Wow really? Iran May Have More Secret Nuke Sites

ahmadinejadColor me shocked. BTW, that was sarcasm for you braincell challenged liberals. According to Wired.com, the UN’s atomic watchdogs are worried that the mullahs just might have more secret nuclear sites that haven’t been revealed or discovered. Iran is being so squirrely about its recently-revealed enrichment plant, the international inspectors say, that there very well could be others, scattered around the country. Really now? How is that even possible? Iran lying about nukes and nuke sites? IMPOSSIBLE!

Courtesy of Arms Control Wonk, we can take a first look at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear drive. The paper is couched in cautious, bureaucratic language, but one thing is clear: Iran isn’t being straight about its nuclear ambitions. And that could mean there could be more “undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.”

The report contains details about a visit by representatives of the IAEA to a once-secret nuclear site near the city of Qom. In late October, inspectors were able to pay a visit to the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is located about 20 kilometers north of Qom.

What did they find? According to the report, the IAEA verified that the plant — which the Iranians say is not planned to be operational until 2011 — was being built to contain sixteen cascades with a total of approximately 3,000 centrifuges. The Iranians say they plan to produce low-enriched uranium suitable for nuclear fuel; the plant is built for older IR-1 centrifuges, but the facility could be upgraded to contain more advanced centrifuges at a later date.

Inspectors also held meetings in Tehran to discuss the design of the plant, as well as the timeline for its construction. According to the Iranians, funds were allocated to launch the project in the second half of 2007 — but the Islamic Republic did not notify the agency about the facility’s existence until September 2009. That delayed declaration, the IAEA politely noted, “reduces the level of confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction and gives rise to questions about whether there were any other nuclear facilities not declared to the agency,” the report said.

In other words, a pattern of secrecy persists when it comes to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And unless Tehran shifts gears, “the Agency will not be in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.”

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November 16, 2009 · Filed Under Iran


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