Clipmarks | Uranium enrichment Clips

Bush supports plan for US thinktank office in Iran

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:23:24 GMT

Monday October 6 2008

The Bush administration has given a US thinktank the go-ahead to open an office in Iran, in a departure from its strict policy of isolating the Islamic regime.

Clearance was given to the American-Iranian Council amid reports that the White House has shelved plans to open a de facto embassy in Tehran. There was concern that it could affect the US presidential election in being seen as a reward for Iran's hawkish president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has defied UN demands to suspend the country's uranium enrichment programme.

The council argues that its initiative would ease contacts between officials and legislators and could eventually lead to normalised relations between the two countries.

"By being based in Tehran, we should be able to arrange a wider array of meetings. We are positioning ourselves to help any parties that may want to speak to each other."

Tags: iran, politics, diplomacy

IRAN REALLY THE TREAT ? BOOK READ

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:46:30 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: An excellent reading for comprehensive analysis of the situation at the moment

Clip Source: www.nybooks.com

Iran: The Threat

By Thomas Powers

At a moment of serious challenge, battered by two wars, ballooning debt, and a faltering economy, the United States appears to have lost its capacity to think clearly. Consider what passes for national discussion on the matter of Iran. The open question is whether the United States should or will attack Iran if it continues to reject American demands to give up uranium enrichment. Ignore for the moment whether the United States has any legal or moral justification for attacking Iran. Set aside the question whether Iran, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently claimed in a speech at West Point, "is hellbent on acquiring nuclear weapons." Focus instead on purely practical questions. By any standards Iran is a tough nut to crack: it is nearly three times the size of Texas, with a population of 70 million and a big income from oil which the world cannot afford to lose. Iran is believed to have the ability to block the Straits of Hormuz

WMD found-Yellowcake

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:49:03 GMT

clipped by: Opticonica

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

updated 5:57 p.m. CT, Sat., July. 5, 2008

The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program — a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium — reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.

The removal of 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" — the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment — was a significant step toward closing the books on Saddam's nuclear legacy. It also brought relief to U.S. and Iraqi authorities who had worried the cache would reach insurgents or smugglers crossing to Iran to aid its nuclear ambitions.

Another deadline passes

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:13:02 GMT

clipped by: sillysam
clipper's remarks: This guy is jerking everyone around.

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday that diplomacy is the only way out of his country's standoff with the West over its disputed nuclear program and insisted he was serious about negotiations.

Iran's leader made the comments a day after asserting that his country would not give up its "nuclear rights," signaling that it would refuse demands to stop enriching uranium or at least not to expand its enrichment work.

An informal deadline expired this weekend on an offer of economic and other incentives by six world powers if Iran agreed to curb uranium enrichment. The United States and its European allies fear Iran intends to use the technology to develop material for nuclear weapons under the cloak of a civilian nuclear power program. Iran denies the accusation.

Nonaligned countries back Iran

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:40:18 GMT

clipped by: car2char

Clip Source: ap.google.com

Nonaligned countries back Iran's nuclear program

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — More than 100 nonaligned nations are backing Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear power.

Wednesday's endorsement from a conference of the 120-nation Nonaligned Movement is key to Tehran in its standoff with the U.N. Security Council over its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says the backing contradicts claims from some countries that the international community opposes his country's nuclear program.

Iran says it wants to create nuclear fuel through enrichment. But the country is under three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions prompted by concerns it seeks to make the fissile core of nuclear warheads with the technology.

Ahmadinejad: Iran has 6000 centrifuges

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:52:57 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, a significant increase in the number of uranium-enriching machines in its nuclear program, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that ultimately will involve 54,000 centrifuges.

Israel is watching

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:34:36 GMT

clipped by: sillysam

Clip Source: apnews.myway.com

Report: Iran now has 6,000 centrifuges for uranium

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's president said Saturday his country now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, a significant increase in its nuclear program that is certain to further rankle the United States and others who fear Tehran is intent on developing weapons.

The new figure is double the 3,000 uranium-enriching machines Iran had previously said it was operating.

The bend in policy had prompted hopes for a compromise under which Iran would agree to temporarily stop expansion of enrichment activities. But the White House said Saturday's development did not facilitate a resolution.

