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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran Said Nearing Enrichment of Uranium |
| 2004-09-01 |
| Iran has announced plans to turn tons of uranium into a substance that can be used to make nuclear weapons, the U.N. atomic watchdog agency said Wednesday in a report stoking concern about Tehran's nuclear agenda. The confidential report of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the agency had been informed that the Islamic Republic planned to process more than 40 tons of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride. Uranium hexafluoride is spun in centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, which in turn can be used to generate power or make nuclear warheads, depending on the degree of enrichment. A senior diplomat familiar with the agency declined to say how much hexafluoride could be obtained from that amount of raw uranium, also known as yellowcake, beyond saying it was a "substantial amount." Another diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that enough highly enriched uranium could be produced from the hexafluoride derived to make several explosive devices. |
| Posted by:TS(vice girl) |
| #7 Arguably, Iranian and nukes is the issue of this election. Not sure we have any good options left, but it's pretty clear that we can't repeat the Clinton/Jimmah North Korea disaster. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-01 4:07:48 PM |
| #6 Let's hope Iranian nuclear program is on the agenda for debates. Kerry: We need to build an international consensus with our friends at the UN...apply diplo pressure...make it worth Iran's while to talk to us...etc. Bush: Whatever it takes. |
| Posted by: chicago mike 2004-09-01 3:51:12 PM |
| #5 ...and the IDF has just had their "Clint Eastwood" moment. Now, timing is everything. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-09-01 3:32:42 PM |
| #4 40 tons of uranium will make a significant amount of U235. The concentrators are probably housed deep underground in large chambers with labyrinth entrances with blast resistant doors. This will be a beast to attack directly. However, running these concentrators takes electric power, which I imagine, has generators also deep underground, with fuel storage there also. It would seem to me that the main vulnerabilites of their hardened U235 concentration system would be combustion air intakes for the generators (be they diesels or gas turbines) and the cooling outlets for diesels or exhaust outlets for diesels and turbines. The exhaust outlets should have good IR signitures. That is how I would go about targeting and taking out the concentrators. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-09-01 1:47:53 PM |
| #3 How? Given (as I understand it) the facilities' advanced stage and dispersion, how exactly would we take it out? Thanks to those idiot euros, isn't it a bit late in the day? Osirak raid in 1981 was against more centralized, earlier-stage facilities, if I'm not mistaken |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-01 1:29:47 PM |
| #2 This AP announcement showed up on the NYT site as well as others. Even the UN has seen enough. The only remaining question is: do we have the nerve to take them out, or will we wait for the Israelis to do it for us? It's really our job. |
| Posted by: DLS 2004-09-01 1:26:33 PM |
| #1 "...The confidential report of the International Atomic Energy Agency said...." Enough said, now we have sufficient evidence for whatever action the 1998 resolution calls for. |
| Posted by: UFO 2004-09-01 12:44:23 PM |