Iran Claims It's Testing a New Centrifuge

[ECH1969]

Iran's president has thrown a new wrinkle into the nuclear debate by claiming his country is testing a centrifuge that could be used to more speedily create fuel for power plants or atomic weapons.

The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran cease enrichment work, which the United States and some of its allies suspect is meant to produce weapons. But Russia and China, two of the council's five veto-holding members, have opposed punishing Iran.

Ahmadinejad, in a speech to students last week, claimed for the first time that Iran is testing a P-2 centrifuge for enriching uranium. Such a device would be a vast improvement over the P-1 centrifuges that Iran says it has used to do small-scale enrichment.

His assertion is sure to raise concerns that Iran might have a more sophisticated atomic program than had been believed. The IAEA and some independent groups have long questioned whether Iran might have a parallel, secret nuclear program that is further along.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5761296,00.html

[Igel]

1. Ah. I see that Ahmedinejad is fully engaged

in the "confidence-building process."

Doing things like being up-front with ElBaradei, making clear statements, trying to avoid embarrassing the monitoring agencies.

[stepnw1f]

2. This is Not Pressing News

I'm getting sick of the effort to "catapult" this shit.

"Oh my... Iran farted today. It must be because they are anxious, and we all know anxiety is a response to wanting to nuke America..."

[Owsley]

3. This centrifuge goes to 11. It's one more. (N/T)