Posted: 6/13/2004 7:26:25 AM EDT
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Iran Rejects Restraint on Nuclear Program Email this Story Jun 12, 7:10 PM (ET) By ALI AKBAR DAREINI (AP) Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, speaks with media during his press conference in Tehran,... Full Image sponsored links Voice Your Opinion - Take today's My Way Poll, featuring a new topic daily. http://poll.myway.com Play Free Online Games - Collapse, Bounce Out, Jigsaw, Crossword, Mah Jong and tons more. http://games.myway.com TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Toughening its stance in advance of a meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Iran on Saturday said it would reject international restrictions on its nuclear program and challenged the world to accept Tehran as a member of the "nuclear club." Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi rejected further outside influence on Tehran's nuclear ambitions two days before the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors meets to discuss Iran's highly controversial program. "We won't accept any new obligations," Kharrazi said. "Iran has a high technical capability and has to be recognized by the international community as a member of the nuclear club. This is an irreversible path." Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity, not making weapons, but the United States and its allies say Tehran has a secret nuclear weapons program. The IAEA has wrestled with the dilemma for more than a year. (AP) Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, who heads the Supreme National Security Council,... Full Image Iran has already suspended uranium enrichment and stopped building centrifuges. It has also allowed IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities without prior notice, part of the additional protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that still must be approved by parliament. Kharrazi insisted that Iran would not give up its development of the nuclear fuel cycle, the steps for processing and enriching uranium necessary for both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Iran says it has achieved the full cycle, but is not now enriching uranium. "That somebody demands that we give up the nuclear fuel cycle ... is an additional demand," Kharrazi said, apparently referring to demands by U.S. and European countries that Iran halt operations of a plant it inaugurated in March in Isfahan, central Iran, that processes uranium into gas. The demand also calls for aborting plans to build a heavy water reactor in Arak, another city in central Iran. "We can't accept such an additional demand, which is contrary to our legal and legitimate rights," he said. "No one in Iran can make a decision to deny the nation of something that is a source of pride." Iran has confirmed possessing technology to extract uranium ore, processing it into a powder called yellow cake and then converting it into gas. The gas is then injected into centrifuges for low-grade enrichment that turns it into fuel for nuclear reactors. (AP) Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, who heads the Supreme National Security Council,... Full Image Uranium enriched to low levels has energy uses, while highly enriched uranium can be used in bombs. Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year under mounting international pressure. In April, it said it had stopped building centrifuges. IAEA inspectors had found traces of highly enriched uranium at two sites, which Iranian officials have maintained was from contaminated imported materials. Kharrazi condemned a draft resolution critical of Iran drawn up by Germany, France and Britain and being debated before the IAEA board meeting Monday which says Iran's cooperation has not been complete. "The draft resolution is unacceptable unless changes are made so that it can be acceptable to all parties," he said. The minister said insistence by Europeans on "very tiny issues is contrary to the spirit of cooperation." He said that by doing so, the European countries are bowing to U.S. pressure and showing a "lack of independence." Kharrazi warned that failure in settling the debate over Iran's nuclear dossier will be a "failure for all," including Iran, Europe and the IAEA. The minister confirmed Iran's efforts to buy 4,000 magnets needed for uranium enrichment equipment, saying the issue was blown out of proportion. He did not say where the magnets were bought. Diplomats told The Associated Press in Vienna that Iran had acknowledged inquiring about 4,000 magnets needed for uranium enrichment equipment with a European black-market supplier and had dangled the possibility of buying a "higher number." "If everybody is looking to settle this issue (Iran's nuclear dossier), they have to look at it in a broad outlook," Kharrazi said. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said last month his agency had not found proof to date of a concrete link between Iran's nuclear activities and its military program, but "it was premature to make a judgment." http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040612/D835OR1G0.html |
TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND Israel's 1st surface-to-surface cruise missile Weapon created after U.S. refused to sell Jewish state Tomahawk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: June 9, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Aaron Klein © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Israel has developed its own surface-to-surface cruise missile after Washington twice refused to sell the Jewish state its Tomahawk land-attack weapon, an Israel source told WND. The source was confirming a report to appear in the military journal Jane's Defense Weekly next week that Israel modified its Delilah air-to-surface missile to reach targets 200 miles away when launched from the ground. The journal describes the revised Delilah missile as being highly sophisticated and attributes an additional boost engine as crucial in making the adaptation possible. The missile, which Israel hopes will prove a deterrent to missiles being developed by Iran, can hover over a target area before attacking with a choice of several warheads, and uses a variety of infrared and electro-optic systems to pinpoint enemies up to 16 kilometers away. It can also be used as an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle. Originally developed as an aerial decoy, the Delilah evolved into a strike weapon used since the early '90s by Israel's F-16 and upgraded F-4E attack aircrafts. The journal notes in addition to converting the Delilah, Israel is also exploring the possibility of converting its anti-ship naval launch missiles into land-attack missiles, each with a range of up to 300 kilometers. It also quotes unconfirmed reports suggesting Israel Aircraft Industries is developing a longer-range cruise missile that can be deployed by Israel's submarines. Israel is well-known for its advanced weapons industry. Security sources told WND after Washington sold Israel its first batch of F-16s, Israeli companies surprised their American counterparts by returning a model with a series of impressive proprietary upgrades, including more advanced infrared capabilities. In addition, Israel's El Al Airlines recently became the first commercial airline company to install an anti-missile system on its aircrafts. The system, called Flight Guard, developed by Israel Aircraft Industries, responds automatically to an approaching heat-seeking missile by firing flares that divert the missile away from the airplane. Flight Guard has been used by Israeli military aircraft for a decade, and several U.S. airlines have expressed interest in purchasing the system. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aaron Klein is WorldNetDaily's special Middle East correspondent, whose past interview subjects have included Yasser Arafat, Ehud Barak, Shlomo Ben Ami and leaders of the Taliban. |
Yes it is. Problem is they are going to start WWIII in the process. Be better to deal with it now but we won't. We don't have the stomach to deal with this as we should. |
I was always under the impression that the "nuclear club" referred to nations which had nuclear weapons, rather than nations which had nuclear power plants. If so, doesn't this statement amount to an admission that Iran is working on nukes? |
Yes, it does. The problem is that Iran has been HIDING their nuke program, it's gonna take more than airstrikes to shut it down. The reason the Osirak raid worked so well is that Saddam had all his eggs in one basket, and didn't feel the need to hide his work... Iran learned from Osirak... Also, Iran has a good amount of Uranium ore within their borders, so they don't need to go outside for fuel once they build a working reactor (which isn't that hard, esp with the Russkies helping you do it)... Gonna be interesting, but something needs to be done... Maybe aim a few hundred Minuteman warheads at Iran, as a warning of what joining the 'nuclear club' without our blessing means... |