How Iran Is Advancing Its Nuclear Program
While Tehran defies nuclear inspectors, the U.S.-led sanctions effort stalls out at the United Nations
This week's United Nations report on Iran's ongoing resistance to explaining its nuclear activities and on its accelerating enrichment of uranium is—for all its downbeat news—not likely to trigger new U.N. sanctions against the Islamic republic.
More likely, it will cause the United States and probably its European allies to look for ways of intensifying existing U.S. and European Union sanctions.
The International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that it "has not been able to make any substantive progress" on answering questions about alleged military dimensions of Iran's nuclear drive. And, in a startling disclosure, it said that it had received information about possible "foreign expertise" aiding specialized explosive testing of a sort associated with implosion-type nuclear bombs.
But with the clock running out on his administration, President Bush is facing diplomatic obstacles that make it increasingly unlikely—short of military action—that he will be able to force Iran to curtail its nuclear program before leaving office in January. At the U.N. Security Council in New York, the outlook for getting tougher with Iran is poor. There, a creeping case of "sanctions fatigue" and a continuing, general reluctance by some countries—especially Russia and China—is likely to block new steps to isolate Iran economically and politically.
But now there is an additional factor: Russia's growing estrangement from the West over the latter's stance against last month's Russian invasion of part of Georgia as well as Russia's recognition of the independence of two breakaway Georgian areas, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Many analysts have predicted a withholding of Russian cooperation on new Iran measures as an early consequence of Moscow's tensions with the West.
And, initially at least, there is no indication that Russia, hit by harsh Bush administration criticism, is inclined to jump on board with new U.S.-favored sanctions.
Recognizing the likely stalemate at the Security Council, a senior European diplomat says simply, "I'm not sure we want to go along that path." He added, "I have my doubts." At the same time, EU-led efforts to negotiate with Iran are at virtual standstill, though Iranian officials met with German diplomats on Monday. It appeared to be another in a long series of inconclusive meetings with the Iranians.
European frustration with what diplomats call Iranian intransigence has been building.
Russia, for its part, is continuing with final preparations for a nuclear power complex at Bushehr in Iran, a facility that could begin operating next year. That plant is not legally barred by any U.N. action, but Washington considers it an unhelpful boost to Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
Iran, for its part, says it is pursuing only peaceful nuclear energy and research.
The new report from the Vienna-based IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, indicates that in the past four months Iran has succeeded in running its fast-spinning uranium-enrichment centrifuges at a greater level of efficiency and is adding ever more of them—6,000 now either operating fully or moving toward it. Iran is also experimenting with more advanced centrifuges. The enrichment complex at Natanz remains under IAEA monitoring.
The Bush administration and Israel contend that Iran's nuclear program is intended to make weapons. Israel has threatened unilateral attacks to knock out elements of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, and President Bush has said that all measures are on the table—although the U.S. military has signaled its resistance to attacking Iran.
Reader Comments
Nuclear Fuel Cycle: consortium to operate Iranian nuclear enrichment
Nuclear Fuel Cycle: consortium to operate Iranian nuclear enrichment
The whole issue of conflict with Iran is about control of the sources of energy, oil and nuclear fuel. The efforts to monopolize nuclear fuel production started in 1978, when the Nuclear Suppliers Group tried to impose restrictions on the right of developing countries to enrich their own uranium, a right. Since Article IV of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ensures access to peaceful uses of nuclear technology for non-nuclear weapon states, the technology for uranium enrichment must be permitted to all states under the current nonproliferation regime. Countries like Iran therefore, are permitted to develop their own enrichment technology for peaceful nuclear energy production.
The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is a USA initiative. GNEP monopolizes nuclear fuel production and waste management infrastructure.
Global Nuclear Power Infrastructure (GNPI) is a Russian initiative.
Russia will retain exclusive control of all sensitive enrichment technology.
Both GNEP and GNPI monopolize production of nuclear fuel. Any nation who would have nuclear reactor but can not control the supplier of nuclear fuel is not an independent nation. The case of Iran and Russia as supplier of the fuel demonstrates my argument. The Iranian problem for receiving from Russia fuel for Bushehr, Iran Nuclear Reactor was co-opted by the USA forcing Iran to initiate her own fuel production.
Iran has argued for an international nuclear fuel consortium to operate Iranian nuclear enrichment. Iranians assert that this international cooperative arrangement and IAEA oversight together will eliminate USA fear that Iran is attempting to use the technology to develop nuclear weapon.
Unless we are monopolizing nuclear fuel production and restrict energy-independence of nations such as India and Iran, we should allow an international nuclear fuel consortium to operate Iranian nuclear enrichment.
Atomic Weapons
I want somebody to tell me who gave the americans the authority to posses Atomic Bombs and not any other nation? And also I would like to know why Israel is not a signatory to the IAEA rules?
Pls remember that it is only the Proud who hate to see Pride in others.
America is not a world policeman and instead of preaching to others about the dangers og atomic bombs in the hands of Iran or N. Korea, let them remember who was the first to use them on this planet.
N.Korea and Iran... go 4 the bomb at full blast and put the fear in the hearts of the yankees.
ISRAEL WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE BY NEMESIS
Judeofascist Israel, being of negative net military and economic value to America, England, France, Russia, and China risks surprise retaliatory nuclear annihilation by Russia and China, if it initiates total war on any of its wealthy Middle Eastern neighbors, such as Iran, who are immensely valuable for their cultural contributions and great wealth in oil. And, by popular agreement of the United Nations of the World, the World would be happier and safer with Israel transformed into star dust in Holocaust III.
Israel’s net negative value is derived from its arsenal of 150 nuclear missiles, and notorious Marxist practice of systematically inciting people to hate and kill one another, nationally and inter-nationally, over cunningly fabricated irreconcilable economic or religious differences. Familiar historical examples are the catastrophically disastrous Russian, German, and Spanish Marxist revolutions; and most recently, the American unprovoked illegal bombing and occupation of Iraq, which sacrificed over a trillion dollars and 4,000 lives for the sole benefit of Israel.
Now, Israel and its supporting Diaspora are notoriously engaged in fanatically desperate propaganda efforts to provoke total war between the patriotic Christian American and Muslim Iranian peoples. But they are failing to incite enough fear and hatred to start a war, because of increasingly popular recognition that they are the common enemy of Iran and these nuclear superpowers.
The Israeli People, from their long exposure to European democratic and Christian culture, know perfectly well the moral and ethical rules that they must inevitably follow to secure their own survival. Every injustice that they have committed against their neighbors, in killing innocent civilians and robbing them of their infrastructure and land, must be fully addressed with apologies and monetary compensation. All of the incessant wailing, ranting, propaganda, extortion, and bribery by the universally condemned People of Israel are to no avail. Inevitably, Nemesis shall have her just retribution upon Israel, dead or alive.
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