Today we stand upon the ledge of a nuclear precipice. In less than one week, the much-discussed Bushehr plant will become a full-fledged nuclear energy installation. Our friends from Russia will be donating the Uranium fuel needed to kick-off this radioactive keg party on August 21, 2010. Although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has consistently declared that the Bushehr plant will be used to generate, “peaceful atomic energy for the people of Iran,” his inconsistencies are nothing new. In less than one-month, the Bushehr plant will be online to provide electricity. The Islamic republic’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi commented last week, “The event will be a thorn in the eye of ill-wishers.”
Iran contracted with Russia in 1995 for the $1 billion dollar Bushehr plant. After years of delays, primarily political in origin, the plant is nearly functional. An August 13th 2010 AP report sates, “Moscow has cited technical reasons for the delays. But Bushehr has also been an ideal way to gain leverage with both Tehran and Washington. Delaying the project has given Russia continued influence with Tehran in international attempts to have it stop uranium enrichment — a program Iran says it needs to make fuel for an envisaged reactor network but, which also can be used to create fissile warhead material. The delays also have served to placate the U.S., which opposes rewarding Iran while it continues to defy the U.N. Security Council with its nuclear activities.”
With so much at stake, it is disheartening that politics seem to rise above reason. Russia has agreed with the previous four seemingly ineffective sanctions against Iran, but now seem to have taken the, “if you can’t beat’em” approach. Russia believes that providing the Uranium that Iran needs, will not only allow a “watch-dog” of reason, but will force Iran to abandon Uranium enrichment, a needed step in nuclear weapons development. Russia has some concern however, since it has continually refused to honor the 2007 agreement to sell Iran the sophisticated S-300 surface to air missile system , which would, “significantly boosts Iran’s ability to defend against air strikes.”
Iran has refused to sign on to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which would make Iran subject to international monitoring of its atomic safety standards. The Busherh plant has been closely supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a United Nations supervisory group however, the IAEA’s role is to monitor and ensure that all nuclear fuel is accounted for. The IAEA has a long history of problematic relationships with Iran. November 27, 2009, IAEA declared that, “Cooperation has reached a dead-end.” According to a WSJ article, German Ambassador Rüdiger Lüdeking told the governors that Iran’s “disregard” of its obligations toward the IAEA “cannot be ignored” because the IAEA’s outstanding questions presented to Iran “relate to possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program.” In August 2006, Russia threatened to “immediately halt any further construction” of the Bushehr plant if IAEA inspectors were denied access. Nuclear program chief Ali Akbar Salehi stated that the IAEA inspectors were refused entry to Iran after they, “filed a false report about Tehran’s nuclear program.” Salehi also complained, “The two inspectors had leaked information about the Islamic republic’s atomic work before it was due to be officially announced.” The IAEA’s latest report apparently raised fresh doubts about the true nature of Iran’s nuclear program. Salehi then apparently demanded that “two others be sent” to replace the IAEA inspectors that were refused.
The United States and European Union’s sanctions have failed in a step-wise fashion. The Security Council applies sanctions and they seem to have little effect. Iran is not only the second largest oil producing country, but sits atop the second largest fuel reserves as well. Despite the large oil reserve and natural resources, President Ahmadinejad justifies Iran’s nuclear energy ambitions as, “preparation for when the oil reserves run out in 50-60 years.” It would seem that if Iran’s intentions are truly peaceful, why promote distrust in the world through confrontations with IAEA inspectors, allegations of spying, and the most aggressive move to date, testing the new surface to surface missile named Qiam-1, just one day before fueling of the Busherh site began?
Once again we find ourselves asking if we could be wrong about the motives of one who so often professes a peaceful co-existence of all mankind. Once again we find ourselves at a frightening realization that one’s motives are as easy to evaluate as one’s words and actions, yet we seem to have doubt even when face-to-face with the stark reality. Perhaps we have some intrinsic need to believe in redemption, so that we may find it ourselves, however, in the case of Iran becoming a potential nuclear power… We are betting our humanity.
July 28th 2010, Iranian television
Iranian President Ahmadinejad:
“Let me start with felicitations on the anniversary of the birth of the Mahdi. I congratulate all of humanity, all the people in the world, because it is the climax of mankind’s inspiration – the fulfillment of the rule of the Promised One. Mankind sees all its goals and aspirations and their fulfillment at a time when justice will prevail all over the world, kindness will prevail, antagonism will go away. Therefore, the Promised One tomorrow is the Promised One of all nations. He is the one that is being awaited by all world nations. They are all waiting for that sweet incident to happen, to see mankind reach the peak of its perfection.”
“They (the West) think that all the world nations are in need of them and that world nations cannot live without them and as soon as they cut off their ties with them, their breathing apparatus will stop functioning.”
“They say they have 5,060 or plus (nuclear) bombs they have stockpiled. A government that cannot bring an oil well under control – how can they stockpile all these bombs? We protest this.”
