Iran: Sanctions "Will Hurt," But Not Too Much

The United States is hosting one of the largest international summits ever this week to discuss nuclear nonproliferation and ways to keep loose nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.

Among the countries not invited is Iran, which the Unites States believes may be trying to make a nuclear weapon, despite frequent claims to the contrary.

A curtain raises to reveal a grand orchestra in Tehran - part of a full schedule of events to mark "National Nuclear Day." Only in Iran does uranium enrichment merit this level of pomp and ceremony, CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports from the capital city.

It was a day, declared by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for the country to feel proud of its achievements.

While Ahmadinejad urges Iranians to celebrate the country's nuclear program, the rest of the world is coming together under U.S. leadership to condemn it - and to press for tough new sanctions aimed at halting it.

Iran's political leaders scoff at the idea.

But the head of the country's nuclear agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, who earned his Ph.D. at MIT in Boston, made a candid admission in a rare interview with CBS News.

"Of course sanctions will affect us," he said. "But it only will delay our projects. It will not stop our projects."

"They will hurt," he added. "Then we will have to come up with our own manufacturing systems."

Blog: Iran's Nuke Chief Stuck Between Science and Politics
Full Transcript of the Salehi Interview

Iran already uses homemade technology to enrich uranium in one plant, and recently announced it would build six more.

Tehran says it just wants to create fuel for nuclear power stations, but the U.S. suspects a secret plan to make a bomb.

Asked if the country is trying to make any kind of weapon, Salehi was unequivocal.

"No," he said. "We have indicated this many times. Not me, our president, our supreme leader. It's against our tenets. It's against our religion."

The U.S. and its allies might have more faith in that argument if Iran didn't do things like publicly unveil a new centrifuge that can enrich more uranium even faster, or make incendiary comments, like even Salehi sometimes does.

"Any military encounter with Iran will create consequences that are beyond anyone's imagination," he said. "It can put the entire region on fire."

Those are tactics that erode Western confidence in Iran - but please the crowds at home.

[lipservice44678]

IT IS CLEAR BY NOW US ANTI IRAN TIRADE IS ONLY ON BEHALF OF UNBREAKABLE BOND ISRAEL, NOT THE WORLD.
Washington's "double standard" on Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while selling "nuclear technology to Israel and India," a non-signatory to the NPT.
Iran is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, is at the moment largely in compliance with it, has no nuclear arsenal, and does not even have a nuclear weapons program. (The treaty allows countries to enrich uranium for fuel, which is all that Iran is known to be doing). Yet the US has an extensive regime of economic sanctions on Iran, along with UN Security Council sanctions, both of which Obama is attempting to ratchet up. Iran is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, is at the moment largely in compliance with it, has no nuclear arsenal, and does not even have a nuclear weapons program. (The treaty allows countries to enrich uranium for fuel, which is all that Iran is known to be doing). Yet the US has an extensive regime of economic sanctions on Iran, along with UN Security Council sanctions, both of which Obama is attempting to ratchet up. In contrast, Israel is actively constructing more and more nuclear warheads, which it is stockpiling, and which its leaders occasionally brandish at other Middle Eastern states. The Israeli arsenal, in turn, spurs a Middle East arms race... It is the most blatant double standard to threaten Iran with crippling sanctions and a nuclear strike, and to ignore Israel's massive nuclear weapons program, America exerts its weight once again as the puppet of Israel
U.S. leaders often claim that they?re acting against Iran on behalf of the whole Middle East region, implying that their strategy has the backing of Arab governments. Washington hawks insist that the Arabs would applaud if the U.S. bombed Iran, utilising the silence of the Arab regimes to speak as if on their behalf. That underscores the importance of the Arab voices that have begun challenging the idea that a confrontation with Iran could produce any positive outcome.
At last Arab League summit, the secretary general Amr Moussa called for the stand-off to be tackled through Arab dialogue with Iran. ?We need to see where we differ and where we disagree with Iran and how to deal with that,? Mr Moussa said. ?Iran is not an enemy but a fraternal state and dialogue will help bring about peace and stability in the region.?
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/Arab-League -Summit-Concludes-Amid-More-Criticism-of-Israel- 89360822.html
IRAN REASSURES ARABS OVER NUCLEAR WORK.
A senior member of the Iranian parliament has reassured regional Arab countries that Tehran's nuclear work will not pose a threat to them.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122784&sectionid=351020104
SAUDIS DENY DISCUSSING PRESSURE ON CHINA OVER IRAN WITH US
(AFP) Mar 12, 2010
RIYADH Saudi Arabia denied on Friday that its officials had discussed with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates putting pressure on China to back a new round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear ambitions.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALe qM5jaJXpOyBOpnjEQrPcu88EvcLvnYA
ERDOGAN CALLS ISRAEL IS THE REAL THREAT TO PEACE IN MIDEAST.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405270230 3591204575169980169518418.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDL EThirdNews

[mrjustice1]

STATE-SPONSORING AND STATE-SUPPORTING TERRORISM, AS THE CURRENT IRANIAN REGIME CONTINUES TO DO, IN THE NAME OF GOD OR IN THE NAME OF ALLAH,
ENCOURAGES MORE MURDER AND DESTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GLOBE

Permitting the current Iranian regime to achieve either nuclear weapons production capability, or nuclear weapons possession, is about the worst contingency that mankind would ever have to face.

