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Russia Urges Restraint Over Iran Nuclear News
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has responded to revelations about a previously undisclosed Iranian nuclear facility by urging all sides to exercise restraint until the details have been fully analyzed.

Speaking to RFE/RL in New York, Lavrov also questioned assumptions that Tehran was hiding anything and accused Western governments of withholding knowledge of a second Iranian uranium-enrichment plant.

"As far as I understand there's no clarity regarding the legal aspects of this situation," Lavrov said. "I don't want to go into legalistic analysis -- it has to be provided by IAEA -- but don't forget that Iran did notify the agency about its intentions, about its plans to construct a new facility, and we are convinced that whatever is being constructed under the Iranian nuclear program must be brought under the monitoring of IAEA."

Lavrov's statements appeared aimed at easing pressure on Moscow to take a tougher line against Iran when the UN Security Council's veto-wielding members meet next week to discuss steps to persuade Iran to comply with UN resolutions on its nuclear activities.

The U.S., French, and U.K. leaders had already condemned what British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called a "level of deception by the Iranian government."

Obama Anger

In a weekly radio and Internet address issued later, U.S. President Barack Obama called it "a serious challenge to the global nonproliferation regime and continues a disturbing pattern of Iranian evasion." He added that the world was "more united than ever before" on the Iranian issue.

Obama said that in meetings and public statements, he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "agreed that Iran must pursue a new course or face consequences."

The U.S. and Russia are both members of the so-called P-5 Plus One -- the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States) plus Germany -- which has a meeting scheduled for October 1 in Geneva to discuss the nuclear issue with Iranian officials.

Obama said the recent discovery meant "international negotiations with Iran scheduled for October 1 now take on added urgency."

Operational 'Soon'

Iran notified the International Atomic Energy Agency on September 21 that it was building a second enrichment plant but that no nuclear material had yet been introduced there.

Speaking to reporters on September 25 in New York, where he attended this week's UN General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad denied that the existence of the plant was a "secret" and said Tehran was not obliged to tell the U.S. administration about all its uranium-enrichment facilities.

Following revelations about the new plant, Moscow issued a statement calling the construction of a second facility a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and urged Iran to quickly demonstrate that the facility is solely for peaceful purposes.

Western governments accuse Tehran of secretly seeking a nuclear bomb capability, a charge that Iranian officials repeatedly deny.

An aide to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani, was quoted on September 26 by semiofficial Fars news agency as saying that "this new plant, God willing, will soon become operational and will make the enemies blind."

Moscow Wary

Speaking to RFE/RL in New York, Lavrov expressed disappointment that Western partners appeared to have kept intelligence about the existence of a second enrichment facility from Moscow.

"Some of our Western partners said that they had known about this plant for quite some time," Lavrov said. "If that is the case, A) we want this information to be shared with us; [and] B) we really would prefer that this information had been shared with us earlier, when our partners with whom we work on the Iranian nuclear issue laid their hands on this information."

He cautioned that "we need first of all facts before we jump to discuss sanctions or anything else."

Obama and Medvedev on September 23 had appeared to be narrowing their differences over the possibility of further sanctions against Iran over nuclear issues.

Some have suggested that a recent U.S. decision to abandon a Bush-era plan for a European missile-defense shield was part of an understanding between Moscow and Washington whereby Russia would ease its resistance to tougher treatment of a defiant Tehran. Both sides have rejected talk of any such quid pro quo.

'No Legal Clarity'

Lavrov said he had spoken with Muhammad el-Baradei, the director-general of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

More like the UN's toothless tiger.

"As far as I understand, there's no clarity regarding the legal aspects of this situation," Lavrov told RFE/RL. "I don't want to go into legalistic analysis -- [that] has to be provided by IAEA. But don't forget that Iran did notify the agency about its intentions, about its plans to construct a new facility, and we are convinced that whatever is being constructed under the Iranian nuclear program must be brought under the monitoring of IAEA."

Lavrov said that so far the IAEA had no evidence suggesting that the nuclear-fuel-production program in Iran was being shifted to military purposes. Meanwhile, he claimed, pressure exerted on Iran through three previous rounds of UN sanctions is working.

