tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post4466536330957836544..comments2024-03-26T04:21:43.535-05:00Comments on Free Association: Thomas Friedman and the Wish for War with IranSheldon Richmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-85937977813575961062015-07-13T11:05:13.723-05:002015-07-13T11:05:13.723-05:00What got Iran, Europe and the US to the negotiatin...What got Iran, Europe and the US to the negotiating table is the threat of War over the Iranian regime having nuclear weapons. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-10717586569588752122015-07-13T11:03:59.973-05:002015-07-13T11:03:59.973-05:00Porter confirms my point: that while parts (some o...Porter confirms my point: that while parts (some of which turned out to be junk) were acquired, enrichment did not begin until 2006, three years after Bush's rebuff. Also note that Obama sabotaged a deal in which Iran would have acquired enriched uranium from Brazil and Turkey. As Reza Marashi says, Iranian enrichment got Obama to the bargaining table.Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-58826914687055218172015-07-13T10:40:35.238-05:002015-07-13T10:40:35.238-05:00But were they enriching uranium? Iran was willing ...But were they enriching uranium? Iran was willing to purchase enriched uranium for power reactors but the US thwarted the effort. Even if Iran was running centrifuges earlier (clearly this is in dispute), the number was very small compared number they were running after Bush turned down Iran's grand offer and by the time the recent talks started. As has been pointed out, Iranian enrichment got the US to the negotiating table -- centrifuges were bargain chips, which Iran is happy to trade. And don't forget that sanctions and the asset-freeze date back to 1979. See Porter's book for details on these issue, including the relationship to the Khan network.Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-30897233662511686632015-07-13T10:24:58.503-05:002015-07-13T10:24:58.503-05:00Iran's centrifuge program was launched in 1985...Iran's centrifuge program was launched in 1985 at facilities controlled by the AEOI in Tehran.[24] Around 1987, Iran received a centrifuge design through what the IAEA has termed a "foreign intermediary."[25] During this first phase of Iran's centrifuge effort, Iran also obtained about 2,000 components from abroad.[26] According to a February 2004 Malaysian police report, Iran received two containers of centrifuge parts, worth $3 million, through the Khan network.[27] This transfer allegedly took place between 1994 and 1995.[28]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-36376497883223701152015-07-12T22:25:53.585-05:002015-07-12T22:25:53.585-05:00Mr. Lest it is not the U.S. It is the world includ...Mr. Lest it is not the U.S. It is the world including China and Russia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-14516984231596056502015-07-12T21:59:32.217-05:002015-07-12T21:59:32.217-05:00The United States government not only should not b...The United States government not only should not be dictating terms to Iran, but as the only country to have actually used them, should be the first on the list of countries not to have them. No lessons were learned. McCain and his ilk still call for their use.Rick Kesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12217072505990725292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-81594909860799253072015-07-12T20:10:56.776-05:002015-07-12T20:10:56.776-05:00Commercial power and medical isotopes _ FAT CHANCE...Commercial power and medical isotopes _ FAT CHANCEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-18841509539889551352015-07-12T18:09:52.493-05:002015-07-12T18:09:52.493-05:00"Exactly you make my point, they seek nuclear..."Exactly you make my point, they seek nuclear weapons for deterrence.... My point is they are well into the development of nuclear weapons."<br /><br />Who cares what you say? Where is your proof? Evidence, man, evidence! I said only, "Who could blame them." I did not say they actually sought a nuclear deterrent.Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-22589073593600428152015-07-12T13:12:38.345-05:002015-07-12T13:12:38.345-05:00Exactly you make my point, they seek nuclear weapo...Exactly you make my point, they seek nuclear weapons for deterrence. The relief of sanctions will give their leadership economic relief and resultant support at home. Their oil will sales will fiancé thie nuclear and missile program as well as their foreign policy. I say go along with this deal, reform American foreign policy and hope cooler heads prevail. My point is they are well into the development of nuclear weapons<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-54542022452122848472015-07-12T11:43:12.677-05:002015-07-12T11:43:12.677-05:00"A country does not need thousands of centrif..."A country does not need thousands of centrifuges to produce medical isotopes." <br /><br />How about electricity? The Shah started putting together a nuclear infrastructure with U.S. assistance.<br /><br />More basically, Iran was spinning no centrifuges in 2003, when it made a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/17/AR2006061700727.html" rel="nofollow">grand offer to negotiate with the United States</a>. It wanted to discuss all pertinent issues, including its willingness to recognize Israel under a two-state solution in accord with an initiative proposed earlier by Saudi Arabia. <br /><br />The Bush administration <i>dismissed</i> Iran's offer out of hand, in response to which Iran pushed ahead with its nuclear (but nonweapons) infrastructure. In all likelihood, this was an amassing of bargaining chips to be traded away for normalization and sanctions relief.<br /><br />By the way, who could blame Iran for wanting a nuclear <i>deterrent</i> in light of repeated military threats from the United States and Israel, not to mention their covert and proxy warfare against it?Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-85409754970741245002015-07-12T00:13:24.116-05:002015-07-12T00:13:24.116-05:00Nonsense. Saudi Arabia has even more oil than Ira...Nonsense. Saudi Arabia has even more oil than Iran, but they're building lots of solar power.<br /><br />Just because you have oil doesn't mean you should keep on wasting it. That oil is valuable and can be sold for hard cash.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-27427152812242130192015-07-11T17:54:14.696-05:002015-07-11T17:54:14.696-05:00A country does not need thousands of centrifuges t...A country does not need thousands of centrifuges to produce medical isotopes, all countries who have developed Atomic Weapons have done so and continue to do so in absolute secrecy, possessing nuclear weapons provides a hedge against attack as in in the case of North Korea. Iran seeks nuclear weapons, with the oil they have they do not need nuclear energy. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com