Evidence presented last year to “prove” that the Islamic Republic had successfully enriched Uranium in experimental scales. The text on the rods, which are now kept in Imam Reza Shrine Museum, reads “UF6 3.5 enrichedâ€. Read the whole story here.
Following the early announcements that the Iranian administration will soon have good news to say about its nuclear program, three days ago, Bahonar, a high-ranking pro-Ahmadinejad MP, said “in three month we will successfully carry out the whole enrichment process”. In a related news, Fars reports that Ahmadinejad will open the celebrations for the national day of nuclear technology in Natanz nuclear facilities. Last year these days, the Islamic Republic suddenly announced that they have completed the experimental enrichment procedure. The proof was a suitcase and the two rods shown in the above. Some reports suggest that the Islamic Republic may announce a temporary suspension of its nuclear activities, after a joyful announcement of the like Bahonar is speaking of. For more details on last year’s events see here.
Update I: Unofficial reports suggest that Ahmadinejad will announce the installation of 3,000 centrifuges in Natanz. The number of centrifuges installed currently is 350.
Update II: For the celebration of the nuclear day, students will encircle some nuclear sites (IRIB).
I suspect a fraud. The color is wrong. That looks a lot more like aluminum than uranium.
Comment by Purple Avenger — April 8, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
Purple Avenger,
The casing is indeed Aluminum. The Enriched material is kept inside, because it is seriously radioactive.
Comment by Kamangir — April 8, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
off topic. Great article:” The Pirates of Iran”
…Some in the West seem part of Iran’s propaganda war; claiming that the release of the hostages was a victory that proves the Iranian dictatorship can be reasoned with. To misrepresent unpunished piracy as a victory is as Orwellian as the congressional mandate banning use of the term “the global war on terror.” What are we — Reuters?
Ahmadinejad must be particularly pleased to see “deep thinking” journalists making the case that American actions in Iraq were the true cause of the kidnappings. To believe this, all you have to do is ignore the history of the Iranian Revolution, which has been in the extortion business ever since it took power. Between the 1979 American embassy crisis in Tehran and the seizure of Israeli soldiers last year by Iran’s Hezbollah proxies, there have been more than a hundred other examples. you include the imprisonment of pro-Democracy dissidents and non-Shi’a Muslim minorities within Iran, the number reaches easily into the tens of thousands. The dwindling and persecuted Christian population of Iran, I suspect, found little joy in Ahmadinejad’s explanation that he was freeing his victims as an “Easter gift.”
It is critical that we see this incident as part of a long pattern of behavior — that will continue as long as the current leadership is in power. More importantly, it will escalate unimaginably if Iran achieves nuclear status, and with it the ability to hold millions rather than individuals hostage.
http://www.redstate.com/stories/foreign_affairs/the_pirates_of_tehran
Comment by serendip — April 8, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
Arash,
I bet they won’t stop enriching Uranium. They have already accepted the fact that even if they stop enriching Uranium, nobody is going to be nice with them. So, there is no point to stop it. Nobody trusts IR regime and IR doesn’t trust anyone. Having their enemies in all arround the country, why should they do this?
I am sure they wish they could sacrifice half of the people and pay all their oil money to someone who is ready to sell them nuclear bombs only to save their @sses.
Comment by Smileme — April 9, 2007 @ 12:36 am
Arash,
Here is the bad news… you may want to post it in your weblog:
http://www.tiknews.com/display/?ID=40036&page=
Comment by Smileme — April 9, 2007 @ 1:40 am
They’re keeping enriched uranium samples at a SHRINE?
The rest of this is awful enough, but the mentality of anyone who puts this stuff on display near a holy shrine is truly horrible.
Comment by Zvi — April 9, 2007 @ 2:06 am
Smileme,
I see your point. Let’s wait and see what happens.
Comment by Kamangir — April 9, 2007 @ 4:34 am
Zvi,
I agree.
Comment by Kamangir — April 9, 2007 @ 4:35 am
Smileme,
Thanks for the link. I had seen it but I kind of skipped it. Thanks.
Comment by Kamangir — April 9, 2007 @ 4:35 am
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