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    The Week

    Iran's 'alarming' nuclear fuel-rod claim

    By The Week's Editorial Staff | The Week – Mon, Jan 2, 2012

    Tehran warns the West that its nuclear program has made a giant leap forward. How worried should we be?

    Iran announced Sunday that its scientists had produced the country's first nuclear fuel rods. If true, the "alarming" development would mark a big advance in Iran's ability to create nuclear energy or nuclear weapons. The news came as President Obama signed legislation toughening sanctions meant to urge Tehran to halt its nuclear program. Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum greeted Iran's claim by saying that the U.S. may soon be forced to launch military strikes. Should we be worried?

    This is very bad news: If Iran really has built and tested its own fuel rods, says Rick Moran at The American Thinker, that would mean it can "build its own small nuclear reactor in order to process uranium into plutonium" instead of having to get its fuel from Russia. What makes this unexpected news more "worrisome": Iran is currently test-firing missiles over the Straits of Hormuz, a critical oil-tanker gateway.
    "Iran test fires new surface to air missile"

    But there's no need to panic yet: "While any development of Iran's nuclear program is certainly cause for some alarm," says Jonathan Moormann at Ology, "it is probably too early to be overly concerned." As it has done in the past, Tehran is likely exaggerating its capabilities in an attempt to strengthen its hand in upcoming negotiations with the West. And even if Iran can make fuel rods, the country's scientists are probably nowhere near "weaponizing their nuclear technology."
    "Iran claims to have produced its first nuclear fuel rod"

    If you're not scared, you're in denial: It's time to stop "pretending that the Islamic Republic of Iran has friendly intentions," says Khalaf Al Habtoor in the United Arab Emirates' Gulf News. Tehran's mullahs have been inciting their fellow Shiites to revolt in neighboring countries, and flexing their muscles in the Straits of Hormuz. Iran is out to build a nuclear bomb and rule the Persian Gulf region — anyone who can't see that now is in "a state of denial." It's time to get tough. "What are we waiting for?"
    "Time to react to open Iranian threats"

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    19 comments

    • Reeznutz
      Reeznutz  •  Green Bay, Wisconsin  •  4 mths ago
      I like my propaganda medium rare. Thanks.
    • STEPHEN
      STEPHEN  •  Middletown, New York  •  4 mths ago
      I agree with this, and the claim of the nuclear fuel rod is something that Russia was probably surprised by too, since they built the reactor Iran has on the condition that they were to supply the fuel for it, and this will come as a slap in Russia's face.
      Russia can now see that Iran can not be trusted, and if they get nuclear weapons, much of Russia could be within range of those weapons before long, and Russia is not going to be willing to treat Iran like an equal any time soon, which is what Iran will want. Russia doesn't need any Iranian oil either, so they don't really have use for Iran at all when it comes down to it.
      Iran may have just lost an ally.
      • required
        required 4 mths ago
        Uh....who sold them the materials to make the fuel for their power plant?....why is it so wrong for a country to own a nuke power plant?....we have a butt load of them in our country....why can't they have at least one?
    • Mladen
      Mladen  •  Helsingfors, Finland  •  4 mths ago
      It's more likely to turn Iran into North Korea then to make them bow and surrender. You have Kim Jong Il on one side and Saddam Hussein and Mohammed Gaddafi on other. I rest my case. BTW, By NPT, you are allowed to have enrichment and peaceful nuclear program. Prove if you can there is anything illegal in producing fuel for medical reactor.
    • ET
      ET  •  Washington, District of Columbia  •  4 mths ago
      Talking and economic sanctions did not stop North Korea from nuclear weapons. Why would anybody think it would work with Iran. Stupid is as stupid does!!!
    • A Yahoo! user
      A Yahoo! user  •  4 mths ago
      I strongly encourage the "United Arab Emirates" to move ahead and lead the charge!
    • Dr. Funks Info
      Dr. Funks Info  •  4 mths ago
      America had a Nuclear break through as well. I beilieve it was in the 40's :}
    • evermore
      evermore  •  4 mths ago
      my computer was falling and all i could think about was the hershey kisses i just unwraped to eat that were falling too.... i saved the candy! thankyouverymuch!
    • sinecureseeker
      sinecureseeker  •  4 mths ago
      obama and his constant companion, his blackberry knew about this long before the press. he is probably even helping them with the technology. sure , why not, they are already a radicalized islamic nation, just like he wants the world to be. if you can't see where we are headed you must be blind.
      • evermore
        evermore 4 mths ago
        you need a fuzzy bunny to hold onto u idiot
    • Arlen
      Arlen  •  4 mths ago
      OK! Now they've done it!! President Obama is realy gonna talk to them about this now! You can bet they are gonna get an earful and it's not gonna be nice. They should really get ready now cuz they are gonna get a good talking to.
    • DRD4
      DRD4  •  4 mths ago
      I would have taken this article more seriously if you had not included propaganda from the UAE about inciting fellow Shi ites in neighboring countries. What does the freedom of Bahrainis have to do with a nuclear threat.

