Iran "shocked" by reaction to nuclear facility. They disclosed it "a year earlier than required"

[rmp yellow]

Just in from the Washington Post:

"The head of Iran's nuclear program said he was "shocked" by the West's angry reaction to news that his country is opening a second uranium enrichment facility, which he said was disclosed a year earlier than required by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, state television reported Saturday.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said the facility 60 miles south of Tehran would be completed within "a year and a half to two years," the Arabic language state news channel Al Alam quoted him as saying."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/26/AR2009092601359.html?hpid=topnews

[MoJoWorkin]

1. Deception as usual---they are snakes in the grass....

From AP:

New Iran uranium enrichment site raises concerns

<snip>

The Iranians claim to have withdrawn from an agreement with the IAEA requiring them to notify the agency about their intent to build any new nuclear facilities and to be subject only to a six-month notification requirement. Ahmadinejad said Friday the plant was 18 months from being operational.

But the IAEA says Tehran cannot unilaterally withdraw from that bilateral agreement.

<snip>

read the rest here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090926/ap_on_re_eu/eu_nuclear_iran

[rmp yellow]

6. True

I think u are right.

[Arctic Dave]

2. I can't believe people are even suprised that they built another plant.

If you keep threatening to blow up the totally legal plant they have, it would make sense to build another in a different location. Why is this a hard concept to wrap heads around?

[Igel]

7. That's about the only reasoned defense of it.

Of course, it presupposes that they firmly believe that Israel or the US is going to bomb the plant at Natanz, which in turn presupposes either that the Iranians will be unable to convince others that their intentions are peaceful or that Israel and the US are irrational actors.

It also presupposes that enriching uranium is such a matter of national urgency that it has to be assured regardless of what outsiders might do. Personally, the Russian offer of just selling the uranium, provided that the used metal is returned, strikes me as a reasonably cost-effective alternative to building two different, hardened enrichment sites. The Russian offer also makes it less a matter of national urgency.

It might be pride--who can tell if such chauvinism is warranted or not? It might be paranoia (which is seldom a positive trait).

So while it's the only reasoned defense, it kind of sucks as a good defense.

[Arctic Dave]

8. Well since Isreal has a history of bombing nuclear reactors and the US has a history

of bombing foriegn countries I would suspect anything to do with a nuclear program would be concealed and hardened just for these reasons. As for the Russians "giving" nuclear fuel, it's always amazing how expensive things are that are "free". And, why tie yourself to the descretion of another country that also has a history of invading and bombing ME countries.
What the Iranians are doing is nothing that shouldn't be expected from any practical country.

[invictus]

9. +1

[OwnedByFerrets]

11. Good Post.

[Cha]

14. How practical is it to deny the

Holocaust?

[Arctic Dave]

15. Really, Cha?

[Cha]

19. Yeah. How stupid is this guy, Ahmadinejad?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113171156&ps=cprs

[Arctic Dave]

20. Smart enough to build a secondary facility for their nuclear program.

So I guess that puts him in line with everyone else who has a nuclear program.

[Cha]

23. And, dumb enough to deny the

Holocaust.

[uponit7771]

17. Yeap, that's a good reason to bomb a country and start a war

[Cha]

18. Oh, you know I didn't say that.

[jeanpalmer]

24. I don't believe he is denying the Holocaust

He knows as well as anyone that it happened. He might at times allow himself to appear to do so, but that's just to stick a finger in the eye and poke some fun. He's kidding. I think this article explains what he's really about.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23579.htm

[ShortnFiery]

21. Well put.

I'd only add that it's the USA is FEARED by the VAST MAJORITY of nations. We are the biggest exporter of death and destruction than any other nation on the planet.

Despite an articulate and intelligent President, the rest of the world looks on with FEAR ... and some LOATHING. :(

[BeyondGeography]

3. Next thing you know, they'll discover gambling in this establishment

[DevonRex]

5. Heh heh. What a lovely guy and a great movie! nt

[TomCADem]

4. The Right Wing Is Shocked By The Reaction Of Liberals To Firearms At Health Care Protests!

It is all perfectly legal, right?

:sarcasm:

[invictus]

10. I am "shocked" by how many neo-cons are in DU posing as Democrats.

[bigwillq]

13. .......

:thumbsup:

[democrat2thecore]

12. Nukes in the hands of religious mullahs? No thanks.

Iran is not just a country that needs to have nukes to "defend itself." Iran is a religious tyranny run by mullahs who have more on their minds than just spiritual "enlightenment." I fear religious zealots (of ALL stripes) more than anything - they scare the crap out of me.

[uponit7771]

16. Yeap, no republican should EVER be voted for ....ever

[democrat2thecore]

22. Even Iran's theocracy is beyond most Republicans - maybe not some though you're right

I wouldn't want them with a nuke button either.