"We want to have all the facts presented to us by professionals, and we want Iranians to engage in serious negotiations when we meet on October 1," Lavrov said. "And this is the common position of the [P-5 Plus One] group, which issued a couple of days ago a joint statement to this effect in New York."

Lavrov said that only through a consensus within the UN Security Council could sanctions against Iran be effective.

He said unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union are merely impeding negotiations with Tehran.

Israeli Alarm

Reuters quoted Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as telling Israel Radio that the revelations over a new Iranian nuclear facility has "done away with" disagreement over Iran's nuclear intentions. He went on to call for an "unequivocal" international response.

"I spoke this weekend with experts from the East and West," Lieberman said. "No one has any doubt, according to the technical data that was published, it's a military core."

Israeli officials have issued repeated warnings over Iran's nuclear activities and refuse to rule out possible military action to preempt a threat.

Iran's previously acknowledged uranium-enrichment plant is at Natanz.

Via Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

El Baradei Snubs BBC Over Gaza

You know it is getting bad when the head of the Iranian Nuclear Proliferation Committee, I mean the UN International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei has canceled a scheduled interview with the BBC, also known as the Al Jazeera of Britain.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has cancelled interviews with the BBC over its decision not to broadcast a charity appeal for Gaza.

Guess we don't have to guess which side he is on in the ongoing problems the Israelis are having with Hamas and the Palestinians.

This is the guy who was supposed to keep an eye on Iran, and who kept issuing assurance after assurance that the Iranians were not up to any bad in the pursuit of their nuclear weapons, only to have to admit last year finally that he had not a clue.

We now have a report that Iran may have a nuclear weapon within a year.

I wonder what the "jizya" is that the BBC will have to pay to get back in ElBaradei's good graces?

'Nuclear Watchdog' Suffers Plutonium Leak

The toothless 'nuclear watchdog' known as the IAEA has sprung a leak. Is it any wonder these people are useless when it comes to rogue regimes with nukes? They can't even mange their own facility properly.

A SMALL amount of plutonium leaked overnight in an ageing laboratory operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) near Vienna, Austria's environment ministry said today.

The leak follows warnings late last year from the head of the IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, that the facility at Seibersdorf was outdated and did not meet UN safety standards.

"A sample kept on site exploded, which led to the plutonium leak inside the laboratory," the ministry said, citing initial information from the IAEA.

The leak automatically set off an alarm via an air-monitoring system.

No one was in the laboratory at the time and the radioactivity in the air would have been completely contained by the lab's filters, the ministry said.

It said that the contaminated area had been sealed.

No one had suffered any radiation exposure, environment ministry spokesman Daniel Kapp said, and no one had been in danger because the radiation had been contained within the centre's security zone.

He said Austrian monitoring centres had detected no increase in radioactivity, but an inquiry would be held into the incident.

The laboratory carries out tests on samples taken during IAEA surveillance missions.

Mr. Potato Head blames it on lack of money, naturally.

IAEA chief Mohamed El Baradei said in November 2007 that the site, which was built in 1970, did not meet UN safety standards. He called for 27.2 million euros from member states to modernise the laboratory.

IAEA Dimwits: Iran May Be Hiding Nuke Evidence

Having aided and abetted the Iranians in their pursuit of nukes, the toothless IAEA now pretends they've been misled.

Iran may be withholding information needed to establish whether it tried to make nuclear arms, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday in an unusually strongly worded report.

The tone of the language suggesting Tehran continues to stonewall the U.N. nuclear monitor revealed a glimpse of the frustration felt by agency investigators stymied in their attempts to gain full answers to suspicious aspects of Iran's past nuclear activities.

A senior U.N. official familiar with the investigation into Iran's nuclear program said none of the dozens of agency reports issued in that context had ever been as plain spoken in calling Tehran to task for not being forthright. He agreed to discuss the report only if granted anonymity because he was not authorized to comment to the media.

Iran has described its cooperation with the agency's probe as positive, suggesting it was providing information requested by agency officials.

Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA, said as much again Monday, telling The Associated Press that the report described "the peaceful nature of our nuclear actions."

"The Americans failed ... in shameful attempts" to co-opt the agency into delivering anti-Iranian findings, he said.

A very weak attempt at covering their asses.

IAEA: Terrorists Planning Olympic Dirty Bomb

It's probably safe to say every Olympics from here on out will face such threats.

