Iran - Nuclear Pariah - Part II

Iran – Nuclear Pariah – Part II

Précis:

Why is Iran searching for nuclear weapons technology, as well as weapons, capable of reaching Europe? Why have they built huge nuclear facilities at Natanz? What are the intended uses of the thousands of hidden centrifuges under the earth? Does this mean that Iran wants to use these weapons to dominate the Middle East to control oil and gas, as well as to eliminate Israel from the area?

The European Union (EU) countries and the United States have stipulated that Iran must cease nuclear fuel enrichment and the pursuit of technology to produce same. Simultaneously it must stop hiding its efforts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEAE). The call has been made to refer Iran to the UN Security Council to possible face sanctions. The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has threatened the West if they take this action, they will be sorry. What exactly does he mean? Has Iran already acquired weapons of mass destruction?

Comments:

As far as we can tell, the over riding goal of Iran is to dominate the Middle East, to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth, and to control oil and gas in the region. Nuclear weapons are the ticket to attainment of these goals. We believe that unlike more civilized countries, Iran will in fact use their weapons once they have them, and if they do not use them as a first option, they will use them to threaten the world. A recent article in the Los Angeles Times, quoting from the English newspaper, The Guardian included, in part, the following:

“One day after Iran publicly confirmed it would resume nuclear research, a newspaper reported Wednesday [January 4, 2006] that Tehran had been seeking components and know-how in Europe for nuclear weapons and missiles.
Iran responded quickly to this front-page report in the Guardian newspaper based on a leaked European intelligence document. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the article was intended to harm Iran's ‘transparent’ efforts to obtain civilian nuclear power. “

According to the article, its reporters were allowed to see a 55-page intelligence document drawing on findings of British, French, German and Belgian security agencies and assessing the Iranian nuclear activities. Dated recently, the document concluded that Iran had been combing Europe for parts for weapons and a ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe, and that "import requests and acquisitions [are] registered almost daily. The Guardian stated that the document might have been leaked in response to mounting frustration at Iran's refusal to heed Western calls to give up its program to produce fuel for its Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Candidly, nothing the Iranians say about their intentions vis-à-vis their nuclear program is convincing given their history and their recent outrageous comments, especially about the State of Israel and the Holocaust. Let’s look at a couple of Iranian official’s comments.

Iran’s Comment

Iran claims that their massive and expensive nuclear fuel cycle facilities to ostensibly meet future electricity needs, while preserving oil and gas for export.

Speriamo

This is not credible. Iran’s uranium reserves are miniscule, accounting for less than one percent of its vast oil reserves and even larger gas reserves. Iran’s gas reserves are the second largest in the world, and the industry estimates that Iran flares enough gas annually to generate electricity equivalent to the output of four Bushehr reactors.

Iran’s Comment

"What we resume is merely in the field of research, not more than that," the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Saeedi, told a news conference. "Production of nuclear fuel" — which would involve enrichment — "remains suspended."

Speriamo

The costly infrastructure to perform all of these activities goes well beyond any conceivable peaceful nuclear program. No comparable oil-rich nation has ever engaged, or would be engaged, in this set of activities -- or would pursue them for nearly two decades behind a continuing cloud of secrecy and lies to IAEA inspectors and the international community -- unless it was dead set on building nuclear weapons.

Iran's 18-year history of trying to hide weapons efforts has proven that the international community's worries about Tehran’s nuclear efforts were not unwarranted. This is especially true given Iran's history of concealing and hiding their nuclear activities from the international community and its continued non-compliance of its safeguard obligations. For instance, what is going on at Iran’s nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz? Why underground facilities with secret entrances, and what is the new construction underway?

As we have followed the saga of Iran's nuclear program, and the concerns articulated by the West one of our biggest concerns was that Europe would fall into the "Appeasement Trap", as it has countless times before. Historically Europe, and to a certain extent the United States has more often than not preferred to talk to bullies rather than confront them. When confrontation does occur, it is usually criticized by those who would rather talk than act. In our opinion this stems from the fact that most people would often deny that real evil exists in their world, rather than admit it, and deal with it with alacrity As an aside, this brings to mind a comment of Churchill’s relative to the faintheartedness of his fellow politicians when faced with threats from Nazi Germany. He characterized his colleague as “…hoping that if he feed the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last”. (Churchill: “The Unruly Giant”, Norman Rose, The Free Press, NY, 1994)

Iran's president denounced Western nations threatening to refer his country to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear program, saying the international community has no legal basis for restricting Tehran's right to research. He also said his country has not violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which allows signatories to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel. "There is no evidence to prove Iran's diversion (toward nuclear weapons)," Ahmadinejad said at a news conference. His comments came a day after Iran threatened to end surprise inspection, as well as other cooperation with the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) if it is referred to the Security Council. Furthermore, as he states "The world public opinion knows that Iran has not violated the Nonproliferation Treaty."

Of course he has also recently been quoted as telling the world that Israel must be eliminated. Which of these statements does he believe, or does he believe them all? To what world public opinion is he alluding to in these statements? If the EU as well as the United States are ready to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, what countries constitute this “world public opinion”? Given his comments, perhaps he visits other worlds from time to time…..

Given the above, Iran cannot be allowed to pursue a path to nuclear weapons. The world cannot continue to plead with Iran to stop its nuclear weapons development program. It was not able to reason with Hitler or any other dictatorial sociopath, and the world cannot now reason with the current leaders of Iran. Iran’s leaders are doing the same, i.e. denying any wrongdoing while at the same time they are increasing these same activities. Opening the seals on their uranium enrichment facilities, burying thousands of centrifuges, and threatening the West are not the actions of a country that wants to be part of the international community. To wit: President Hashemi Rafsanjani of Iran stated, “Even if (the Westerners) destroy our scientists, their successors would continue the job. "It would not be easy for them to solve the (nuclear) case by imposing sanctions or anything like that." He also warned the West that it would regret any action to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. What does he mean by that? Would Iran attack Israel? Would Iran he threatening to use them in a not terribly veiled way?

To Be Continued…..