Iran to allow UN inspectors at its new nuke site

[jefferson_dem]

Source: AP

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI (AP) – 23 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's nuclear chief says his country will allow the U.N. nuclear agency to inspect its newly revealed, still unfinished uranium enrichment facility.

Ali Akbar Salehi didn't specify when inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency could visit the site. He says the timing will be worked out with the U.N. watchdog.

Iran's newly revealed site is said to be in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom, inside a heavily guarded, underground facility.

The pilot plant will house 3,000 centrifuges that could soon produce nuclear fuel — or the payload for atomic warheads. Salehi spoke on state TV Saturday.

He says Iran has "pre-empted a conspiracy" against Tehran by the U.S. and its allies by reporting the site voluntarily to the IAEA.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG7bnyWWJfgaYD-JwcqmImlpRujwD9AV1UMO2

[bertman]

1. This is quite the strategic battle. I was reading last night an article that said that President

Obama was using "deep strategy" as he lined up support to call out the Iranians on the facility that he and the U.S. gov't have known existed for nine months. It stated that he has been "working" this situation for months in his diplomatic dance with the Iranians.

So, if the inspectors go into this facility and determine that it is not producing weapons-grade fuel, wouldn't that indicate that they have been playing a pretty good hand in this high-stakes poker match?

Even if the answer is yes, I am really glad that we have a President who is acting with diplomacy rather than saber-rattling during a crucial time that could become a crisis.

[FarCenter]

2. The Iranians prematurely exploded the "bombshell" that Obama was going to use at the talks next week

[JamesDean]

3. Iran

I'm sure we'll keep talking until the first mushroom cloud appears.
After that, we'll keep talking until the first mushroom cloud appears in South America.

[tridim]

6. Condi, is that you? Dick?

[Lochloosa]

8. *crickets*

[Greyskye]

7. Going out like your namesake?

:shrug:

[bemildred]

4. Not cooperating at all, are they? nt

[CountAllVotes]

5. oh no

here we go again. Deja vu. :( :nuke:

:kick:

[Wizard777]

9. I think it was a bold and wise move by Iran.

The openness takes the wind out of the sails of detractors and conspiracy theorists.

[spotbird]

10. It buys time

Eventually they'll just accuse Iran of something frankly false as a pretense for attack.

[GodDamLiberal]

11. Obama had a bush moment

He strutted out there to the news conference with his buddies telling us about this secret site.
Then within a few minutes we find out that most of the western world knew about it and had been watching it for some time.
Then to top it off we find out that Iran had told the IAEA a few days earlier.
It makes him look like an idiot.

[tabatha]

12. Obama has known about it for some time.

Be careful who you call an idiot; Obama is not.

[BeyondGeography]

13. What's with all the trolls here?

All that diplomacy got you boys feeling down in the dumps?

[winyanstaz]

14. Great...good news.

Now when will Israel allow inspectors to see their nukes??