Of course, they mention no possible suspects (cough, cough Islamists) nor do they have any specific information of any pending threat. Still, it's enough to cause some concern.

Chances are more likely of something happening in London in 2012.

Terrorists are trying to obtain nuclear material in a bid to cause widespread chaos at the Beijing Olympics, it has been claimed.

The International Atomic Energy Authority warned that terrorists may try and use dirty bombs to disperse radioactive materials during the high-profile event.

The UN nuclear watchdog issued the stern warning as it staged its biggest ever security training exercise in the Chinese capital.

The agency's head of nuclear security, Dr Anita Nilsson also claimed that the same threats will loom over the London Games in 2012.

"There is a threat at some level that these [radioactive] materials could be used," Dr she told the BBC.

“The awareness that these materials do exist in circulation is enough in itself to trigger the measures that we are now working together with the Chinese authorities to implement at the major venues of the Beijing Olympics."

However, the agency admitted there was no specific information about a potential or imminent terror attack.

I'm mildly surprised this toothless watchdog would even surmise there's potential for such an attack considering they've turned a blind eye to nuclear proliferation elsewhere, specifically in Iran and Syria.

Obviously the Chinese are taking this seriously, and to some surprise, so is the IAEA.

But can you imagine the reaction from China if something like this were to happen?

I suspect those complaining about our tactics in the war on terror would have their hands full chronicling the alleged violations of international law and the Geneva Convention.

IAEA Springs Into Action, Plans to Probe Syrian Nuke Reactor Destroyed Seven Months Ago

Do not fear, Mr. Potato Head is on the job!

Totally laughable, of course. Shouldn't have this alleged watchdog group known of the existence of the Syrian reactor?

If this doesn't expose them as frauds, nothing ever will.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog pledged on Friday to investigate what he called serious U.S. accusations that Syria secretly built a nuclear reactor with North Korean help.

Syria, which denies the U.S. allegations, accused the United States of involvement in an Israeli air attack in September that Washington says destroyed the site of an atomic reactor in a remote part of the Arab state.

Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the allegations by U.S. intelligence against Syria would be investigated with due vigor.

"The Agency will treat this information with the seriousness it deserves and will investigate the veracity of the information," ElBaradei said in a statement.

Sure.

Naturally, the schmuck criticizes the United States.

He criticized the United States for not disclosing its intelligence information sooner. Israel should have given IAEA inspectors a chance to investigate any Syrian nuclear activity before bombing the site, he added.

This reactor started going up seven years ago and this supersleuth was totally clueless. Now it's CYA time.

ElBaradei bemoaned Washington's failure to turn the information over to the IAEA on the alleged reactor, said to have been launched in 2001, much earlier to help "enable us to verify its veracity and establish the facts".

"In light of the above, (I) view the unilateral use of force by Israel as undermining the due process of verification that is at the heart of the non-proliferation regime," he added.

What a comedian.

Iran & The Bomb

Iran Could Have Enough Uranium for a Bomb by Year's End
New simulations carried out by European Union experts come to an alarming conclusion: Iran could have enough highly enriched uranium to build an atomic bomb by the end of this year.

Could Iran be building an atomic bomb? When the US released a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) late last year, it seemed as though the danger of a mullah-bomb had passed. The report claimed to have information indicating that Tehran mothballed its nuclear weapons program as early as autumn 2003. The paper also said that it was "very unlikely" that Iran would have enough highly enriched uranium -- the primary ingredient in atomic bombs -- by 2009 to produce such a weapon. Rather, the NIE indicated "Iran probably would be technically capable of producing enough (highly enriched uranium) for a weapon sometime during the 2010-2015 timeframe."

It didn't take long for experts to question the report's conclusion that Tehran was no longer interested in building the bomb. And now, a new computer simulation undertaken by European Union experts indicates that the NIE's time estimates might be dangerously inaccurate as well -- and that Iran might have enough fuel for a bomb much earlier than was previously thought.

As part of a project to improve control of nuclear materials, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy set up a detailed simulation of the centrifuges currently used by Iran in the Natanz nuclear facility to enrich uranium. The results look nothing like those reached by the US intelligence community.

