Iran OKs building 10 new enrichment plants

[cal04]

Source: MSNBC

Announcement comes days after the U.N. nuclear watchdog rebuked Tehran

Iran's government announced plans on Sunday to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants and said work would start within two months, state media reported.

The development was likely to further strain relations with Western powers, which suspect that the Islamic republic seeks to develop nuclear bombs, a charge Tehran denies.

The plan would be a dramatic expansion of the program in defiance of U.N. demands it halt enrichment.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34193321/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

[kpete]

1. Iran approves building 10 enrichment sites

Source: Associated Press

Nov 29, 10:53 AM EST

Iran approves building 10 enrichment sites

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- The Iranian government approved a plan Sunday to build 10 industrial scale uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion of the program in defiance of U.N. demands it halt enrichment.

The decision comes only days after the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency censured Iran over its program and demanded it halt the construction of a newly revealed enrichment facility.

Iran's state news agency IRNA says the government ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to begin construction of five uranium enrichment sites that have already been studied and propose five other sites for future construction.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday evening, IRNA said.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_NUCLEAR?SITE=TXWIC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[grantcart]

2. They will need them when their gas gets cut off

[JonQ]

8. I don't think they're hurting for oil

[grantcart]

11. They have no refinement capacity and have to import 100% of their gasoline

Unlike most other economies they are exceptionally vulnerable to a sea based embargo.

[cowcommander]

3. Dangerous gamble

Israel will probably take matters into their own hands soon if the UN proves ineffective.

[JonQ]

9. Not likely

that would illicit a massive response from Iran and we've already shown that Israel would be on it's own in such a fight.

[AverageJoe5]

4. Good news

This is good news, if it's true. Iran is showing that it will not be bullied into abandoning it's rights to comply with the wishes of the selfish "big powers" who are armed with tens of thousands of nuclear warheads. Let them impose more sanctions, which will spur Iran to make even more technological advances so that it can become more self-reliant. A few years ago, Ahmadinejad is reported to have said "Thank God our enemies are idiots;" he may have been right.

[SpartanDem]

5. You're arguing favor of Iran violating the NPT?

It's never cease to amaze me the type people of far left supports. I'll bet you were cheering while Ahmadinejad shot those students... excuse me CIA plants

[AverageJoe5]

6. How, specifically, has Iran violated the NPT?

Article IV of the NPT states, explicitly, that Nothing in the Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination. What Iran is doing is in conformity with this requirement of the NPT.

Article IV also states that parties to the Treaty in a position to do so shall co-operate with other States to further the development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially in the territories of non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty, with due consideration for the needs of the developing areas of the world. This requirement calls on the "big powers" to assist Iran in developing it's nuclear program; instead, they are trying to thwart Iran's nuclear program. So it's the "big powers" which are violating the NPT.

[SpartanDem]

10. You have to be willing to prove that it's peaceful

Iran so has been unwilling and that why the IAEA has rebuked them. The "big powers" have come foward with a plan that allows Iran to have nuclear power while meeting the obligation to prove it peaceful in nature.

On 30 September, speaking in New Delhi, the IAEA Director General confirmed that Iran has violated its obligations.<1>

Iran’s basic safeguards obligations are set out in its Safeguards Agreement (INFCIRC/214). This agreement was ratified by the Iranian parliament and entered into force in May 1974.

Like all others, Iran's Safeguards Agreement sets out general principles. It does not contain the exact details of how safeguards are to be applied. These details are included in much more complex Subsidiary Arrangements, which do not require ratification by national legislatures.

The Subsidiary Arrangements specify when a state must report a new facility to the IAEA. "Code 3.1" of the 1976 version of the Subsidiary Arrangements requires states to report on new facilities “normally no later than 180 days before the facility is scheduled to receive nuclear material for the first time.”

It became clear that this requirement did not provide the IAEA with sufficient time to plan and prepare for safeguards. So, in the early 1990s the IAEA modified Code 3.1. The new version requires states to report on a new facility as soon as the decision to construct it is taken.

In February 2003, shortly after its original clandestine centrifuge plant—the one at Natanz—was discovered, Iran agreed to the modified Code 3.1.<2> As is usual, this was accomplished by an exchange of letters.

In March 2007, however, Iran announced to the IAEA that it was suspending the implementation of the modified Code 3.1 and reverting back to the original form. The United States has claimed that Iran started building the Qom facility before this date. If this claim is correct—and the IAEA should try and verify it—then Iran obviously breached its obligations.

However, even if Iran only decided to build the facility after March 2007 then the charge of non-compliance still stands because Iran is not permitted to modify its subsidiary arrangements without the permission of the IAEA

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23884&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

[The Stranger]

14. Is that it?

They didn't provide enough details. They didn't give IAEA with sufficient time to plan (from the 1990s). They suspended implementation of some code provision.

Is that it?

You want to start another murderous war killing innocent people, and that is all you've got?

[SpartanDem]

15. Who said anything about a fucking war?

[Arrowhead2k1]

16. That's where this is all heading.

I'm just waiting for the mother fucking headline on CNN.com saying "BREAKING NEWS: Israeli warplanes strike nuclear sites in Iran. More to come..."

[JonQ]

7. But we had international support

dozens of nations said that their feelings would be hurt if Iran built nukes, how can this be?

It's almost as if they don't respect international opinions on this matter.

[jasi2006]

12. Why don't they just withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty?

Inda, Pakistan, and Israel are not members and they have nukes. Why all the bullshit?

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Does That Include Rebuilding The Current Ones?

When Israel takes care of business?

The only good news here is that Iran is sending a loud and clear message that it's wildly irresponsible, so there'll be less gnashing of teeth than, say, when Israel ended Sadam's nuclear program.