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Excuse me sir, but is that covert nuclear facility making nuclear weapons or nuclear power?
September 25, 2009
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U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy talk nukes and Iran at the G-20 summit, Sept. 25, 2009, in Pittsburgh. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
By now, you’ve probably already heard that Presidents Obama and Sarkozy, along with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have jointly accused Iran of keeping a secret nuclear facility. The leaders are now asking the International Atomic Energy Agency to immediately inspect the facility.
But how can they tell the Iranian operation is intended to make nuclear weapons rather than nuclear power? Secrecy, of course is a big clue. If the facility is above board, then there’s no point in hiding it, say 100 miles southwest of Tehran. Iran might even let the U.N.’s nuclear detectives inspect it occasionally, rather than bar them and stockpile plutonium as North Korea has done. (Speaking of the IAEA, you can check out the agency’s special section on Iran here, but it doesn’t have the letter everyone’s talking about.)
Size also matters. The New York Times quoted President Obama as saying at the Pittsburgh Summit this morning that “the size and type of the facility is inconsistent with that of a peaceful facility.” OK, but how? Apparently, it doesn’t have enough stuff — not enough equipment in the form of centrifuges to generate the nuclear fuel necessary to run a reactor, but sufficient to make bomb-making materials, says CNN. You’d think it would be the other way around since nuclear weapons require a highly modified material, which brings me to my last point.
The end product, if the plant is operating (and this new site apparently isn’t), is another clue. For example, highly enriched uranium designed for a state-of-the-art nuclear weapon might be enriched to the tune of about 85 to 90 percent. For nuclear power, however, 3 percent enrichment might do the trick, but anywhere in between is game, too, especially, say, if you’re a terrorist looking to make a dirty bomb.
If you’re fascinated with the element, Tom Zoellner wrote a book about it called “Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World.” Of course, we have a ton of nuclear content at HowStuffWorks.com, too, on stuff like stealing a nuclear bomb. Look ‘em over:
How easy is it to steal a nuclear bomb?
What’s a uranium centrifuge?
How Nuclear Power Works
How Nuclear Bombs Work
How Nuclear Detectives Work
Comments
22 Responses to “Excuse me sir, but is that covert nuclear facility making nuclear weapons or nuclear power?”
Seeing as how Iran is an oil-poor country, we really should assume that they only need highly-enriched U235 so as to make medical devices.
roberto says: nuclear ready be a new energy resources that might control oil consumptions.
iran look like search for development country for entering their region,
why and how ?
>nuclear need highest investment not for built reactor but most for environment treatment; and iran need big money for invest.
>iran has raise nuclear diplomacy in this decade; its may inform that world’s need a balance in nuclear for substitute oil&gas ?! or nuclear has guaranteed by technicals safety-controllable in operation.
>pre-conclude: iran has built his international interesting by nuclear opinion (aren’t you ?).
Worlds’ should be wise to decide that nuclear just not born new enemies that we said war.
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Steven Harris says: ‘Superpower’ countries usually know smaller countries are gearing up to make nuclear weapons as they/we have sold them parts of the technology to do so.
http://doctorbeatnik.wordpress.com/
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nookular this nookular that, what would GWB do about nookulear ithues.
Ben says: It seems some people never learn lessons from history. This is the new WMD Weapon of Mass Deception hoax. Iran annouced this project to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) months ago. Sarkozy is driving Obama on Bush’s footsteps : their false “surprise” is only a surprise to Fox TV brainwashed viewers.
John says: These rogue nations have not been cooperating for decades. They refuse to comply with world sanctions and continue in their belligerence. Expect to see news flying out of these totalitarian governments. Unfortunately, even if we did know about a nuclear facility we wouldn’t do anything about it. Because we’re chicken. And Ben… brainwashed Fox viewers? No comment. 
mary says: Well before we can take a stand on Iran I think we have to decide what qualifies as a WMD. So the question Does a stock pile of enriched plutonium qualify as WMD?
Allison Loudermilk says: Good point, Mary, which is why I think there’s so much stress on the U.N. inspectors getting in to inspect the site — to see for themselves what Iran is planning to do with that uranium.
And it appears, Iran is going to let the IAEA check out the new site, according to news today.
Let us think? Underground? Not announced to UN until Obama announced its existence? Oh yes, do not forget, Iran just launched a satellite. If you can launch a satellite, you can make it fall on New York.
Gee, what if an Iranian satellite contains a nuclear bomb made in an underground plant that Iran will not let the UN visit? Could it fall on New York?
Nah, the Iranians are so enlightened that they would never believe they are telling the truth when Iranian throngs chant “Death to America!!”
Only tin hat angry mobs of Sarah Palin supporters wearing Glen Beck T-shirts could ever get worried about this.
Hmm, the US Army is on two sides of Iran, and the US Navy is on the third side. Obviously, there is nothing we can do. The Iranian leaders still persist with secret, bomb-hardened nuclear facilities, so whatever is on their minds that would explain their behavior might not be irrational?
Mousa Ziadeh says: Israel has more than 400 nuclear head and that number was announced in the 1990s. So it is the biggest nuclear threat in the middle east. The U.S. should stop being so biased. Also everybody knows that the U.S. is the country that was the most arrogant and inhumanely country in the world when they killed as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki using nuclear bombs in the biggest massacre in the history of man kind. Everybody knows that the U.S. is just building up for another war and that’s what they are good at.
If there was EVER a threat with nuclear weapons it is iran, if not now, very soon
I don’t know about you but that scas the bejuices out of me. I totally disagree with mousaziadeh and Israel, Israel has shown no threat of use.
Many people are torn betwen peace and war. Unfortunately there has NEVER been a example of someone maintaining peace without military force. this is necessary in order to maintain peace. just look at our children.
@kelly ripa:
Iran has no nuclear weapons, is enriching uranium 96% below the level necessary to make a nuclear weapon, and to do that, it would have to disallow snap inspections by the IAEA–with whom they’ve cooperated on inspecting facilities with nuclear materials. Iran knows that any nuclear weapon being used or possessed by a non-state actor will be attributed to them–whether or not they’re involved–and as far as I know, Iran doesn’t have a death wish, as Iran could neither sustain a retaliatory strike nor make a ’second’ strike
Israel has nuclear weapons, allows for no transparency into their facilities and threatens to strike Iran about 10 times a year. Israel has the full support of the nuclear West to sustain anti-missile defense, make a retaliatory strike, unilaterally engage in second strike, and slaughters thousands every year and never faces significant retaliation.
Who’s the threat to peace here?
I am a Prophet. The history that I am telling to you and to the world is the same as the first Christians, the twelve apostles and many other good humans died to protect, preserve and pass on to coming generation, and now to you.
Nuclear generation should be further studied if not debated for us to ensure the safety of the citizens.We don not know the hidden propaganda of these energy programs.
Well i think there’s many things that happen behind our back. We need to wake up. See wake up call at youtube and you’ll get what i mean.
Nicely done!
http://jdrourke.wordpress.com/