Too late to halt Iran’s nuclear bomb, EU is told (EU internal report leaked))

[madville]

Too late to halt Iran’s nuclear bomb, EU is told
By Daniel Dombey and Fidelius Schmid in Brussels

Published: February 12 2007 22:18 | Last updated: February 12 2007 22:18

Iran will be able to develop enough weapons-grade material for a nuclear bomb and there is little that can be done to prevent it, an internal European Union document has concluded.

In an admission of the international community’s failure to hold back Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the document – compiled by the staff of Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief – says the atomic programme has been delayed only by technical limitations rather than diplomatic pressure. “Attempts to engage the Iranian administration in a negotiating process have not so far succeeded,” it states.

The downbeat conclusions of the “reflection paper” – seen by the Financial Times – are certain to be seized on by advocates of military action, who fear that Iran will be able to produce enough fissile material for a bomb over the next two to three years. Tehran insists its purposes are purely peaceful.

“At some stage we must expect that Iran will acquire the capacity to enrich uranium on the scale required for a weapons programme,” says the paper, dated February 7 and circulated to the EU’s 27 national governments ahead of a foreign ministers meeting yesterday.

“In practice . . . the Iranians have pursued their programme at their own pace, the limiting factor being technical difficulties rather than resolutions by the UN or the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“The problems with Iran will not be resolved through economic sanctions alone.”

More at link:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ae2d5d24-badd-11db-bbf3-0000779e2340.html
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[angstlessk]

1. Is the timing of this release just coinky dink? I think NOT!

the set up is as perfect as was the conflagration of 'facts' leading up to the iraq war!

[Joanne98]

2. Too late to halt Iran’s nuclear bomb, EU is told

Too late to halt Iran’s nuclear bomb, EU is told
By Daniel Dombey and Fidelius Schmid in Brussels

Published: February 12 2007 22:18 | Last updated: February 12 2007 22:18

Iran will be able to develop enough weapons-grade material for a nuclear bomb and there is little that can be done to prevent it, an internal European Union document has concluded.

In an admission of the international community’s failure to hold back Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the document – compiled by the staff of Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief – says the atomic programme has been delayed only by technical limitations rather than diplomatic pressure. “Attempts to engage the Iranian administration in a negotiating process have not so far succeeded,” it states.

The downbeat conclusions of the “reflection paper” – seen by the Financial Times – are certain to be seized on by advocates of military action, who fear that Iran will be able to produce enough fissile material for a bomb over the next two to three years. Tehran insists its purposes are purely peaceful.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ae2d5d24-badd-11db-bbf3-0000779e2340.html

This makes me wonder if there are neo-cons in the EU.

[Gloria]

3. Meanwhile, other states in the GCC want nuclear for energy....where are

the war drums for them???

[habitual]

4. BOOM BOOM BOOM, the drumbeat of war is BOOMING n/t

[Straight Shooter]

5. Yay. Financial Times, the same putzes who still call McCain a "maverick."

They know who's buttering their bread, and they know who's buttering our behinds.

[Matilda]

6. You can't blame the Iranians for being paranoid.

The IAEA says Iran is about five years from being able to produce a nuclear weapon, so it's not
exactly panic time.

But why were sanctions not put in place against India and Pakistan when they developed nuclear
weapons, and why not against Israel, which continues to lie about its own capacity? And funny how
North Korea is still going on its merry nuclear way, and every bit as likely to use them as Iran
would be.

I can't say I'm comfortable with the idea of Iran having nuclear weapons, but the hypocrisy
surrounding it is even more worrying than the possibility of what might happen in the future. There
are more ways than one of handling this situation, and there's no doubt that both the US and the EU
are taking the worst options, IMO.

[lovuian]

7. Nuclear Bombs are not a deterent and Everybody suffers

I can't believe this is being used as a deterent in the year 2007

ridiculously stupid Everybody suffers when a nuke goes off :nuke:

[ShortnFiery]

10. Yes but with the Rogue Empire like America tear assing around the M.E.

Everybody in the neighborhood wants one, i.e., nuclear bomb as a deterrent to an USA invasion. :shrug:

[Doremus]

8. Meanwhile, in the world of reality ....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329698635-111322,00.html

Nuclear plans in chaos as Iran leader flounders

Boasts of a nuclear programme are just propaganda, say insiders, but the PR could be enough to provoke Israel into war
Peter Beaumont, foreign affairs editor
Sunday January 28, 2007

Observer
Iran's efforts to produce highly enriched uranium, the material used to make nuclear bombs, are in chaos and the country is still years from mastering the required technology.

Iran's uranium enrichment programme has been plagued by constant technical problems, lack of access to outside technology and knowhow, and a failure to master the complex production-engineering processes involved. The country denies developing weapons, saying its pursuit of uranium enrichment is for energy purposes.

Despite Iran being presented as an urgent threat to nuclear non-proliferation and regional and world peace - in particular by an increasingly bellicose Israel and its closest ally, the US - a number of Western diplomats and technical experts close to the Iranian programme have told The Observer it is archaic, prone to breakdown and lacks the materials for industrial-scale production.

More at link.



We must counter every piece of Bushit propaganda with the truth.

[HuffleClaw]

9. 'the STAFF...'

ok, so WHO was responsible for this? shouldn't take long to track it

[krispos42]

11. Iranian uranium is not the problem

Not knowing how enriched it is, or where it is, is the problem.

This is a problem that can be solved with UN weapons inspectors. Accounting for every gram of enriched uranium produced takes care of these problems nicely.

Soooo... somebody start talking to Iran!

[superconnected]

12. EU report leaked from the Bush Administration.

Does Iran have any idea what kind of blood and death is going to be reigned on them.

Bush is so out to destroy that country.

[humbled_opinion]

13. Nuclear detonation will have a serious effect on Global Warming... EOM

[12345]

14. do you mean something like this...

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070203/bob8.asp