nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

A nuclear weapons free Middle East in the interests of Israel and Iran

the US can build trust with Iran by supporting a nuclear-free Middle East. While critics would label such a policy stand unrealistic and such a regional agreement far-fetched, it may be in the best interests of both Israel and Iran.

Insisting on zero-enrichment for Iran seems to have already become unrealistic

America needs to change tack on handling Iran Washington can build trust with Tehran by committing itself to a nuclear-free Middle East Gulf News, By Hooshang Amirahmadi and Shahir Shahidsaless, Christian Science Monitor  March 12, 2012  If the US wants to
avoid military strikes on Iran and still wants a diplomatic settlement for the nuclear dispute with the Islamic Republic, Washington must stop talking from both sides of its mouth. Continue reading →

March 12, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Conciliatory approach by Iran’s supreme leader

Iran’s supreme leader praises Barack Obama over war stance, 
Iran’s supreme leader took the unusual step of praising President Barack Obama for eschewing the language of war on Thursday, raising hopes that he may genuinely be seeking a negotiated solution to Tehran’s nuclear impasse with the West. Telegraph, By Adrian Blomfield, 08 Mar 2012 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei chose to ignore a toughening in US rhetoric towards Iran in recent days, focusing instead on Mr Obama’s insistence that there was still a “window of opportunity” to resolve the dispute with Tehran in a peaceful manner.
“We heard two days ago that the US president said that (they) are not thinking about war with Iran,” the Iranian leader was quoted as saying. “These words are good words and an exit from delusion.”
Although the ayatollah’s compliment was undoubtedly barbed, it represented a significant departure from the virulently anti-Western demagoguery he normally employs, leading some observers to suggest that he was sending a conciliatory message to Washington…..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9131974/Irans-supreme-leader-praises-Barack-Obama-over-war-stance.html

March 9, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Misunderstanding, wrong translation of Ahmadinejad’s supposed words “Israel must be wiped off the map”

from Wikileaks: Translation controversy Many news sources repeated the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting statement by Ahmadinejad that “Israel must be wiped off the map”,[5][6] an English idiom which means to “cause a place to stop existing”,[7] or to “obliterate totally”,[8] or “destroy completely”.[9]

Ahmadinejad’s phrase was “بايد از صفحه روزگار محو شود” according to the text published on the President’s Office’s website.[10]

The translation presented by the official Islamic Republic News Agency has been challenged by Arash Norouzi, who says the statement “wiped off the map” was never made and that Ahmadinejad did not refer to the nation or land mass of Israel, but to the “regime occupying Jerusalem”. Norouzi translated the original Persian to English, with the result, “the Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time.”[11] Juan Cole, a University of Michigan Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History, agrees that Ahmadinejad’s statement should be translated as, “the Imam said that this regime occupying Jerusalem (een rezhim-e eshghalgar-e qods) must [vanish from] the page of time (bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad).[12] According to Cole, “Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to ‘wipe Israel off the map’ because no such idiom exists in Persian.” Instead, “he did say he hoped its regime, i.e., a Jewish-Zionist state occupying Jerusalem, would collapse.”[13] The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated the phrase similarly, as “this regime” must be “eliminated from the pages of history.”[14]

Iranian government sources denied that Ahmadinejad issued any sort of threat. On 20 February 2006, Iran’s foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference: “How is it possible to remove a country from the map? He is talking about the regime. We do not recognize legally this regime.”[15][16][17]

March 8, 2012 Posted by | history, Iran, Reference, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Killing Iran’s nuclear scientists – counter productive says U.S. security agency

Assassinations will not stop Iran’s nuclear program: ISIS Press TV 7 March 12, The US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) says killing Iranian nuclear scientists will not delay the progress of Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

In its March 7 report on Iran, the institute focused on the situationof the Iranian nuclear energy program and efforts by Western countries to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear capability.

