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Last update - 22:02 25/09/2009
Yossi Melman / Intel assessments of Iran's nuclear program coming true
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: UN, Israel News 

Over the past few hours, Iran has made international waves in regard to its nuclear program.

Western intelligence officials in Israel and elsewhere have long held that in order to build a nuclear weapon, Iran would need at least one secret uranium enrichment facility not subject to international inspections.

At the moment, with the revelation of the existence of a secret Iranian facility for uranium enrichment, we see such intelligence assessments proving true before our eyes.
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It appears that Iran's disclosure of the facility is meant to cool tempers following the revelation of the facility by a number of sources. Nonetheless, the disclosure has not achieved much for Iran, and has only increased suspicions against them and caused further aggravation among the international community.

Still, Iran has conducted itself as required under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose regulations do not require the instant disclosure of any new nuclear facility, but do require the UN watchdog be notified of the construction of any new uranium enrichment facilities. Nonetheless, the timing of the announcement has only aggravated the issue. The announcement comes only days before the opening of talks between Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council, meant to bring a resolution to the crisis over Iran's nuclear program.

The announcement also came during the same week the UN General Assembly was meeting, the IAEA held its annual summit, and the G8 countries held a summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At each meeting, the controversy over Iran and its nuclear program played a major role.

All of these factors have resulted in fury from the international community towards Iran, fury that has been expressed in statements issued by Obama, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who have demanded the IAEA immediately examine the site. Iran has said it will allow the IAEA to patrol the site, and has been insistent that the facility is only being used to enrich uranium at levels not suitable for the building of a nuclear weapon.

There is no guarantee that Iran will not move highly-enriched uranium to a secondary hidden site and hide the centrifuges used in the secret facility. One thing has been made clear though, that Iran is continue to stall and run out the clock before they must pay stiffer consequences, consequences that even Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hinted he'd weigh supporting. Meanwhile, as the clock runs, Iran comes closer and closer to the day they have a nuclear weapon, and talk of sanctions have long become moot
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How many more secret nuclear facilities is Iran still hiding?
  1.   If they disclose this, there are MANY others! 22:13  |  Jeff 25/09/09
  2.   IT WAS NOT SECRET 22:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 25/09/09
  3.   why the sudden surprise? 23:56  |  Bernardo 25/09/09
  4.   what`s the big shouting about, Mark? (#2) 23:58  |  ivo 25/09/09
  5.   This disclosure is designed to put 01:16  |  Chris Linthwaite 26/09/09
  6.   #1 Jeff 01:18  |  Chris Linthwaite 26/09/09
  7.   Just another Israeli/American excuse to invade another oil rich 03:03  |  Marc Leb 26/09/09
  8.   #5 - Marc Leb - Invading Iran 05:43  |  MM Rahim 26/09/09
  9.   #2 mark of L - it IS a SECRET 05:52  |  CK Tan 26/09/09
  10.   Mark of Lewiston, that was just plain silly 05:59  |  Peter Williams 26/09/09
  11.   #3 Chris - ANOTHER explanation 06:00  |  CK Tan 26/09/09
  12.   Linthwaite continues to play the fool 06:19  |  NOT-haaretz.com 26/09/09
  13.   Peter Williams - Obama Was Briefed by Bush Admin 07:51  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/09/09
  14.   # 7 but ck, how could it have been a secret... 09:11  |  eric 26/09/09
  15.   6 MM Rahim - Not for Israel 09:32  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/09/09
  16.   "from the international community towards Iran" 19:04  |  Yonatan 26/09/09
  17.   # 10 hey not-haaretz, you`re kidding; right? (2nd try) 19:45  |  eric 26/09/09
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