Zero Ways Iran is Developing a Nuclear Weapon

Zero Ways Iran is Developing a Nuclear Weapon

A nice write up about the hype by Nick Hankoff

You don’t have to know what P5+1, NPT, IAEA, HEU, and LEU mean to get the gist of the Iran nuclear issue. But there are some quick facts no American should overlook.

Here’s a list of zero ways Iran is weaponizing its nuclear energy program:

0. Iran is developing nuclear energy peacefully to better its economy. It hasn’t violated the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the agreement signed to promote nuclear technology and prevent nuclear bombs.

Iran is enriching uranium at a level of 5% or lower to harness its energy. To make a bomb, it has to be enriched to at least 90% and that’s not something a flip of a switch can accomplish. Even if there was such a switch, the International Atomic Energy Agency would find out since they’re at the facilities on a daily basis.

0. In May 2003 (remember Shock and Awe?), Iran offered a “grand bargain” to the US. Iran would recognize Israel, end support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and allow even more international scrutiny of its nuclear activities. President Bush and Cheney weren’t interested, even after anti-terrorism overtures had been made by Iran in the run-up to the Afghanistan War the year prior.

0. Since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been interested in nuclear energy. Everyone knows they have oil, but did you know they can’t refine it into gasoline for their own citizens? Their calculation to sell oil and run on nuclear power is based on the fact oil sells much easier on the international market.

0. Iran originally contracted out to a French company to enrich the uranium with their centrifuges, but in the early 80’s President Reagan (while backing Iraq in a war against Iran) pressured France (and everyone else who could) not to assist Iran. This prohibition led Iran to the black market. Shocker, huh?
Iran turned down offers of weapons technology from the underground trafficker AQ Khan, so when a deal was struck, Khan left Iran with crappy centrifuges! Enriching uranium is hard, even for peaceful purposes.

0. Iranians have all the benefits of possessing a bomb already, without actually having to have one! Their knowledge of nuclear physics alone is a deterrent to foreign aggression.
Take it from President George W. Bush’s CIA chief, General Michael Hayden who said, “When we talked about this in the government, the consensus was that [attacking Iran] would guarantee that which we are trying to prevent – an Iran that will spare nothing to build a nuclear weapon and that would build it in secret.”

And that’s the zero ways Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. Because that’s exactly how many ways there are for them to do that sort of thing. Zero.

If you come across someone telling you different, that Iran is about to nuke you for Christmas – just duck and cover!