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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |||
| Europe Nuke Deal Offers Iran Reactor Aid | |||
| 2004-10-20 | |||
| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European powers will offer this week to support Iranian construction of a light-water nuclear reactor, as part of a deal to persuade the Islamic republic to stop enriching uranium, U.S. and European officials said on Tuesday. Driven by U.S. concerns that Iran is developing a secret nuclear arms program, the U.N. nuclear watchdog has demanded Tehran freeze its enrichment activities -- procedures that could produce fuel for atomic weapons. Britain, Germany and France will present a package of "carrots and sticks" on Thursday giving Iran a final chance to meet the demands or face possible sanctions.
A European official confirmed the Europeans included a light-water reactor as part of their package to win a verified suspension and eventual termination of Iran's uranium enrichment. Other incentives in the European offer, which will be detailed to Iranian officials in Vienna on Thursday, include resumption of an EU-Iran trade pact and guarantees of Russian fuel. U.S. officials are generally skeptical that the negotiations will work because Iran has previously broken pledges made to the Europeans. But in principle, they could accept Tehran's building of light-water reactors. The United States has threatened to press for U.N. sanctions over Iran's nuclear programs. Tehran says its nuclear efforts are only for power generation. If Iran rejects the European offer, diplomats say most European nations would back U.S. demands that Tehran be reported to the U.N. Security Council when the International Atomic Energy Agency meets in November. The IAEA has been investigating Iran's nuclear program for more than two years. While it has uncovered many previously hidden activities that could be related to a weapons program, it has found no "smoking gun."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #27 When you are talking nuclear exchanges, you are talking about lots of radioactive contamination. I was a kid in the fifties that could read well and distinctively remember the higher and serious levels of radiation due to fallout from the US and Soviet hydrogen bomb tests. IIRC, India was getting high levels, and so was places like Anaktuvuk Pass in Alaska. I have worked out in the Nevada Test Site, and seen what a pain in the ass decontamination is. This stuff is not a joke. It contaminates a place for a long time. The Mad Mullahs need to be stopped before they get nuclear weapons. They are suicidal nutcases. The US or Israel needs to do what they have to do to stop it. European leaders are EUnichs. We will not win popularity contests doing it, but it has to be done. The alternatives are pretty bad. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul In Nikolaevsk, Alaska 2004-10-20 7:22:20 PM |
| #26 "Power generation" can mean many things. Exploding a ton of TNT generates power. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-20 7:19:07 PM |
| #25 EuroMoron LOL! We got nukes too? LOL. The UK has Nukes (and is out of range) France has Nukes and they'll use them against Iran? LOL! I love an optimist. Perhaps you were thinking about Mother Russia? Europe? LOL! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-20 5:38:44 PM |
| #24 Tehran says its nuclear efforts are only for power generation Sure. And the Saudis are looking to import sand. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-20 2:57:04 PM |
| #23 DB, It'll the end of their shitty little religion. They care about that. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-20 2:48:39 PM |
| #22 Nuclear experts say light-water reactors provide little help for any nation seeking atomic weapons, unlike heavy-water facilities, which can be used as an alternative to uranium enrichment in producing nuclear weapons material. Don't know what $*#% nuclear experts that are talking to but it's total BS. In a commercial light water reactor, the typical fuel mix is 3% U-235 and 97% U-238. U-238 is fissionable, but not fissile and thus useless for sustaining a chain reaction. However, U-238 when it absorbs a neutron becomes U-239, which then kicks off a beta particle to become Neptunium-239, which then becomes Plutonium-239 by another beta decay. And that ladies and gentlemen means that you now are in possession of something to make nuclear weapons. Unlike uranium enrichment, the separation of plutonium from all the other fuel components is a simple chemical extraction (albeit with a need for a great deal of radiation shielding). Unless the Euros think that they have the balls to demand that the Iranians hand back the spent fuel rods, all they are doing is making sure that their cities are getting hit by Nagasaki-style Fat Man plutonium bombs rather than Hiroshima-style Little Boy uranium bombs. Bottom line: the Iranians are awash in crude oil, which means that they can supply their entire country's electric needs with #2 Fuel Oil. They don't need nuclear reactors. |
| Posted by: Dreadnought 2004-10-20 2:41:25 PM |
| #21 Mrs Davis, I doubt they will survive the counterstrike, but do you really think they care about that? I mean, as long as they take a bunch of infidels with them, they've got those virgins (or crystal raisins) waiting for them in Paradise with Allah.... |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-10-20 2:41:00 PM |
