America Instigated, Endorsed And Approved Iran's Current Nuclear Policy

[Newsjock]

Updated to link directly to originating site and correct attribution.
http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20060214_ctbee.d71e3fc.html

By William O. Beeman

The White House staff members who are trying to prevent Iran from developing its own nuclear-energy capacity, and who refuse to take military action against Iran "off the table," have conveniently forgotten that the United States was the midwife to the Iranian nuclear program 30 years ago.

Every aspect of Iran's current nuclear development was approved and encouraged by Washington in the 1970s. President Gerald Ford offered Iran a full nuclear cycle in 1976. Moreover, the only Iranian reactor currently about to become operative -- the reactor in Bushire (also known as Bushehr) -- was started before the Iranian revolution with U.S. approval, and cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium.

The Bushire reactor, a "light-water" reactor, produces Pu240, Pu241, and Pu242. Although these isotopes could theoretically be weaponized, the process is extremely long and complicated, and untried. To date, no nuclear weapon has ever been produced with plutonium produced with the kind of reactor at Bushire.

Moreover, the plant must be completely shut down in order for the fuel rods to be extracted -- making the process immediately open to inspection and detection. Other possible reactors in Iran are far in the future.

... William O. Beeman, a Brown University professor of anthropology and Middle East Studies, is author of The "Great Satan" vs. the "Mad Mullahs": How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other.

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[Vincardog]

1. K & R

[Karenina]

2. ...

:kick:

[Vincardog]

3. Illegal spying on US citizens

[Emit]

4. That link required that I register, so here's another link

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ac517cce4e1b80d6fa76f4089315a243

Wonder is the Bushire/Bushehr reactor has any connection to Poppy Bush -- I read somehwere that he had been involved in helping Iran with their nuclear power as well as Ford. Anyone know?