For one scenario, the JRC scientists assumed the centrifuges in Natanz were operating at 100 percent efficiency. Were that the case, Iran could already have the 25 kilograms of highly enriched uranium necessary for an atomic device by the end of this year. Another scenario assumed a much lower efficiency -- just 25 percent. But even then, Iran would have produced enough uranium by the end of 2010.

For the purposes of the simulation, the JRC modelled each of the centrifuges individually and then hooked them together to form the kind of cascade necessary to enrich uranium. A number of variables were taken into account, including the assumption by most experts that Iran isn't even close to operating its centrifuges at 100 percent efficiency. What is known, however, is that the Iranians are operating 18 cascades, each made up of 164 centrifuges. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad himself said last April that the country had 3,000 centrifuges in operation. At the time, most Western observers discounted the claim as mere propaganda. But the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Ahmadinejad's assertion in November.

Centrifuges from Pakistan

Another variable is the type of centrifuge Iran is using. For its simulations, the JRC assumed cascades using 2,952 P1 centrifuges -- the P stands for Pakistan, where the centrifuges were manufactured. But recent reports indicate that Iran might be in the process of installing so-called "IR2" centrifuges. These centrifuges -- the IR stands for Iran -- are made out of carbon-fiber instead of aluminium and are an estimated 2.5 times as powerful as the P1 devices.
[....]

Read it all at Spiegel International

So much for the NIE report generated by the State Department's Fifth Column.

Useless UN 'Watchdog' Fears for Pakistan Nuke Arsenal

The clueless stooge Mohamed ElBaradei, who's twiddled his thumbs while the Iranians move full-steam toward acquiring nulear weapons, now frets that Al Qaeda could seize Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Though I'm sure he'll be happy to sit down with them and convince them to only use them for peaceful purposes.

THE head of the UN atomic watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei warned yesterday that al-Qa'ida could use the deepening political and security crisis in Pakistan to seize the country's nuclear arsenal.

"I fear that chaos ... or an extremist regime could take root in that country, which has 30 to 40 warheads," the Egyptian-born Mr ElBaradei told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.

There has been worldwide concern over the security of Pakistan's nuclear warheads since President Pervez Musharraf imposed a national state of emergency in November.

Mr Musharraf said in December that Pakistan's nuclear weapons were under control.

But in unusual public comments, Mr ElBaradei said he was "worried that nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of an extremist group in Pakistan or in Afghanistan".

The intervention by the UN nuclear chief, on the eve of a visit to Iran, comes amid growing apprehension about the way jihadi militants linked to al-Qa'ida and the Taliban have cut a swath through Pakistan, seeking to take advantage of the country's political turmoil.

The militants are particularly active in remote areas where Pakistan's estimated 50 nuclear warheads are believed to be deployed, though officials in Islamabad have insisted there is no threat to their security or the country's arsenal.

There have been reports of deepening concern in Washington about the safety of the nuclear arsenal.

In her last major interview before her assassination, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto expressed concern that "al-Qa'ida could be marching on Islamabad in two to four years".

Most reassuring.

UPDATE: Here's another comforting thought: New Taliban Leader: More Dangerous Than Bin Laden?

As the Centrifuges Turn

The Iranians continue full steam ahead enriching uranium today while the world's most useless organization, the IAEA, issues another sham report filled with doubletalk and diplospeak.

The report is accompanied by a unique succession of headlines.

Nuclear Agency Says Iran Is Cooperating

IAEA: Iran Not Open About Nuke Program

Uh, which is it?

From the former:

In a report sure to further complicate the U.S.-led drive for additional sanctions against Iran, the atomic watchdog agency of the United Nations has given Iran relatively good marks for its recent cooperation in clearing up suspicions over past nuclear work.

"Iran has provided sufficient access to individuals and has responded in a timely manner to questions and provided clarifications and amplifications on issues raised," the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

From the latter:

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — The U.S. called for new sanctions against Iran after a U.N. report Friday that said the Tehran regime has been generally truthful about key aspects of its past nuclear activities, but is continuing to enrich uranium.

The International Atomic Energy Agency also said restrictions the Iranians put on U.N. inspectors two years ago mean it still cannot rule out that Iran has a secret weapons program, as suspected by Washington and its allies.

So, they cannot rule out the possible existence of a secret program, yet they assure us the Iranians are generally truthful.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Oh, and by the way, these IAEA hacks admit they're totally clueless, incompetent, or quite probably, on the Iranian payroll.