| #20 The mullahs can talk the talk. They're preachers after all. It remains to be seen if they can survive the counterstrike. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-20 1:44:16 PM |
| #19 Excellent analysis #17, but I believe it will be much sooner than 10-20 years if the mullahs get the bomb. They have stated that they will use it on Israel as soon as they get it. Rafsanjani told the Iranian parliament that the destruction of Iran would be a small price to pay for the elimination of Israel. |
| Posted by: SR71 2004-10-20 1:38:18 PM |
| #18 Ed in post #17 nails it. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2004-10-20 12:44:15 PM |
| #17 You think your nukes are going to have any effect? There is a good chance of nuclear war starting in the next 10-20 years. The reasons you can speculate about. But in the exchange Iran will be obliterated. In their dying gasp the mullahs will launch all they have remaining. That means a few (if any surviving ICBMs) and a lot of medium range missiles. The US has an anti-missile capability now, that will only improve, and will be able to intercept any surviving ICBMs. You Europeans (and Russia) will be faced with dozens and possibly hundreds of medium range nuclear missiles Your civilization will have 10 minutes to kiss your ass goodbye. Launch your missiles at Iran, or whoever else you want. It won't matter. You will only be bouncing radioactive Persian rubble. So for the sake of your Euro cities, you better pray the mullahs are overthrown and their nuclear program buried. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-20 12:29:30 PM |
| #16 Ahh, but American Idiot, if Europe actually used its nukes, that would be warlike and mean. Europe prides itself on being the nice continent. The Mullahs, on the other hand, enjoy it when such an opportunity presents itself. In fact, they go looking for opportunities, rather than waiting calmly for a visit. That's why they built the silly things in the first place. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-10-20 12:28:27 PM |
| #15 Yes! But we have nukes too! |
| Posted by: AmericanIdiot 2004-10-20 12:02:45 PM |
| #14 Nice try EuroIdiot. But much of southern Europe is now in range of Iranian missiles. In a few years all of Europe will be in range of nuclear tipped missiles. Hope you like being slaves and your women like harem life. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-20 11:57:08 AM |
| #13 Great! If Iran has nukes they will act as a deterrent to war in the mid east. |
| Posted by: AmericanIdiot 2004-10-20 11:52:40 AM |
| #12 France provided a heavy water reactor (HWR) to Israel in the late 1950's. HWRs are great for making plutonium and is the type Russia is providing Iran, only 40 times as large (with options on several more). |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-20 11:47:05 AM |
| #11 Where did Isreal get it's nuclear technology? America, It's longest and most unstinting ally? |
| Posted by: AmericanIdiot 2004-10-20 11:40:36 AM |
| #10 Grrr. Typo'd myself into Mucky-talk mode! "...that's a perfect visual!" |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-20 11:32:55 AM |
| #9 CL - Lol! Beautiful! You gotta be in advertising - that a perfect visual! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-20 11:31:30 AM |
| #8 Britain, Germany and France will present a package of "carrots and sticks" perhaps chocolate would be more effective. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-20 11:23:44 AM |
| #7 Europe may exist as a land mass but not as a unified people. Lumping the UK in with France and Germany brings tears to my eyes. We have been making a fist of it even in the face of fierce left wing media opposition. |
| Posted by: Edmund Burke 2004-10-20 9:58:05 AM |
| #6 While the fist doesn't work anymore from disuse, the pointed European finger of blame is getting a hell of a workout. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-10-20 3:22:53 AM |
| #5 Our European politicians are a big shame. No guts I think the "European armed forces" have weakened big time so we can't make a fist anymore...... |
| Posted by: Dutchgeek 2004-10-20 2:55:13 AM |
| #4 The real story is that Chiraq *wants* Arabs tyrants to have nukes. He's been working on it for more than 20 years. I hope his name goes down in history together with Quisling. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-20 1:27:46 AM |
| #3 I said 2 days ago Chirac would find a way to proliferate with Iran. France has a long history of proliferation. Where did Isreal get it's nuclear technology? Iraq? Chirac is a pig that will sell nuclear technology to anyone. I can't explain Germany or the UK's thinking other than they are stone stupid. Chirac needs to stay in power to stay out of jail or he needs a huge slush fund to do the same. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-20 1:16:38 AM |
| #2 What will the Europeans do when Iran spits in their face, yet again? offer TWO reactors? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-20 12:57:03 AM |
| #1 I'm all for 'carrots and sticks' as long as the stick has some serious stick. How about we trade, even up, one reactor for a handful of bunker-busters? As for the IAEA, I'm not sure they could find their ass if it was radioactive and they had Geiger counters in each hand. May Hans Blix could help them search? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2004-10-20 12:50:56 AM |