Hustlin Entertainment

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050808/...a/iran_nuclear

ISFAHAN, Iran - Iran stepped up its confrontation with the West over its nuclear program, restarting work at a uranium conversion facility Monday in a move the United States and Europe have warned will prompt them to seek U.N. sanctions.

The resumption strikes a blow at European efforts to persuade Iran to rein in a program that Washington says is intended to develop nuclear weapons. Over the weekend, Iran, which says it aims only to produce electricity, rejected European proposals for economic incentives in return for limiting its nuclear activities.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, will hold an emergency meeting of its 35-member board of governors Tuesday to discuss the standoff with Iran.

Critics of Tehran question why Iran, which has vast reserves of petroleum, would need nuclear energy. Iran has responded by pointing out that it was Washington which first urged it to pursue a nuclear energy program while the pro-U.S. shah was in power.

France, Germany, Britain and the United States are likely to push for Iran to be referred to the U.N. Security Council, where they could seek new economic sanctions. But sanctions are far from a sure thing: Russia, which has helped Iran build its first nuclear reactor, and China, which has been strengthening ties with Tehran, hold veto power in the council.

"I think Iran should really bear in mind that this step is a step in the wrong direction," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said, according to ZDF television. But he suggested negotiations could continue, saying: "We are trying to prevent a negative trend with fatal consequences."

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy urged Tehran to reconsider, saying it wasn't too late to turn back. "I call on Iran one more time, tonight, to listen to the voice of reason," he said.

Tehran suspended its nuclear activities in November to avoid sanctions and as a gesture in the negotiations with Europe. But it has expressed frustration with the talks and has been threatening for weeks to resume part of the program ? work done at the Uranium Conversion Facility outside the city of Isfahan.

On Sunday, Iran brushed off the sanctions threat.

"We are not concerned and are ready for everything," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. He called the threats "not effective. What interests us is cooperation. We advise Europe to withdraw its threats."

On Monday, work at Isfahan resume, after IAEA inspectors installed cameras and other surveillance equipment intended to ensure no nuclear material is diverted. Iranian technicians in white suits and surgical masks rolled out barrels of yellowcake ? raw uranium ? to begin the conversion process.

The facility covers over 150 acres spread along mountains outside the city. Parts of the facility were built in tunnels in the mountains as protection from airstrikes. It is also surrounded by radar stations and anti-aircraft batteries.

Iran learned a lesson from the 1981 Israeli airstrike against Iraq's main nuclear reactor. Iran has spread its facilities over several locations, each with underground installations. The Isfahan facility and the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz house the heart of the country's nuclear program.

The Isfahan Conversion Facility, 255 miles south of Tehran, carries out an early stage of the cycle for developing nuclear fuel, turning yellowcake into UF-6 gas, the feedstock for enrichment.

In the next stage of the process ? which Iran has said it will not resume for the time being ? the gas is fed in centrifuges for enrichment. Uranium enriched to a low level is used to produce nuclear fuel; further enrichment makes it suitable for use in an atomic bomb.

Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said work was resuming "stage by stage" at Isfahan, starting with the unit that makes ammonium uranyl carbonate, or AUC, a component in the conversion process.

The plant will soon start turning yellowcake into UF-4, a preliminary stage before UF-6, the state news agency reported.

The AUC unit had not been sealed by the U.N. watchdog agency. Within the next two days, IAEA inspectors will remove seals that were put in place on the unit where UF-4 is turned into UF-6, bringing the facility into full operation, Saeedi said.

The seals are voluntary, and the IAEA has no choice but to remove them when Iran asks. Tehran says it is abiding by IAEA inspections of its sites, and allowed installation of surveillance equipment.

Iran has insisted it has the right under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to carry out the entire fuel cycle ? from raw uranium to fuel for a reactor. Europe fears that if Iran can develop fuel on its own, it will secretly produce material for a bomb.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said work had resumed as Isfahan before the surveillance equipment was tested, "which normally takes 24 hours," ElBaradei's spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said in Vienna.

Earlier, Iran converted some 37 tons of yellowcake into UF-4. Experts say that amount could yield 200 pounds of weapons-grade uranium, enough to make five crude nuclear weapons.

Saeedi said Iran is willing to wait on starting uranium enrichment until a deal is reached with Europe. "We won't restart work in Natanz for now," he said. "We hope we will reach a logical conclusion in talks with Europeans."

An exiled opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, accused Tehran of exploiting talks with the Europeans in a "cat and mouse game" to stall for time while covertly developing a nuclear weapons program.

Roald

uhhmm...no!

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Hustlin Entertainment

I think most likely your answer is correct QuaShe..

Damian_Maxcash

Im not sure what the post has to do with the title....

Why has this got anything to do with America's "alleged" arrogance?

Scootermuze

It's not America...
99% of us are just working folk with families trying to get by...

It's the administration that has the God complex.. and I seriously doubt that they speak for most of us..

