“Smoking gun” Iranian document proves military component to nuke program

by Infidelesto on December 14, 2009 · Comments

Times Online

Confidential intelligence documents obtained by The Times show that Iran is working on testing a key final component of a nuclear bomb.

The notes, from Iran’s most sensitive military nuclear project, describe a four-year plan to test a neutron initiator, the component of a nuclear bomb that triggers an explosion. Foreign intelligence agencies date them to early 2007, four years after Iran was thought to have suspended its weapons programme.

An Asian intelligence source last week confirmed to The Times that his country also believed that weapons work was being carried out as recently as 2007 — specifically, work on a neutron initiator.

The technical document describes the use of a neutron source, uranium deuteride, which independent experts confirm has no possible civilian or military use other than in a nuclear weapon. Uranium deuteride is the material used in Pakistan’s bomb, from where Iran obtained its blueprint.

“Although Iran might claim that this work is for civil purposes, there is no civil application,” said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, which has analysed hundreds of pages of documents related to the Iranian programme. “This is a very strong indicator of weapons work.”

The documents have been seen by intelligence agencies from several Western countries, including Britain. A senior source at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that they had been passed to the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said yesterday: “We do not comment on intelligence, but our concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme are clear. Obviously this document, if authentic, raises serious questions about Iran’s intentions.”

uh, yea, ya think?

Related posts:

  1. UN has epiphany: Says Iran ignoring demands to stop nuke work
  2. Iran has resumed A-bomb project, says West
  3. Report: Iranian Nuke within months
  4. Obama backs off “2 week deadline” for Iranian nuke inspections
  5. Israel says UN is covering up Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions
  6. Breaking: Top Nuke agency (IAEA) says Iran can now make a bomb
  7. IAEA admits Syrians were likely building nuke reactor covertly
  8. Israel seized nuke material before Syrian raid
  9. Moscow hosts summit to modernize Iran military; threatens to send air defense system to protect Iranian nukes
  10. Bolton: Israel may have to take action on Iran
Want automatic updates?
4 choices: Twitter, Facebook, RSS feed or get daily email updates
  • SirWilhelm
    Everyone talks about needing a "smoking gun", if this isn't one, what will be, a smoking crater where Tel Aviv used to be? And I love how Obama is "cracking down" on financial "fat cats". He's so tough with targets like that, while Iran flaunts their development of nuclear weapons at us and continues to supress their own people while they do, and he talks of tougher sanctions in the face of Iranian challenges to do just that, assuring everyone they'll have no more effect than any of the previous ones have. Obama made sure from the start that the world, and especially Iran, will perceive him as a paper tiger. Only an extreme act will change that now, but then, that's what it will take to stop Iran anyway.
blog comments powered by Disqus