Iran Has Always Clandestinely Sought the Bomb, Admits Ex-president

[geek tragedy]

Source: Haaretz

Rafsanjani, who is head of Iran’s State Exigency Council, explained that Iran's goal was deterrence in light of its extended war with Iraq.


"Those years, we were all thinking that we should arm ourselves with deterrent elements since the war was not about to end and in our defensive policies we had the word of Imam [Khomeini] in mind that the war may last 20 years,” said

According to the IRNA interview as reported by NCRI, Rafsanjani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have personally followed up on the project to acquire a nuclear bomb. He also acknowledged the clandestine nature of the nuclear program, which has included building secret sites, enriching uranium, manufacturing centrifuge parts, employing laser technology and constructing a heavy water reactor.

“80% to 90% of the Iranian people… concur with the [nuclear] accord and want to be done with it [nuclear project],” stated Rafsanjani. The National Council pointed out that this statement contradicts the Islamic regime's official position that the Iranian people have been fully behind the project.


Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.682812

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The level of candor is more surprising than the subject matter of the admission.

I'm sure some will, ironically, try to spin this as proof that the Iran nuclear deal was a bad idea, when in reality it's exactly the opposite.

[karynnj]

1. Agree completely -- and this admission is also in keeping with the

agreement to admit what their program was. Reading it, you can see how carefully they threaded that needle - they DID have a clandestine program, but the reason they developed it was as a deterrent. This statement allows them to come clean on weapons programs, while maintaining that they were not intending to bomb anyone.

It is interesting that they simultaneously reject the idea that their program was for offensive use while correcting long stated positions that they did not have a weapons program. I think these admissions were part of what was required of Iran in the agreement.

Of course, the common wisdom of every country that was negotiating with them was that they had a weapons program -- and as many of those foreign ministers, including Kerry, said the west KNEW they did because they found some of the facilities.

[uawchild]

2. "I'm sure some will, ironically, try to spin this..."

OP: "I'm sure some will, ironically, try to spin this as proof that the Iran nuclear deal was a bad idea, when in reality it's exactly the opposite."

Oh, I am sure you are right.

"43% of Americans would shut down government to block Iran deal. Contentious nuclear pact deemed a better reason for holding the government hostage than repealing Obamacare, poll finds."

"Some four in 10 Americans would have supported Republicans holding Washington hostage to prevent the Iran nuclear deal, a new survey found, though many oppose using a federal shutdown to force through other GOP goals."

http://www.timesofisrael.com/43-of-americans-would-shut-down-government-to-block-iran-deal/

[geek tragedy]

3. 43% would gladly vote for Ben Carson if he's their nominee.

There's only about 55% of the country that's actually reasonable.

[frizzled]

4. Nukes deter war. They'd be insane NOT to get a bomb.

I'm pleased that this shows the Iranian leadership are rational actors.

[hollowdweller]

6. After the US invaded 2 bombless countries but left North Korea alone.

What country that was not friends with the US would NOT want the bomb.

[frizzled]

7. I always said to pro-Iraq war types, "If they had WMD, why would we invade"?

They had trouble answering that one.

[AngryAmish]

16. Then we talked Khaddaffy into giving up the bomb, then killed him

Do not trust the US.

[EX500rider]

17. He was killed by his own people,

[daleo]

21. NATO played a prominent role in the civil war

[Yupster]

22. Yeah, we only bombed his convoy

His people flushed him out once he was on foot.

We were entirely innocent.

[Oneironaut]

14. The problem is, Iran isn't fully rational.

If they felt they could get away with it, they would try to sneak a bomb into the U.S. and set it off through the use of terrorists. The challenge is making sure they don't do that. Remember that they are still a country run by fundamentalists.

[cpwm17]

15. You have no evidence for that

none.

[Oneironaut]

18. Do you trust fundamentalists who said that their sky fairy wants you dead?

Any country run by religion is by default untrustworthy. They cannot be rational because their core beliefs are irrational (and often violent).

[cpwm17]

19. Iran doesn't have much of of history of being particularly violent.

The US certainly does. The Iranians do have a rational need to protect themselves from US violence:

http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/12/eye-opening-graphic-map-of-muslim-countries-that-the-u-s-and-israel-have-bombed/

This “three-decade war for domination of the Middle East” becomes apparent when we consider how many Muslim countries the peace-loving United States and her “stalwart ally” Israel have bombed:

During Bill Clinton’s presidency, the U.S. bombed Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan.

In the time of George Bush, the U.S. bombed Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, and Somalia.

Under Barack Obama, the U.S. is currently bombing Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. According to some reports (see here and here), we can add Iran to this ever-expanding list. [Update: An Informed Comment reader named Shannon pointed out that in fact the United States bombed Iran in 1988 during Operating Praying Mantis, an act that “cannot be justified” according to the International Court of Justice.]

Thanks to American arms and funding, our “stalwart ally” Israel has bombed every single one of its neighbors, including Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Israel has also bombed Tunisia and Iraq (how many times can Americans and Israelis bomb this country?).

The total number of Muslim countries that America and Israel have bombed comes to fourteen: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Iran, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has military bases in several countries in the Greater Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, UAE, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Chad.

The US did overthrow their democracy, support Iraqi aggression against them, shoot down an airliner flying over Iranian territory. and conduct years of sanctions against them. They know who the real threat is.

[Oneironaut]

20. And their country is a theocracy that frequently murders its own people,

and threatens to wipe Israel off the map. Because they haven't acted out recently does not mean that they won't.

I'm not saying we should bomb them or threaten them in any way, but they can't ever be trusted. All it takes is one rogue fanatic in their military to make setting off a nuke his mission.

They would still be untrustworthy regardless of outside threats. They take orders from "God."

[bemildred]

5. Refreshing candor. nt

[geek tragedy]

8. one could argue that the Iran nuclear deal is already providing benefits

outside the four corners of the deal itself

[bemildred]

9. They seem to intend to comply.

That can't be bad.

Things seem to be afoot now diplomatically.

Erdogan is throwing conniptions before the election.

The Sauds are eating their peas.

Karennj and I were discussing a while ago the likelihood that all sorts of things would start to move now that the Iran deal is done.

[geek tragedy]

10. rejecting the Iran deal would have led to a retrenchment of the status quo

Some players (Turkey, Israel, Saudis) are jealously protective of the status quo. Iranians, though no more enlightened to say the least, were extremely dissatisfied with the status quo.

[bemildred]

11. I think Iran will not get too big for its britches.

Like you say. They have much to gain by playing ball. And the war is proving expensive for them too. And Uncle Sugar and Russia can both make them pay.

Seems everybody is going to Vienna now.

[leveymg]

12. The period after the Iran-Iraq War isn't "always." Even 20 years ended in 2007

which was the date of the CIA Assessment that held Iran had discontinued its program.

Also, let's not forget it was AQ Khan who with the assistance of the CIA sold centrifuges to both Iraq and Iran.

I hate headline writers who spin and fail to provide context.