Hustlin Entertainment

Any pre-schooler could put the article and America's war on iraq, terrorism, "every arab is a terrorist" and intolerance of muslims together..Do you really need help?

Mr Dickovitch

Are you here to support some socialist organization or to do business? Your company is a piece of shit.

Nismo

The Rothchilds control the world.

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Pleasurepays

any pre-schooler would know that Irans pursuit of nuclear weapons would happen regardless. they will be nuclear soon. they have been trying for a couple decades now... all while denying it and lying about it... just as india did, just as pakistan did, just as n. korea did, just as isreal did etc etc etc etc etc....

Damian_Maxcash

Of course I can connect the article with America's war on iraq, terrorism etc.

I still cant connect it with the title of this thread though

BlueDesignStudios

that's why you have elections.. and they did get voted in (twice)

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Scootermuze

With questionable voting tactics..

sixxxthsense

you really think that?

your votes are useless belive that

BlueDesignStudios

lol first time was questionable... 2nd time round there wasn't much wrong

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rambler

The majority of US voters voted for this admin the second time....it sure speaks volumes on their mentality.

pornguy

Yep. Americans are stupid, stupid, stupid!!!

to bad we fucking own everything.

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tony286

winning by the smallest percentage of a second term president , I wouldnt call majority. It was almost split even and if they didnt fuck us in ohio . It would be president kerry

PixeLs

A superior United Staes? False sense of superiority, I would Agree. ;)

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Pleasurepays

the problem is that democrats can't offer up a decent candidate. two elections, two 1/2 brain dead idiots that could not get more support than bush, who is a man with the public speaking skills of a semi-retarded and drunk 9 year old.

how fucking bad do you have to be to not be able to beat bush? people did not vote for bush or kerry... they voted against the other guy. they both were shitty choices.

tristan_D

I saw Bowling for Columbine and it showed how US meddled in some horrible events in history.

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Pleasurepays

I saw The Wizard of Oz where it was revealed that there is a secret land in the clouds controlled by an all knowing wizard.

nofx

amerikkka owns all

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reed_4

he doesn't own my balls

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mardigras

The voting machines with no paper trail created by a company who's CEO said they were committed to delivering Ohio's vote to GWB... Not much wrong there

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mardigras

Actually I those who voted for Bush really voted for Bush. Those were for the most part the activated right-wing who want their morals shoved down everyone else's throat. Those of us who voted for Kerry voted against Bush

Kerry and Gore combined have the personality of a mop, and about as stiff.

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thaifan99

So what are the Iranians really after?

This is just a bargaining tool......they know full well they could all be glass PDQ.

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wjxxx

this article shows that european way of dealing with Iran is all wrong. It`s

time for american way - they should destroy iranian nuclear facilities ASAP

mardigras

They don't want the war against terror visiting them.

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MrChips

America owns the world - joke.

Absolutely hilarious.

Please - Im falling off my chair.

TetsuoIronMan

Just a few points about this mess.

1. Persians are not arabs.

2. Iran is far from creating an effective bomb and they havent got the launch capabilities either. The russianswont sell it to them. They CAN threaten the US carrier fleets in the gulf though. (although Im not sure if they can get the missiles from other sources)

3. Iran would never hand nukes over to sunni terrorists like bin laden or his brainwashed goons. Possibly the only thing Iranians dislike more than Americans are Talibans and their likes.

4. USA invaded their neighbour over some fantasy excuse. Iranian leaders are probably curious about what could stop the yanks from steamrolling them at a time of their chosing.

5. If Saddam had nukes, would USA have invaded? Dont know but if Iran have nukes is sure as hell isnt going to be a flag-waving-march-of-freedom-all-the-way-to-Teheran.

6. Iran has some pretty unstable neighbours like Pakistan, Israel and Iraq. Sure the Iraqis havent got nukes but the Americans are there and they do. Of course we all know that USA wont nuke Iran - but does Iran know that too?

7. Yes the Americans pretty much control the world. Apart from a few fuckups like invading a few third world countries (where most of the time they got licked anyway) and recently chosing a moron for president I still think theyve been doing a pretty good job since that day in 1776. Also Id rather eat KFC than borstj.

Quagmire

Nothing, but it sure sucked us in to take a look.

The arrogance is global, not American to assume we can tell another country what they can or can not do.

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pr0

"We are not concerned and are ready for everything," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. He called the threats "not effective. What interests us is cooperation. We advise Europe to withdraw its threats."

You better be concerned, one tactical strike from israel & you're nuclear program goes poof. And if you think your AAA guns sorrounding the facility are going to stop anything, you're smoking crack.

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AmigoPorn

Everyone lied, but America.

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Pleasurepays

how old are you? 15?

AmigoPorn

No, but I'm sure you are.

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mikeyddddd

America is the frontman puppet for the secret organization that really calls the shots.

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bluedevil

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