Iran's Nuclear "Ambitions?"

Nuclear "Ambitions" and Radiation

I'm being treated with radiation (I have an early cancer), and the radiation comes from highly concentrated uranium (about 20%), used to create treatment isotopes.

You have heard of Iran's nuclear "ambitions:" it's been bruited all over the news since Ahmadinejad announced Iran would begin further enriching some uranium--to 19.7%. Iran is a member of the NPT (non-proliferation treaty), is inspected by the IAEA, and openly declared what it was doing.

The announcement does not remotely imply that Iran is determined to develop a bomb. Weapons-grade uranium is enriched to above 95%; medical grade is enriched to 19.7%. To reach 95%, Iran would have to build huge complexes--visible from the air.

Radioactive isotopes are used to treat cancer. Iran buys isotopes from abroad, but why shouldn't it produce its own? Japan and South Korea do, Brazil does, Argentina did; none of these are nuclear powers. It's true that all the nuclear powers (including Israel) also produce radioactive isotopes with enriched uranium, but there is a faulty logic to the assumption that this latest action proves that Iran is bound and determined to produce the Bomb.

It does nothing of the kind: granted that all possessors of nuclear weapons produce radioactive isotopes, but not all producers of radioactive isotopes are nuclear powers.

What is telling, however, is that Clinton and Obama are using this non-issue to jab at Iran's leadership and make them sweat (through "targeted sanctions"). It is also telling that China doesn't want to go along with sanctions: she needs Iranian oil, but she also doesn't see Iran as a threat.

Who does? Israel for years has been trying to drum up support for bombing Iran's nuclear plants. The US, even under Bush, had to restrain her. It's the primary reason why Iran has begun to put its nuclear facilities underground.

Why does Ahmadinejad and his government appear so intransigent?

I would be too, if I were abiding by the rules, wanted to modernize my country and was told 'No, No' by the international community. No nation under IAEA's inspection regime has surreptitiously become a nuclear power. We'd know if Iran were really trying to produce nuclear bombs: it would kick out the inspectors first--before it tried.

The other reason for intransigence is that it plays well domestically in Iran: it's not about an effort to build nuclear bombs. Ahmadinejad is posing for his nationalist constituency.

Why does the US push for sanctions, then? Perhaps the most important reasons are: to restrain Israel (see, we're doing something!) and to appear tough back home: if you can scare people, they'll support you! They'll also support huge defense budgets: no one will talk about cutting those now.

Iran, a poor nation of 70 million, is threatening the American Colossus?

Get real.