iran resumes uranium processing
Following the election of its new President, Mahmood Ahmadinejad, Iran has resumed refining uranium in Isfahan.
They've been negotiating with the EU for nine months now, and this week summarily rejected an incentive package they described as "trading a pearl for a sweet", declaring the matter closed. It's expected that Iran will be brought before the UN Security Council and sanctioned.
The Bush administration believes that Iran's nuclear program, which Iran maintains is completely civilian in nature, is a front for a nuclear-weapons program. It should be noted that Iran has not yet re-opened their uranium enrichment facility, without which it is impossible to create atomic bombs. Unfortunately, it's also impossible to generate efficient reactor fuel without such a facility.
Personally, I don't see a problem with Iran or any other sovereign nation pursuing nuclear energy for electricity production. They're being closely and voluntarily monitored by the IAEA, and are in compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. That's exactly why these organizations are in place: If what we really mean by "if you conform to these regulations" is "if you conform to these regulations and we like you", well that's pretty sad. The nuclear cat was let out of the lead-lined bag 60 years ago - and before getting all xenophobic, let's remember which side it was that dropped the bomb.
They've been negotiating with the EU for nine months now, and this week summarily rejected an incentive package they described as "trading a pearl for a sweet", declaring the matter closed. It's expected that Iran will be brought before the UN Security Council and sanctioned.
The Bush administration believes that Iran's nuclear program, which Iran maintains is completely civilian in nature, is a front for a nuclear-weapons program. It should be noted that Iran has not yet re-opened their uranium enrichment facility, without which it is impossible to create atomic bombs. Unfortunately, it's also impossible to generate efficient reactor fuel without such a facility.
Personally, I don't see a problem with Iran or any other sovereign nation pursuing nuclear energy for electricity production. They're being closely and voluntarily monitored by the IAEA, and are in compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. That's exactly why these organizations are in place: If what we really mean by "if you conform to these regulations" is "if you conform to these regulations and we like you", well that's pretty sad. The nuclear cat was let out of the lead-lined bag 60 years ago - and before getting all xenophobic, let's remember which side it was that dropped the bomb.
