Not one bit of Bush/neocon/Haliburton/Illuminati conspiracy theory to it: this is all UN.
Iran is forging ahead with its nuclear programme, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog reported on Wednesday, deepening the dilemma facing US president-elect Barack Obama over his campaign promise to engage with Tehran.
The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency reveals that Iran is rapidly increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium, which could be rendered into weapons-grade material should Tehran decide to develop a nuclear device.
The agency says that, as of this month, Tehran had amassed 630kg of low enriched uranium hexafluoride, up from 480kg in late August. Analysts say Iran is enriching uranium at such a pace that, by early next year, it could reach break-out capacity – one step away from producing enough fissile material for a crude nuclear bomb.
“They are moving forward, they are not making diplomatic overtures, they are accumulating low enriched uranium,” said Cliff Kupchan, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, a risk consultancy in Washington. “These guys are committed to their nuclear programme: if we didn’t know that, they just told us again.”
The IAEA report also says there has been a breakdown of communication between the agency and Iran over alleged research on an atomic weapon. “The Iranians are making good progress on enrichment but there is absolute stone-walling on past military activities,” said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International institute for Strategic Studies. “It’s very disappointing.”
Israeli Air Force chief: We are ready to deal with Iran
“We are ready to do whatever is demanded of us” in order to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, IAF commander Maj. -Gen. Ido Nehushtan told German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview published Tuesday. Nehushtan told the magazine that whether a military strike is eventually decided upon is a political question and not an issue of Israel’s military capabilities.
A strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities “is a political decision,” the IAF commander said, “but if I understand it correctly, all options are on the table… The Air Force is a very robust and flexible force. We are ready to do whatever is demanded of us.”
No more Bush/neocon/Haliburton conspiracies…I ALMOST feel empty. Yet, with a simple wave I express my sadness and my joy at seeing them fade from the popular excuse list, and instead look forward to how President Obama will just, you know…talk to Iran, and then everything will be better.
Yeah, right.
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I see a pre-emptive strike in Israel’s immediate future.
To Israel: Bomb Baby Bomb, it’s coming down to survival for you.
I agree jainphx. After Jan 20, Israel won’t be able to count on the US anymore.
I think Pres Bush or Pres Obama should fly to Iran right now. Yeah….I’ll be holding my breath for that one. Bush ain’t gonna do it (he knows better), and Obama (who also knows better) ain’t gonna do it either.
Talks are not likely to work-haven’t before, and if they’re not likely, then what’s another option?
enhanced sanctions are not likely to work since China and Russia back Iran unconditionally and other nations do so w shame, but still do so
Ok, talks not gonna work, sanctions not gonna work-next option?
(if it were me, I’d take the first 2 pages of Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising and apply them to Iran’s gasoline refineries via MEK, but hey…that’s me)
That would hurt them and slow their progress down a bunch. No money, no nukes. Not sure if it would be permanent though.
The left is so incapable of facing the fact that Iran wants to destroy Israel, they blame those that are trying to stop them of being the war mongers.
I don’t know what Israel is waiting for.
Nuke Iran off the face of the planet.
I wish Benjamin Netanyahu was back in charge.
Forget Israel for the moment…what’s Obama waiting for? This is his chance to jump ahead, appoint a SecState, send Hillary to Iran to talk “as a citizen” or send Carter (Oh MAN would that be a great photo op-him standing in front of the US embassy that still says, “DEATH TO AMERICA!” on it). At least make a political statement saying that he’ll meet w Iranian ambassador on day1. That would make it at least LOOK like he was paying attention to the building crisis. Nooooo, he’s got Innaugural balls to go to.
Obama’s got a real opportunity to take advantage of the transition time, to build foreign policy credibility, to prevent a nuclear war, and what’s he doing? He’s handing cupcakes to Joe Biden. I guess that’s effectively voting PRESENT by actions not words.
Everyone who has ever ridden a roller coaster knows that feeling at the top of the first hill, when the chain has disengaged, and you can feel gravity take over. That was November 4th. We still haven’t actually built up any speed, but the cars are starting to roll down that long fist drop. I hope everyone is securely buckled in, because there isn’t much we can do now except hold on and ride the ride.
Since we do not know what Obama’s real foreign policy will be like, only campaign platitudes and blather, I am going to wait and see what he actually does before I form an opinion. That isn’t optimism talking, but my name isn’t “the Amazing Kreskin”. I would not be shockingly surprised if Obama turns out to be a hothead. He has shown flashes of temper over being “dissed”. How will he take it when some President or Premier gives a televised speech addressing Obama and America, and scratches his nose with his middle finger? (verbally or literally)
I don’t see Israel doing any preemptive strikes until several months after 20Jan. I think they are anxious to hear back from the incoming administration following the security intel briefs to ascertain whether the Obama-Biden administration will change their position (from what was stated in the debates) and continue with the America-Israeli past alliance or leave them to the wolves as was hinted at. We might have a better idea of what might happen had Charlie Gibson or any other Obama cherishing news folks ever bothered to pose the same questions to Obama as he did to Palin.
If the administration and U.N. does not take action, Israel will and things will get ugly. Further sanctions will not do squat. We already have historical evidence of that with past rogue regimes such as Iran during the hostage crisis, Qaddafi, & the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Sanctions only really serve to hurt the common people and incite them to make demands upon their government. For them to work, you must have a government that has some interest in what their own citizens have to say. Talk will also be a waste of time, Iran will play along pretending to be interested, while secretly continuing to develop their nukes. We saw how well that worked with Kim Jong Il. I only see this continuing to degrade and the only things to prevent Israel from moving in would be for, American Forces, NATO forces, or U.N. “Peace Keeping Forces” invading Iran and forcing compliance. If Obama PDDs his CinC powers to the U.N. Secretary General like Clinton did, it will be primarily America going in, just like in Somalia & Serbia.
Israel submitted to sitting on their hands when Saddam was launching Scud missiles at them during Desert Storm/Desert Shield only because their NATO allies convinced them they did not want things escalating into a Holy War. Every nation in the U.N. sighed with relief as they knew Israel was well within it’s rights to react. Though Israel’s patience was severely tested, they did back down with some reservations. This peace offer being suggested by Arab countries is the same old-same old that comes up every time; If Israel gives up some territory in the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem to Palestinians, the Arabs will supposedly be more supportive of Israel. Yet it never works out that way and Israel knows it. The development continuing along the Gaza strip is a definite message to the Arab world. This happens every time threats are perceived to show Israel will push the Palestinians out if need be, and those refugees would be forced to relocate to surrounding countries who do not want them. If Arab nations expect Israel to take them seriously, they must react in kind this time and lean severely on Iran to cut the crap. There is no difference in this case. Ahmadinejad has already made his intentions clear to the world in his verbal threat to Israel’s sovereignty. This alone is sufficient cause for Israel to react if he moves to carry out his plans. They would need no U.N. approval.
Israel cannot and will not allow Iran to finish construction of a nuclear weapon. They may seem to be biding their time for now, but they will move in a preemptive attack, as soon as intelligence reveals Iran is close. If and when that happens, Israel will already be prepared for Jordan, Syria, and others to join in. Any actions in that regard such as military pre-staging will bring swift response. Israel has had decades to prepare and plan for such an event. NATO will have no choice but to get involved.