So I'm sure that many of us have been concerned about this- Bush seems to think that Iran is worthy of "World War III" (as he has said before). He was told that they didn't have nuc-U-lar weapons and they have ceased their program - in 2003- but he is still apparently looking for a reason to invade... AACK!:duh
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004051242_iran04.html

Wow, this sounds JUST LIKE the lead up to Iraq...

Wow, this sounds JUST LIKE the lead up to Iraq...

DING DING DING - Wicked gets a cookie!

I give up. How many months til he is out of office?

I give up. How many months til he is out of office?

Unfortunately not soon enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :sigh

Bush is ridiculous. I think he just needs to worry about the shit he has going on right now instead of trying to start another damn war.

I am not worried at all. We don't have the troops we would need:dunno

I am not worried at all. We don't have the troops we would need:dunno

Thats actually true..

ugh! dejavu

Boy oh boy! I don't care who they elect next but it couldn't be as bad as who's in office now (this coming from someone who actually voted for him!)

DING DING DING - Wicked gets a cookie!

Oooooh! What kind of cookie? :P

I am not worried at all. We don't have the troops we would need:dunno

Yeah, that didn't stop him before... :no

Oooooh! What kind of cookie? :P



Yeah, that didn't stop him before... :no

We did have the troop available for this war but w/them in Iraq and all over the place there's none left to fight any other wars.

Just because they don't have the weapons now doesn't mean they can't make them. They keep refusing the suggestions to STOP their uranium enriching program. What they intend to do with this uranium is completely unknown. That makes me VERY nervous... this guy is similar to Kim Jung in his attitude regarding cooperating with the world. Just thought I would put that information out there.... weapons or not, they could EASILY make them!!!

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=1488020


The International Atomic Energy Agency announced today that Iran had begun removing seals at several nuclear facilities in the area of Natanz under the observation of the IAEA's nuclear safeguards inspectors.

ABC News reported yesterday that Iran intended to begin enriching uranium -- the critical step in making material for nuclear weapons -- a move European diplomats and officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency have tried to prevent over the last three years.
Related Stories

*
Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
*
Go-Karts, Paintball Appeal to Young Iranians
*
Iran Is Building Nukes in Underground Locations

Top International stories

*
Ahmadinejad Declares 'Victory!'
*
'Dead' Man Arrested Lost Years Of His Life
*
OPEC Refuses to Produce More Oil

Sources with knowledge of Iran's nuclear program told ABC News that a senior Iranian official notified the IAEA verbally over the weekend of the country's intention to introduce uranium hexafluoride gas, or UF6, into centrifuges at a facility in Natanz, 150 miles south of Tehran.

Introducing UF6 into centrifuges is the necessary step in producing enriched uranium. The centrifuges work by separating the lighter uranium-235 atoms, which can be used to make nuclear weapons and also to fuel nuclear reactors, from heavier uranium-238 atoms.

Warnings of a 'Red Line'

The enrichment of any uranium by Iran, even in small quantities, amounts to a significant ratcheting up of the tension between Iran and the international community over its nuclear program, and the final abrogation of the November 2004 agreement with the European Union that suspended much of Iran's nuclear activity.

Iran has been warned by the United States, Britain, France and Germany that any enrichment of nuclear fuel will constitute a "red line" it must not cross, and that such action will risk swift referral of the matter to the IAEA's governing board and then the United Nations Security Council.

Longtime Iran observers are taken aback by the boldness of Iran's move.

"When we learned last week that Iran was going to resume some 'research and development' work at Natanz, we assumed there would be some modest initial activity, such as the production of centrifuge components, but this is a much bigger step," said Robert Einhorn, a former assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation who is now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Einhorn added that mastering the operation of a 164-centrifuge cascade -- such as the one at Iran's Natanz facility -- was a "significant milestone," giving Iran important experience in overcoming the technical hurdles of uranium enrichment that can be transferred to larger cascades.

Iran has maintained steadfastly its right to enrich uranium domestically, though it has promised to consider seriously a Russian proposal to establish a Russian-Iranian joint venture under which Russia will enrich uranium for Iran's use in nuclear reactors it seeks to build.

The Middle East nation publicly confirmed today it would resume nuclear fuel research, but the decision to actually begin enriching uranium represents a much more significant step.