This was what the world had wanted!!! sigh...

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:17:42 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee
clipper's remarks: Iran announces nuclear expansion...

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Iran announces nuclear expansion

Jon Leyne
BBC News, Tehran

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium - nearly twice the number of only a few months ago.

He has claimed the West has accepted the increase.

Iran is under UN sanctions, with the demand that it suspend the enrichment programme, which the West fears may be used for nuclear bombs

The Iranian president has often exaggerated the programme, as a deliberate challenge to the world powers who are trying to restrict Iran's ability to enrich uranium.

This time he went further, claiming the West had agreed to allow Iran to have 5,000 to 6,000 centrifuges.

His comments come just as Iran is considering freezing the nuclear programme at current levels, in return for a freeze on new sanctions.

So perhaps Mr Ahmadinejad is trying to stake a claim to Iran's right to the new higher figure, even if it agrees to a freeze.

US to Iran in "Diplomacy": Two Weeks to Comply

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:05:01 GMT

clipped by: blueridge
clipper's remarks: Just as we posted earlier, playing diplomatic "good cop" is just a nicer face with a club in his belt. The exact same tactic was used with Saddam leading up to the Iraq war, even though he could not prove to them he had no WMD, because you cannot disprove a mere suspicion or a lying accusation.

Clip Source: feeds.bignewsnetwork.com

US gives Iran two weeks to comply with nuclear demand

The US has warned Iran it must decide between confrontation and co-operation in the dispute over its nuclear plans.

Iran has refused to commit itself to stopping uranium enrichment as demanded by the European Union, the US and other world powers.

The meeting was supposed to find a path to full negotiations by squaring the world powers' precondition of nuclear suspension with Iran's insistence on its right to civilian nuclear energy.

Envoys from the US, EU and UN have been having the talks with Iranian representatives in the Swiss city of Geneva.

The US and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the taking of hostages at the US embassy in Tehran.

Tags: iran

US and Iran "Diplomacy" Starts--"Good Cop" Tactic

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:02:26 GMT

clipped by: blueridge
clipper's remarks: But coercing Iran to stop its nuclear enrichment program is the goal. So earlier we saw "bad cop" war games and rhetoric by US and Israel, and now this multinational "diplomacy" will play "good cop", to force the will of the US and Israel on Iran. That is not diplomacy, and the shift is temporary, for the election season.

The result (which might be a goal too) will be that the oil traders will sell and lower oil prices will come (as they already did on first news of this), and this game will probably be played between now and Nov. 5th (to help McCain), and then the war-mongering will start again, and possibly an attack by Israel (per neocon John Bolton's clipmark earlier) to force the next President's hand into the conflict.

Bush does not change from his neocon advisers blueprint. This pragmatism is for political expediency and economic benefit for election season purposes.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

US set for historic Iran meeting

The US and Iran are gearing up for their first high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear programme.

One of the state department's most senior officials, William Burns, will be joined in Geneva by envoys from the EU, China, France, Germany and Russia.

They are expected to discuss incentives for Iran to suspend its uranium and plutonium activities with the country's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili.

The US attendance is being seen as a major shift in policy.

Rising tension

Saturday's talks will aim to find out how Iran will respond to the West's offer of economic incentives for Tehran to suspend its nuclear activities.

Iran denies any nuclear weapons plans, but is defying UN Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment.

Reports suggest the US may even consider opening a diplomatic mission in Tehran - which would be the first such link since the US hostage crisis nearly 30 years ago.

the two countries held three rounds of talks in 2007 over security in Iraq

Tags: iran, war, israel, diplomacy, oil prices

U.S. in Switzerland Saturday to Listen to Iran, Not Negotiate

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:27:30 GMT

clipped by: nfloyd

Clip Source: www.lifeofsyn.com

Is the U.S. gearing up for another war (with Iran now) or is the envoy meeting with Iranians in Switzerland for nuclear talks to stop uranium enrichment by Iran going to be successful? There will be no negotiations between the U.S. and Iran at this time. It is strictly to listen.

