Bush's itchy finger for Iran

[Saddle Bronc 124]

European officials insisted that the international community should not walk away from years of talks with an often defiant Tehran that is openly enriching uranium for uncertain ends. The report said Iran could still build a nuclear bomb by 2010-2015.

Glossed over that part huh?

And WWIII could happen in February 08 or November 2010. 'Could' is most deffo not the same as 'has', is it?

Could as in, if they desired to do so. You want to bet your life that they don't desire a bomb?

The current hoolpa was that they already had a bomb.

Bullsh!t. No one, including Bush, ever said that they have a bomb right now. The desire is to prevent them from getting one.

And the noticeable omission of the fact that Iran's centrifuges are cent-percent of KRL-design/manufacture may be evidence that they HAVE NOT prevented it.

[GaryC 7]

My bad.

They were not continuing to make a bomb (despite UN obligations), from 2003-onwards.

So now you believe the NIE? They were the ones that said Saddam had WMD's before the war. What is it, you believe them when you agree and not believe when you don't agree? The report does not dispute that Iran is enriching Uranium. That is the key ingredient to make one. After that it's all mechanics to make a bomb.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

My bad.

They were not continuing to make a bomb (despite UN obligations), from 2003-onwards.

So now you believe the NIE? They were the ones that said Saddam had WMD's before the war. What is it, you believe them when you agree and not believe when you don't agree? The report does not dispute that Iran is enriching Uranium. That is the key ingredient to make one. After that it's all mechanics to make a bomb.

A correction for you Gary.

NOT all nuclear weapons are made with HEU--in fact, the vast majority since 1946 (including cent-percent of India's) have been made using Pu-239 (which is easily chemically separable from Uranium).

An ordinary PWR (main US design) which uses LEU (low-enrich uranium, about 5%) will produce 0.6 atoms of Pu-239 for every atom of U-235 split. An ordinary HWR (main design in Canada, copied also in India--heavy-water used as coolant/moderator, unenriched yellowcake as fuel) can do 0.8.

The only declared-nuclear-weapons-countries known to currently be using HEU designs are PRC and Pakistan (no surprise there).