The IAEA's announcement noted that seals were being removed from the pilot-scale fuel enrichment site at Natanz and two nearby locations, Pars Trash and Farayand Technique. The seals cover centrifuges and related testing and manufacturing components for the P-1 centrifuge. The P-1 is a first-generation centrifuge that Iran developed based on technology and parts it obtained with the help of A.Q. Khan, the Pakistani nuclear scientist who was found to have developed a network supplying Iran, North Korea and Libya with parts for their nuclear programs.

The centrifuges at Natanz are not immediately ready for the UF6 and would require some further assembly before the uranium gas could be introduced.

Experts familiar with Iran's centrifuge efforts believe they can be made ready within days, but it could take many years for Iran to produce a sufficient amount of enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb, given its existing centrifuge capabilities.

The amount of time Iran will need to produce enough enriched uranium for a bomb depends on several factors, including the enrichment level of the uranium gas used in the cascade and the power of the centrifuges. According to a report published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, it could take Iran more than 10 years to produce 25 kilograms of 93 percent enriched enriched uranium using the 164 centrifuges it has currently at Natanz.

This time could be shortened to as little as two years if Iran used UF6 that was already slightly enriched, according to the institute, or if the power of the centrifuges was increased.

i know iraq part deux

Just because they don't have the weapons now doesn't mean they can't make them. They keep refusing the suggestions to STOP their uranium enriching program. What they intend to do with this uranium is completely unknown. That makes me VERY nervous... this guy is similar to Kim Jung in his attitude regarding cooperating with the world. Just thought I would put that information out there.... weapons or not, they could EASILY make them!!!

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=1488020


The International Atomic Energy Agency announced today that Iran had begun removing seals at several nuclear facilities in the area of Natanz under the observation of the IAEA's nuclear safeguards inspectors.

ABC News reported yesterday that Iran intended to begin enriching uranium -- the critical step in making material for nuclear weapons -- a move European diplomats and officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency have tried to prevent over the last three years.
Related Stories

*
Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
*
Go-Karts, Paintball Appeal to Young Iranians
*
Iran Is Building Nukes in Underground Locations

Top International stories

*
Ahmadinejad Declares 'Victory!'
*
'Dead' Man Arrested Lost Years Of His Life
*
OPEC Refuses to Produce More Oil

Sources with knowledge of Iran's nuclear program told ABC News that a senior Iranian official notified the IAEA verbally over the weekend of the country's intention to introduce uranium hexafluoride gas, or UF6, into centrifuges at a facility in Natanz, 150 miles south of Tehran.

Introducing UF6 into centrifuges is the necessary step in producing enriched uranium. The centrifuges work by separating the lighter uranium-235 atoms, which can be used to make nuclear weapons and also to fuel nuclear reactors, from heavier uranium-238 atoms.

Warnings of a 'Red Line'

The enrichment of any uranium by Iran, even in small quantities, amounts to a significant ratcheting up of the tension between Iran and the international community over its nuclear program, and the final abrogation of the November 2004 agreement with the European Union that suspended much of Iran's nuclear activity.

Iran has been warned by the United States, Britain, France and Germany that any enrichment of nuclear fuel will constitute a "red line" it must not cross, and that such action will risk swift referral of the matter to the IAEA's governing board and then the United Nations Security Council.

Longtime Iran observers are taken aback by the boldness of Iran's move.

"When we learned last week that Iran was going to resume some 'research and development' work at Natanz, we assumed there would be some modest initial activity, such as the production of centrifuge components, but this is a much bigger step," said Robert Einhorn, a former assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation who is now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Einhorn added that mastering the operation of a 164-centrifuge cascade -- such as the one at Iran's Natanz facility -- was a "significant milestone," giving Iran important experience in overcoming the technical hurdles of uranium enrichment that can be transferred to larger cascades.

Iran has maintained steadfastly its right to enrich uranium domestically, though it has promised to consider seriously a Russian proposal to establish a Russian-Iranian joint venture under which Russia will enrich uranium for Iran's use in nuclear reactors it seeks to build.

The Middle East nation publicly confirmed today it would resume nuclear fuel research, but the decision to actually begin enriching uranium represents a much more significant step.

The IAEA's announcement noted that seals were being removed from the pilot-scale fuel enrichment site at Natanz and two nearby locations, Pars Trash and Farayand Technique. The seals cover centrifuges and related testing and manufacturing components for the P-1 centrifuge. The P-1 is a first-generation centrifuge that Iran developed based on technology and parts it obtained with the help of A.Q. Khan, the Pakistani nuclear scientist who was found to have developed a network supplying Iran, North Korea and Libya with parts for their nuclear programs.