Here are articles on this subject:

BBC

MSNBC

Fox News

Onto the terror watch list (no fly list, terrorist watch list), did you know it is over one million names? The ACLU says this about it:

The American Civil Liberties Union says the list is an impediment for millions of travellers." America's new million-record watch list is a perfect symbol for what's wrong with this administration's approach to security: it's unfair, out-of-control, a waste of resources (and) treats the rights of the innocent as an afterthought," ACLU technology director Barry Steinhardt said in a release.

Tags: iran, war, israel, terror watch list, nuclear war

U.S. in Switzerland Saturday to Listen to Iran, Not Negotiate

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:15:49 GMT

clipped by: nfloyd

Clip Source: www.lifeofsyn.com

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

U.S. in Switzerland Saturday to Listen to Iran, Not Negotiate

Posted by Syn at 11:07 PM

Labels: Iran, United Nations

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Tags: iran, nuclear weapons, united nations

Understanding the full cost of a nuclear power plan

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:46:56 GMT

clipped by: deb2012
clipper's remarks: History has taught us that civilian nuclear programs can -- and do -- lead to the production of nuclear weapons as happened in India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. The presence of nuclear power plants has provoked acts of aggression, even war. Israel bombed nuclear facilities in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. went to war in Iraq at least on the pretext that the country was developing nuclear weapons. The concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear intentions are indicative of the blurred line between civilian and military nuclear activities.

Iran's uranium enrichment program has inspired 14 other Middle Eastern countries to express an interest in acquiring nuclear power programs, a poorly-disguised cover story for nuclear weapons posturing.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Nuclear is too slow but, more importantly, far too expensive. The industry's own estimates now put the price tag for a single new reactor at more than $12 billion.

Moody's Investors Services Special Report issued in May 2008 projects that a power company announcing new reactor construction will see its credit rating downgraded by more than 25 percent because of the increasing financial risks that splitting the atom brings to a business profile.

This leaves the American taxpayer to foot the bill, continuing the federal subsidies pattern of decades. Experts at the Rocky Mountain Institute have calculated that the nuclear power industry has been supported by more than half a trillion dollars in federal subsidies since its inception. Renewable energy, by contrast, is a footnote, receiving just a 10 percent share of all energy spending over the past 60 years.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

If cumbersome construction timelines and obscene costs are not enough to deter nuclear proponents, then the security risks should be

Tags: nuclear, energy

President Bush exonerated of 'misleading statement's....

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:38:54 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Can't deny the facts that are finally coming out. Those who opposed the war will never concede or believe...but time will reveal all the information. My NIL was there. He saw. The American press sooooo wanted to denigrate the President and his decisions. I acknowledge all did not go well, but no one is omniscient. I stand by what the President has done and his reasonings behind it.

Clip Source: www.americanthinker.com

President Bush exonerated of 'misleading statements' leading to Iraq war

In 2003 newspaper columnist Robert Novak wrote his now infamous "Mission to Niger" (published on July 14, 2003) in which he mentioned an allegedly failed attempt by Saddam Hussein to purchase uranium reported by the husband of a (not so) secret CIA agent, Valerie Plame, and mentioned her by name.

Today we know that Iraq did possess 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" -- the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment. The effort to topple Hussein and cause regime change was indeed necessary to prevent the development of nuclear weapons. We know this because it has been revealed, albeit without the fanfare of the earlier "scandal", that this huge stockpile of concentrated uranium, a remnant of Hussein' nuclear program, was removed from Iraq and shipped to a buyer in Canada.

US removes uranium from Iraq

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:05:17 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: ?????? What??!!!

FTA: "Earlier this year, the military withdrew four devices for controlled radiation exposure from the former nuclear complex. The lead-enclosed irradiation units, used to decontaminate food and other items, contain elements of high radioactivity that could potentially be used in a weapon,..."

Clip Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com

AP Exclusive: US removes uranium from Iraq

The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program - a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium - reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.

The removal of 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" - the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment - was a significant step toward closing the books on Saddam's nuclear legacy. It also brought relief to U.S. and Iraqi authorities who had worried the cache would reach insurgents or smugglers crossing to Iran to aid its nuclear ambitions.

What's now left is the final and complicated push to clean up the remaining radioactive debris at the former Tuwaitha nuclear complex about 12 miles south of Baghdad - using teams that include Iraqi experts recently trained in the Chernobyl fallout zone in Ukraine.