      Also, almost a year ago, I recall Ahmadinejad promising to have the fuel rods ready by last September. They are just over two months off schedule. Why the scary tactics when the information was made public.
    • drywall guy
      drywall guy  •  4 mths ago
      40 other countries have nuclear reactors equipped with fuel rods and the number is constantly growing.
      • required
        required 4 mths ago
        Nuke plant melt downs are more scary and more realistic then some country blowing lot's of cash on weapons.......only the US is stupid enough to blow cash on weapons they will never use....
    • Don M
      Don M  •  Mt Hamilton, California  •  4 mths ago
      This is very bad news: If Iran really has built and tested its own fuel rods .
      That means oh my GOD ..... mummy !
      • required
        required 4 mths ago
        What would be worse news is the US doing something stupid like bomb or invade Iran.....we do NOT have the right....
    • Mike
      Mike  •  4 mths ago
      Well it look's like it's about time to take out Iran's military and it's capabilitie's. Enough talk. it was tryed with Hitler and all it did was give him more time to biuld up his military machine. Knock out these nuclear bonker's with what every means necesaary. Destroy all of there military bases and navel bases and be done with them. And also wipe out all of thier fundalist goverenment and that lap dog President they have. End of proplem.
      • Reeznutz
        Reeznutz 4 mths ago
        I wish you had proper spelling and sentence structure capabilities.. That would be awesome.
      • Gene
        Gene 4 mths ago
        Mike, you have to have been kidding, when you wrote the above demolition of the English language. If you truely weren't playing, then there's no excuse. Grab a book.
      • MadHatter of Wall Street
        MadHatter of Wall Street 4 mths ago
        @mike,, that is the best statement of ABSURD thinking. IF Iran has the capability of this , your saying risk contamination of Innocents.. Opinions Vary!!!
    • Pat Walsh
      Pat Walsh  •  Gadsden, Alabama  •  4 mths ago
      No Jewish scientists.no wonder it is taking these fools so long.
    • Matthew
      Matthew  •  4 mths ago
      It is more like - that's a great fuel rod in your reactor not mine and let me know when you're going to use it so I can start running. None the less, this has gone on long enough, I wish our great leader would just define them out of existence like he did the terrorist.
    • Dar
      Dar  •  4 mths ago
      Clearly Iran is far from a bomb. It has very probably dropped development on a nuclear bomb many years ago.

      It does seem closer to being a good world source in nuclear medicine.
    • Nobama
      Nobama  •  Los Angeles, California  •  4 mths ago
      Let us send Barry the arse kisser over there......He will make it all better......Wa Ha Ha Ha!!!!
    • buzzardfur
      buzzardfur  •  Twin Falls, Idaho  •  4 mths ago
      They'l get it right when they test it on Dec, 12, 2012
    • Malik
      Malik  •  4 mths ago
      "American-Hiroshima" is inevitable. But, will it be a tragedy or a remedy? What better way to rapidly restore the republic than to eliminate 20-30 million urban liberals, welfare parasites, Occupiers, gang-bangers, illegals and other filth that infest the logical target cities?

      I welcome "American-Hiroshima" as a salvation for the USA.
     Post a comment

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