The centrifuges at Natanz are not immediately ready for the UF6 and would require some further assembly before the uranium gas could be introduced.

Experts familiar with Iran's centrifuge efforts believe they can be made ready within days, but it could take many years for Iran to produce a sufficient amount of enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb, given its existing centrifuge capabilities.

The amount of time Iran will need to produce enough enriched uranium for a bomb depends on several factors, including the enrichment level of the uranium gas used in the cascade and the power of the centrifuges. According to a report published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, it could take Iran more than 10 years to produce 25 kilograms of 93 percent enriched enriched uranium using the 164 centrifuges it has currently at Natanz.

This time could be shortened to as little as two years if Iran used UF6 that was already slightly enriched, according to the institute, or if the power of the centrifuges was increased.

I'm sure it will be possible for Iran to make nuclear weapons 10 years in the future. However, as the US has its own nuclear program, it would be very difficult for the US to put pressure on Iran to cease its nuclear activities without being accused of hypocrisy.

I doubt that the US will have the support from other countries (or within its own, for that matter) to enable the start of another war with its current troop levels.

We did have the troop available for this war but w/them in Iraq and all over the place there's none left to fight any other wars.

That's not true. The Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki told Rumsfeld and the Administration that we would need at least 400,000 troops in Iraq BEFORE the war started, and they ignored him. He isn't the only military official that has said that. We didn't have 400,000 troops to send over there and still maintain the war in Afghan and the homefront, but they invaded Iraq anyway.

Just because they don't have the weapons now doesn't mean they can't make them. They keep refusing the suggestions to STOP their uranium enriching program. What they intend to do with this uranium is completely unknown. That makes me VERY nervous... this guy is similar to Kim Jung in his attitude regarding cooperating with the world. Just thought I would put that information out there.... weapons or not, they could EASILY make them!!!

I am NOT saying that Ahmadinejad is a pussycat or anything, but I have to comment on this...

Enriched uranium is not ONLY used in nuclear weapons. You have to have enriched uranium in order to have a working nuclear power plant. So, it's not like what they intend to do with the uranium is completely unknown. There is really only two things they can do with it, make weapons or make power. Pretending (like the administration is doing) like the only thing they can do with it is make weapons, is DANGEROUS. Assuming they are going to make weapons, and taking it into our own hands to deal with it (when that worked SO WELL for us last time) is DANGEROUS. We do not rule the world. Leave it to the UN, the European Union, SOMEONE ELSE for once.

okay, i'm done trying to be "PC."

The man is a c*ckstain and needs to be thrown in jail.

Or maybe he needs to eat some more pretzels.

I am NOT saying that Ahmadinejad is a pussycat or anything, but I have to comment on this...

Enriched uranium is not ONLY used in nuclear weapons. You have to have enriched uranium in order to have a working nuclear power plant. So, it's not like what they intend to do with the uranium is completely unknown. There is really only two things they can do with it, make weapons or make power. Pretending (like the administration is doing) like the only thing they can do with it is make weapons, is DANGEROUS. Assuming they are going to make weapons, and taking it into our own hands to deal with it (when that worked SO WELL for us last time) is DANGEROUS. We do not rule the world. Leave it to the UN, the European Union, SOMEONE ELSE for once.

I agree with this, especially the bolded part.

okay, i'm done trying to be "PC."

The man is a c*ckstain and needs to be thrown in jail.

Or maybe he needs to eat some more pretzels.

:lmao

okay, i'm done trying to be "PC."

The man is a c*ckstain and needs to be thrown in jail.

Or maybe he needs to eat some more pretzels.


:rofl :lmao Ooohhh to funny!

:rofl :lmao Ooohhh to funny!

You know, I'm a ridiculously patient person.....

But I'm done with that clown. He's a piece of shit president. Never before have I been so ashamed of our leaders.

I'm not saying we should go run in with our guns in hands and try to mow down the country. I'm just saying it's a possibility. Knowledge is your greatest weapon in cases like this. A little political pressure might just be what is necessary to ensure Iran doesn't take it to a means it shouldn't be used for. I'm not saying we should go to war though. Just looking at all possibilities!! :D

I'm not saying we should go run in with our guns in hands and try to mow down the country. I'm just saying it's a possibility. Knowledge is your greatest weapon in cases like this. A little political pressure might just be what is necessary to ensure Iran doesn't take it to a means it shouldn't be used for. I'm not saying we should go to war though. Just looking at all possibilities!! :D

Well, I definitely agree with you here. I just REALLY hope that we actually LEARN something from Iraq and don't go running into another conflict based on fear.

