Iran's Nuke Claims: Bluster or Bona Fide?

(CBS)  When Iran's president claimed his country has produced its first batch of uranium enriched to a higher level, the White House immediately called him a liar.

"We do not believe they have the capability to enrich to the degree to which they now say they are enriching," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Until now Iran's centrifuges have been spinning out uranium at 3 per cent enrichment, reports CBS News chief national security correspondent David Martin. Today Iran claimed it has begun enriching to 20 per cent. That would still leave it well short of the 80 per cent needed for weapons-grade uranium, but former weapons inspector David Albright says getting to 20 per cent is the hard part.

"Once they're at 20, they've done the real heavy lifting of getting to weapons grade uranium," Albright said.

Iran claims it needs the higher enrichment levels to fuel a nuclear research reactor but those same levels would bring Iran one giant step closer to being able to build a bomb.

"It just develops a stock of material it can use to more quickly break out and build one - a nuclear weapon," Albright said.

But Albright says Iran is experiencing technical problems with its centrifuges.

"They're breaking," he said. "They have problems running uranium into them and getting the right amount of, of the level of enrichment."

That's buying the U.S. time to come up with economic sanctions that might convince Iran's leaders their nuclear program is not worth the price.

And according to the White House, more countries are willing to sign up for sanctions.

"The actions of Iran have led the world to be more unified than at virtually any other point in the past many years," Gibbs said.

But so far technical difficulties seem to be doing more than sanctions to at least slow down Iran's nuclear program.

[fariborzzak]

Do not forget that the only country which used the atomic bomb is USA,oh sorry for peace,of course USA killed many civilian people for their own safty and peace.USA don't like IRAN to have nuclear power,why?

[fariborzzak]

Cool ,VIVA IRAN with Ahmadinajad,it is Iran obvious right to have nuclear technology.

[iirishamerican]

We don't believe they have that capability uh? So lets just sit back and wait for them to blow the world up and then we will know for sure. Maybe tell him we are sorry and hope these crazy nuts don't hit us first. Typical of this weak administration.

[fariborzzak]

sit comfortably and be relax.

[mary-miami]

The Iranian leader is crazy. Dialog is not possible with crazy people. When the rest of the world is trying to live in peace, This nut is waiting for us to turn our backs to nuke the planet. He thinks that he will win...he'll lose. Most countries will retaliate with their own nuclear weapons and the planet with destruct. Hitler also had grandiose ideas and he lost the war...Thank God.

[mrjustice1]

STANDBY FOR A SIGNIFICANT REPORT, INFO AND WARNING

[erb0087]

by Super-Elmar February 12, 2010 12:30 AM EST
erb0087
I think you've been listening to too much history channel drivel.
=======================================

I don't have cable.

My info came from the PBS special, "How Hitler Lost the War," and was backed by testimony from surviving veterans of the conflict, particularly German ones.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243976/

It's on Netflix(*) as well.

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/How_Hitler_Lost_the_War/70060181




(*) I have no financial interest in the company. This is not an advertisement for Netflix.

[from_the_north]

Poor Iran, to have inofficially elected such a mad man. Too bad the people can't see what a freak he is. But what can you expect?

[fariborzzak]

VIVA IRAN with Ahmadinejad,I voted for him and I am proud of that.U please just pay your taxes to Obama's friends.

[dakotaclark]

Hmmm... More than likely, as soon as it becomes a fact that Iran has the ability to put together a rudimentary atomic bomb, there will be some form of an overt response from Israel.

A whacky, blustery dictator's podium thumping might end up being the cause of a very thorough, and devastating, preemptive strike.

Amen, and pass the biscuits, please.

[erb0087]

"Despite the exodus of scientists, Nazi Germany still had some of the world's best, such as Max Planck."

Not only Planck, but the great Werner Heisenberg remained in Germany and actively worked toward German acquisition of the atomic bomb. The author of the "Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle" was a man of uncertain principle, it seems.

Erwin Schr?dinger, the father of Quantum Mechanics, had the good moral sense to be repulsed by Naziism, and relocated to England.

But Hitler still had the brainpower to have acquired the atomic bomb, but fortunately not the common sense to use it.

[aznuggetbob]

I think Ahmad is a dip stick dictator and needs his oil checked. laughing in America's face is going to be his downfall. Have you noticed he's gathering barging chips like Bin Ladins family? Israel doesn't care.