The official acknowledged, however, that the agency remained blind on Iran's present work with new and more modern enrichment technologies that would allow it to enrich uranium at far greater speed and volume than with the outmoded machines the agency is monitoring.

Touching on that, the report said the agency's "knowledge about Iran's current nuclear program is shrinking" because of access restrictions imposed in 2006.

Repeating previous warnings, it said the IAEA "is not in a position to provide credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities" unless Iran restores more robust inspection rights to agency experts.

Very reassuring.

The BBC at least knows how to translate, to their credit.

Mixed UN nuclear report for Iran

The UN nuclear watchdog says Iran has supplied transparent data on its past nuclear activities but adds it has limited knowledge of its current work.

The IAEA also found in a report that Tehran was still enriching uranium in defiance of the UN Security Council.

Iran said the report was a clean bill of health but the US said it showed Tehran was not co-operating.

The BBC's Jon Leyne says Iran probably has done enough to fend off any new UN sanctions and has deferred the crisis.

FARS, naturally, suspects pressure on ElBaradei, while IRNA offered their own unique twist on the news.

A move by the US, Britain and France on release of 10 pages of additional questions over Iran's peaceful nuclear program was aimed to counter the constructive cooperation between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, a diplomat said here Thursday.

Speaking to IRNA on condition of anonymity, the diplomat added that the hasty move indicated that the report by Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei, scheduled to be released Thursday, surprised the three countries.

The unprecedented measure was adopted by London, Washington and Paris because this time ElBaradei strived to present a realistic, rational, legal and non-political report to the IAEA Board of Governors about Iran, he said.

To no one's surprise, the Israelis see right through the farce.

Israel dismissed a report issued by the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Thursday as "unacceptable," claiming it was further proof that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei was pro-Iranian.
...
"This report is unacceptable," Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post. "This is further proof of ElBaradei's one-sided and pro-Iranian position."

Outside of the heavy lifting being done by the United States, Great Britain, France and Israel, the rest of the world sits idly by, seemingly unconcerned a rogue state that promises to annihilate Israel is on the cusp of procuring nuclear arms.

To see the IAEA issue one mealy-mouthed report after the next while this occurs is an abomination.

Also at A Tangled Web.

IAEA Springs Into Action, Passes Nuclear Resolution ... Against Israel

Little Mahmoud will laugh his way down to Ground Zero after getting this news.

Islamic nations secure IAEA vote against Israel

VIENNA (Reuters) - Islamic nations, targeting Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal, pushed through a U.N. atomic watchdog resolution on Thursday urging all Middle East nations to renounce atomic weapons.

The vote was 53-2 but with 47 abstentions by Western and developing states, highlighting reservations that the resolution politicized the International Atomic Energy Agency's work.

The decision was non-binding, but symbolized entrenched tensions over Israel's presumed nuclear might and shook the traditional consensus culture in the Vienna-based IAEA.

A similar measure calling on all Middle East nations to adopt IAEA safeguards on nuclear work passed overwhelmingly at last year's IAEA general assembly, with only the United States and Israel opposed, as they were again on Thursday.

Of course, this is entirely meaningless, but it reinforces the rank anti-Semitism of so many nations that turn a blind eye to the behavior of countries that refuse to even recognize Israel.

The only EU nation to vote for the resolution was staunchly anti-nuclear, neutral Ireland. China, India, Russia and Japan also voted yes, as did U.S. foes Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.

Similar resolutions floated each year at the IAEA assembly since 1991 stalled every time in committee until last year when resentment surged over Israel's devastation of south Lebanon in a month-long war with Hizbollah guerrillas there.

UPDATE: More from Carl in Jerusalem.

Fear Not, It's For Peaceful Purposes...

As we've been repeatedly told, "climate change" is the "gravest" crisis facing mankind, so today we report that some frantic digging around a nuclear plant in Iran is strictly for peaceful purposes, as those madcap Iranians are simply looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

They mean us no harm, and we shall not question thier motives. Why? Becasue the left says so. So what if they plan to nuke us? It's all Bush's fault anyway.

See, turning a blind eye to ugly reality is so easy. Maybe I should become a Democrat. Then I can ignore the real world, spout cliches, and feel better about myself knowing that I care.

