At 09:27 AM 3/9/2003 -0600 Robert Seeberger wrote:
> On a visit last month to Tehran,
>International Atomic Energy Agency director Mohamed ElBaradei announced he
>had discovered that Iran was constructing a facility to enrich uranium - a
>key component of advanced nuclear weapons - near Natanz. But diplomatic
>sources tell TIME the plant is much further along than previously revealed.
>The sources say work on the plant is "extremely advanced" and involves
>"hundreds" of gas centrifuges ready to produce enriched uranium and "the
>parts for a thousand others ready to be assembled."
This should put a chill into anybody's thoughts that "containement and
inspections" are serious options when it comes to nuclear proliferation.
Just as in 1991, UN inspectors were shocked to learn that Iraq was only a
year or two away from a bomb, this visit by the IAEA which produced this
week's surprise was only because Iranian dissidents managed to smuggle out
the intelligence.
And, in reason #1,238 to invade Iraq, no doubt the Federal Republic of Iraq
will be provide crucial military bases for the campaign to disarm Iran.
Not that I consider war with Iran inevitable - it is WAY, WAY, WAY too
early for that.... but suffice to say that having that option available
will provide an invaluable element of persuausion for Iran to accept
disarmament, and inspections of that disarmament. Even if Iran gets 1/3
of the time that Saddam Hussein has had, that's still four years.....
JDG
_______________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world,
it is God's gift to humanity." - George W. Bush 1/29/03
_______________________________________________
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