It's already very well-known fact, that the rulers of the current Iranian regime are planning to execute as their 'holy religious duty' to precipitate a nuclear world conflagration, to ensure the "ushering in" of the Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, the Hidden Imam, or Moslem Messiah, all in the name of Allah.

Immediately thereafter, the Mahdi will rule by strict Islamic Law(Sharia) that he will be imposed on all peoples and all nations.

Let's consider the forgoing Iranian rulers' belief as being their very own, religious belief, obligation, or religious duty just for a moment.

If such is what they believe and pray for, then we have more than just the usual problem that religion has posed throughout mankind's prior, and extremely conflictual 'religious history'. Can the Western Free World just give these religious extremist madmen psychotherapy to dissuade them from carrying out what they view as their religious duty?

Apparently, some religious belief is not merely innocent, private, and/or self-soul-saving.

Such is what the rulers of the current Iranian regime believe, and such is what these religious fanatic leaders of Iran PLAN FOR and PRAY FOR!!!

It's a pretty fair bet that in due time, some religious Islamic extremist or other - particularly with continuing religious incitement, support and encouragement from the current Iranian rulers - will hold us hostage to their cause(s) and to their demands - via NUCLEAR DEVICES OR BOMB.

It is feared that the nightmare scenario whereby fanatic Islamic extremists possessing nuclear or other weapons or devices capable of mass death and destruction, will soon be realized. The resultant impact will actually be far worse, than we who continue to carry on with our comfortable ways of life can ever imagine!

CONCLUSION
For the above-mentioned reasons, what remains of the Free Western World's resolve to prevent the current Iranian regime from either producing or acquiring nuclear weapons capability...

...better be ramped up substantially and readily, to neutralize and eliminate mankind's gravest threat since Hitler and the Nazis some seventy years ago, but THIS TIME BY RULERS WHO ADMIRE HITLER AND WHO ON THE VERGE OF POSSESSING NUCLEAR WEAPONS!

Press your legislators, your elected officials, and other influential leaders, to take PREVENTATIVE, and LIFE-PRESERVING measures to eliminate the VERY REAL, IRANIAN MENACE!

[cleantheDCcesspool]

Well, I imagine that since Obamao has done nothing for over a year to stop Iran, despite saying that he was acting swiftly and decisively to levy sanctions, that country has had plenty of time to prepare for any sanctions that may be imposed. Sort of like Obamao saying he would "not rest" until the economy was on its feet and jobs were being created.

[moglislok]

The problem is not to develop force; the real problem is how you handle that force. So all countries who have nuclear weapons are responsible as to how they control their nuclear capability; note that they do not wish to decrease or even end their nuclear weapons because they say that this is not an utopian world.

Nations who recently used or are currently using force to kill civilians in an attempt to catch their terrorists are more dangerous and more lethal to humanity; you cannot eliminate ghosts and USE terrorism as a justification to fight an invisible enemy in order to promote and justify your country?s national interests in distant lands.

[bajajohn1]

For all you scared children, remember the song--The Eve of Destruction by that guy about 40 years ago.

[bajajohn1]

Iran knows it wants to build the bomb. The world knows that Iran wants to build the bomb. If the Iranians claim they just want to build a nuclear power plant, then why go to the expense to enrich uranium when other countries have offered that uranium with supervision as to its use attached? No, they want weapons grade stuff because they want to build the darn bomb.

[SUEZQueen]

Maybe Oboma can get me a good deal too on a place where i can FEEL ENRICHED WITH SECURITY..

[EstherHaman]

Those who introduced the nuclear weapons into Middle East and used it as an umbrella to committee genocide and ethnic cleansing against the indigenous population of the Palestine, now need a one way ticket back to Russia, Poland, Germany, France and New York.

Iran is not a nuclear armed nation and she is a signatory to the NPT. Her nuclear program has been under the control and inspection of the IAEA for the last 10 years, with no smoking guns ever being found, NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT. So, ask this. Why and how can a 5 million Zionists dictate to the 75 million Iranians that they can't have nuclear energy? Is it because the Zionists feel confident because of their nuclear arsenal they can dictate to the others what they can or can't do? And is that how they got away with their criminal activities such as what is reported by the UN in the "Goldstone" report. Well they certainly can wish they could continue in that path. But its over.

Pakistan another Islamic nation and more radical than Iran and a SUNNI one at that, with connection to Al-Quida and Taliban for the last 12 years, has had nuclear tipped missiles for almost 20 years, but no one has said anything about that nuclear arsenal to be any danger or a threat to the Zionists or us??!! How is that I may ask?!

I also have to say it is totally coward-es of us to come out and declare openly that we are targeting Iran with our nuclear weapons. It is totally irresponsible and disgraceful. It is shameful that we stooped so low to blackmail a third world nation that has NO nuclear weapon by threatening them with such weapons. We have appeased the Zionists too far and this shows that we are capable of reaching a new low everyday if we continue in this path.

If Iran did not have any reason or incentives to build any nuclear weapons which they have repeated over and over, NOW THEY HAVE, just to deter us. NOW IS THAT DECISION IS MAKING THIS WORLD ANY SAFER dear B. Obama?

[jpires93]

If Iran does not have or is not making a nuclear bomb because Iran threatened to wipe out Israel? Everyone knows they are liars. Who believes in a clown? These people have no honor or character, how can they lead a nation? Deserves total isolation. No leader should respond to their provocations, but to attack the evil at its root forever.

[wfw3536]

I thought Obama said he was going to meet with Iranan leaders when he was campaigning for president.