Iran Nuclear Standoff

[Derek Ortt]

why a 60 day ultimatum? That gives them time to dismantle and hide their weapons programs

Give them 3 hours and not a second more. Give them the conditions and tell them they have 2 choices. Accept these terms, or you will accept the terms of unconditional surrender

we have a decided military advantage over Iran. We need to stop acting like we do not

[Cryomaniac]

What I'd do is send private signals to Tel Aviv that the US would wholeheartedly support an Israeli military strike against the Iranians BUT at the same time because you KNOW that the Iranians will howl that it was a US attack is scream bloody murder in public at the UN over "Israeli aggression" and even fire a missile or two at the Israeli fighter jets as they cross Iraqi airspace but missiles intentionally designed to miss. That way the Iranians can't drag the US into anything that follows Israeli military action.

It's a high stakes gamble but it might take away any Iranian pretext to engage the US militarily over something that a soverign nation did on its own.

Agreed, that would be a good idea.

[cycloneye]

U.S. and Iran are talking

Will it mean some progress for future negotiations or will end in faliure.

GENTHOD, Switzerland - A senior U.S. official met Iran's top atomic negotiator for face-to-face talks on Thursday — the first such encounter in years of big-power attempts to persuade Tehran to freeze a program that could create nuclear weapons.

While diplomats and officials disclosed no details of the meeting, they appeared to be concrete proof of President Barack Obama's commitment to engage Iran directly on nuclear and other issues, in a sharp break with the previous Bush administration.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33114695/ns ... tn_africa/

[cycloneye]

Iran agrees to give up enriched uranium

If this is true,it would be a major change of heart from the Iranians.But lets see what happens as the days go by to see if they are sincere in their offer.

Iran agreed on Thursday in talks with the United States and other major powers to open its newly revealed uranium enrichment plant near Qum to international inspection in the next two weeks and to send most of its openly declared enriched uranium to Russia to be turned into fuel for a small reactor that produces medical isotopes, senior American and other Western officials said.

Iran’s agreement in principle to export most of its enriched uranium for processing — if it happens — would represent a major accomplishment for the West, reducing Iran’s ability to make a nuclear weapon quickly and buying more time for negotiations to bear fruit.

If Iran has secret stockpiles of enriched uranium, however, the accomplishment would be hollow, a senior American official conceded.

The officials described the long day of talks here with Iran, the first such discussions in which the United States has participated fully, as a modest success on a long and complicated road. Iran had at least finally engaged with the big powers on its nuclear program after more than a year, and had agreed to some tangible, confidence-building steps before another meeting with the same participants before the end of this month.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33130972/ns ... ork_times/

[Derek Ortt]

what in the world does "most" mean?

[vbhoutex]

If Iran has secret stockpiles of enriched uranium, however, the accomplishment would be hollow, a senior American official conceded.

I think that says it all!!

[x-y-no]

If Iran has secret stockpiles of enriched uranium, however, the accomplishment would be hollow, a senior American official conceded.

I think that says it all!!

Where would such a secret stockpile have come from? They have one operational enrichment facility which has been fully under IAEA monitoring.

[Cryomaniac]

If Iran has secret stockpiles of enriched uranium, however, the accomplishment would be hollow, a senior American official conceded.

I think that says it all!!

Where would such a secret stockpile have come from? They have one operational enrichment facility which has been fully under IAEA monitoring.

Who knows? N.Korea?

[cycloneye]

Russia says threats against Iran wont work

Sure,they are close friends.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33288593/ns ... ite_house/

[Cryomaniac]

The thing is, regardless of what any other country says, is that Israel have said they'll do something if the rest of the world doesn't. And Israel's definition of "doing something" is vastly different to everyone else's.

The remainder of this post is the opinion of Cryomaniac, and as such is not based on any evidence, military or otherwise, and as such should not be used by anyone for any purpose

I personally think that Israel already have a date when they are going to attack Iran. Obviously guessing when that might be is a fools game, but I'd say it's sooner rather than later.

[cycloneye]

Iran is stonewalling the talks.I think the best course of action is to take out the nuke plants and forget the talking.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33553344/ns ... tn_africa/

[Cryomaniac]

I think the best course of action is to take out the nuke plants and forget the talking.

I agree, and I think Israel do too. As I said above I think it's a matter of when not if.

[vbhoutex]

I think the best course of action is to take out the nuke plants and forget the talking.

