You Don't Have to be Iranian to Obtain a Good Supply of Uranium…

posted by Bill Arnett @ 1:53 PM Permalink

…especially when our friends the Russians are aiding in building nuclear reactors in Iran and supplying the enriched uranium necessary for it to become operational.

See this article from BBC News:

The delivery by Russia of nuclear fuel to Iran probably says more about Russia's attitude towards Iran and the West than it does about Iran's nuclear intentions.

It appears that Russia is unconcerned about Western fears over Iran. The implication is that it will not easily agree to an increase in UN sanctions on Iran.

The fuel, enriched uranium, is to be used in the nuclear plant near Bushehr in southern Iran. This plant is quite separate from Iran's own uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. The Bushehr power station has been under construction for a long time and is under international inspection.[…]

Russia itself has enriched the uranium for Bushehr. The argument about Iran is that Iran should not do the enrichment, in case it one day uses the technology to make a nuclear bomb.

Nevertheless, Western governments had hoped that Russia would delay delivery, in order to increase the pressure on Iran over its enrichment policy.

"It appears that Russia has decided that there is no longer a political reason to hold up the provision of fuel," said Mark Fitzpatrick, nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

"An important factor was probably the continuation of the International Atomic Energy Agency's work with Iran on questions about its past activities. The recent report from US intelligence in the National Intelligence Estimate [that Iran was not actively seeking a nuclear weapon] probably confirmed the Russian view.[…]

"Russia has probably concluded that Iran is not going to be dissuaded and that enrichment is a fait accompli. Others still believe Iran can be persuaded."[…]

Bushehr is on the verge of completion as a nuclear power plant.

Russia has agreed to supply it with the enriched uranium needed as fuel.[…]

Russia might feel that, since Iran is being offered such a deal, its own delivery of fuel is consistent with that policy.

Our ally and friend Russia is certainly not the only government to have made substantial investments in Iran and would probably look with disfavor upon any other country or countries that would start bombing the nuclear plant that no doubt costs several hundreds of millions of dollars to build, but also represents long-term contracts with Russia and others for the supplying of enriched uranium.

If bush once again starts another illegal war of aggression by bombing iran, wiping out the reactor that Russia built, it would be much as stated in the old Beatle's tuned: "Hit young Rocky in the eye, Rocky didn't like that; he said I'm gonna get that boy. So one day he walked into town and booked himself a room in the local saloon…" followed by an epic gun battle.

Just how long will so-called allies stand by us when we start blowing up their stuff, too, sold through normal commerce?And leaving them holding the bag of uncollected and unable to be collected debt from an Iran at war?

Labels: Bush, bush war doctrine, diplomacy, disinformation, Economy, hypocrisy, iran war prep, neocons, US hegemony