Iran Tested Nuclear Warhead Design: IAEA Report

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | November 6, 2009 at 04:27 am
468 views | 70 Recommendations | 25 comments

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The IAEA, in a report, indicates that Iran may already have tested a nuclear warhead design.  A Britsh Newspaper reported that the UN Nuclear Watchdog has asked Iran to explain the evidence that it has experimented with highly advanced nuclear warhead design.

The IAEA believes that Iran is either very close or already has a nuclear warhead according to the report.

The technology, which is secret in the U.S. and the UK, is known as a two point implosion device. 

There have been no statements so far by either the U.S. or UK.

If true, this is a serious development which could turn up the heat on Iran and will require crisis management by the U.S. with the government of Israel.

LONDON — The UN nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence that it has experimented with highly advanced nuclear warhead designs, a British newspaper reported Friday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes Iranian scientists may have tested components of the sophisticated technology, known as a "two-point implosion" device, the Guardian reported.

This technology -- whose existence is secret in the United States and Britain -- would allow for the production of smaller and simpler warheads and reduce the diameter of a warhead and make it easier to put on a missile, it said.

The Guardian cited previously unpublished documentation in a dossier compiled by the IAEA, drawn in part from reports submitted by western intelligence agencies, and presented to Iran for response.

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1
Hugh Askew

Wonder who might have sold them that technology.

Guessing some folks in our nasty, mean, and unconstitutional, intelligence services know.


0
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Sounds like Brits or US? to me

0
Hugh Askew

No cowboy, the Iranians have an open border in regards to the technology of their northern neighbor.   Fools game, to my feeble mind, but there it is.

Weren't for the Americans after WWII, Iran would have become another soviet republic.  I do not think that Mr. Putin is unaware. 

Rooshia is willing to spend a great deal for influence in the region. Having the Iranians pay them for technology is a no brainer for them.

0
Steve Allen

Hi Hugh,   If this in fact true they would have probably got the top secret information from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_design  where youcanlearn how to make the things from sticks of glue and sticky backed plastic!   Do you not smell the Iraq strategy here? Nobody says when the tests took place, the information is from multiple 'intelligence sources' (er US, Israeli, UK, Burundi, Samoa etc.).   Best regards,   Steve 

3
tikun

Slowly but surely we are moving toward some sort of confrontation with Iran.

1
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Unfortunately so.

9
Uwe Paschen

So far it is speculation and based on past experience it is to be taken with a grain of scepticism. 

Even if it is as suspected, I doubt that Israel or the US are in any danger. Iran's ambition are based in self defence against a possible US or Israeli attack such as happen in Iraq.

 

3
Mikcy

I don't understand why we behave like this.When US , ISRAEL can have what ever the weapons they want , why not IRAN ?

3
YankeeJim

Really, the time for talking with Iran and asking for explanations is long past. America and its allies must face the prospect that certain states in the world are perpetual enemies. Iran has become a menace to the free world of signficant proportion such that it demands retaliatory action, I think.

Would pounding another radical Islamic state into oblivion make any difference? Would Europe be better off just waiting until Iran can aim their new weapons directly at them, leaving too little time for effecitve response? Is Europe ready for Iranian nuclear blackmail?

1
Admiral Akbar

"America and its allies must face the prospect that certain states in the world are perpetual enemies." - really Jimbo? I guess you never knew that until 1979 Iran WAS an ally of ameriKKKa.  Or that your CIA helped to overthrow an elected government in 1953. But I'm sure that slipped your mind.

"Would pounding another radical Islamic state into oblivion make any difference?"- wouldnt it be great if they had a nuke...and used it on your country?

Are you aware that Israel has several hundred nukes? probably not..just another FACT that slipped your feeble mind

1
tikun

Akbar, you can make your comments with out the insult. Besides Israel isnt the one threatening to destroy Iran with nuclear weapons. It appears by all reports that Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map. Hmmm. Am I missing something here?

0
djermano

If I remember right Bibi Netanyahu of Israel promised to wipe Washington DC off the Map not long ago. Maybe you are missing something here.

The Rev.

1
Hugh Askew

Admiral Akbar -

If in fact, Israel has nuclear weapons - and i presume it does - it illustrates that Israel is, in practice, responsible enough to possess those weapons.

Of course my feeble mind can't understand why the Israeli's did not use those weapons during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 - unless of course they indeed do have remarkable self-restraint and a huge sense of responsibility.

