Tunneling Near Iranian Nuclear Site Stirs Worry

[sabra]

Source: WP

The sudden flurry of digging seen in recent satellite photos of a mountainside in central Iran might have passed for ordinary road tunneling. But the site is the back yard of Iran's most ambitious and controversial nuclear facility, leading U.S. officials and independent experts to reach another conclusion: It appears to be the start of a major tunnel complex inside the mountain.

The question is, why? Worries have been stoked by the presence nearby of fortified buildings where uranium is being processed. Those structures in turn are now being connected by roads to Iran's nuclear site at Natanz, where the country recently started production of enriched uranium in defiance of international protests.

As a result, photos of the site are being studied by governments, intelligence agencies and nuclear experts, all asking the same question: Is Iran attempting to thwart future military strikes against its nuclear facility by placing key parts of it in underground bunkers?

The construction has raised concerns at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based U.N. watchdog that monitors Iran's nuclear program. On Friday, an IAEA spokeswoman confirmed that the agency has broached the subject with Iranian officials. "We have been in contact with the Iranian authorities about this, and we have received clarifications," said Melissa Fleming, the spokeswoman. She declined to elaborate.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/08/AR2007070801307.html?nav=rss_nation/special

[Eugene]

1. Iran slowing down uranium enrichment work: ElBaradei

Source: Reuters

Iran slowing down uranium enrichment work: ElBaradei
Mon Jul 9, 2007 10:43AM EDT

By Mark Heinrich and Karin Strohecker

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has slowed the expansion of its
disputed uranium enrichment program, the head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday, after
Western powers threatened to hit Tehran with harsher
sanctions.

The Iranian shift was detected by IAEA inspectors last week
after months in which Iran accelerated the installation of
centrifuge machines that refine uranium, an effort Western
leaders suspect is covertly meant to yield atomic bombs.

The Islamic Republic has condemned two batches of limited
U.N. Security Council sanctions adopted since December as
illegal, insisting its program aims only at generating electricity
and vowing to press on no matter what.

IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei said agency inspectors who
just revisited Iran's vast underground enrichment plant at
Natanz found it was scaling back its expansion in operations.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL0922969320070709

[kineneb]

2. digging in

probably...nor would I blame them

great "parody" article, rec. reading for those who complain about Iran:
If Iran Were America (And We Were Iran): A Timeline
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/bryan2.html

[dysfunctional press]

3. Is Iran attempting to thwart future military strikes against its nuclear facility...?

...by placing key parts of it in underground bunkers?

how DARE they!!!

[Wwagsthedog]

4. Red herring? nt

[Javaman]

6. Quick, start digging over there!

that should keep washington busy for a few weeks. LOL

[shanti]

5. iran

a friend of a friend who works for the canadian government was sent to iran last week for 6 weeks, to assist in the "shoring up" of the canadian embassy in tehran. wonder what THAT'S all about?

[IndianaGreen]

7. I am not worried about Iran, and the US should not do Israel's bidding in that region

American blood should not be shed to protect Israel.

[NonRepuke]

8. What if we don't protect Israel?

Will they just manipulate us into war with Iran? I still haven't ruled out Israeli involvement in 9-11. I'm not an anti-semite either. My concern is with the Israeli government in this Iran issue.

[IndianaGreen]

10. There is an unholy alliance between evangelicals, neocons, and Israel Lobby

and they oftentimes echo the views and goals of the most extreme rightwing elements in Israel. Unfortunately, the only Israeli views aired on American media are those of the rightwingers. How many times have you seen Bibi Netanyahu on American cable news shows? How many times have you ever seen a representative of Israel's Left?

[daleo]

9. It might just be quantum tunneling

After all, this is nuclear physics.

[Tesha]

11. Done by a pride of Schroedinger's Cats, no doubt. (NT)

[hogwyld]

12. Late breaking news...

Immigrants are tunneling under the border. Just more warmongering crap to jump up and down for.