November 14, 2006

Iran Says Near Completion of its Nuclear Program

IAEA experts say they've found traces of plutonium in a nuclear waste site in Iran. Could this be the smoking gun needed to prove that Iran's nuclear program is anything but peaceful? And even if it is, will it even matter to the likes of Kofi Annan and the Europeans? From AP:

International Atomic Energy experts have found unexplained plutonium and highly enriched uranium traces in a nuclear waste facility in Iran and have asked Tehran for an explanation, an IAEA report said Tuesday.

The report, prepared for next week's meeting of the 35-nation IAEA, also faulted Tehran for not cooperating with the agency's attempts to investigate suspicious aspects of Iran's nuclear program that have lead to fears it might be interested in developing nuclear arms.

And it said it could not confirm Iranian claims that its nuclear activities were exclusively nonmilitary unless Tehran increased its openness.

Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly grooming Osama bin Laden's replacement as head of al-Qaeda. Yes, "peaceful puroposes" all around for the Iranians.