You know, I'm a ridiculously patient person.....

But I'm done with that clown. He's a piece of shit president. Never before have I been so ashamed of our leaders.

I totally :agree 2009 isn't coming fast enough. I really hope he doesn't take a leap on this one. We haven't even finished what we started in Iraq. :arg

I give up. How many months til he is out of office?

My thoughts exactly. I can't wait for that man to be OUT!

I am NOT saying that Ahmadinejad is a pussycat or anything, but I have to comment on this...

Enriched uranium is not ONLY used in nuclear weapons. You have to have enriched uranium in order to have a working nuclear power plant. So, it's not like what they intend to do with the uranium is completely unknown. There is really only two things they can do with it, make weapons or make power. Pretending (like the administration is doing) like the only thing they can do with it is make weapons, is DANGEROUS. Assuming they are going to make weapons, and taking it into our own hands to deal with it (when that worked SO WELL for us last time) is DANGEROUS. We do not rule the world. Leave it to the UN, the European Union, SOMEONE ELSE for once.
:agree
Wicked- I could :hugehug you! i totally agree. Bush has had this agenda for a long time. He has known that Iran was not moving toward nukes as early as 2003 and it just now became public after he has been threatening to start something with them. All of the other possiblities for the use of nuc. power are not even on his (very limited) radar screen. It is not unrealistic to think that other countries are going to use nuc. power for something other than weapons. I am hoping that congress can keep him under control until he leaves office.
Bush acts in a completely ethnocentric way and does not play well with others. This is scary.
Even with Iraq he started something unecessary and without the proper preparation- both troop wise and equipment wise.

You can bet that if Bush had family or children in the military he might think about this for a few more seconds.
(My DB's orders are actually for a year, with this current deployment only taking the first 6 months, so if something started he'd be right back to Kuwait...so I'm sweating this some...:sigh)

:agree
Wicked- I could :hugehug you! i totally agree. Bush has had this agenda for a long time. He has known that Iran was not moving toward nukes as early as 2003 and it just now became public after he has been threatening to start something with them. All of the other possiblities for the use of nuc. power are not even on his (very limited) radar screen. It is not unrealistic to think that other countries are going to use nuc. power for something other than weapons. I am hoping that congress can keep him under control until he leaves office.
Bush acts in a completely ethnocentric way and does not play well with others. This is scary.
Even with Iraq he started something unecessary and without the proper preparation- both troop wise and equipment wise.

You can bet that if Bush had family or children in the military he might think about this for a few more seconds.
(My DB's orders are actually for a year, with this current deployment only taking the first 6 months, so if something started he'd be right back to Kuwait...so I'm sweating this some...:sigh)

Oh wait- wasn't the Iraq war based on LIES about WMD's that never materialized too???? How much of the drivel that comes out of his mouth can we actually belive???:confused

I think all I have to say has already been said...by all of u. So I will just say....I agree.

About the troop levels tho...might I remind that the idea of re-opening the draft has been tossed around before........

:puzz
i think everyone can agree Iran is evil...but we don't have the money or resouces to do this right now. apparently they stopped their nucular program...ok...i hate to say it but we have to wait for them to do something bad/start it again for us to get involved...:no I support my country and I refuse to bash my president but :pray come on... common sense! we don't need this right now.

I give up. How many months til he is out of office?

Unfortunately not soon enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :sigh

Bush is ridiculous. I think he just needs to worry about the shit he has going on right now instead of trying to start another damn war.

I am not worried at all. We don't have the troops we would need:dunno

Sadly all of that is true, but he STILL would manage to find a way if he really sets his mind to this, like he seems to be doing. :banghead

Good Lord, save us from... everything!

:puzz
i think everyone can agree Iran is evil...but we don't have the money or resouces to do this right now. apparently they stopped their nucular program...ok...i hate to say it but we have to wait for them to do something bad/start it again for us to get involved...:no I support my country and I refuse to bash my president but :pray come on... common sense! we don't need this right now.

I dont think Iran's evil. I think the Iranian government is very defensive right now but in my opinion it would be very difficult to describe an entire country as flat-out evil.

I am not worried at all. We don't have the troops we would need:dunno

Um he doesn't seem to think that this report changes anything so I am guessing that he doesn't quite get the reality of this statement. But hey at least if he does this we won't be alone- half the rest of the male population in the US will have to be drafted so there will be a bunch more of us falling apart everytime we here the news.