June 16th, 2010 Iranian News Channel (IRINN)
Iranian President Ahmadinejad:
“Over sixty years ago, by means of an artificial and false pretext, and by fabricating information and inventing stories, they gathered the filthiest, most criminal people, who only appear to be human, from all corners of the world. They organized and armed them, and provided them with media and military backing. Thus, they occupied the Palestinian lands, and displaced the Palestinian people.” (Referring to Israel becoming a State in a 1948 League of Nations mandate.)
“Today, the harshest dictatorship is the one operating against the American nation, and the greatest pressure is exerted over there. They have no freedom of expression. No newspaper has the right to write anything about the crimes of the Zionists, or about the support given to them by the US politicians. The American people do not have the right to demonstrate freely or to oppose the crimes of their politicians. Many Americans live in poverty. Eighty million people are poor. Some [leader] of that same America plundered hundreds and thousands of billions of dollars from the wealth of other nations.”
March 1st, 2010 Al-Alam TV
Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei meeting with Hamas leader
“Honorable Leader, some people are trying today to drive a wedge between the Arab and the Islamic resistance movements, between the resistance movements of Palestine, and between Syria, Lebanon, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. These attempts are destined for failure. We are in the same trench, confronting the enemy of our nation: Israel, and whoever stands behind Israel – America and others.”
February 8th, 2010
Iranian Atomic Chief Ali Akbar Salehi Al-Alam television
“The West is arrogant, I am sad to say. It always seeks to impose its will on other countries. Iran is an independent country, and it will not accept these dictates. We hope that matters do not become so complicated, but if they do, we will take the appropriate measures.” ?Threats have been made, especially by the Zionists, but we take all the necessary precautions, and the rest is in the hands of Allah. Martyrdom… Everybody wants to meet Allah as a martyr. We have no fear. Our scientists are not afraid. Naturally, we take precautions, the government invests all its efforts in protecting the scientists of Iran, but if what happened to the martyr Ali-Mohammadi happens again – so be it. Naturally, we took all necessary measures to fortify [the plants], but this does not mean that there is 100% protection. That’s one thing. Secondly, we think that the enemy – especially the Zionist enemy – will not dare take this cowardly step. This could spell the end of Israel. Attacking Iran is not a simple thing, and they know this.”
Iran recently responded with military maneuvers after comments by President Obama that they perceived as a threat of nuclear attack. After the maneuvers concluded, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei suggested that the exercises were aimed at showing Iran as a regional power that will provide the region’s security needs; at defying the U.S., the world power enemy. Iranian officials reiterated to the West that Iran is fully capable of closing off the Strait of Hormuz – which would have serious ramifications for oil prices worldwide and made a clear threat to American interests in the region. Iranian President Ahmadinejad was pleased with the military exercise and reiterated a call for a “new world order” and a “new security order.” Ahmadinejad said, “experience shows that the presence of several foreign forces has brought the region nothing but undetermined security, slaughter, and hostility. Therefore, there is no need for the presence of foreign forces to provide security for the region… They must leave our region.” “This is not a request, but an order, and the will of the local nations.” “We can threaten U.S. bases across the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.” It should be noted that the Strait of Hormuz accounts for passage of 20% of the world’s oil exports. Iran has stockpiled a large amount of sophisticated weapon systems that would easily deny access through the Strait if they desired.
It often seems that the truth can be found somewhere right of positions publicly taken and somewhere left of the actions being labeled coincidence. In this case, President Ahmadinejad proclaims peaceful intentions and progressive motivations, all the while rattling sabers of Islamic superiority and intolerance of infidels. A free Iraq is Ahmadinejad latest coup. The previous pro-Sunni Iraqi government was not interested in dealings with the Shia Iranian government. The tide has turned and in light of the new Shia leadership in Iraq, and four rounds of sanctions against Iran, they are limited in their trading partners in the region. Iraq, the third largest oil producing country, is a favored conquest for Iran. A relationship with Iraq would give Iran legitimacy and power in the region, as well as increased political leverage with the West. As the U.S. begins to leave Iraq, the Iraqi security is certainly a question that Iran is certain to provide answers to. This relationship can only be seen as suspect.
Ahmadinejad speaks of a peaceful nuclear program in one breath and justifies defiance in yet another. He preaches tolerance and then makes statements that Israel and America should be wiped off the face of the earth. In light of this duality, the world awaits the intentions of a man who vows that his country’s intentions are for nuclear energy, while he tests long-range missiles and unmanned bombers on the very day that the Bushehr nuclear energy plant is inaugurated. Ahmadinejad coldly referred to the new unmanned bomber as, “the ambassador of death” to Iran’s enemies. He continued, “The jet, as well as being the ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friendship.” The goal of the aircraft is to, “keep the enemy paralyzed in its bases.” Referring to any aggression by Israel or any other nation, Ahmadinejad said the attacks were unlikely, “but he said if Israel did, the reaction would be overwhelming.” “The scope of Iran’s reaction will include the entire Earth. We also tell you — the West — that all options are on the table.”
