Iran is now running 7,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges, a senior official said on Thursday, an announcement likely to increase Western concerns about the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear plans.
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, also said it had obtained the technology to produce more “accurate” centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.
Referring to the inauguration of a nuclear fuel production plant by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier on Thursday, he said in a televised speech: “Today we praise … the accomplishment of the last stage of the nuclear fuel cycle.”
But sleep easy: Russia has assured us that Iran is not a threat.
April 9th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I am furious at the Bush administration for preventing Israel from ending Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/01/11/why-is-ny-times-reporting-now-bush-stopped-israeli-attack-on-iran/
April 9th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Al-Qaeda terror plot to bomb Easter shoppers
An al-Qaeda cell was days away from carrying out an “Easter spectacular” of co-ordinated suicide bomb attacks on shopping centres in Manchester, police believe.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5133535/Al-Qaeda-terror-plot-to-bomb-Easter-shoppers.html
Pakistan link to terror arrests as Gordon Brown defends operation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/09/pakistan-terror-arrests-link
General Ray Odierno: we may have to ignore Iraq deadline to halt al-Qaeda terror
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article6069734.ece
South Park creators given signed photo of Saddam Hussein
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, were given a signed photo of Saddam Hussein by US marines after the former Iraqi leader was shown their movie in prison.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5122031/South-Park-creators-given-signed-photo-of-Saddam-Hussein.html
And ICYMI last week…
Petraeus Says Israel Might Choose to Attack Iran
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6m8Gjlv2Njs&refer=home
April 9th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
2. I remember when someone close to Bush said that he vowed to not let his presidency end without dealing with Iran. Wonder what happened.
It’s real Alice-in-Wonderland stuff coming from Obama – a green-light for Iran, and a warning Israel.
Say what???
April 9th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I meant to respond to your first comment, Kristofer, not Aron.
April 9th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
The key is not how much uranium Iran is enriching, but whether Iran is enriching it past what is useful for power plants. Luckily there is a vast gulf between what is used for nuclear power and what is used for nuclear weaponry.
April 9th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
It’s times like these that I am glad we have Jimmy Carter Jr as our President!
April 9th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
As a practical matter, I don’t see where there’s anything we could do about it – the production is scattered, some underground. I suppose you could try to strike multiple targets and hope you’re intel is better than it was for Iraq, but you’d never get all of it, and you’d help solidify the people of Iran behind their government, which most don’t agree with…so…options?
April 9th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
As a practical matter, I don’t see where there’s anything we could do about it – the production is scattered, some underground. I suppose you could try to strike multiple targets and hope your intel is better than it was for Iraq, but you’d never get all of it, and you’d help solidify the people of Iran behind their government, which most don’t agree with…so…options?
April 9th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Oh, I thought this was about cocaine. My bad.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Happy Nuclear Day! (It’s an official Iranian holiday.)
April 9th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Alex,
Did you miss this story?
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/apr/09/iran-charges-american-with-spying/
April 10th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
So let me guess, you want to bomb them to smithereens. President Bush’s approach did not work, why should we continue with a policy that did not work for eight years. This is the problem with Republicans, you keep hanging on to the ideas of the last eight years.