Iran Announces New Nuclear Progress

Ahmadenijad Says Country Tested Improved Centrifuge; Claim Not Substantiated By U.S.

(AP)  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tuesday that the country has started to install 6,000 new centrifuges to enrich uranium and for the first time has tested an improved centrifuge that works five times faster that the current version.

If confirmed, the announcement would be a major expansion of Iran's uranium enrichment - a process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, however, cautioned that the claim could not be immediately substantiated. Diplomats close to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Iran has exaggerated its enrichment advance, and has had problems operating the 3,000 centrifuges it already has in place. One diplomat cast doubt on Ahmadinejad's claims of a more advanced centrifuge.

Permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, which has already imposed three sets of sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, were divided on how to respond.

The United States and Britain quickly condemned the announcement, and France warned Iran could face more sanctions. But Russia, an ally of Iran, dismissed the need for that, saying negotiators were preparing a new package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to freeze uranium enrichment.

Iran rejected one European package of incentives last week. Tehran says its nuclear program is intended only to produce energy, not develop weapons as the U.S. and many of its allies fear.

Iran already has about 3,000 centrifuges operating at its underground nuclear facility in Natanz. A total of 3,000 centrifuges 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 over time.

Ahmadinejad toured the Natanz facility in ceremonies marking the second anniversary of the day Iran first enriched uranium in 2006.

During the tour, he announced the start of work on installing the 6,000 new centrifuges. Later in a nationally televised speech, he announced the testing of the new, more effective centrifuge.

Ahmadinejad said a "new machine was put to test" that is smaller but five times more efficient than the P-1 centrifuges that are currently in operation at Natanz. He provided no further details on the new device or on how many Iran had.

He called the development a "breakthrough" and the "beginning of a speedy trend to eliminate the big powers" dominance in nuclear energy.

He lauded Iran's achieved proficiency in the cycle of nuclear fuel despite U.N. sanctions and pressures imposed by the world's big powers.

But a diplomat following Iran's nuclear program at the Vienna, Austria-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said Ahmadinejad's statement appeared to be "a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing."

"It seems to be little more than a publicity stunt," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized comment publicly.

The U.N. has passed three sets of sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told reporters in Paris that if the reports of 6,000 more centrifuges were true, the international community "must reinforce sanctions" even as it continues to pursue dialogue.

However, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said there was no need for new sanctions. Instead, he told Ekho Moskvy radio that diplomats from the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, would offer Iran new economic, energy and security incentives to halt uranium enrichment.

Rice urged Iran to accept a deal and halt enrichment.

"Iran faces continued isolation in the international community because it will not take a reasonable offer from the international community to have another way," she said in Washington. "The six parties have put forward, I think, a very generous set of incentives should Iran agree to live up to the obligations that any state has when a Security Council resolution is passed."

Gregory Schulte, the U.S. representative to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said the Iran announcement "reflects the Iranian leadership's continuing violation of international obligations and refusal to address international concerns."

"This approach has not brought Iran international respect or accolade but rather increasing censure and sanction," he said in a written statement.

Britain's Foreign Office said Iran has "chosen to ignore the will of the international community," accusing Tehran of "making no effort to restore international confidence in its intentions."

In the enrichment process, uranium gas is pumped into series of centrifuges called "cascades." The gas is spun at supersonic speeds to remove impurities. Enriching at a low level produces nuclear fuel, but at a higher level it can produce the material for a warhead.

The workhorse of Iran's enrichment program is the P-1 centrifuge, which is run in cascades of 164 machines. But Iranian officials confirmed in February that they had started using the more advanced IR-2 centrifuge, which can churn out enriched uranium at more than double the rate.

It was not clear if the new centrifuge Ahmadinejad spoke of was the IR-2 and Iranian state television, which carried the president's speech in a live broadcast, didn't say if the installation of the 6,000 new centrifuges included the older P-1 or the advanced IR-2 centrifuges.

Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that ultimately will involve 54,000 centrifuges.

[dmhphils]

Ahmagonnajihad has one purpose on the earth: to make sure that Islam spreads throughout the whole earth. Anybody that trusts Monkeyface needs to start practicing kneeling facing Mecca and praying to Allah three times a day.....and make sure you don''t miss or you will be chasing your head down the darkest alley. Have a nice day.

[proudmuslim]

The pilot who bombed Heroshima said before his death that he will do it again without any remorse.

[prinzowhales]

The more oil on the market, the less upward pressure on prices...Iran should be supported in their quest to master the entire nuclear cycle. America wanted to build nuclear plants in Iran decades ago when Iran was run by the Shah and his SAVAK terrorists...apparently, its not that Iran has nuclear energy that is the problem, but who is in charge of Iran that matters.

[prinzowhales]

Iran has not waged a war of aggression in hundreds of years. It has every right under treaty to pursue nuclear power and enrichment. Unlike the misquotes and outright lies told about Ahmadinejad threatening to "wipe Israel off the map", a member of the Israeli government has threatened Iran with destruction as a nation. In the face of threats like that from a nuclear power, I hope Iran is developing nuclear weapons to respond in kind if push comes to shove.

Khomeni did not support the development of nuclear weapons as a matter of religious principle.

Iran''s plan to build nuclear power plants makes perfect free market sense...They can export MORE oil for foreign exchange and use cheaper nuclear energy for their electricity generation.

[xalen54]

"Religion is poison and assures of that most dreaded END-OF-THE-WORLD SCENARIO IN FULL BLOOM, OR MORE ACCURATELY..." Posted by damnedrelign at 08:03 AM : Apr 09, 2008

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I disagree with that. Religion has been around since the birth of man & we are still here. Humans go to war & kill each other due to diverse thinking, that & most humans are just naturally stupid.

[xalen54]

I believe that Iran is not making nuclear weapons, it would be too reckless. For one, if they launched even 1 nuclear missile at a nation, NATO, Russia, China, & everyone else would be nuking them. I just believe Iran wants to be a first world country, thats all. However, they can get rid of the whole "Death to America" thing, that gets old really quickly.

[trishab4]

Your bomb shelter, if it worked, would be little more than your tomb, as you''''d be stuck in it for the rest of your life.
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Posted by speakinup at 08:24 AM : Apr 09, 2008

-Why stay inside when you can have a warm and bright sunshine? in bathingsuit, lol!

[tbweb]

Iran reminds me of a CBS news story not to long ago about this Zoo visitor who taunted a Tiger. After pissing this Tiger off big time, the guy who taunted the Tiger steps into the Zoo coffee shop for a drink, laughing, feeling safe, secure when suddenly guess who walks in? Yep, this pissed off angry Tiger who wasn''t suppose to be able to scale its enclosure walls! I would have paid big money for a picture of that guys face before that angry Tiger mauled him to death! I have a feeling that guys fate is in Iran''s future, thats how Karma works!

[payasyougo]

"Permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, which has already imposed three sets of sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, were divided on how to respond."

U.N. Dilemma: Gee, what stern words do we use next?

So effective that bunch....

[speakinup]

"So long silly, addled, Zionist creep. Posted by FeelFree1



Later, Communist Creep.