PsychoSword
Moderator
I believe he was refering to the Iranians, unless I missed something...
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State of Israel/U.S. to strike Iran?
- Thread starter LAK
- Start date
I believe he was refering to the Iranians, unless I missed something...
Yes but not until the election has been secured by Bush, it would be political suicide for him to do so before. If it is done in defense of Israel, it might restore our integrity in the eyes of some nation, if it is doen in offense with Israel, it would be the beginning of a world of hurt. Our forces are spread thin enough that this could spread them dangerously thin, not that we could not win a two front war in the middle east. But with China depending more and more on Siberian oil and Siberian oil falling under more and more litigation China could make a strike of oportunity on the militarily preocupied U.S.
Apple a Day
That's basically what I meant. The Russians have been making such things for a long time. It makes sense for them to make them - they have everything, and they know how.
On the otherhand, it makes more sense for the Iranians to buy such a military items off the shelf. As no doubt any nuclear power generation facilities they have are made up of off the shelf systems and hardware to a greater degree too.
The Russians don't need to buy anything off the shelf. They already own everything they need.
That's basically what I meant. The Russians have been making such things for a long time. It makes sense for them to make them - they have everything, and they know how.
On the otherhand, it makes more sense for the Iranians to buy such a military items off the shelf. As no doubt any nuclear power generation facilities they have are made up of off the shelf systems and hardware to a greater degree too.
elections over, where do we stand?
http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7557363
Source: Russia, Iran May Sign Nuke Deal This Month
Mon Feb 7, 2005 10:08 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is preparing to sign a deal with Iran this month to start atomic fuel shipments for a Moscow-built nuclear reactor there, a Russian nuclear source said on Monday.
The move is certain to enrage the United States which says Iran can use Russian fuel to secretly make a nuclear bomb. Washington has long called on Russia to drop the plans.
The source in Russia's Atomic Energy Agency said Moscow and Tehran had largely settled all remaining technicalities and were preparing to sign the accord when Alexander Rumyantsev, the agency's head, travels to Iran at the end of February.
"This time the deal will be signed. Of course you can't be 100 percent certain about anything but the probability of that is very high," said the source, who is close to the Iran talks.
The comments confirmed earlier hints by Moscow-based diplomats that Russia and Tehran had overcome disagreement over the deal's terms and were moving closer to signing it after years of talks.
The source said the first containers with fuel would be supplied about two months after signing.
The 1,000-megawatt, $1 billion plant will be then launched in late 2005 and reach full capacity in 2006.
Spent fuel will be sent back to Siberian storage units after about a decade of use -- a condition Russia thinks will remove U.S. concerns that Iran would use the material to make weapons.
TVEL, Russia's state nuclear fuel producer, has for years kept the fuel for Iran's Bushehr plant at a storage facility in Siberia, awaiting Rumyantsev's order to begin shipments.
Oil-rich Iran denies it is developing atomic arms and says its nuclear programs are for peaceful power generation needed to meet the energy demands of its growing population.
On Sunday, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said there was nothing the West could offer Tehran that would persuade it to scrap a nuclear program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6911810/
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:37 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2005
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that Iran cannot delay indefinitely accountability for a suspected nuclear weapons program, but said the United States has set “no deadline, no timeline” for Tehran to act.
Nearing the end of a European tour that included visits to both old and new members of the expanding NATO, Rice said the United States remains in “close consultations” with its European allies on the issue.
But she warned Tehran that the United States would not accept foot-dragging by the government there as officials weigh various diplomatic overtures that European nations have made to resolve the nuclear question.
At a news conference with NATO officials, Rice told reporters that Iran must live up to its obligations.
“I’m quite clear and I believe everybody is telling the Iranians that they are going to have to live up to their international obligations,” she said. “It is obvious that if Iran cannot be brought to live up to its international obligations, in fact, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) statute would indicate that Iran would have to be referred to the U.N. Security Council” for possible sanctions.
“I think the message is there,” Rice said. “The Iranians need to get that message,” she said, adding that Tehran should know that “there are other steps” the international community can take.
President Bush echoed that message on Wednesday. "The Iranians just need to know that the free world is working together to send a very clear message: Don't develop a nuclear weapon," he said at a briefing with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski at the White House. "And the reason we're send that message is because Iran with a nuclear weapon would be a very destabilizing force in the world," he added. "I look forward to going to Europe to continue to discuss this issue with our allies."
'Security Council referral looms'
In remarks earlier in an interview with Fox News, released Wednesday, Rice had said “Iranians need to hear that if they are unwilling to take the deal, really, that the Europeans are giving ... then the Security Council referral looms.”