Referring to Western efforts to stymie Iran’s nuclear energy program, the report said the assassination of Iranian scientists or threatening Tehran with a possible military strike were not good options for preventing the progress of the country’s nuclear energy program.

Pointing to the disadvantages of employing “risky” strategies against Iran, the report said, “Assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists and engineers have occurred with greater frequency but should be stopped because they carry too high a risk of retaliation.”

Moreover, the ISIS report added, assassinations are unlikely to be effective in setting back the Iranian nuclear energy program because they involve thousands of specialists and ingrained know-how.

The institute cautioned the West that “Iran might argue that assassinations are equivalent to a military attack and use this as justification for further provocations.”

“An under-siege mentality created by use of such tactics could motivate Iran to further degrade its cooperation with IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and resist offers of
negotiation,” the report stated. … http://presstv.com/detail/230477.html

March 8, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

6 World Powers to Resume Nuclear Talks With Iran

World Powers Agree to Resume Nuclear Talks With Iran, NYT, By   and  , March 6, 2012 BERLIN — For the first time in more than a year the global powers dealing with Iran ’s disputed nuclear program  said Tuesday that they would resume face-to-face negotiations. “I have offered to resume talks with Iran on the nuclear issue,” said Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, who represents the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany in dealings with Iran. “We hope that Iran will now enter into a sustained process of constructive dialogue which will deliver real progress.”…..

 Fears of a pre-emptive Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities have driven up oil prices and represent a threat to the already fragile state of a global economy still reeling from a sovereign debt crisis in Europe . At the same time, the Iranians have acutely felt the squeeze from sanctions aimed at pressing the government to freeze its uranium enrichment program.

The resumed talks represent a significant step forward, because all six parties agreed to participate……http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/world/middleeast/iran-agrees-to-inspection-of-secret-military-site-report-says.html

March 7, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Iran’s religious leaders strengthened after elections

Khamenei allies trounce Ahmadinejad in Iran election  
* Supreme Leader’s loyalists get over 75 pct of parliament seats

* Ahmadinejad may be lame duck for rest of term

* Election held under sanctions pressure in nuclear row (Adds Khamenei extending influence, Khamenei ally, run-off votes)
By Parisa Hafezi and Hashem Kalantari TEHRAN, March 4 (Reuters) – Clerical Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has tightened his grip on Iran’s faction-ridden politics
after loyalists won over 75 percent of seats in parliamentary elections at the expense of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a near-complete count showed.

The widespread defeat of Ahmadinejad supporters – including his sister, Parvin Ahmadinejad – is expected to reduce the president to a lame duck after he sowed divisions by challenging the utmost authority of Khamenei in the governing hierarchy….. Absent from the vote were
the two main opposition leaders. Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who ran for president in 2009, have been under house arrest for more than a year.

Iran denies Western suspicions that it is enriching uranium with the ultimate goal of developing nuclear weapons, saying the programme is for peaceful energy only.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/04/iran-election-result-idUSL5E8E407H20120304

March 6, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics | Leave a comment

Obama makes hawkish noises about Iran

Obama warns Iran he’s not bluffing over nuclear weapons, Herald Sun, by: By Mark S Smith & Anne Gearan in Washington From: AP March 03, 2012  US President Barack Obama warned that he is not bluffing about attacking Iran if it builds a nuclear weapon, in an interview published overnight

In his most expansive remarks on the issue so far, Mr Obama told The Atlantic magazine that Iran and Israel both understand that “a military component” is among a mix of options for dealing with Iran, along with sanctions and diplomacy. Continue reading →

March 3, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international, USA | Leave a comment

Non Aligned Movement states support Iran’s nuclear energy program

NAM approves statement in support of Iran’s nuclear program http://www.tehrantimes.com/component/content/article/96006 Tehran Times, 2 march 12, TEHRAN – The Non-Aligned Movement member states approved a statement in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program on Thursday. Continue reading →