Tunneling Near Iranian Nuclear Site Stirs Worry

The sudden flurry of digging seen in recent satellite photos of a mountainside in central Iran might have passed for ordinary road tunneling. But the site is the back yard of Iran's most ambitious and controversial nuclear facility, leading U.S. officials and independent experts to reach another conclusion: It appears to be the start of a major tunnel complex inside the mountain.

The question is, why? Worries have been stoked by the presence nearby of fortified buildings where uranium is being processed. Those structures in turn are now being connected by roads to Iran's nuclear site at Natanz, where the country recently started production of enriched uranium in defiance of international protests.

As a result, photos of the site are being studied by governments, intelligence agencies and nuclear experts, all asking the same question: Is Iran attempting to thwart future military strikes against its nuclear facility by placing key parts of it in underground bunkers?

Maybe we should just listen to the armchair generals at the New York Times and flee Iraq as soon as possible. Then the Iranians would join hands with us in a peaceful chorus of Kumbaya.

Former FBI Agent Missing in Iran

Of course, details are sketchy, no name is given, and don't expect the Iranians to be cooperative.

The United States asked Iran on Monday to provide information about a former FBI agent believed to have gone missing several weeks ago while on private business there, U.S. officials said.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the family and employer of the man reported him missing and the State Department sent an official inquiry on Monday to Iran via Swiss diplomats, who act as a go-between with Tehran because the two countries do not have diplomatic relations.

Can't Nancy Pelosi just pop over after she's finished sucking up to the chinless opthamologist?

Relations are very tense between the United States and Iran, particularly over its nuclear program. The two nations have not had diplomatic ties for nearly 30 years.

The missing man, described by officials as middle-aged, is believed to have been visiting Kish, an Iranian resort island and free-trade zone in the Gulf. He is not believed to be of Iranian descent and his wife lives in the United States.

Speaking of the Iranian nuclear program, the latest is they'll be ready to go by 2009, according to The Blotter.

A spokesperson for the United Nation's International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, declined to comment citing the "extreme sensitivity" of the situation with Iran.

Yeah, they don't want to upset their bosses in Tehran.

Not that I have must trust in this report, but the time is soon at hand to take out their program, despite the strenuous objection of Democrat foreign policy honcho Rosie O'Donnell.

The United States will be ready to launch a missile attack on Iran's nuclear facilities as soon as early this month, perhaps "from 4 a.m. until 4 p.m. on April 6," according to reports in the Russian media on Saturday.

According to Russian intelligence sources, the reports said, the US has devised a plan to attack several targets in Iran, and an assault could be carried out by launching missiles from fighter jets and warships stationed in the Persian Gulf.

When they start giving specific times and dates like your cable provider, time to perk up and take things seriously.

Others blogging on the latest nuke story include LGF, Hot Air, and Sister Toldjah.

Tiny Tyrant Remains Defiant

Do we expect anything else from Ahmadinejad?

Iran vowed on Wednesday to press on with its nuclear fuel program, ignoring a U.N. deadline to freeze uranium enrichment or face broader sanctions, but offered to guarantee it would not try to develop atomic weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained defiant as a 60-day grace period Iran had been given on December 23 to stop enriching uranium for nuclear fuel was expiring.

"We ... will continue our work to reach our right (to nuclear technology) in the shortest possible time," student news agency ISNA quoted him as saying in the town of Siahkal.

With the deadline running out, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been unable to verify Iran's program is wholly peaceful after three years of investigations, was expected to report to the U.N. Security Council by Thursday that Tehran was pursuing enrichment regardless of pressure to stop.

Is there a more useless entity than the IAEA?

Iran Bars IAEA Inspectors

This silly dance continues. Is there a more useles entity that the IAEA?

Iran said Monday it has barred 38 members of a U.N. nuclear inspection team from entering the country, in what appeared to be retaliation for sanctions imposed last month over its contentious atomic program.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said some inspectors were admitted, but maintained that Iran could decide who should be turned away.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency submits a long list of inspectors to member countries and the countries have the right to oppose the visit by some inspectors," Mottaki told the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

This calls for more dialogue.

UPDATE: Other items of interest out of Iran: Dissident Cleric Slam Ahmadinejad and Iran Believes it Could Destroy Israel With Single Nuke.