This thread is dedicated for documenting the failing attempt to talk Iran out of nuclear weapons business.
Today's news: Oct 21, 2009
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8318258.stm
Iran nuclear fuel deal 'agreed'
[quote]
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which proposed the plan after talks in Vienna, wants an answer by Friday.
Details are yet to be confirmed, but the plan is believed to involve Iran exporting uranium to be enriched in France and Russia.
Russian nuclear industry insiders told the BBC the process proposed would involve Iran sending its uranium to the IAEA, which would forward it to Russia for enriching.
The enriched uranium would then be returned to the IAEA and sent to France, which has the technology to add the "cell elements" needed for Iran's reactor, they said.
This process would enable Iran to obtain enough enriched uranium for its research reactor, but not enough to produce a weapon.
Exporting uranium has been seen as a way for Iran to get the fuel it needs, while giving guarantees to the West that it will not be used for nuclear weapons.
Iranian chief negotiator Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh talked positively about a deal, but did not mention uranium export.
[unquote]
Allow me to briefly explain what's going on here. Iranians don't have the capacity, time and money to build good and enough centrifuges to produce weapons grade Uranium. So, like North Koreans, they are trying to produce enough Plutonium from their research reactor, which, unfortunately, was built with help of the US back in 1960s.
The IAEA's proposal is aimed at easing tension by eliminating the possibility of plutonium bomb. Fuel rods processed by French will not be able to produce enough plutonium at time, which leaves Iranians the only option to build uranium bomb. That'll take them more time to accumulate weapon-grade uranium with higher concentration.
Of course Iran will not accept this, but out right rejection will lead to sanction. They can play the book of obstruction on detail or some other irrelevant terms until time has come. |