And to whoever said that Iran was evil- look at all the resistance that is happening within Their president's own party as well as everywhere else in Iran. That is kind of like saying all Muslims are terrorists.

:sarcasm

sorry to see that i say one thing that's sarcastic and here everyone comes again...
:salute
I didn't realize everyone on this site was a political analyst? I never said all muslims are terrorists. I probably have more perspective on this than most people here. My dad worked with Saudis and Iranians for about 20 years.
:dunno
I guess I'm the idiot :P

:sarcasm

sorry to see that i say one thing that's sarcastic and here everyone comes again...
:salute
I didn't realize everyone on this site was a political analyst? I never said all muslims are terrorists. I probably have more perspective on this than most people here. My dad worked with Saudis and Iranians for about 20 years.
:dunno
I guess I'm the idiot :P

Wow... :wowsers

Sorry if I offended you. I was merely disagreeing with the point you made. I never meant to infer that you're an idiot :dunno

You know, I'm a ridiculously patient person.....

But I'm done with that clown. He's a piece of shit president. Never before have I been so ashamed of our leaders.

I with ya on that one! I am ashamed to say that I voted for him. But at this point he just makes me sick!

:sarcasm

sorry to see that i say one thing that's sarcastic and here everyone comes again...
:salute
I didn't realize everyone on this site was a political analyst? I never said all muslims are terrorists. I probably have more perspective on this than most people here. My dad worked with Saudis and Iranians for about 20 years.
:dunno
I guess I'm the idiot :P

I think that you are over reacting just a little there hun. Maybe I missed something but I don't think she said anything that would have made you feel that way.

Wow... :wowsers

Sorry if I offended you. I was merely disagreeing with the point you made. I never meant to infer that you're an idiot :dunno

You didn't! You didn't say anything out of line or even remotely imply that you thought that she was an idiot.

I cannot wait till Bush is out of office. I haven't agreed with many things he has done during his term.

You didn't! You didn't say anything out of line or even remotely imply that you thought that she was an idiot.

Thanks Kara, I was beginning to get a little paranoid! :oogle

Well, I definitely agree with you here. I just REALLY hope that we actually LEARN something from Iraq and don't go running into another conflict based on fear.

Unfortunately, our nation seems to be becoming increasingly ruled by fear. Fear based actions/reactions are usually disasterous.

I think all I have to say has already been said...by all of u. So I will just say....I agree.

About the troop levels tho...might I remind that the idea of re-opening the draft has been tossed around before........

That is SUPER FUCKING SCARY too Devinn. :scared

Oh wait- wasn't the Iraq war based on LIES about WMD's that never materialized too???? How much of the drivel that comes out of his mouth can we actually belive???:confused

DING DING DING! You deserve a cookie too!

:puzz
i think everyone can agree Iran is evil...but we don't have the money or resouces to do this right now. apparently they stopped their nucular program...ok...i hate to say it but we have to wait for them to do something bad/start it again for us to get involved...:no I support my country and I refuse to bash my president but :pray come on... common sense! we don't need this right now.

I don't agree that Iran is evil either. Their President is not the most reasonable guy on the planet, but the same thing could be said for our President. There is a VERY large movement of young people raging against Ahmadinejad right now, and people in his own party are criticizing him. Iran sounds a lot like the US right now if you ask me.

And based on what Bush has put this country through, and how many lives have been lost, based on a PROVEN fabrication, I think questioning the President is EXACTLY what this country needs right now.

:sarcasm

sorry to see that i say one thing that's sarcastic and here everyone comes again...
:salute
I didn't realize everyone on this site was a political analyst? I never said all muslims are terrorists. I probably have more perspective on this than most people here. My dad worked with Saudis and Iranians for about 20 years.
:dunno
I guess I'm the idiot :P

Yeah, I didn't see anyone being the slightest bit rude or condescending to you. They were just disagreeing. :dunno

Unfortunately, our nation seems to be becoming increasingly ruled by fear. Fear based actions/reactions are usually disasterous.

Sad but true, and it scares the crap out of me. See, *I* am ruled by fear too! :scared :rofl

Is that the draft I smell?

okay, i'm done trying to be "PC."

The man is a c*ckstain and needs to be thrown in jail.

Or maybe he needs to eat some more pretzels.

:rofl:rofl

Is that the draft I smell?

Does it smell like toast? It may be a stoke... :P