Iran's new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor

Iran's president Ahmadinejad has kept his promise of August 22, 2006 to provide the world with a 'new nuclear surprise' in a few days. That day is today. Ahmadinejad announced a 'new phase' in nuclear activity at the heavy-water reactor site at Khondab, near Arak. This is a slap in the face to the useless security council at the United Nations, who meets on August 31 to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at the launch of a new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor project today, just days ahead of a United Nations deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions.

"No one can deprive a nation of its rights based on its capabilities," Mr Ahmadinejad said in his speech to inaugurate the project. He said his country was not a threat to anybody, including Israel, which he identified as a "definite enemy".

The UN Security Council set an Aug. 31 deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment, the part of Tehran's atomic programme which the organisation sees as most controversial.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, says it only wants to produce electricity, but Western countries say that the plant's plutonium by-product could be used to make atomic warheads.

The ceremony at the heavy-water site at Khondab, near Arak, 120 miles (190 km) southwest of the capital Tehran, was attended by foreign and Iranian journalists.

The complex was protected by dozens of anti-aircraft guns and surrounded by a four-metre high barbed wire fence and photographers and television journalists were restricted to specific areas. source

Related:
"Ahmadinejad inaugurates heavy-water reactor plant", from Monsters and Critics
Iran's Real Answer, from Noblesse Oblige
Prophecy 101, sort of, from The Pine Blog
Slate: House intelligence committee says it has no confidence that spy agencies know what Tehran is up to.
"Storming of Romanian Oil Rig Continues Iran's Provocative Actions", from The Counterterrorism Blog
A good read: "Let Bush Be Bush", by Fore Left!
"Russia to United Nations, Sanctions Don't Work", from GM's Corner

Linked with bRight&Early, "First Cup"

Comments

[Chad Evans]

This demonstrates that Iran had no intention of meeting the negotiation precursor of stopping uranium enrichment even months ago when the final proposal reached Iranian hands. Even knowing full well they were working on finishing this plant, it still took Iran nearly three months to reject the proposal. This is yet more proof of Iran's intentions all along.

Strangely, what is not reported in the Telegraph article are two of the more important statements made by Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad claimed the world should fear the deay the Iranian people demanded nuclear weapons be built due to external threats and that this particular facility is off-limits to the IAEA because it has nothing to do with Iran's military program. In the past the IAEA has found one link between Iran's nuclear program and the nation's military, or at least one that was publicized, but this statement begs the question how many such links are there. Why else would you make such a statement?

[Rastaman]

The frustration level is getting to the point with me that I'm about ready to quit blogging. My last post on the "War on Terror" asks if we are ever going to have one and go after our real enemies... and after a day, no one has a comment, which makes me think the apathy is becoming a general malaise.
Iran is our number one enemy and nothing is being done while that country prepares to use nuclear terror to dominate the Middle East, and it continues to pour out trained terrorists to attack the rest of us. They only provide 5% of the worlds supply of oil and we can stop them from closing off the Straits of Hormuz. What the hell are we waiting for?

Rastaman
www.islamanazi.com