Asked at Wednesday’s news conference how long the diplomatic efforts should continue, Rice replied, “We’ve set no deadline, no timeline. The Iranians know what they need to do.”
Rice said the United States continues to be in close consultations with the Europeans “about how it’s going, about whether progress is being made ... and we’ll just monitor and continue those discussions. ... We are in very close consultation.”
In the Fox interview, Rice said, “We have believed all along that Iran ought to be referred to the Security Council and then a variety of steps are available to the international community.” The interview was taped in Paris and released after her arrival here.
“They need to hear that the discussions that they are in with the Europeans are not going to be a kind of way station where they are allowed to continue their activities; that there’s going to be an end to this and that they are going to end up in the Security Council,” she said.
http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7557363
Source: Russia, Iran May Sign Nuke Deal This Month
Mon Feb 7, 2005 10:08 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is preparing to sign a deal with Iran this month to start atomic fuel shipments for a Moscow-built nuclear reactor there, a Russian nuclear source said on Monday.
The move is certain to enrage the United States which says Iran can use Russian fuel to secretly make a nuclear bomb. Washington has long called on Russia to drop the plans.
The source in Russia's Atomic Energy Agency said Moscow and Tehran had largely settled all remaining technicalities and were preparing to sign the accord when Alexander Rumyantsev, the agency's head, travels to Iran at the end of February.
"This time the deal will be signed. Of course you can't be 100 percent certain about anything but the probability of that is very high," said the source, who is close to the Iran talks.
The comments confirmed earlier hints by Moscow-based diplomats that Russia and Tehran had overcome disagreement over the deal's terms and were moving closer to signing it after years of talks.
The source said the first containers with fuel would be supplied about two months after signing.
The 1,000-megawatt, $1 billion plant will be then launched in late 2005 and reach full capacity in 2006.
Spent fuel will be sent back to Siberian storage units after about a decade of use -- a condition Russia thinks will remove U.S. concerns that Iran would use the material to make weapons.
TVEL, Russia's state nuclear fuel producer, has for years kept the fuel for Iran's Bushehr plant at a storage facility in Siberia, awaiting Rumyantsev's order to begin shipments.
Oil-rich Iran denies it is developing atomic arms and says its nuclear programs are for peaceful power generation needed to meet the energy demands of its growing population.
On Sunday, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said there was nothing the West could offer Tehran that would persuade it to scrap a nuclear program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6911810/
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:37 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2005
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that Iran cannot delay indefinitely accountability for a suspected nuclear weapons program, but said the United States has set “no deadline, no timeline” for Tehran to act.
Nearing the end of a European tour that included visits to both old and new members of the expanding NATO, Rice said the United States remains in “close consultations” with its European allies on the issue.
But she warned Tehran that the United States would not accept foot-dragging by the government there as officials weigh various diplomatic overtures that European nations have made to resolve the nuclear question.
At a news conference with NATO officials, Rice told reporters that Iran must live up to its obligations.
“I’m quite clear and I believe everybody is telling the Iranians that they are going to have to live up to their international obligations,” she said. “It is obvious that if Iran cannot be brought to live up to its international obligations, in fact, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) statute would indicate that Iran would have to be referred to the U.N. Security Council” for possible sanctions.
“I think the message is there,” Rice said. “The Iranians need to get that message,” she said, adding that Tehran should know that “there are other steps” the international community can take.
President Bush echoed that message on Wednesday. "The Iranians just need to know that the free world is working together to send a very clear message: Don't develop a nuclear weapon," he said at a briefing with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski at the White House. "And the reason we're send that message is because Iran with a nuclear weapon would be a very destabilizing force in the world," he added. "I look forward to going to Europe to continue to discuss this issue with our allies."
'Security Council referral looms'
In remarks earlier in an interview with Fox News, released Wednesday, Rice had said “Iranians need to hear that if they are unwilling to take the deal, really, that the Europeans are giving ... then the Security Council referral looms.”
Asked at Wednesday’s news conference how long the diplomatic efforts should continue, Rice replied, “We’ve set no deadline, no timeline. The Iranians know what they need to do.”
Rice said the United States continues to be in close consultations with the Europeans “about how it’s going, about whether progress is being made ... and we’ll just monitor and continue those discussions. ... We are in very close consultation.”
In the Fox interview, Rice said, “We have believed all along that Iran ought to be referred to the Security Council and then a variety of steps are available to the international community.” The interview was taped in Paris and released after her arrival here.
“They need to hear that the discussions that they are in with the Europeans are not going to be a kind of way station where they are allowed to continue their activities; that there’s going to be an end to this and that they are going to end up in the Security Council,” she said.