rights.
"This decision is lawful and will not harm our cooperation with the IAEA," Mottaki said Saturday.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Hossein Simorgh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization public relations department, said "no new centrifuges have been installed in Natanz," referring to the nuclear facility in central Iran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Earlier Saturday, lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Iran was currently installing the 3,000 centrifuges, underlining that the country would continue to develop its disputed nuclear program despite U.N. sanctions.
It was not immediately clear why the two officials made contradicting statements. Iranian officials have in recent weeks said the country was moving toward large-scale enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges, which spin uranium gas into enriched material.
The U.N. Security Council last month voted unanimously in favor of imposing limited sanctions on Iran after it ignored earlier demands to halt enrichment. Iran faces the prospect of additional sanctions unless it stops enrichment by the end of a 60-day period that ends next month.
Enriched uranium is used to fuel nuclear reactors and to make nuclear weapons, and large scale use of centrifuges makes it possible to produce more enriched uranium in a shorter period.
The United States and its allies believe that Iran is using its nuclear program as a cover to produce an atomic weapon. Iran has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying its program is only for peaceful purposes including generating electricity.
International Atomic Energy Association head Mohamed ElBaradei said recently he believed Iran planned to begin work in February on a uranium enrichment facility underground. The subterranean facility is intended to protect the nuclear project from attack.
There has been speculation that Iranian leadership might launch the centrifuges installation at Natanz next month to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that brought the clerical leadership to power. Iran ultimately plans to expand its program to 54,000 centrifuges.
A senior U.S. State Department official warned Iran against accelerating its atomic program.
"If Iran takes this step, it is going to confront universal international opposition," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said on Friday. "If they think they can get away with 3,000 centrifuges without another Security Council resolution and additional international pressure, then they are very badly mistaken."
In enrichment plants, centrifuges are linked in what are called cascades. For now, the only known assembled centrifuge cascades in Iran are above ground at Natanz, consisting of two linked chains of 164 machines each and two smaller setups.
Meanwhile, three inspectors from the IAEA who arrived in Iran on Saturday were scheduled to visit Natanz, Iranian state-television reported.
Iran last week barred 38 inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog because they came from countries that voted for sanctions on Iran. State television did not give the nationalities of the three inspectors, and the IAEA could not immediately confirm their arrival in Iran.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran's decision last week to bar the entrance of the IAEA inspectors from countries whose governments voted in favor the U.N. sanctions resolution was within Iran's legal rights.
"This decision is lawful and will not harm our cooperation with the IAEA," Mottaki said Saturday.
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Even if they did, they would still be a decade off from producing a nuclear bomb, even if they wanted to.
There is no immanent threat here.
Re: "On Tuesday, five employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA were killed in a violent Baghdad neighborhood."
Thankfully, these 5 no longer present a threat to the world community. Companies like Blackwater and Wackenhut are death-merchants, willing to sell their services to the highest bidder. What a disgusting way to make a living.
Everyone, everywhere has every right to defend themselves against these unprincipled killers. We recently even saw Blackwater goons terrorizing the poor victims of Katrina in New Orleans.
"Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans"
www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091005A.shtml
It is impossible to feel sorry for these killers-for-hire.
Why has the loser architec of the of the Iraq diaster (Wolfowitz Doctrine) Paul Wolfowitz been promoted to the World Bank?
Out of the chaos will come a New World Order.
Forget Congress and silly protests...The ONLY thing that can save us is, is in the event Iran is attacked that China and Japan dump the USA IOU's on the market. Upon Iran's attack, we MUST immediately stop paying our taxes. It's hard for them to conquest when they can't pay for bombs, bullets, gasoline.
I am going to give you an assignment:
1-what area was and is where all religions started including christianity?
2-where was the Garden of Eden?
3-where did the Noa's ark start and end it's voyage.
4-What area all the powers in the world are trying to control.
I will make it easier for you. It's not CHINA.
Please go read again that's if you can read.
There is a lot of news I'm not interested in. If I don't want to hear it I just turn the channel or don't read the article. There is no reason why you can't do the same thing.