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The Father Of Iran's Nuclear Program Recalls How It All Began
http://www.rferl.org/content/father-of-iran-nuclear-program-recalls-how-it-began/27108228.html
The Father Of Iran's Nuclear Program Recalls How It All Began
By Golnaz Esfandiari
July 03, 2015
It was late in 1973 when Akbar Etemad got the call -- the shah wanted to discuss ways to launch a nuclear program that would cement Iran's place among the world's modern nations.
<snip>
"Right now we don't need a nuclear weapon because Iran is a major regional power," Etemad recalls the shah saying. But if in the next 10, 15, or 20 years the regional military balance changed, the shah added, "then we would have to see what needs to be done."
As a result, Etemad worked to ensure that if Iran ever decided to build a bomb, it would be able to do so.
<snip>
Asked whether Tehran's nuclear program was worth the pressure the country has faced, Etemad replies with a simple "No."
<snip>
The Father Of Iran's Nuclear Program Recalls How It All Began
By Golnaz Esfandiari
July 03, 2015
It was late in 1973 when Akbar Etemad got the call -- the shah wanted to discuss ways to launch a nuclear program that would cement Iran's place among the world's modern nations.
<snip>
"Right now we don't need a nuclear weapon because Iran is a major regional power," Etemad recalls the shah saying. But if in the next 10, 15, or 20 years the regional military balance changed, the shah added, "then we would have to see what needs to be done."
As a result, Etemad worked to ensure that if Iran ever decided to build a bomb, it would be able to do so.
<snip>
Asked whether Tehran's nuclear program was worth the pressure the country has faced, Etemad replies with a simple "No."
<snip>