The current rulers of Iran can't even shown enough restraint to refrain from spouting inane lies to the world.

1
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Thanks for your comments Jim.  Those are all pertinent questions that have to be addressed by the US Administration and the EU.  It will be interesting to see how Iran explains this, if they do.

2
Amy Judd

I find the mere mention of any nuclear weapons from anywhere just so scary

2
a211423

I agree rng

With trading partners like Russia and China, Iran is experiencing from its own perspective, whether correct or not, an upper hand in its international presence and will continue to garner allies leveraging their nuclear program.  

On next Monday the Organization of Islamic conference is taking place in Turkey, and Iran is attending.   Ahmadinejad might be planning to use this as speaking platform like he did at the U.N.  to break attempts by the international community to isolate Tehran in the nuclear row.  Turkey has been praised by Ahmandinejad for their stance against Isreal,  and he might be using this conference to confirm that Turkey is redirecting their foreign policy away from the West.    

1
a211423

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=35633&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=381&cHash=3c50a13348

Here is an excellent article on China's Persian Gulf stratedgy. 

1
MBenson82

I just find it odd that whenever the world-wide nuclear issues get brought up, the other nations of the world don't express greater outrage at the US's and UN's so-called non-proliferation.  How is it non-proliferation to say "We can have nukes, but you can't, so neener neener"?  I say, if you truly want world-wide non-proliferation, the G*d d*mn it, the US and it's allies should be giving em up too.  Who are we to tell other countries...lemme say that again....OTHER COUNTRIES....What they can and can't do in their own defense?  Granted, some will argue that Iran wants them to go on the offense.....May or may not be true, who knows.   My point is, it's blatantly hypocritical and insanely arrogant to say the we as the US can have nukes, but no one else can.   Americans (and yes, I'm an American, born and raised) need to get the flip over themselves and become a MEMBER of the world community instead of trying to CONTROL the world community.  Just my 2 cents.

1
Hugh Askew

You can keep your 2¢. 

Go ahead with all the nukes you want. Give Chavez a few. That should be real joy. Imagine what Idi Amin could have done with a warehouse full. 

Those that have them now, have shown that they are responsible enough to have them....because there is the very obvious, and very, very, serious probability of an annihilating American response.  Ugly perhaps, but it has worked for almost 65 years now.

0
MBenson82

"Go ahead with all the nukes you want. Give Chavez a few. That should be real joy. Imagine what Idi Amin could have done with a warehouse full."

I think you missed my point....?  I wasn't advocating "nukes for everybody", I was advocating non-proliferation for everybody...to include the US and it's allies.  Yes, I know a LOT of Americans feel that the reason the world hasn't seen another World War is because of us having nukes, I just don't happen to share that sentiment.

0
Hugh Askew

Non-proliferation is a great concept, and i support the idea fully.

Application is another story. The genie is out of the bottle, and it ain't goin' back in.

Does anyone honestly believe that if the US destroyed all of our nukes, that EVERYONE else would as well?

China? Russia? India? Pakistan? Israel?  It takes a large - very large - leap of faith to even think that it might happen.

I would love to see it, but it isn't going to happen. If, perchance it did, shall we then kill or destroy all individuals, books, papers, hard drives, models, and with knowledge of the mechanics of making atomic weapons?

0
djermano

The US is just pissed off because Iran is right on the Caspian Sea where all the Oil resources are said to be. Many scholars to include in Iran believe those Caspian Resources belong to Iran....and not up for grabs by the USA....to put in their pipeline project through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.  Iran is trying to have some sort of defense against the US Super-Power who thinks it can just come into Arab and Persian lands to siphon off their Oil. Saudi Arabia was never able to muster a defense to protect their resources...and Iran certainly does not want to follow the Saudi example of being a pushover. clawless, sucker.

The Rev.

0
Dave999999

Wouldn't it be something if under the Obama Administration Iran surpassed the U.S. in certain weapons technology?

0
ranter22

Quite possibly the US may have a patched up version of the USS Maine that they could send out there to find out information in Iran. This time they may even leave the officers on board for the covert fireworks. Then they could open the gates of tears from ghost relatives of the deceased. Hey, It worked in Cuba.

0
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Thanks everyone for  your comments.  Good points by all.  I'll sit on the fence today:)

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Rhonda J Mangus
First Flagged at 4:34 AM, Nov 6, 2009 by Rhonda J Mangus

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