Tuesday, November 15, 2005
U.S.-RUSSIA MOVE TO CORNER IRANIAN HARDLINERS ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM
The United States, Russia, the IAEA and other major powers moved toward establishing an international nuclear fuel bank that would remove any legitimate need for Iran or any other non-nuclear state to reprocess nuclear fuel - a step that can be used for both nuclear reactors as well as to make nuclear warheads.
"Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear monitor, said on Monday he had won commitments from the US and Russia for an initiative to create an international nuclear fuel bank. He said only such an international approach could resolve the problem of countries being able to develop a nuclear bomb through their own development of the fuel cycle.
"You can’t target one country," he told a Washington conference hosted by the Carnegie think-tank, referring to international pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Mr ElBaradei said he was «very close» to being able to establish an assured supply of nuclear fuel, under IAEA management, within the next year.
The US made a commitment in September to supply 17 tonnes of highly enriched uranium that would be blended down to 290 tonnes of lightly enriched fuel. Russia would also give material from dismantled weapons.
Japan ’s multi-billion-dollar nuclear facility, to be built at Rokkasho, could also become part of a global fuel bank system, he suggested."
While Iran's regime can be expected to balk at this alternative given that their nuclear program is obviously and primarily for the acquisition of nuclear weapons, establishing this kind of bank erodes the "plausible deniability" for the mullahs for even the determinedly gullible in the West.
¶ 9:27 AM
The United States, Russia, the IAEA and other major powers moved toward establishing an international nuclear fuel bank that would remove any legitimate need for Iran or any other non-nuclear state to reprocess nuclear fuel - a step that can be used for both nuclear reactors as well as to make nuclear warheads.
"Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear monitor, said on Monday he had won commitments from the US and Russia for an initiative to create an international nuclear fuel bank. He said only such an international approach could resolve the problem of countries being able to develop a nuclear bomb through their own development of the fuel cycle.
"You can’t target one country," he told a Washington conference hosted by the Carnegie think-tank, referring to international pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Mr ElBaradei said he was «very close» to being able to establish an assured supply of nuclear fuel, under IAEA management, within the next year.
The US made a commitment in September to supply 17 tonnes of highly enriched uranium that would be blended down to 290 tonnes of lightly enriched fuel. Russia would also give material from dismantled weapons.
Japan ’s multi-billion-dollar nuclear facility, to be built at Rokkasho, could also become part of a global fuel bank system, he suggested."
While Iran's regime can be expected to balk at this alternative given that their nuclear program is obviously and primarily for the acquisition of nuclear weapons, establishing this kind of bank erodes the "plausible deniability" for the mullahs for even the determinedly gullible in the West.
¶ 9:27 AM
