Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Iran: drawing a line and the "freebie defense"
Less than a day after Russia and China stepped up to support the referral of Iran's nuclear doings, whatever they are, to the United Nations Security Council, Tehran has declared an end to diplomacy.Iran struck back Tuesday at the Big Five powers' decision to refer Iran's nuclear file to the U.N. Security Council, saying the move would mean the end of diplomacy over its atomic program.
In other words, Iran double-dares the UNSC. We will soon learn whether the Security Council can provide the least bit of security.
The Associated Press locates some room to maneuver, though:
Still, in what appeared to be an attempt to show it was cooperating with the West, Iran handed over documents last week to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency on casting uranium into the shape of a warhead, diplomats in Vienna, Austria, said.
Huh? The background would be hilarious if it weren't so frightening:
Diplomats in Vienna said that IAEA inspectors in Iran had received last week 1 1/2 pages that describe how to cast fissile uranium into the hemispherical shape of warheads. The document, which Iran acquired on the nuclear black market, was apparently handed over to allay suspicions ahead of Thursday's meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board....
Late last year, inspectors saw the document that apparently showed how to mold highly enriched grade uranium into the core of warheads, and it figured in a November report by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.
Initial reports said the IAEA was given the documents at that time but the diplomats said Friday that Tehran handed them over only last week in a show of cooperation meant to head off increasing international consensus on reporting Iran to the Security Council over suspicions that its nuclear activities might be a cover for developing weapons.
The document was given to Iran by members of the nuclear black market network, the IAEA said. It showed how to cast "enriched, natural and depleted uranium metal into hemispherical forms."
Iran has claimed it did not ask for the document but was given it anyway as part of other black market purchases.
Oh. Well, that's a horse of a different color, right there. I mean, if Iran didn't ask for the plans necessary to shape enriched uranium into warheadesque shapes suitable for implantation in an atomic bomb, but got them as a freebie "as part of other black market purchases," then what's all the fuss about?
It is astonishing that anybody thinks that these tyrannical clowns can be trusted with nuclear weapons.
3 Comments:
By 
Cardinalpark, at
Tue Jan 31, 04:38:00 PM:
The best news here seems to be the apparently unanimous view of the major powers that an Persian Islamo-bomb is dangerous and unpredictable.
Who wants to bet that Hamas, having lost its funding from the US and others, will now seek and receive it from Iran?
I make this bet given the track record Palestinian leadership has for making friends. Each one over time has gotten their ass handed to it militarily.
I guess Iran is next.
By 
, at
Wed Feb 01, 04:28:00 AM:
The Iranians already know the answer from either the Chinese or the Iranians. They will milk the refusal to do anything for all it is worth.
By , at
Wed Feb 01, 04:30:00 AM:
Sorry: Should read the Chinese or the Russians. Broke my own rule - never post in the early morning without drinking at least one cup of coffee first.
