Iran moves to speed up nuclear program despite sanctions

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

VIENNA — Iran is increasing the number of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges installed at its Natanz underground plant, despite tightening international sanctions aimed at stopping Tehran's nuclear progress, diplomats said on Wednesday.

Iran has for years been trying to develop centrifuges more efficient than the erratic 1970s era IR-1 machines it now uses, but introducing new models has been dogged by technical hurdles and difficulty in obtaining key parts abroad.

If launched and operated successfully, the new machines would enable the Islamic state to sharply speed up sensitive atomic activity which it says is for peaceful energy purposes but which the West fears may be aimed at building nuclear bombs.

"It is clear Iran can build them. The question is how many and how good are they," one Western envoy said.

The planned deployment of next generation centrifuges underlines Iran's refusal to bow to pressure to curb its nuclear program, and may further complicate efforts to resolve the dispute diplomatically and avoid a spiral into war.

Iran announced early last month that it would build about 3,000 advanced centrifuges. But experts and diplomats said it was unclear whether it had the capability and materials needed to make so many, and also to run them smoothly.

Although still far from the target number, one diplomatic source estimated that roughly 500-600 so-called IR-2m centrifuges and empty centrifuge casings had now been put in place at the Natanz enrichment facility in central Iran.

That compares with 180 two months ago, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog's latest report on Iran, issued in February.

.

.

.

If hundreds of new centrifuges had now been installed, "it indicates that Iran has made a significant breakthrough both in mastering the technology and in acquiring the raw materials," said nuclear expert Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank.

"This development will be of major concern to countries that are worried about Iran's growing ability to quickly produce nuclear weapons."

Iran had previously been believed to face a shortage of the high strength metals necessary to produce the new centrifuges in large numbers but it might have been able to obtain them on the black market, Fitzpatrick added.

One of the Vienna-based diplomats said the IR-2m machine was designed to reduce sanctions-related problems "in that they replace some hard-to-get materials with what are in theory easier to get or make materials."

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20130417/US-IRAN-NUCLEAR-CENTRIFUGES/

Amazing how Iran no longer holds the world's attention.

[GandD 5,966]

Amazing how Iran no longer holds the world's attention.

You think they get jealous of North Korea?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

You think they get jealous of North Korea?

I wonder if women in North Korea are oppressed. No data on that ?

I have been to South Korea this year. I would give their women a High C,, Low B a lot of them acted uppity and spoiled.

I will say this. Korean Air has really really hot flight attendants.

It's a mystery how they do a 14 hour flight and look as fresh and starched as when the flight took off

[mota bhai 2,675]

It's a mystery how they do a 14 hour flight and look as fresh and starched as when the flight took off

same reason asian chicks dont age.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

same reason asian chicks dont age.

That part is mostly true. It comes from burying their feelings deeply. Expression causes wrinkles.

[GandD 5,966]

My wife is nearly five years older than me (originally from hong kong) Guess which of us people think is older?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

My wife is nearly five years older than me (originally from hong kong) Guess which of us people think is older?

My wife is 14 years younger than me, folks still think we are the same age woooooooooooooo hooooooooooooooo.. it's in my genes baby