I agree, and I think Israel do too. As I said above I think it's a matter of when not if.

Normally it is with Israel, especially after a statement such as theirs.

[cycloneye]

Iran Nuclear Plant is 7 years old

And they said nothing about it until they had to reveal its location as CIA intelligence eyed it.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9BU3KKG1

VIENNA — Iran's recently revealed uranium enrichment hall is a highly fortified underground space that is a year away from completion after fitful construction that first started seven years ago, diplomats told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The diplomats also said that a recent inspection of the facility near the holy city of Qom by the International Atomic Energy Agency has reinforced suspicions that it could have been planned as part of a secret military nuclear program. Iran says it wants to enrich only to make atomic fuel but the West fears it could retool its program to churn out fissile warhead material.

One of the diplomats — a senior official from a European nation — says the hall is too small to be able to house the tens of thousands of centrifuges needed for peaceful industrial nuclear enrichment but the right size for the few thousand advanced machines that could generate the amount of weapons grade uranium needed for a military nuclear program.

The construction timeline of the facility, near the holy city of Qom is also important because it could help shed light on Tehran's ultimate nuclear aims and reflect its determination to keep its activities secret as far back as the initial revelation seven years ago that Iran had a clandestine nuclear program. Iran says it wants to enrich only to make nuclear fuel but the West fears it could turn its program toward making fissile warhead material.

The diplomats said Thursday that Iran started building the plant near Qom in 2002, then paused for two years in 2004 before resuming construction in 2006.

Those years jibe with the years Iran's secret nuclear program was initially revealed, its suspension of enrichment — a key international demand — and its resumption of the activity.

All of the diplomats have access to information compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency. They demanded anonymity in exchange for discussing confidential matters.

Iran acknowledged in September that it was building the facility in a restricted note to the IAEA only a few days before the U.S., British and French leaders jointly denounced Tehran for keeping its existence secret. IAEA inspectors visited the planned enrichment plant last month.

Iran maintains it fulfilled its legal obligations in revealing it was being built, but IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has said Tehran was "outside the law" and should have informed his agency when the decision to construct it was made.

[cycloneye]

Feds seize NY Skyscraper at fifth avenue,4 Mosques,suspect of funding Iran to help build Nuclear Program

Another big bust against terrorists inside U.S soil.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33894877/ns ... tn_africa/

NEW YORK - Federal prosecutors Thursday took steps to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.

In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets of the Alavi Foundation and an alleged front company.

The assets include Islamic centers in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston, more than 100 acres in Virginia, and a 36-story office tower in New York.

Confiscating the properties would be a sharp blow against Iran, which has been accused by the U.S. government of bankrolling terrorism and seeking a nuclear bomb.

A telephone call and e-mail to Iran's U.N. mission seeking comment were not immediately answered.

[cycloneye]

Iran rejects U.N offer

Its a matter of time when the bombs start to fall at the nuclear plants.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34022248/ns ... tn_africa/

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday said his country would not export its enriched uranium for further processing, brushing aside the latest U.N. plan aimed at preventing Tehran from potentially building nuclear weapons.

Instead Manochehr Mottaki said Iran would consider a nuclear swap inside Iran as an alternative plan.

The United Nations last month offered a deal to take 70 percent of Iran's low-enriched uranium to reduce its stockpile of material that could be enriched to a higher level, and possibly be used to make nuclear weapons.

[Derek Ortt]

that matter of time is probably at least 25 years off

[Cryomaniac]

I think Israel might disagree Derek.

[vbhoutex]

I have to agree with Cryomainiac and Luis on this one. I will be very surprised if it is not sooner, much sooner than later. Iran has no intention of doing as the International community has demanded they do and we all know they willstall as long as possible. Some will cry "but they have most of the oil". Israel could care less since they are almost totally nuclear powered IIRC.

[cycloneye]

Iran begins large-scale war games

If Iran claims they are clean about producing nuclear weapons as they say,why they are doing these military excercises?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576195,00.html

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defense war games aimed at protecting the country's nuclear facilities against any possible attack, state television reported.

It said the five-day drill will cover an area a third of the size of Iran and spread across the central, western and southern parts of the country.

Gen. Ahmad Mighani, head of an air force unit that deals with threats to Iran's air space, said Saturday the war games would cover regions where Iran's nuclear facilities are located.

The drill involves both Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, the paramilitary Basij forces affiliated with the Guard as well as army units.