hotair

It was here the last I know of. But MSNBC has a nasty habit of cleaning their servers, it might be gone by now.

Iran receives Russian nuclear fuel - Iran - MSNBC.com


The story has been updated since I first read it. The second paragraph was added.

As for ‘weapons grade’. The easiest way to produce ‘weapons grade’ is to reprocess spent fuel.

Then again . . . One kilo of any nuclear material packed into a warhead with four, or five kilos of any military grade explosive would work just as well. Let Hezbollah, and Hamas fire a couple thousand of these ‘dirty ‘ rockets into Israel. The radiation would sterilize the country’s population before anyone knew what happened.

Thus providing the long awaited “Last Generation of Israelis”!!!

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So long, and thanks for all of the fish!!!

BillCosby

I don't know what it once said...... RIght now it does not say nor have I read that the Russians are giving them weapons grade material.......


To bad there was not this great interest & reporting when Israel & Wackistan were getting their materials.................

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

Malkavian

I don't think Russia wants Iran to have nukes... That'd be real stupid, and Putin ain't. lol, when that Bushehr site was supposed to be finished?

I expect that nuke fuel will have some 'unforeseen difficulties' in processing.

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Woof!

hotair

All of which brings us back to the thread topic. Why did the Russians feel it necessary to announce their “Pre-emptive nuclear first strike" policy on the very day that they started delivering all of that nuclear fuel to the Iranians?

Where they talking to the Iranians? Or . . . Are they talking to the rest of the world? Those whom might blame the Russians for what the Iranians might do with all of the material.

Given the size of the reactor that they are building. I seriously doubt that the Iranians really need a hundred years worth of fuel to run it.

Given the relatively low level of radiation that is lethal. Not to mention the even lower doses needed to sterilize people. The Iranians (Hezbollah, Hamas, and the rest) do not need either nuclear weapons, nor even processed ‘weapons grade” material to do the job. As this stuff is (without further refinement), it would only take a couple of kilos per warhead. (I forget. . . How many rockets did Hezbollah fire into Israel, back in '05?)

80 Tons of the stuff, is going to go a long way.

You are half right though. Putin is not stupid. Then again, all he cares about, is that the Iranians pay in full for the stuff. What the Iranians do with the stuff is neither his concern, nor problem. Like the man said in the press conference: If the Iranians (or anyone else) even point one of their rockets at Russia, the Russians will not hesitate to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against them.

The Russians do not bother me. The question here is: What are the Russians afraid of?

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So long, and thanks for all of the fish!!!

BillCosby

Do you believe that Iran can actually have a need for the fuel???

Contrary to much of the bushism we hear & read they actually need some alternative forms of power........ Not all actions by them or anyone should be looked @ solely as to how they could possibly effect the usa &/or Israel.............

We don't need to attack every time someone farts in the middle east/.......

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

Malkavian

That's easy. To piss off Americans (for various things, from ABM to 'color revolutions' and radar stations) and bring additional pressure on Iran.


Bushehr is nearly a decade behind schedule, hence my doubts about Russian commitment to Iranian nuclear program.

Nuclear fuel, even enriched uranium, is not really radioactive. Nuclear waste (fission products) is. They still need a reactor to generate waste for dirty bombs.
Nuclear Iran, then the stupid US policies in the region. Iran and Russia are not friends, they are strategic competitors. Iran is the only threat to the emerging Russian monopoly on European energy markets. American pressure keeps Iran out of European oil game, and therefore Iranian nuclear program is advantageous to Russian interests.

However, an actual nuclear weapon would be give Iran a certain status as a power in the region. If they played nice (and most likely they would), European opposition to nuclear Iran would fade quickly, and Russia would have to face Iran as an equal.

Russia is home to over 1.5 million Azeri people, who happen to be Shia Muslims. A nuclear, self confident Iran could could start covert unrest among that population. Russia just suppressed one ethnic rebellion (Chechnya), and Europeans got their panties in a bunch about it. (Something about killing off half the population). There are more Azeri in Russia then there are Chechens. Another 'police action' like that, and Europe might retaliate with sanctions... And who will be there to pick up after crumbling Russian monopoly? Why, our good friend Iran of course...

Iran can destroy Russian economy and plunge Russia into a civil war worse than the Chechen one in a single move. Putin no doubt understands this. Hence all the delays and indecisiveness.

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Woof!

hotair

A truly wonderful analysis. Despite the obvious flaws, it is almost impressive. All of which has nothing to do with the issue that I have raised. I still maintain that the timing of this announcement is very significant. Especially given the rank of the person that issued the announcement. The only possible purpose for that press conference was to send someone a clear, and concise message. With the rest of the world bearing witness to the context of the message.

Russia’s first strike deterrent, has been a given ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union. With the loss of the Warsaw Pact countries, Russia can no longer field a sufficient conventional military force to defend the country. Building a new military force requires money, that Russia does not have right now. What money Russia can raise, is needed for other things, more important than a new military. Thus Russia is totally dependent on its nuclear arsenal for defense.

To put this particular announcement into perspective . . . The White House asks all of the Networks to provide air time, so that the President can address the nation. Where as, the only thing that Bush has to say, is that he is not going to run for a third term.

Above a certain level, within any government, the heads of state do not call news conferences to announce something that is so obvious that it does not require announcing it at all. Not without a very good reason. The CNC of a national military force, is well above that level. If the purpose of this announcement was simply to clarify Russia’s position, the announcement would have been made by the appropriate peon. That is after all why governments have peons in the first place.

By nature, people usually do not make threats (of this level) unless they are scared. Obviously the Russians are afraid of something. The clue to their fear lies in the timing of their announcement. The fact that they choose to make this announcement on the very same day that they delivered a major shipment of ‘nuclear fuel’ to Iran, is very significant. The fact that they made this announcement so publicly, is also significant. As well as the fact that the person who made the announcement is so high in the Russian government.

After all, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is not going to call an international press conference just to announce that the Army has a policy of legally prosecuting soldiers who use illegal drugs. At least, not without a very good reason.

__________________
So long, and thanks for all of the fish!!!

BillCosby

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

Malkavian

Lol, enlighten me

I've never claimed Russia had any serious conventional military. Actually, that's one of the reasons i said nuclear Iran would be Russia's equal. That would be dangerous to Russia in European energy market games.

I told you what Russians are afraid of. Muslims are hated in Russia even more than the Americans. Again, Iran need not to attack Russia with nukes to cause massive problems. As for Americans, i'm sure they have long known about weakness of conventional Russian forces, so a nuclear response to a conventional attack would make perfect sense to them. In any case, i've never heard of American plans to attack Russia, with either nuclear or conventional weapons.

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Woof!

OldManOnFire

Great comment if most could be considered sane.

Any sane person should also understand that this world and it's people are inching closer to a nuclear event. Whether it's terrorists, or some insane leader, or perhaps nothing more than a little mistake, I believe the potential is higher than ever...

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Did you know both our problems and the solutions can be found simply by looking in our mirrors...and...Never confuse the extraordinary stuff I think and write with that of a well-balanced person...