KHAMENEI AND AHMADINEJAD'S IRAN PUSHES AHEAD...

Issue 7, Summer 2011

Revolutionary Guard Praises Nuclear Testing [June 2011]

"The day after the first Iranian nuclear test for us Iranians will be an ordinary day, but in the eyes of many of us, it will have a new shine, from the power and dignity of the nation," says an article published on the Gerdab site run by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

An article praising the idea of Iran testing a nuclear bomb on the Revolutionary Guard website is raising alarms in western intelligence circles, which interpret it as evidence of strong backing in Iran.

Entitled "The Day After the First Iranian Nuclear Test - a Normal Day," the article coincides with other public or suspected activities that the United States and its allies see as indications that Tehran wants to possess atomic arms.

The Associated Press reported, "Iran says it wants to enrich only to power a future network of reactors. But over the past two years it has started to enrich uranium to a level higher than what is needed for nuclear fuel and closer to the grade used to make the fissile core of nuclear warheads... Iran's Vice President and nuclear head Fereidoun Abbasi announced Iran would increase its capacity to enrich to that higher level - near 20 percent - by installing more efficient centrifuges and would triple the output of the higher grade material."

The Associated Press report explains: "Low-enriched uranium - at around 3.5 percent - can be used to fuel a reactor to generate electricity. But if uranium is further enriched to around 90 percent purity, it can be used to develop a nuclear warhead - and enriching to 90 percent can be done much more quickly from near 20 percent than from low-enriched material.

"Iran has been producing low-enriched uranium for years and began higher enrichment in February 2010, asserting it needs the higher grade material to produce fuel for a Tehran reactor that makes medical radioisotopes needed for cancer patients. David Albright, whose Institute for Science and International Security tracks suspected proliferators, said it was unrealistic for Tehran to accelerate production of 20-percent uranium to the degree stated by Abbasi for that one research reactor."

Source: Jahn, George (June 8, 2011). Revolutionary Guard praises idea of nuke testing. ABC News, Associated Press. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13796159

Iran Triples Nuclear Production [June 2011]

Iran shocked the World with an announcement that it is increasing - tripling! - its production of nuclear fuel this year. The output of enriched uranium will then be transferred to the new Fordow site that Iran had kept secret until 2009 when it revealed to the world that it was building a new facility for nuclear construction.

According to the New York Times Iran had acknowledged the existence of the Fordow site after Western intelligence agencies had learned of its location. The Fordow site is built underground in a mountain. The head of Iran's atomic energy activity also announced that Iranian scientists had succeeded in creating a new generation of centrifuges for Iranian enrichment and that these will be operating in the near future.

The European Union criticized Iran strongly. The EU said that the Iranian regime was "further exacerbating its defiance of the United Nations Security Council" and called on Iran to stop enriching uranium.

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report a month ago listed "high voltage firing and instrumentation for explosives testing over long distances" and possibly underground as an indication that Iran may be conducting secret nuclear weapons work.

An article praising Iran testing a nuclear bomb appeared on a web site of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The article is entitled "The Day After the First Iranian Nuclear Test - A Normal Day."

Sources:

Voice of America (June 9, 2011). Iran Says Work Has Begun on New Nuclear Enrichment Plant.

Jolly, David (June 9, 2011). Iran plans to produce more nuclear fuel. New York Times.

Iran Working on a New Nuclear Plant [April 2010]

An advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Tehran has begun work on a new uranium enrichment plant.

The timing of the announcement came a day after the close of a much-touted conference on nuclear disarmament in Tehran.

Plans to build 10 new Iranian enrichment facilities were announced in November, amid doubts from Western observers that Tehran had the capabilities to fulfill those plans. Tehran says it needs more highly enriched uranium for medical purposes.

Iran has repeatedly insisted it is enriching uranium for peaceful civilian purposes, but the West suspects that it is attempting to build nuclear weapons.

Source: Yeranian, Edward (April 19, 2010). Iran says work has begun on new nuclear enrichment plant. VOANews.com http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Report-Iran-Expanding-Uranium-Enrichment-91488114.html

Secret Report: Iran Tested Advanced Nuclear Warhead Design [November 2009]

The Guardian has learned that the UN's nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design.

"The design known as a 'two-point implosion' device is officially secret in both the US and Britain. Descriptions of 'two-point implosion' warhead designs have occasionally appeared in the public domain (there are extensive descriptions on Wikipedia) and they were first developed by US scientists in the 1950s, but it remains an offence for American officials or even non-governmental nuclear experts with security clearance to discuss them. The development by Iranian scientists was described by some as 'breathtaking' and has added urgency to the Iranian nuclear crisis. The sophisticated technology, once mastered, allows for the production of smaller and simpler warheads than older models."

Source: Borger, Julian (November 5, 2009). Iran tested advanced nuclear warhead design - Secret report. The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/05/iran-tested-nuclear-warhead-design

International Atomic Energy Agency: "Possible Military Dimensions" and Iran's Double Talk of Peace [December 2010]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran is only willing to speak about regional security issues, not Iran’s “basic right” to nuclear power and a full fuel cycle. “We have repeatedly said that our (nuclear) rights are not negotiable. … We only hold talks to resolve international problems … to help the establishment of peace,” said the Iranian President.

The IAEA’s latest report on Iran, released on November 23, confirms that “Iran has not provided the necessary cooperation to permit the Agency to confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” Iran continues to accumulate enriched uranium, including a total of about 33 kg of uranium enriched up to near 20 percent levels. Iran has now produced a total of 3.18 tons of low enriched uranium (LEU), despite IAEA and U.N. resolutions demanding a cessation to these activities.

The report reiterates the Agency’s lack of progress in obtaining clarification about “outstanding issues which give rise to concerns about possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme, including by providing access to all sites, equipment, persons and documents requested by the Agency” (italics by GPN).

IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano had iterated similar conclusions before the U.N. General Assembly on November 8, emphasizing that “Iran has not provided the necessary cooperation to permit the Agency to confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” Iran immediately responded to the statement by questioning the neutrality of the IAEA.

Sources:
British American Information Security Council, Iran Update: Number 147, November 23, 2010. http://www.basicint.org

Murphy, Brian (November 22, 2010). Iran strategy in nuclear talks: Stand its ground. Associated Press via the Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2010/11/22/iran_strategy_in_nuclear_talks_stand_its_ground/

Parsi, Dr. Trita & Marashi, Reza (November 12, 2010). Want To Defuse The Iran Crisis? National Iranian American Council. http://www.niacouncil.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6839&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=-1

Peretz, Martin (November 6, 2010). The IAEA is trying to get an Inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities New Republic. http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-spine/78974/the-iaea-trying-get-inspection-iranian-nuclear-facilities-syrian-atomic-capacit

Tags: Iran | Nuclear weapons, destruction, and genocide

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