March 3, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Iran denounces nuclear weapons as ‘Great Sin” – West not so sure

Iran says nuclear weapons are a ‘great sin’  ABC Radio 702, 29 Feb 12, Iran condemned production of atomic weapons as a “great sin” as it called for more talks with the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog. The country is facing growing international pressure over its nuclear program, which it says is peaceful but Western powers suspect could
have a military dimension. Continue reading →

February 29, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Iran’s on ground nuclear facilities destroyed by Israel: Wikileaks

The emails, snatched by hackers, could unmask sensitive sources and throw light on the murky world of intelligence-gathering by the company known as Stratfor, which counts Fortune 500 companies among its subscribers.

WikiLeaks: Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in Iran Anti-secrecy group releases email by US-based global security firm linked to CIA, citing Israeli intelligence source who claims Israelis destroyed all Iranian nuclear infrastructure on ground weeks ago Ynet  02.27.12,   Israel News sraeli commando forces destroyed, with the help of Kurdish rebels, all of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure on ground, an email by a US-based global security analysis company released by WikiLeaks on Monday claims. Continue reading →

February 28, 2012 Posted by | Iran, Wikileaks | Leave a comment

A Jewish plea for sanity on Iran

 The only realistic option is to allow Iran to enrich uranium in return for enhanced oversight and inspection of its nuclear program.

Leaders of Cleveland’s Jewish community urgently need to promote discussion of this best option for Israel and the U.S. before it is too late.

Allow Iran to enrich uranium, http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/opinion/op-eds/article_56abe920-5c9b-11e1-88cc-001871e3ce6c.html  Cleveland Jewish News, February 17, 2012  Norman Robbins  If you’re pro-Israel and want to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, it’s time to leave the U.S./Israeli echo chamber that gives only two ineffective options – more sanctions or war.
First, some background. It is vitally important to distinguish between nuclear “break-out” capability and the actual building of a nuclear weapon. As long as Iran is not attacked, it has many reasons to achieve nuclear capability but not manufacture.

An attack on Iran by nuclear powers such as Israel and the U.S. in the absence of concrete evidence of actual nuclear bomb manufacture would violate international law and be intensely criticized by most of the world. It would legitimize a subsequent crash-program of bomb-making by Iran, as many experts anticipate. Therefore, not making a bomb actually serves Iran as a better deterrent than manufacture, which would cross an obvious “red line.”

In addition, Iran has genuine religious compunctions about building a weapon of mass destruction, as it showed by choosing not to use chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war , by Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa against nuclear weapons and by Iran’s support of a nuclear-free Middle East. Also, it is inconceivable that Iran would pre-emptively use a nuclear weapon against Israel, when it would kill huge numbers of Palestinians, contaminate Islam’s third-most holy site, enrage the entire Muslim world, and suffer Israel’s terrible retaliation. In fact, three directors of Israel’s intelligence (Ephraim Halevy, Meir Dagan and Tamir Pardo), who should know best, have said that Iran poses no “existential” threat to Israel. Continue reading →

February 22, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

No agreement between IAEA experts and Iran

U.N. experts leave Iran without nuclear agreement, By the CNN Wire Staff February 22, 2012  Two days of talks with Iran have failed to produce agreement on how to verify that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced
Tuesday. Iran also refused to allow a team from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency to visit its military base at Parchin, southeast of Tehran, during the two-day visit, the IAEA said.
“Intensive efforts were made to reach agreement on a document facilitating the clarification of unresolved issues in connection with Iran’s nuclear program, particularly those relating to possible military dimensions,” an IAEA statement on the visit read. “Unfortunately, agreement was not reached on this document.” The high-level team of experts was on its way back from Iran late Tuesday, the agency said.

There was no immediate comment on its account from Iranian authorities….. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/21/world/meast/iran-nuclear/?hpt=wo_c2

February 22, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Why is Iran singled out on the nuclear issue?

What exactly is Iran’s crime? Guardian UK, Anna Romano, 7 Feb 12,  (EU risks oil embargo, 27 January)? Its burgeoning nuclear activities are not in contravention of international law.

There are several countries that have nuclear weapons and are not subject to scrutiny and inspection from the IAEA, most notably Israel. It remains a source of contention that this institution is prepared to tolerate Israel’s policy of deliberate ambiguity.

Additionally, countries such as India and Pakistan could never have obtained their nuclear capability without the consent of the US. Neither of these nations is a signed up member of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, while Iran is.

Iran has little reason to trust the west. Its first more or less democratically elected leader, Mossadegh was toppled from power in a CIA coup in 1953, with Britain’s blessing and support.

Iran’s real offence is to strongly criticise the west’s double standards regarding foreign policy in the region and to remain in control of its resources. The crux of the matter lies within this power structure, and so the west must support wars in the Middle East every two or three years to preserve’s Israel’s position as the only viable, militarised nuclear state in the region. Indeed, the aim of recently imposed sanctions may well be to go even further and covertly instigate regime change, illegal under international law.

Reference to Iran’s’ repressive government has little leverage in light of Saudi Arabia’s record and its repression of democracy in Bahrain. David Cameron’s recent visit to the region to sell more weapons to Saudis reflects this amorality. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2012/feb/07/letters?newsfeed=true

February 8, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Close to Iran’s nuclear reactor – an earthquake strikes

Earthquake strikes near Iranian nuclear power plant, February 5, 2012. PennEnergy, By Brien Southward An earthquake, measured at 5 on the Richter scale by the US Geological Survey, was felt only 70km from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, which is expected to go online on March 20. As of 9:46am CST on February 5, 2012, there has been no report yet of casualties or damage at the reactor facility. If damage did occur, it could have consequences for the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

 The quake strikes as Iran is mired in a diplomatic crisis with the West overthe ambitions of its nuclear energy program. Iran claims that their research is only for the sake of producing nuclear power to meet the growing energy needs of the developing country of some 74 million people, but numerous world leaders and global organizations such as theUN-affiliated International Atomic Energy Agency are concerned that they could be secretly using nuclear enrichment technology to develop nuclear weapons….. The most recent earthquake, measured at 5.5 on the Richter scale, was felt on January 19 near the city of Neyshabour in northeast Iran, injuring 100 people and causing some structural damage. Iran’s deadliest earthquake struck the northern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan, killing around 37,000 people and injuring more than 100,000. http://www.pennenergy.com/index/power/display/8633237470/articles/pennenergy/power/nuclear/2012/february/quake-strikes_near.html

February 7, 2012 Posted by | Iran, safety | Leave a comment

Iran says enriching uranium under IAEA supervision

Iran Starts Uranium Enrichment at Underground Complex, VOA, January 9th, 2012  Iran on Monday confirmed it has started uranium enrichment at a second facility where the material can be upgraded quickly for potential use in a nuclear bomb.

Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said Tehran is refining uranium at the newly-launched Fordo complex and an older facility in the city of Natanz. He told Iran’s Arabic language al Alam TV network the work was taking place under thesupervision of the United Nations atomic agency.

Diplomats with ties to the IAEA confirmed that Iranian centrifuges have begun refining uranium to a purity of 20 percent at Fordo, an underground complex near the Shi’ite holy city of Qom.
The United States and France condemned the move…… Most of the work at the Natanz facility has involved refining uranium to a relatively low purity of 3.5 percent. Enrichment to the 20 percent level at the Fordo complex could reduce the time needed for Iran to further refine the material to the 90 percent purity required for nuclear weapons.
Iran says its nuclear program is designed only to generate electricity and material for medical research.
The United States and its ally Israel have not ruled out military action to stop the program. Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence.
http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2012/01/09/iran-starts-uranium-enrichment-at-underground-complex-3/

February 7, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international, Uranium | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »